Cooperative Program giving from South Carolina Baptist Convention churches is up slightly from a year ago and running ahead of budgeted needs for 2012.
According to information released by Pam Carroll, SCBC chief financial officer, first-quarter giving for 2012 was $7,655,090, up six-tenths of 1 percent from a year ago. CP receipts were 7.43 percent (or $530,090) above budgeted needs.
Jim Austin, SCBC executive director-treasurer, told the Courier he believes part of the reason for the increase is a growing excitement among South Carolina Baptists over the adoption of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report last November.
“Many are enthused about getting more Cooperative Program money to international missions,” said Austin, “and South Carolina is leading the way in that regard as far as the Deep South states are concerned.
“I thank South Carolina Baptists for sacrificially giving, and I appreciate people’s confidence in our being faithful stewards,” he said. “I pray that this giving pattern will be sustained.”
Last November, SCBC messengers adopted a $28.6 million budget for 2012, which was nearly $1 million smaller than the previous budget and directs more funding to international missions and church revitalization while reducing expenditures for in-state ministries and for the convention’s seven affiliated institutions.
The 2012 budget marked the third straight year of declining SCBC budgets, which have shrunk by 16.5 percent since 2009.
A detailed report of first-quarter giving from SCBC churches is scheduled to be posted in April at http://www.scbaptist.org/givingreports.