Capping a 16-year process, the International Mission Board will begin receiving 51 percent of national Cooperative Program receipts annually in the 2026–2027 fiscal year, messengers to the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando voted.
Messengers rejected a proposed amendment to the Cooperative Program budget for an $8 million priority allocation to IMB, brought to the floor by Benjamin Cole, a messenger from North Lexington Baptist Church in Lexington, N.C. Cole’s reasoning was the 16-year delay in getting the IMB’s CP allocation to 51 percent.
Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg took issue with Cole’s reasoning.
“This priority allocation would have a dramatic impact in that it would give significant additional resources to the International Mission Board,” Iorg said. “But the way our allocation budget works, if you do this it will have a significant negative impact on the North American Mission Board, all six seminaries, ERLC (the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission), and of course the Executive Committee.
“I am in favor of working hard to find more ways to give more money to the International Mission Board,” Iorg said. “I caution you about this kind of dramatic shock to our financial system and the impact it might make throughout the rest of the entities, as well as what it might do for the International Mission Board. So for that reason, I would speak against the motion.”
After limited debate, messengers rejected Cole’s proposal and approved the 2026–2027 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. As approved, the budget gives $94,860,000 to the IMB (51 percent of receipts) and $42,110,400 (or 22.64 percent) to the North American Mission Board, forwarding to missions the overwhelming majority of national CP contributions.
Iorg, in his address, affirmed the EC’s commitment to missions, despite financial sacrifices the inherent cut to the EC budget requires.
“Reducing our Cooperative Program allocation by $660,000 has implications for the Executive Committee,” Iorg told messengers the previous day. “We will be considering options like reducing compensation and benefits, curtailing some ministry efforts, increasing fees for services, and looking for efficiencies in every department. We know you want us to make these changes because of the decisions you have made over the past five years, which mandate a streamlined Executive Committee focused more narrowly on its core functions. We hear you and we are responding accordingly.”
— Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.