Board committee recommends a record $38.4 million 2006 CP budget
By Barbara Denman
Aug. 19, 2005

JACKSONVILLE, FL—(FBC) A 2006 Cooperative Program budget of $38,462,531 was approved by the Budget-Allocations Committee of the State Board of Missions during its annual budget hearings Aug. 11 at the Baptist Building in Jacksonville.

The proposed record budget represents nearly a four percent increase, or $1,462,531, over the 2005 budget of $37 million.

The budget will be considered for approval by the full board during its Sept. 22 meeting and by messengers attending the Florida Baptist State Convention meeting Nov. 14-15 in Ocala.

The $38.4 million will be divided between Florida Baptist and Southern Baptist mission and ministry causes.

The Church Annuity Program, designated as a priority item, will receive 4.5 percent of the 2006 budget, an increase over the 4.25 percent received in 2005. These funds, expected to total $1,730,814 in 2006, will be distributed to GuideStone Financial Services to credit the retirement accounts of ministers serving Florida Baptist churches. At least 70 percent of all Florida Baptist ministers are enrolled in this program.

Another priority item, church pastoral aid, will receive $1,538,501, or four percent of the proposed budget. This money is earmarked for new churches as financial salary assistance for their pastors. While there is no change in its percentage distribution from 2005 to 2006, the item will receive an increase of $58,501 in the 2006 budget.

Forty percent of the proposed Cooperative Program budget, or $15,385,012, is earmarked for Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries. These monies will be distributed according to a SBC formula to the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, six seminaries and the SBC Executive Committee.

Florida Baptist Convention program and agencies budgets will receive 51.75 percent of the proposed Cooperative Program allocations or $19,808,203. This amount represents an increase of $660,703 over the amount being funded in 2005.

Florida Baptist Convention program departments will receive $15,256,166 in 2006, an amount that includes an increase of $491,416 above the current Cooperative Program budget.

That money is designated for the following budgets supervised by the: Executive Director-Treasurer, $1,002,833; Church Services Division, $1,001,563; Business Services Division, $5,334,443; Evangelism Division, $1,431,715; Church Development Division, $1,904,372; Missions Division, $2,324,607; Public Relations Division $1,142,436; Language Division, $712,068; and African-American Ministries, $402,129.

Several SBC agencies are expected to contribute another $2.4 million for use by several program budgets.

During the meeting Glen Owens, assistance executive director, walked the committee through the Florida Baptist Convention’s budgeting process known as OGAP, an acronym for “objective, goals and action plans.” He explained that before this process was in place during the past ten years, the budget was based on “historical precedence.”

The OGAP process, he said, includes planning, calendaring and budgeting. “OGAP is the integration of three separate processes into one interrelated program.”

John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer, explained to the committee that the money designated to each department “funds only those specific actions plans. If the money if not used for the specific action plan, it rolls out into the general global account.”

Noting that additional money will be earmarked for the rising costs of travel for the convention program staffs, Sullivan added, “The best thing the Florida Baptist Convention offers the state of Florida is not a program, not a plan, but it’s people to work with our churches. Our staff are churchmen and women, active in their local congregation, who know the needs of the local church.”

Additional monies in the 2006 program budgets include a $265,000 allocation to develop a more effective strategy to assist South Florida churches in their efforts to share the gospel with the area’s 10 million residents.

After hearing the proposed allocations for 2006, board member Michael Petty of Marianna recommended that the Convention look at a more innovative approach to communicate to young adults and teens about the Cooperative Program and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Owens explained that new funding in 2006 is earmarked for some new, creative Cooperative Program promotion, but that Petty’s suggestion will be considered in the next budget cycle.

Florida Baptist agencies and institutions will receive $4,552,038, a 3.86 percent increase over 2005 allocations. This funding will be distributed as follows: The Baptist College of Florida, general education support, $2,115,439, and ministerial tuition support, $269,238; Florida Baptist Children’s Homes, $1,653,889; Florida Baptist Witness, $413,472; and Florida Baptist Financial Services for the Florida Baptist Retirement Centers, Inc., $100,000.