SBC Cooperative Program April gifts down; year up

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program receipts for April declined more than 16 percent compared to the previous year’s April, according to Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee.

For the fiscal year, however, receipts remain above the previous year by .46 percent.

For the month of April 1998, a total of $11,903,309 was received, compared to the same month of 1997 of $14,299,668, a decrease of 16.76 percent or $2,396,359.

After seven months of the SBC fiscal year, October through April, CP gifts total $91,241,293 compared to the same period last year of $90,819,060, an increase of .46 percent or $422,232.

Designated gifts for April also declined compared to the same month a year ago: $9,193,432 compared to $10,046,351, a decrease of 8.49 percent or $852,918. For the fiscal year, however, designated gifts total $104,479,592 compared to the same period a year ago of $97,944,314, an increase of 6.67 percent or $6,535,278.

For the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, the April CP receipts were 3.61 percent below the required budget figure of $12,348,756. For the year-to-date, the budget requirement of $86,441,294 has been surpassed by $4,799,998 or 5.55 percent.

The SBC Cooperative Program total includes receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships for distribution according to the 1997-98 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget.

The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ method of supporting missions and ministry efforts of state and regional conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention. Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions, world hunger and other special gifts.

State and regional conventions retain a percentage of Cooperative Program contributions they receive from the churches to support work in their areas and send the remaining funds to the Executive Committee for national and international ministries. The percentage of distribution is at the discretion of each state or regional convention.