Gifts to the Cooperative Program in the first half of 2020 have surpassed expectations amid the changes in gathering and giving caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The continued financial faithfulness of Southern Baptists has pushed monthly giving through the Cooperative Program to levels not seen since before the COVID-19 global pandemic, according to Baptist Press. July’s total giving through the national CP allocation budget totaled nearly $17 million — the highest monthly total since February.
CP giving in Alabama through June was 1.1% over the state’s mid-year budget goal, a good sign following a turbulent period in church life due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Bobby DuBois, associate executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
‘Faithful’
DuBois said Alabama Baptists have been faithful in giving toward the 2020 CP budget goal of $37.5 million.
“CP giving in Alabama typically hinges on two months of the year — January and December,” DuBois said, noting January 2020 was an “exceptional month” in CP gifts, which allowed the mid-year budget to remain in the black as of June 30.
As of July 31, gifts received by the SBC Executive Committee for distribution through the CP Allocation Budget total $161,998,932.14. This is $2,006,252.85 or 1.22% less than last year’s budget contribution of $164,005,184.99. The amount given is slightly below the $163,750,000.00 year-to-date budgeted projection to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America by $1,751,067.86 or 1.07%.
The final amount received in July 2020 totaled $16,785,575.97, which was $2,360,411.93 (16.36%) more than the $14,425,164.04 received in July 2019 and $410,575.97 (2.51%) more than the monthly budgeted amount of $16,375,000.00.
Designated gifts received in July amounted to $9,489,968.07. This total was $956,058.24 or 9.15% below gifts of $10,446,026.31 received last July. Also, this year’s designated gifts through the first 10 months of the fiscal year amount to $163,334,947.93, which is $17,744,337.91 or 9.8% less than the $181,079,285.84 given through same period in the previous fiscal year.
Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, Southern Baptist Global Hunger Relief, Disaster Relief and other special gifts. This total includes only those gifts received and distributed by the Executive Committee and does not reflect designated gifts contributed directly to SBC entities.
‘Gratitude’
“My heart is so filled with gratitude to God and to our churches for their faithful support of our Great Commission mission and ministries,” said SBC EC president and CEO Ronnie Floyd in a statement. “This is a powerful testimony of the generosity of God’s people and the systemic strength of our joint missions efforts made possible by giving through the Cooperative Program.”
CP allocation budget gifts received by the Executive Committee are reported monthly to the executives of the entities of the convention, to the state convention offices, to the state Baptist papers and are posted online at sbc.net/cp. (TAB, BP)
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