April 22, 2002

Cooperative Program giving dips for quarter
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___Texas Baptists' Cooperative Program giving in the first quarter of 2002 started strong in January but fell below budget in February and March, according to a recent report from the Baptist General Convention of Texas treasurer's office.
___Year-to-date total Cooperative Program giving was $15.82 million as of March 31, and Cooperative Program gifts to the BGCT budget totaled $10.56 million (97.4 percent of budget).
___Gifts to BGCT causes through the Cooperative Program totaled $4.79 million in January, 32.6 percent ahead of budget. Randy Reid, interim coordinator of financial management for the BGCT, attributed the exceptional receipts to late December gifts to churches that the BGCT did not receive until after Jan. 1. December was a five-Sunday month.
___But BGCT Cooperative Program giving in both February and March remained flat at about 80 percent of budget--$2.86 million in February and $2.91 million in March.
___"While receipts are down, the BGCT Executive Board staff has controlled spending for ministries and programs, staying within the level of gifts received," Reid said. "We are committed to living within our means."
___Year-to-date BGCT Cooperative Program gifts as of March 31 were 6.7 percent below the same period in 2001.
___However, Reid noted that early April receipts show some signs of recovery. Gifts in the first 10 days of April 2002 were substantially ahead of the same period in 2001. Year-to-date BGCT Cooperative Program receipts as of April 10 were 3.6 percent below the same period in 2001.
___Each of the five designated mission offerings received by the BGCT showed decreases from the first quarter of last year: Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions, $844,874, down 8.1 percent; Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions, $8.96 million, down 12.5 percent; Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions, $532,636, down 33.5 percent; Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global Missions Offering, $576,228, down 5.6 percent; and the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger, $202,387, down 13.6 percent.

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