2019 CP budget proposal up $500,000 from current year

2019 CP budget proposal up $500,000 from current year

A $37.5 million Cooperative Program (CP) budget recommendation for 2019 has been approved by the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) trustees.

The proposed budget recommendation was approved during the State Board’s Aug. 17 meeting in Prattville. The amount is a $500,000 increase over the 2018 CP budget of $37 million and a step back toward the previous CP budgets of $40 million and more.

All CP funds flowing through Alabama’s convention office are allocated equally between the missions and ministry efforts of the state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Of the $18,750,000 allocated for Alabama’s missions and ministry efforts, $12,133,782 will support the work of the SBOM. The work includes evangelism and discipleship efforts, Sunday School, leadership development, church health, worship leadership, missions, collegiate ministries, church planting, church revitalization, the church retirement plan, disaster relief and more.

Convention entities

The remaining $6,616,219 will be divided among state convention entities, auxiliaries and other ministries.

University of Mobile and Judson College in Marion will receive more than half of that amount with $3,715,430. The amount for the A. Earl Potts Scholarship and the Board of Aid to Students is set at $472,166.

The remaining entities, along with Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union and Alabama Citizens Action Program, receive allotments based on the traditional percentage for each organization.

Also approved during the Aug. 17 meeting were five special offering goals for 2019:

• Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions — $12 million
• Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions — $6 million
• Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries — $2,800,000
• Myers-Mallory State Missions Offering — $1,200,000
• World Hunger Offering — $800,000.

The total for the special offering goals is $22,800,000, making the grand total of the proposed CP and special offering goals for Alabama Baptists for 2019 $60.3 million.

The 2019 CP budget recommendation and special offering goals will be presented to messengers at the Alabama Baptist State Convention (ABSC) annual meeting in November for final approval. The annual meeting will be held at First Baptist Church, Trussville, on Nov. 13–14.

Also going before messengers will be a recommendation that the 2018 Annual of the ABSC be dedicated to David Potts, the late former president of Judson College, and Mike McLemore, the late former executive director of Birmingham Baptist Association. Potts and McLemore both died in 2018 while still leading in their areas of ministry.

SBOM officials also noted the upcoming Myers-Mallory State Missions Offering promotion and urged all Alabama Baptist churches to participate. The Week of Prayer for State Missions is Sept. 9–16. For more information, visit myers-mallory.org. (TAB)