Guest Editorlal for April 14, 2005
By Bill Nieporte
Having just returned from the April meeting of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, I am dealing with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I am overjoyed about the continued the work of Kingdom Advance and the reports about the wonderful things God is doing throughout Virginia. On the other hand, I and other VBMB members were dismayed to hear about the decline in Cooperative Program giving.
Lest anyone be confused, the decline in CP dollars is not unique to Virginia Baptists. VBMB executive director John Upton reports that CP giving is down across the Southern Baptist Convention and in all but one state convention. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship reports a similar decline in its accounting.
In the Baptist General Association of Virginia the decline so far this years places the VBMB nearly $400,000 behind its budget goals. The result is that teams are being directed to work with only 80 percent of their budgeted resources.
Why the decline in CP support? Many suggestions were offered, including inadequate stewardship teaching, increased operating costs and denominational strife. More immediate among Virginia Baptists, perhaps, was the loss of offering plate dollars for two Sundays in over 600 churches due to snow. Additionally Virginia Baptists have given an incredible $489,715 of support thus far to tsunami relief. While it was right to offer such support (we can and should do more) it is likely that many of these dollars were diverted from normal tithes and offerings.
I wonder if there might not be another reason for the decline! Could it be that there is a lack of awareness about CP power? If Virginia Baptists knew how effective the CP is at advancing our Redeemer's kingdom, I believe they would respond generously and that this budget shortfall would quickly be recovered. With that in mind, I want to give you a quick glance at the dramatic things that the CP makes possible here in Virginia.
Did you know that there are 34 new church starts in the BGAV? Current reports indicate that thus far this year those churches have seen 167 conversions and celebrate a total membership of 2,244 people. Praise the Lord! Now celebrate even more because most of these churches are evangelizing unreached language and people groups. CP support has provided grants to purchase land, construct buildings, rent facilities, acquire worship resources and provide pastoral support. This number of new worshipping communities needs to be matched and exceeded in 2005, but that goal will be hampered if the budget shortfall is not erased by Virginia Baptist giving.
Internationally, Virginia Baptist CP dollars are supporting mission relief efforts in places like India, Sudan and Hungary. New mission efforts are taking place in Lebanon, Iraq, Italy and Liberia. Again, the successes of these efforts are dependent on CP giving.
I am only scratching the surface. CP funds are being used in Virginia to support Baptist Student Unions, equip young leaders, aid churches in conflict, support churches seeking new pastors and other staff members, advance our religious liberty, preserve our Baptist heritage, care for orphans and troubled children, support higher education and equip rural pastors. When you add to that the work being done via the CP in the SBC and CBF (depending on your church's giving track) the loss of these dollars equals a hindrance to Kingdom Advance.
At the conclusion of the VBMB meeting, the board's courageous churches team offered the VBMB the following resolution-which is really a challenge to all Virginia Baptists:
“The courageous churches team proclaims to the Virginia Baptist family that the Kingdom is advancing in many places in our Commonwealth. In light of that, we must be bold and visionary in our giving and budgeting. Beyond an 80 percent scarcity budget lays a faith-challenging level of giving and serving to which we are called. Be it resolved that the BGAV be 100 percent missional in its giving, budgeting, strategy and serving.”
I hope you will accept that challenge and generously offer your support of your local church by your tithes and offerings. I also pray that you consider providing a special gift through your church to the Kingdom Advance efforts of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board.
Bill Nieporte is pastor of Red Bank Baptist Church in Nassawadox.