DALLAS (BP) — During the June 10 afternoon session of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting in Dallas, SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg led messengers in celebrating 100 years of Cooperative Program (CP) giving.

Referencing Joshua 4, he shared the story of God instructing His people to gather 12 commemorative stones from the Jordan River and to create a memorial to the miracle of God, who stopped the river so the Israelites could cross on dry ground.

The memorial had two purposes, Iorg said. First, it was a reminder in verses 6-9 to celebrate a historic event when the river stopped flowing, and they walked on dry ground. Second, in verses 6-7, it was an object lesson for future generations.

Joshua told the people, in the future, when your children ask you, what do these stones mean, you should tell them, “The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant.”

In a similar way, throughout this convention, Southern Baptists are erecting memorial stones of 100 years of cooperation demonstrated through the Cooperative Program, Iorg said.

“We point to missionaries sent, churches started, students educated, institutions built and most of all, people saved because Southern Baptists have contributed more than $20 billion through the Cooperative Program in the past 100 years,” Iorg said.

“Twenty billion!” he emphasized. “Thank you, Southern Baptists, for every dollar you have given, the faithful giving of our forefathers, and for the immeasurable, eternal impact of these results. We celebrate God’s past acts today, but more importantly, we build this memorial so we can point to future generations and say, ‘This is what God can do through a people who cooperate together.’”

He added, “We build this memorial so we can challenge our children and our grandchildren to resist the temptation to go it alone and to discover the incredible power of voluntary cooperation.”

Joining Iorg on the stage were state executive directors, SBC entity presidents and ethnic fellowship leaders, representing the unity and diversity of all Southern Baptists. Many previously participated in a Cooperative Program 100th anniversary celebration held on May 13, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn., within yards of the exact place and on the exact day of the original signing of the historic declaration of cooperation.

Iorg invited Tony Wolfe, executive director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, to the podium, recognizing his leadership in spearheading these celebrations and in co-authoring, with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary provost Madison Grace, the Executive Committee-commissioned book, “A Unity of Purpose: 100 Years of the SBC Cooperative Program.”

Wolfe, wanting Southern Baptists to see themselves in those representing them, said the intentionally diverse group of 73 SBC representatives ceremonially signed a declaration of cooperation in May. This declaration was reproduced as “Resolution #2: On the Centennial Anniversary of the Cooperative Program,” which was affirmed by messengers June 10. The declaration will be made available online for all Southern Baptists everywhere to digitally sign, Wolfe said, “to signal as an expression of our unity, of purpose and consecration that we shared in today.”

Calling May 13, 1925, a “sacred moment,” Wolfe said he honestly believed that May 13, 2025, was sacred as well. “My joy is full. … He has given us to this sacred effort and to one another in our time.”

Iorg then introduced Taffey Hall, executive director of the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives, who gave an overview of the cultural backdrop of 1925 when the Cooperative Program was adopted.

“One hundred years ago, Southern Baptists faced war, economic challenges and theological divides, and yet they came together,” Hall said, noting the impulse of Southern Baptists has always been evangelism and missions.

“Southern Baptists need to trust that when they put their money in the offering plate that goes to the Cooperative Program, that those funds are spent efficiently and wisely and for the right causes,” she said. “Just as our Baptist forerunners from the 1920s accepted that challenge, it’s up to us to renew that commitment.”

She added, “When we don’t work together, the gospel retrenches. But when we do work together, the gospel advances.”

Liz Encinia of Kentucky Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), Pastor Caleb Turner of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church in Besquite, Texas, and Pastor Dan Spencer of First Baptist Church of Sevierville, Tenn., then led in prayer. Spencer is the great-great nephew of M.E. Dodd, who led the Futures Commission, which brought the Cooperative Program to the messengers at the SBC’s 1925 annual meeting.

Spencer read from one of Dodd’s books, “Missions, our Mission,” written in 1930. Dodd wrote, “Our entire denominational Cooperative Program is one. It is not to be looked upon in segments with each worker over in a corner, attending to his own little job, entirely apart from the others. They are not competitors, but cooperators in a common cause. What helps one helps all. What hurts one hurts all, they must all stand or fall together.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Shannon Baker is director of communications for the Baptist Resource Network (BRN) of Pennsylvania/South Jersey.)