RICHMOND — Virginia Baptists surpassed their 2007 budget goal by almost $250,000, a finance officer announced last week.
Churches affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia gave a total of $14,442,553, almost a 2 percent increase over the $14.2 million budget, said Eddie Stratton, BGAV treasurer.
Stratton reported to the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's executive committee Jan. 15 that in the last four days before accounting books for fiscal 2007 were closed on Jan. 4, nearly $1 million was received in the treasurer's office from churches contributing to the BGAV's Cooperative Missions budget.
“We are deeply grateful to the generosity of the nearly 1,400 churches in our Virginia Baptist family,” said Stratton.
The budget excess is especially significant in light of a change five years ago in the way Cooperative Missions funds are reported, said Stratton. Until 2003 the treasurer's office included in CM receipts all rent received from partners in the Virginia Baptist Resource Center. That changed when the Mission Board voted to use receipts from that rent to reduce its financial indebtedness.
“That means all of the CM receipts reported for 2007 came only from churches giving faithfully,” said Stratton.
In addition, Stratton noted, the total CM gifts in 2007 appear to be the accumulation of regular, systematic gifts from the churches, rather than an unusually large one-time contribution from an individual or church.
In other action:
• A small Hispanic church in Rome, Ga. — Primero Iglesia Bautista — was accepted into BGAV membership. The 10-year-old congregation, which has about 120 people in worship and about $90,000 in annual receipts, had applied late last year after it initiated discussions with BGAV leaders, including VBMB Hispanic consultant Daniel Carro.
• The executive committee learned that Mission Board staff was working on a process for accepting applications for the college and seminary scholarships approved by the BGAV last November. Eventually, applications will be available online.