Missions network, record budget to command convention spotlight

October 21, 2002

Missions network, record budget
to command convention spotlight
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___Texas Baptists will consider creating a network to facilitate worldwide missions involvement and vote on a record budget of almost $50.9 million for 2003 at their annual state convention.
___Elected messengers from many of the 5,700 churches affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas will gather in Waco Nov. 11-12 for the annual session.

Unlike the 2001 and 2002 adopted budgets, the Baptist General Convention of Texas' recommended 2003 budget does not redirect any funds away from Southern Baptist Convention agencies.

___Messengers will vote on creating a world missions network as a not-for-profit affiliate of the BGCT. The 24-member Missions Review & Initiatives Committee recommended the convention establish the network to help churches, associations of churches, institutions and individuals become involved in both short-term and long-term missions endeavors throughout the United States and around the world.
___The network would work closely with existing Baptist missions agencies, such as the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board and North American Mission Board, the Baptist World Alliance and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's Global Missions program, as well as accessing the resources of BGCT-related missions programs.
___The proposed $50,878,793 total BGCT budget for 2003 includes $46,235,362 through the Cooperative Program unified budget. That is a $3.37 million (7.1 percent) increase over the total 2002 budget and a $2.8 million (6.6 percent) increase over the 2002 Cooperative Program budget.
___The recommended budget increases the percentage of undesignated Cooperative Program receipts going to BGCT-related ministries but removes any restrictions on dollars channeled to worldwide causes.
___It would allocate 79 percent of undesignated Cooperative Program receipts to BGCT missions and ministries and 21 percent to worldwide causes. The 2002 adopted budget divides gifts 72.3 percent to BGCT-related ministries and 27.7 percent to worldwide missions.
___According to the 2003 plan, churches would have the option of directing worldwide gifts to the Southern Baptist Convention, to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship or to the BGCT for world missions initiatives.
___Those gifts for worldwide ministries are channeled through the BGCT to the designated recipients, but they are not counted as part of the budget goal. Last year, Texas Baptist churches directed more than $19.5 million to worldwide causes through the Cooperative Program, in addition to money given to seasonal missions offerings.
___Unlike the 2001 and 2002 adopted budgets, the recommended 2003 budget does not redirect any funds away from Southern Baptist Convention agencies.
___The adopted plan for the last two years placed a $1 million cap on funds to the six SBC seminaries, reduced funds for the SBC Executive Committee and defunded the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The proposed 2003 plan channels church-directed funds to the SBC in an undesignated fashion.
___In other business, Texas Baptists will consider the sale of Baptist Health System of San Antonio to Vanguard Health Systems, an investor-owned, for-profit corporation based in Nashville, Tenn. If the sale is approved, proceeds will be placed in a foundation governed by a BGCT-elected board and used to meet human-care needs in the San Antonio area.
___In addition to dealing with key business, BGCT messengers also will hear from Billy Kim of Seoul, Korea, pastor of the world's largest Baptist church, president of the Baptist World Alliance and president of the Far East Broadcasting Company, whose children's choir will perform at the convention.
___

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