Jason Allen
President, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Mo.
The Cooperative Program ought not be a sacred cow, but it is close to one for me. Begun by Southern Baptists nearly a century ago, it has proven to be a most effective and enduring way to support our collective ministry and missions work. I often visit with leaders of other evangelical denominations who are envious of the Cooperative Program. And they should be; there is nothing like it in American Protestantism.
I was reared in a Southern Baptist church, so I grew up with a general awareness of the Cooperative Program. But it was not until I sensed God’s call to ministry that I became fully aware — and fully appreciative — of the Cooperative Program. [Read more…]