Southern Baptists will be forced to draw down their overseas missions force in 2010 by as many as 600 missionaries, International Mission Board trustees were told Nov. 10. The drawdown in the missionary force during 2010 will be accomplished through natural attrition, completion of service, retirements and limiting appointments, not by recalling any personnel. The trustees, meeting in Shreveport, La., adopted a $317.6 million budget for 2010 and learned that $7.5 million will be needed from contingency reserves to balance the budget. That unprecedented step leaves the organization with only six weeks of available reserves in case of major unexpected expenses. The funds will be needed in 2010 because projected revenue for the year is lower than projected expenses. The 2008 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering came in $9 million short of the previous year’s receipts and $29 million short of its goal of $170 million.
Oklahoma Baptists OK partnership. Messengers to the 103rd annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma endorsed a new three-year partnership with East Asia. Partnership Missions Specialist Sam Porter explained the goal of the new East Asia partnership is to send 70 to 100 teams from Oklahoma to the region each year. About 40 churches already have signed on as partners in the venture. Messengers also approved a $26 million Cooperative Program budget for 2010, up from the current $25.2 million budget.
Florida Baptists to appoint task force. Messengers to the Florida Baptist State Convention approved overwhelmingly a motion authorizing its president to appoint a Great Commission Task Force to study how Florida Baptists can work more effectively and efficiently together in following Christ’s Great Commission. The task force motion was approved with only a handful of votes in opposition after messengers rejected an amendment that would have empowered the committee on nominations to appoint the group rather than the president. John Cross, pastor of the South Biscayne Church in North Port, was re-elected without opposition for a second term as president. Also re-elected without opposition were Wayne Briant, pastor of Southside Baptist Church in Sarasota, first vice president; Gail Adams, layperson from First Baptist Church in Terra Ceia, second vice president; and Randy Huckabee, pastor of First Baptist Church in Okeechobee, recording secretary.
Georgia Baptists minister in rain. Despite a day of record rainfall brought by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, Georgia Baptists forged ahead with a major evangelism campaign in conjunction with their 188th annual meeting. Even in four inches of rainfall, about 1,000 volunteers with the LoveLoud emphasis served in 87 ministry sites and made 1,144 contacts including 190 gospel presentations. They ministered to 830 senior citizens and helped distribute 2,400 boxes of food to 785 homes from three semi-trucks. During the Georgia Baptist Convention business sessions, the 1,289 registered messengers overwhelmingly approved a new five-year partnership with Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. Messengers also approved a significant reduction in the 2010 budget, which included reducing staff positions by 13 percent, cutting 27 positions since January. The budget was set at $45.5 million, down 8.2 percent or $4.1 million from 2009. Georgia Baptists will continue to allocate roughly 41 percent of CP receipts to Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries.
N.C. Baptists pass reduced budget. North Carolina Baptists approved a budget $4.8 million smaller than 2009, while increasing the percentage of Cooperative Program funds forwarded to ministries of the Southern Baptist Convention during their annual meeting in Greensboro. The budget is the first since 1991 without optional giving plans. North Carolina had four giving plans with different allocation formulas a church could choose from and still have gifts count as Cooperative Program gifts. Messengers instructed the budget committee last year to revert to a single plan. Baptist State Convention of North Carolina receipts from churches trail 2008 by $1.6 million or 5.7 percent through October. This will mark the fifth year of the past seven that income has been lower than the preceding year. The 2010 budget is the smallest since 2000.
S.C. Baptists tighten belts. After considering and rejecting a motion from the floor to tap the South Carolina Baptist Convention’s contingency reserve fund in order to maintain the South Carolina convention’s operating budget at last year’s levels, messengers to the state convention approved a budget of $32,180,000—a 6 percent reduction from a year ago. The 2010 budget reflects a 5.67 percent across-the-board reduction for affiliated institutions— three universities, ministries for the aging, Connie Maxwell Children’s Home, the Baptist Foundation and the Baptist Courier—as well as all state Cooperative Program ministries. Also, convention employees will not receive a cost-of-living wage increase.
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