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

I Don’t Mind Telling You…
Jan. 20, 2006

There may be better and more generous people in the world than Florida Baptists but I doubt it! You have given to meet needs in such a Christ-like fashion. It is unbelievable. You have given not only financially, but in time, travel and “blood, sweat and tears” ministries.

Florida Baptists’ finest hour came after the storms of 2004. We chased storms from Miami to Bratt and everywhere in between. We gave, we worked and we survived by the grace of God.

When the storms of 2005 started, Hurricane Katrina changed the face of the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi. Florida Baptists became so involved in meeting needs of our sister conventions, one would have thought it was a Florida storm. In fact, the response was so great it was hard to communicate at times that Florida Baptists’ disaster relief was not in charge of the operation. We worked through the direction of our sister conventions. We gave unnumbered hours. When Hurricane Wilma struck the state, the storm’s destruction was overshadowed by the still-apparent needs of Katrina, making the South Florida hurricane seem like a “step” sister. We were able to deal with Wilma’s devastation because you generously gave again—time, influence and resources. What a wonderful gift you are to the Kingdom work!

The Cooperative Program is the lifeline to all we do. It is the only program of giving I know that allows us to go into all the world, all the time, at the same time. It is God-given and mission-driven! Through the Cooperative Program we stand with our missionaries, our seminaries, our administration and all we seek to do under God. Does it work perfectly? Yes, as perfectly as imperfect people will allow it. Christian history will reveal that God’s people always do better when they do it together.

Some may be asking, how did Florida Baptist churches respond to Cooperative Program giving in 2005 with all the other financial demands on us? When the books closed December 31, 2005, the amazing people of the Florida Baptist Convention had given a record $39,267,377.35 through the Cooperative Program. This was $2,267,377.35 over our adopted budget. Amazing!

Let me recap Florida Baptists’ generosity throughout the year:
• $39,267,377.35 through the Cooperative Program;
• $4,910,220.10 to disaster relief;
• $1,178,303.11 to the Maguire State Mission Offering for state missions;
• $7,063,239.27 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions; and
• $2,984,350.81 to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for national missions.

As I said, there may be finer and more generous people in the world than Florida Baptists, but I don’t think so!

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You may contact Dr. John Sullivan at
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