By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
BRENTWOOD — Tennessee Baptists’ giving through the Cooperative Program is trending upward.
For the first time in five years (since the 2010-11 budget year), Cooperative Program gifts from Tennessee Baptist Convention churches not only are up over the previous year, but they are above projected needs midway into the budget year which ends Oct. 31. The increase also is only the second increase since 2007.
After six months of the current fiscal year (which ended April 30) Tennessee Baptists have given $17,749,300, an increase of $672,460 or 3.9 percent over the previous year. The total also was $624,300 or 3.65 percent over projected budget needs.
Projections for May indicate that receipts will continue to exceed budget needs after seven months.
Randy C. Davis, executive director/treasurer of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, cited several reasons for the upswing in CP giving.
“Pastors and church leaders, under a constant barrage of ministry and missions financial support appeals, are rediscovering that giving through the Cooperative Program to support local and global missions, benevolent ministries, and educational endeavors is simple and more comprehensive,” Davis observed.
“Tennessee Baptists have a growing urgency to reach our own state.” They understand better than ever before that Tennessee truly is “a missions field” and not just a church field, he added.
The TBC leader also thinks the recent cutbacks that reduced the missionary force at the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board has made an impact throughout the state. “We do not want to see a single SBC missionary called back home from the field because of a lack of funding,” he said.
Davis additionally believes that Cooperative Program giving is trending upward due to the convention’s commitment to a goal of reaching 50/50 in the distribution of CP funds between SBC and TBC entities by the 2018-19 budget year.
Also, when convention messengers adopted the Five Objectives as its strategic plan two years ago at its annual meeting at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, “we agreed to a goal of an average of 10 percent giving (through the Cooperative Program) from each one of our churches by 2024.
“Our churches are responding to clear, definitive objectives,” Davis observed.
Gary Rickman, strategic relationships director for the TBC, promotes the Cooperative Program throughout the state. He believes a series of CP videos produced by the TBC’s communications team “are helping us reach an untapped audience” with the message of the Cooperative Program.
Traditionally, the only way of promoting the Cooperative Program was within the local church, Rickman said. “Through social media and other outlets, the videos allow us to share the message of the Cooperative Program outside the walls of the church,” he said.
“The videos speak to the hearts of the people because they describe how the Cooperative Program is changing lives,” Rickman added.
A number of churches, ranging from smaller, rural congregations to megachurches with every size church in between have stepped up their giving during the 2015-16 budget year. Churches giving more this year include those that are increasing their percentage each year to those already giving 10 percent or more of their undesignated giving through the Cooperative Program.
Alpha Baptist Church, Morristown, budgets 10 percent of its undesignated gifts through CP each year, said pastor Terry Kirby. At the halfway point of the budget year, the church’s gifts are up more than 35 percent. He credits the increase to the fact that the church also tithes on special gifts. For instance the church was given a house through an estate. After the house sold, the church gave 10 percent of the proceeds through CP, Kirby said.
“We give out of joy because we know the Lord is blessing us and we are blessing others through the Cooperative Program. It also teaches our people that same principle. When they tithe they are blessing the church and we bless others when we tithe. It comes full circle,” he added.
Members of Faith Baptist Church, Bartlett, have more than doubled their CP giving so far this year. “Faith is a strong missions-giving church and we believe that one of the most powerful and effective ways we can partner together to impact lostness is through the Cooperative Program,” observed pastor Danny Sinquefield.
He noted the church is increasing its giving through the Cooperative Program by increasing its gifts by a half percent each year until it reaches 10 percent. “This allows our church family to have a significant impact in missions and ministry in our state, our nation, and around the world,” he said.
Yellow Creek Baptist Church in Cumberland Furnace began as a mission in 2009 and received funding from the Tennessee Baptist Convention. The church now gives 7 percent of its undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program and the dollar amount has increased as the church has grown significantly over the past seven years. Yellow Creek’s current CP giving is more than double that of last year.
“We’ve been so blessed to be able to help other TBC missions and ministries through our CP giving,” said pastor Phillip Chambers.
Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, is on track to become the first church in the state to give $1 million through the Cooperative Program in a single budget year. Pastor Steve Gaines told the Baptist and Reflector in March that he is a strong supporter of the TBC and Randy C. Davis. His leadership “is one of the primary reasons Bellevue is more involved in the state convention and for its recent decision to raise its CP giving,” said Gaines, who will be a nominee for president of the Southern Baptist Convention at its annual meeting in June in St. Louis.
“We are grateful for every gift, regardless of amount, from every church through the Cooperative Program,” Davis affirmed. “When churches across Tennessee partner together through the Cooperative Program, we can help combat the spiritual darkness in not only our state, but around the world.”
