NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee are 1.92 percent below the same time frame last year, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Page. The total includes receipts from state conventions and fellowships, churches and individuals for distribution according to the 2010-11 SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget.
As of May 31, gifts received by the Executive Committee for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget totaled $130,314,404.44, or $2,545,288.04 behind the $132,859,692.48 received at the end of May 2010.
Designated giving of $147,289,329.48 for the same year-to-date period is 6.78 percent, or $10,719,812.29, below gifts of $158,009,141.77 received at this point last year.
Monthly CP allocation receipts for SBC work totaled $15,936,344.95 while designated gifts received last month amounted to $16,315,629.58.
Month-to-month swings reflect a number of factors, including the timing of receipts from state conventions. The end-of-month total represents money received by close of business on the last business day of each month.
For the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget, the year-to-date total of $130,314,404.44 is 97.82 percent of the $133,214,726.79 budgeted to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America. The SBC operates on an Oct. 1-Sept. 30 fiscal year.
The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists' method of supporting missions and ministry efforts of state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention.
Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund and other special gifts.
State and regional conventions retain a portion of church contributions to the Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program to support work in their respective areas and forward a percentage to Southern Baptist national and international causes. The percentage of distribution is at the discretion of each state or regional convention.
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Compiled by Baptist Press staff.