Virginia Baptist leaders praised the generosity of the Baptist General Association of Virginia's churches last week as they announced it has surpassed its 2004 missions and ministry budget for only the second time in almost a quarter of a century.
By Robert Dilday
For the first time since 1995-and for only the second time in nearly a quarter century-the Baptist General Association of Virginia has surpassed its annual budget goal.
When the books closed Dec. 3 on the BGAV's 2004 fiscal year, churches had contributed $14,492,014-almost $200,000 more than the 2004 budget goal of $14.3 million.
That amount was more than $476,000, or 3.4 percent, higher than contributions in 2003, which reached $14,015,985. Last year the $15 million budget goal was short by $984,015.
The BGAV last met its budget in 1995, when it took in a total of $15,242,921 on a $15 million budget. And that was the first fully subscribed budget since 1979, when churches gave $8,222,341 for a $8.1 million budget.
“I would like to thank the entire Virginia Baptist family for their very generous financial support this year,” said John Upton, BGAV executive director. “Your support has enabled us to not only meet the budget requirements but go over and above expectations. We celebrate because your gifts demonstrate an excitement of shared mission.
“Already Virginia, and beyond, has been impacted with the gospel in ways it otherwise would not have been,” he said. “The Cooperative Program continues to be the most effective way of doing God's work. We are already looking forward to 2005 and advancing God's Kingdom together.”
Eddie Stratton, the BGAV's treasurer, was enthusiastic about the year-end results.
“This is a day and an event I have dreamed about since I became the treasurer [in 2002],” Stratton said. “To make our goal, to have exceeded it by close to $200,000 and to be almost $500,000 more than was raised in all of 2003 is truly a blessing from almighty God.
“Virginia Baptist churches have responded well to the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's reorganization, to Kingdom Advance and to the overall work of the BGAV,” he added. “It shows trust in our accountability of their offering dollars and how we work to make those dollars change lives for Jesus Christ.
“No longer do we feel that not losing churches is our greatest challenge. We now believe our greatest work is with the 1,462 churches in the BGAV, to win people for Jesus Christ and to start more new churches like the 38 we started this year.
“It really is all about good stewardship trust that our churches have for what we are doing. BGAV churches have voted in favor of Kingdom Advance and moving the BGAV forward and onward. I can't thank our churches enough for that trust and support.”
Stratton said the $192,014 overage will be distributed pro rata to each entity in the 2004 budget, as was authorized when the BGAV adopted the budget last year.
Messengers handled the rare earlier overages in different ways. In 1995, half of the $242,921 overage was used for debt retirement on the Virginia Baptist Resource Center, and the remaining half was distributed pro rata to each entity in the budget. In 1979, 62 percent of the $122,341 overage was assigned to Virginia ministries and 38 percent to Southern Baptist Convention mission causes-the same percentage split as the budget that year. Part of the Virginia portion was used to fund an evangelistic campaign undertaken by Virginia Baptists that year; the remaining portion was allocated for capital needs at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center.
Receipts in November-the last month of fiscal 2004-were $1,579,480, lower than contributions in November a year ago, which were $1,613,894. Still, last month's figures were considerably higher than the monthly budget goal of $1,191,667.
Each of Virginia Baptists' statewide offerings also were higher at the end of 2004:
• The Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions brought in $1,101,099, a 13.84 percent increase;
• The Southern Baptist Convention's Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions raised $3,211,970, a 5.02 percent increase;
• The SBC's Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions reached $1,437,807, a 1.61 percent increase;
• The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's Global Mission Offering took in $499,435, a 10.53 percent increase.
Other designations also were up, to $984,460, a 6.68 percent increase.
Robert Dilday is interim editor of the Herald.