BY DR. JOHN SULLIVAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-TREASURER
FLORIDA BAPTIST CONVENTION

The Cooperative Program and Disaster Relief

One of our greatest strengths as Southern Baptists in times of disaster is the Cooperative Program. Because of this God-given, mission-driven budgeting plan, the administration of disaster relief is in place at all times. Such a system allows immediate response. Because of the Cooperative Program, all contributions are channeled directly to the disaster areas.

Florida Baptists have responded to six storms in 13 months. We do not take money from funds received for disaster relief to underwrite the administrative costs of doing relief in affected areas. Our convention staff, supported by the Cooperative Program, is trained in disaster relief. They have equipped volunteers through Cooperative Program-sponsored training events to do the work. Not only is the administrative cost covered by the Cooperative Program, but our staff who otherwise would be “putting together” a training conference may suddenly find that he or she is being called out to a disaster to “put together” lives. The staff member is able to do disaster relief and care for needs without worrying about raising money. Is this a great concept or what?

The Florida Baptist Convention equipment used during disaster relief—feeding units, communications trailer, generators, all the “stuff” it takes to do the job—have been purchased across the years with Cooperative Program and Maguire State Mission Offering dollars. The equipment is housed at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center, a Cooperative Program ministry of the Florida Baptist Convention. It costs nothing to store because Cooperative Program funds have in large measure built our conference centers and helps pay salaries of those who administer the conference center programs.

The Cooperative Program will benefit Hurricane Katrina victims, especially New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, which has been devastated. Without question, additional money will have to be raised to rebuild the campus and reclaim the student body. But the good news is that the seminary will continue to receive its allocated share of Cooperative Program receipts. President Charles Kelley and his staff will be forced to find additional funding, but imagine what it would be without the ongoing support of the Cooperative Program.

The NOBTS faculty and staff are displaced at present. Many of their homes are destroyed. It must be of great comfort to them that the safety net of the Cooperative Program will help provide for their needs. Just imagine if each faculty and staff member had to raise a certain percentage of their support through a society or individually--what a downer!

One of the side benefits of Cooperative Program giving is: when the economy in New Orleans is “washed” by the storm, the economy in Jacksonville, Atlanta, Nashville, and across the Southern Baptist Convention is still strong. Other Southern Baptists continue to give and even increase our gifts so New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, a Cooperative Program ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention, will be able to get back on its feet faster.

Folks, let’s do our best not only to send disaster relief money, and you have been wonderful in your response, but we must always remember that Cooperative Program is our “lifeline to the world.” If we continue to go into all the world; all the time; at the same time, it will be through the Cooperative Program.

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You may contact Dr. John Sullivan at
1-800-226-8584, ext. 3015, or by e-mail.