December 4, 2000
IMB told not to worry about Texas
___PORTLAND, Ore.--Giving to the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program is so strong that trustees of the SBC International Mission Board shouldn't be concerned about Texas Baptists' reduction in funding for SBC entities, IMB treasurer Carl Johnson told trustees.
___"You should not be overly concerned about the impact on the board's 2001 budget of action taken by the Baptist General Convention of Texas concerning the Cooperative Program. Fortunately, the Cooperative Program year which ended Sept. 30, 2000, finished so strong that it will have spill-over benefits for the 2001 budget," Johnson said in his budget presentation to the board.
___Texas Baptists have not reduced funding for the IMB, although some trustees had expressed concern about the impact on the IMB of other Texas reductions in funding to the SBC, Johnson explained in a later interview.
___Messengers to the BGCT annual session in Corpus Christi late last month approved reductions in funding for the six SBC seminaries, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and Executive Committee. Funding for the IMB and North American Mission Board actually are projected to increase in 2001, according to a budget document prepared by the BGCT treasurer.
___IMB trustees unanimously approved a budget of $254.1 million for the agency's 2001 fiscal year. That is a $12.55 million, or nearly 5 percent, increase over the current year.
___Nearly 36 percent of the IMB's income will come from the SBC Cooperative Program, with another 46 percent coming from the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. The remaining 18 percent will come from investment income, hunger and relief funds, undesignated giving income, field-generated funds, unallocated revenues from prior years and other sources.
___A Baptist Press report written by an IMB staff member said trustees affirmed the leadership of President Jerry Rankin during a closed-door session. In the same executive session, trustees also reaffirmed the IMB's "New Directions" strategy, which has been controversial among some missionary personnel.
___Trustees apparently did not deal with the controversial issue of how the IMB will respond to changes made by the SBC to the Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement. The matter reportedly was referred back to the IMB staff for review, with a goal of addressing the issue perhaps in January.
___At stake in this discussion is whether the IMB will require its missionaries and staff members to affirm or sign the revised faith statement, which has been criticized by Texas Baptist leaders as a "non-Baptist creed."
___Also during the Portland meeting, IMB trustees appointed 33 new overseas missionaries at a service held in conjunction with the Northwest Baptist Convention's annual meeting.
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