NASHVILLE, Tenn. — October contributions of $17.8 million through the Southern Baptist Convention‘s (SBC) Cooperative Program (CP) were 20.40 percent above CP gifts received in October 2007, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and Chief Executive Officer Morris H. Chapman.
As of Oct. 31, 2008, CP gifts were $3.0 million above the $14.8 million received in October 2007. Meanwhile, designated giving of $3.9 million during October was 27.56 percent, or almost $844,000 above gifts of $3.1 million received last October.
For the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, the October total of $17.8 million is 103.80 percent of the $17.1 million budgeted to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America.
During the last fiscal year, Southern Baptists topped the $200-million mark for the third year in a row and overall giving to national causes surpassed the $400-million benchmark for a second straight year.
The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ method of supporting missions and ministry efforts of state and regional conventions and the SBC.
It is separate from the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Fund of which 100 percent of monies go to aid the needy in the general public.
The Cooperative Program total includes receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships for distribution according to the 2008-09 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget.
Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund and other special gifts.
State and regional conventions retain a portion of church contributions to the Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program to support work in their respective areas and forward a percentage to Southern Baptist national and international causes. The percentage of distribution is at the discretion of each state or regional convention.