Consideration of a proposal to establish a Kingdom Fund for both international and state missions and evangelism projects, the adoption of a $32.15 million budget, and the election of officers are among the key items on the messengers’ agenda for the annual meeting of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, Nov. 15-16, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
Dubbed the “Great Commission Initiative,” the proposal of the Empowering Kingdom Growth Evaluation and Implementation Task Force would not only establish the Kingdom Fund by reducing the percentage of Cooperative Program funds allocated to the South Carolina Baptist institutions, it would also, in turn, increase the percentage of CP contributions earmarked for the Southern Baptist Convention.
If approved, the state convention’s seven institutions would stand to lose 5 percent of their current budget allocations, reduced incrementally by 1 percent annually from 26 to 21 percent of the SCBC budget over a five-year span, beginning in 2007. According to the allocation formula for the institutions, total dollars lost would amount to 4 percent per year for a total of 20 percent by 2012. In the 2006 proposed convention budget, $8,288,722 is allocated for the institutions.
According to task force chairman Marshall Blalock, the 5 percent reduction in funding to South Carolina Baptists’ three universities, children’s home, retirement ministries, newsjournal and foundation, would make available $1.7 million. That money would then be used to build the Kingdom Fund and to boost the SBC’s Cooperative Program allocation from 40 to 42 percent of the state convention budget by 2012.
The move represents a change in the SCBC’s budgeting philosophy, according to convention officials. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the state convention saw CP giving by the churches drop below the 10 percent level. Meanwhile, there was also an interest in sending more money to the Southern Baptist Convention. State convention messengers, subsequently, adopted a formula whereby if CP giving by the churches increased beyond 10 percent, the state convention would send twice that percentage to the SBC. Since then, however, CP giving by the churches has fallen to a current level of 8.1 percent.
As a part of the GCI proposal, which EKG task force leaders hope will stimulate CP growth, a by-law measure will be introduced that allows the institutions to choose 20 percent of their trustees, along guidelines established by the Nominations Committee and approved by messengers.
The $32,150,000 proposed convention budget for 2006, as approved by the Executive Board, is the same as last year’s budget and reflects a 60-40 percentage split of Cooperative Program giving between South Carolina Baptist ministries and Southern Baptist Convention causes. The SCBC budget has remained constant since 2003, when it was increased from $31.1 million.
For the first time in many years, there is an announced candidate for convention president prior to the annual meeting. Don Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, for the past 12 years, will be nominated by Joe Wren, pastor of Summerville Baptist Church.
If another candidate emerges, it will be the first time in eight years that two persons have been nominated for the office. The last time a president was not chosen by acclamation was in 1997, when David Gallamore, pastor of Rock Springs Baptist Church, Easley, and Keith Kelly, pastor of Jackson Baptist Church, Wellford, were nominated.
The Tuesday evening service will feature a tribute to disaster relief volunteers as well as a dramatic presentation with the combined choirs and orchestra of Riverside Baptist Church. South Carolina Baptists have contributed more than $1.5 million to hurricane relief efforts, and more than 3,000 volunteers have been deployed through early October.