Missouri pastors propose new giving plans
___SEDALIA, Mo.--Since the Missouri Baptist Convention has decided to escrow Cooperative Program funds from five state ministries that recently declared self-perpetuating boards, a group of 25 pastors and deacons representing more than 20 churches has announced the creation of three alternate giving plans.
___The new giving plans, which would be processed through the Missouri Baptist Foundation, could be the precursor to a second state convention.
___The alternate giving plans emerged from a Nov. 17 meeting at First Baptist Church of Sedalia, Mo. The meeting was convened by that church's pastor, Drew Hill.
___Hill said the meeting was prompted by discussions with fellow pastors after the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting. At that meeting, fundamentalists who have gained control of the state convention structure moved to escrow about $2.2 million in Cooperative Program funding for five agencies that have removed themselves from the control of the state convention.
___Those entities and the funds they stand to lose include Missouri Baptist College, $1 million; The Baptist Home, $400,000; Windermere Baptist Conference Center, $150,000; Missouri Baptist Foundation, $200,000; and the Word&Way newspaper, $450,000.
___The three new funds include an institutional plan, which allows churches to send the five agencies the amount they otherwise would have received from the state convention; a convention plan, which allows churches to send all their Cooperative Program funds to the foundation for what would be called the "Missouri Mission and Ministry Fund"; and a designated plan, which would allow churches and individuals to designate funds as they wish to any Missouri Baptist Convention or Southern Baptist Convention entity.
___The Missouri Mission and Ministry Fund will give 35.75 percent of its income to the SBC and 32.55 percent to "strategic initiatives" of the Missouri Baptist Convention. It also will fund Missouri Baptist Convention agencies.
___Missing from the list of causes to be funded through the new plans is the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
___Hill said the group discussed the possibility of forming a new state convention through which churches could not only support all the Missouri institutions but continue to support the the SBC Cooperative Program.
___The group has set Jan. 17 for an "information and planning meeting" to continue its discussion.
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