As the 2023 fiscal year ended Sept. 30, giving to the national Cooperative Program Allocation Budget was slightly under expectations for the year, even though totals for the month of September were 1.6 percent above the targeted amount. Gifts reported in September, which were collected in local churches in July, totaled nearly $16.28 million, bringing the annual total to $191.85 million, or 0.22 percent behind budget for the year.
“Because of the faithfulness of Southern Baptists giving through the Cooperative Program, we are able to support thousands of missionaries and church planters, train and educate the next generation of church leaders, and respond quickly and effectively when disaster strikes,” said Jonathan Howe, SBC EC interim president and CEO. “I am so thankful for every church that chooses to give sacrificially through the Cooperative Program to fund Southern Baptist ministries around the globe.”
Compared to the 2021-2022 fiscal year, total CP gifts were down 4.29 percent, and designated giving through state conventions was down 2.9 percent.
“The past year has been economically challenging for many Southern Baptists,” Howe said. “But to reach nearly $192 million in national Cooperative Program giving in such a challenging economic environment shows the dedication and commitment Southern Baptists have to the mission we have been tasked with as believers — taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.”
The convention-adopted budget for 2022-2023 was $192,270,000 and included an initial $200,000 special priority allocation for the SBC Vision 2025 initiative.