LIMA, Ohio (ABP) — Ohio Baptists passed a resolution Nov. 3 asking the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board to reconsider funding cuts they say would have “potentially disastrous impact” on church planting in the state.
NAMB President Kevin Ezell recently unveiled a new strategy titled Send North America with a goal of 55,112 Southern Baptist congregations by the end of 2012. That would be a net gain of 5,112 congregations in less than a decade, more gained than any decade since 1900.
At the same time, according to a resolution passed at the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio annual meeting Nov. 2-3 in Lima, Ohio, NAMB wants to reduce funding for Mission Ohio, a cooperative effort of Southern Baptists to reach 1 million believers in 2,020 Ohio congregations by the end of 2020.
Since its inception in 2006, NAMB has assisted in the starting of 231 Ohio Baptist congregations that are still active, representing 33 percent of the state-convention’s 699 congregations and accounting for 27 percent of last year’s baptisms. Now, the resolution, says, NAMB has indicated a desire to change the funding percentage for Mission Ohio from the current 62 percent NAMB-38 percent state convention to an even 50-50 split by 2018. Ohio Baptist officials estimate they will have to add $3 million to their budget to recoup lost funding from NAMB.
Ezell has said he wants NAMB’s budget to evolve so that at least 50 percent of funds are designated for church planting. The Ohio Baptist resolution points out that 60 percent of funds the state convention receives from NAMB are used for church planting.
While Ezell has said he wants there to be more NAMB missionaries, Ohio Baptists say they have been told the agency desires fewer missionaries in Ohio. A separate resolution urges NAMB trustees to “continue their financial support of their missionaries in Ohio.”
While expressing appreciation for partnership with NAMB over the years, convention messengers said they “respectfully request the leadership and trustees of the North American Mission Board reconsider their decisions which threaten a potentially disastrous impact upon the unified mission effort of Southern Baptist churches and associations of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio who are cooperating to reach the lost in an under-reached and underserved area.”
Mike Ebert, NAMB vice president for communications, said when the resolution is received it will be referred to the board of trustees but that officials have no comment at this time
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Bob Allen is managing editor of Associated Baptist Press.