NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–An added focus on the Cooperative Program has been incorporated into the proposed Southern Baptist Convention budget for the 2003-04 fiscal year.
The SBC Executive Committee, during its Feb. 17-18 meeting in Nashville, Tenn., approved a recommendation that $250,000 be utilized “to fund the enhancement of CP education at the six [SBC] seminaries” if the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget exceeds its $182,323,110 goal.
The Cooperative Program, also known as CP Missions, was launched in 1925 as Southern Baptists’ method of supporting missions and ministry efforts of state and regional conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention. CP Missions is a key support channel for Southern Baptists’ 10,000-plus missionaries around the world and across North America, for the convention’s ethics and religious liberty advocacy and for theological education for future ministers and missionaries provided by the six seminaries.
The overall budget will be presented to messengers for approval during the June 2003 SBC annual meeting in Phoenix.
The budget, as recommended by the Executive Committee, will continue to allocate:
— 50 percent of receipts to the International Mission Board.
— 22.79 percent to the North American Mission Board.
— 21.64 percent to the seminaries. Specifically, according to the seminary enrollment formula, Southwestern Seminary would receive 5.30 percent; Southern Seminary, 4.33 percent; New Orleans Seminary, 4.25 percent; Southeastern Seminary, 4.09 percent; Golden Gate Seminary, 1.90 percent; and Midwestern Seminary, 1.54 percent.
— 1.49 percent to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
— 3.32 percent to the Executive Committee, encompassing the work of the EC between SBC annual meetings as well as the costs for each annual meeting.
— .76 percent to the Annuity Board for its ministry to retired ministers whose annuities were underfunded during their careers.
— .24 percent for the SBC Historical Library and Archives.
Also during the Executive Committee meeting:
— Robert E. Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board, reported that NAMB was withdrawing its request to spin off the FamilyNet cable TV network as a for-profit entity. FamilyNet has received a top-50 tier channel on the EchoStar satellite network on a nonprofit basis, giving FamilyNet an added potential audience of 8 million viewers. Reccord said NAMB will be exploring opportunities with other SBC entities for new ways of representing Southern Baptists in homes across the country.
— Cedarville University in Ohio was approved as a secondary exhibitor on a space-available basis for SBC annual meetings, in conjunction with its new partnership with the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, launched last fall.
Cedarville President Paul Dixon and his June 1 successor, Bill Brown, were introduced during the Executive Committee meeting, and it was announced that Jack Kwok, executive director of the Ohio convention, and Paige Patterson, president of Southeastern Seminary, have been named to the university’s board of trustees.
Cedarville joins five other secondary exhibitors, Criswell College, Luther Rice Seminary, Mid-America Seminary, Liberty University and the American Bible Society.
— A 2.3 percent increase was approved for the Executive Committee staff salary structure, effective Oct. 1.
— A resolution of appreciation was presented to O.W. “Dub” Efurd Jr., who retires March 31 after 14 years as executive-director-treasurer of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention. Another resolution was issued for Charles W. Sullivan, who retires May 15 but could not be in attendance, for his 12 years as executive director-treasurer of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana.
— Colorado pastor Tobey Williams, Georgia pastor Dannie Williams and Illinois director of missions Lanny Faulkner were elected to the 2002-03 SBC Committee on Nominations.
— A continuing $38,000 fee was approved for the SBC Pastors’ Conference meeting hall and facilities costs in conjunction with the 2003 and 2004 SBC annual meetings.
— Notice was given that Barry C. McCarty will again serve as chief parliamentarian during the June 2003 SBC annual meeting in Phoenix.
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(BP) photos posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo titles: ADVANCING IN ALABAMA, PACIFIC PARTNERS and CP GRATITUDE.
