June 3, 2002
Half of churches use Adopted Budget
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___Half of all churches giving to the Cooperative Program through the Baptist General Convention of Texas are now using the BGCT's Adopted Budget, according to data released by the BGCT treasurer's office.
___As of April 30, four months into the BGCT's fiscal year, 1,938 churches sent their money through the Adopted Budget, compared to 1,957 churches using other designated options.
___While the number of churches is evenly split now between the Adopted Budget and other options, the total dollars given through designated options is greater than the amount given through the Adopted Budget.
___Through April, the Adopted Budget had received $6.88 million, or 32 percent of contributions. The remaining 68 percent of contributions, $14.69 million, was channeled through a variety of designated options.
___The Adopted Budget is the BGCT's preferred giving plan. It maintains historic funding ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, although it caps undesignated gifts to the SBC's six seminaries at $1 million, provides only minimal funding for the SBC Executive Committee and does not fund the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. The Adopted Budget targets additional money for Texas ministries, including theological education at Truett Seminary, Logsdon School of Theology and Hispanic Baptist Theological School, as well as additional funding for Hispanic Baptist missions.
___BGCT churches directing their gifts in ways other than the Adopted Budget choose a variety of options. Some churches us the designated option to maintain the former Cooperative Program split of 67 percent to BGCT ministries and 33 percent to SBC ministries. Other churches use the designated option to avoid giving to SBC ministries at all. Still others use the designated option to give selectively to SBC agencies or other Baptist causes.
___Of the $21.57 million given through the BGCT Cooperative Program in the first four months of the year, 67 percent ($14.46 million) has been given for use in Texas, and 33 percent ($7.11 million) has been given for causes beyond Texas.
___Of the $7.11 million given to worldwide causes, $6.35 million has been earmarked for various SBC ministries, and $755,410 has been earmarked for other ministries, including $380,351 to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
___Total gifts through the BGCT are running 3 percent below the same period last year but 5 percent ahead of budget. Funding for BGCT ministries in Texas is running 1.4 percent below the same period last year but almost exactly on budget.
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