April 30, 2024
TIFTON, Ga. – Over 1,000 Georgia Baptist churches have given more through the Cooperative Program in the past seven months than during the same period last year, an encouraging sign for what has been described as the greatest evangelistic initiative of the past century.
The Cooperative Program is the means by which 1.4 million Georgia Baptists in 3,600 churches support the work of the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
The three organizations provide an effective way for churches to be involved in fulfilling Jesus’ directive in Acts 1:8 to spread the gospel not only in their local communities, but also throughout the state, nation and world.
“It’s encouraging to see the steadfast commitment of these churches that are working together to fund missions and ministries that are leading countless souls to heaven,” said W. Thomas Hammond Jr., executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. “The eternal importance of the Cooperative Program cannot be overstated. It remains the most effective way for Southern Baptists to fulfill the Great Commission.”
Despite the increased giving by the 1,013 churches, the state Mission Board, squeezed by high inflation and declining receipts, has been forced to reduce staff to balance its budget. Economic trends, coupled with discontent among some churches because of the Southern Baptist Convention’s handling of sexual abuse complaints and other hot-button issues, had led to a significant overall decline in funding.
In the face of that, First Baptist Church in Tifton has increased Cooperative Program giving by $125,000 or 118 percent over the past seven months compared to the same period last year, according to financial records at the state Mission Board.
That puts First Baptist Tifton at the top of the list of churches that have surpassed last year’s giving at the mid-year point. The churches are of every size and ethnicity and from every part of the state.
In Covington, Church 213 has increased giving 827 percent to $21,665 over the first half of last year. In Clarksville, Hills Crossing Baptist Church’s giving is up 367 percent to $37,404 for the period.
The ethnically diverse congregations that gave double- and triple-digit increases included Victoria En Cristo in Riverdale with a 55 percent increase to $6,205, Central Georgia Vietnamese Baptist Church in Warner Robins with a 61 percent increase to $4,433, Grace Atlanta Korean Baptist Church with a 344 percent increase to $1,200, First Chinese Baptist Church of Atlanta with a 29 percent increase to $2,873, Fountain Hmong Baptist Church in Winder with a 43 percent increase $1,494, Gwinnett Romanian Baptist Church in Buford with a 16 percent increase to $4,200, and Myanmar Community Baptist Church in Decatur with a 17 percent increase to $1,050.
“We celebrate every gift given, no matter the size, because combined together, these gifts support the work of Southern Baptists serving throughout the world, including right here in Georgia,” Hammond said.
Senior Pastor T.J. Mauldin said the rationale behind his church’s support of the Cooperative Program is simple: It allows everyone in his congregation to be involved in reaching the world for Christ in accordance with the Great Commission’s directive to go and make disciples of all nations. He said partnering with other churches to finance the spread of the gospel is of paramount importance to his congregation.
In fact, 10 percent of the money parishioners give at First Baptist Tifton goes to the Cooperative Program.
“As church members, if we’re not going on missions ourselves, we need to be praying for missions and giving to missions, because every person in church should be involved in missions,” Mauldin said.
Besides First Baptist Tifton, churches with the largest increases by actual dollars were Dogwood Church in Peachtree City, which increased giving at the mid-year point by 625 percent, contributing $120,000 more than last year at the same time, and New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, which increased giving in the first six months of the year by 157 percent, an increase of $105,000 over the same period last year.
“Even though these churches are feeling the impact of inflation the same as everyone else, they’re not backing away from Christ’s clear command to take the gospel into all the nations,” Hammond said. “What a joy it is to see these churches working cooperatively for the cause of Christ. This funding will allow us to keep thousands of missionaries working in places that the average congregation would never have an opportunity to reach by themselves.”
Mauldin said the Cooperative Program allows every member of his church to be engaged in missions.
“If you’re passionate about fulfilling the Great Commission, and you’re not going on missions yourself, then you get to pray in partnership with other churches and you get to give in partnership with other churches,” he said.
