Randy C. Davis delivered his treasurer’s report during the morning session of the 2025 TBC annual meeting. – Photo by Jim Veneman
JACKSON — Tennessee Baptist churches gave just over $34 million through the Cooperative Program for the fiscal year ending Oct. 31, falling just short of the $35 million goal but maintaining the state’s position as a national leader in giving.
Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the TBMB, presented the treasurer’s report Tuesday morning during the 2025 Tennessee Baptist Convention Summit at West Jackson Baptist Church.
“Nothing that God places in our hands is ours. It all belongs to the Lord and we’re going to be held accountable as the kind of stewards that we are,” said Davis.
The Cooperative Program contributions totaled $34,085,465, representing 97.3% of the organization’s goal. When combined with designated gifts for TBC ministries ($892,000), Southern Baptist ministries ($276,000) and CP accounting and promotion ($800,000), then $35,254,000 have been directed toward TBC and SBC ministries that are supported by the Cooperative Program, according to Davis.
Tennessee Baptists also gave record amounts to disaster relief and missions. Following devastating floods in East Tennessee last year after Hurricane Helene, churches contributed $3,265,000 through disaster relief efforts. The Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions reached a new record of $2,888,000, surpassing the $2.7 million goal and marking the eighth record-breaking year in the past decade.
Davis noted that GOTM contributions have doubled over the past 15 years, from $1.4 million in 2010.
“Tennesseans are not impressed with excess. They’re not impressed with swag, but you show them a demonstrated need and they will rush to do all they can sacrifice for that need,” Davis said.
However, Davis warned that inflation has significantly worn down the buying power of dollars. With a 26% inflation rate over the past decade, he said, the $34 million to $35 million given annually now has the purchasing power of $25.2 million.
“You have seen an increase in your insurances and your power bills and the cost of operating ministry,” Davis said. “Every entity that we support has seen the buying power of the dollar go down by 26%. It is a crisis.”
Tennessee ranks second nationally among state conventions in Cooperative Program support with Alabama being at the top. Davis said the state has maintained steady giving between $34 million and $35 million over the past decade, while other leading states have seen decreases of 10% to 15%.
“It’s not that we have risen, it’s that they have fallen. May God change that in the future for all of us,” said Davis.
The report had no discussion from the messengers.
Davis reported that there were 901 registered messengers as of early Tuesday morning, exceeding the 843 messengers registered during the last convention in West Tennessee held at Bellevue Baptist Church in 2022.
From left, Davis; Nick Glenn, pastor of Brown Baptist Church in Brownsville; Bruce Chesser, pastor of First Baptist Church Hendersonville; and James Griffith, pastor of South Harriman Baptist Church. – Photo by Jim Veneman
As part of celebrations marking centennial anniversaries, messengers heard from a three-person panel on the continued importance of the Cooperative Program. The panel included Nick Glenn, pastor of Brown Baptist Church in Brownsville; Bruce Chesser, pastor of First Baptist Church Hendersonville; and James Griffith, pastor of South Harriman Baptist Church.
“It’s personal for me,” Griffith said. “I am very much a product of the Cooperative Program. … And we see in scripture that cooperation is how we reach the nations.”
In January, the TBMB’s accounting staff received accreditation from the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability. Davis emphasized that all contributions were properly recorded and allocated according to church instructions. B&R
