By Robert Dilday
The Baptist General Association of Virginia will consider a 2015 budget significantly lower than current funding levels when it gathers for its annual meeting next month.
The BGAV budget committee will recommend a goal of $11.5 million to fund next year’s ministries to messengers at the denomination’s Nov. 11-12 meeting in Hampton, Va. That’s a little more than $700,000 less than the 2014 budget of $12,214,000.
Budget leaders unveiled the proposed financial plan for the first time at the Oct. 7-8 meeting of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. The Mission Board does not approve BGAV budgets, which come as direct recommendations to the BGAV from the budget committee. But bylaws require the proposal to be presented to the Mission Board for “information and counsel.”
The reduction for 2015 reflects anticipated receipts for the current year, which treasurer David Washburn said are expected to be between $11.3 million and $11.5 million, about 95 percent or less of the 2014 budget goal.
Mission Board members received the information without discussion. They did approve the portion of the budget which funds Mission Board ministries — $7,539,390, a 4 percent decrease from the current level.
The 2015 BGAV recommendation continues to offer churches three pre-set giving tracks and a fourth customized option, all of which divide funds between BGAV ministries and national and international causes. The percentage divisions remain unchanged from this year:
• The World Missions 1 track provides 66 percent for Virginia ministries and 34 percent for Southern Baptist Convention ministries.
• The World Missions 2 track provides 72 percent for BGAV ministries and 28 percent for a combination of Virginia, SBC, CBF and other ministries.
• The World Missions 3 track provides 72 percent for Virginia ministries and 28 percent for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ministries.
This is likely to be the last time the current process is used to develop and recommend an annual BGAV budget. If a far-reaching governance proposal is adopted at the November meeting, budget-making authority will be shifted to a new 21-member Executive Board, which will replace both the 97-member policy-setting Mission Board and the existing budget committee. Annual budgets will still require approval by BGAV messengers.