Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers gave unanimous approval
to a record Cooperative Program budget goal for 2002 last week.
The action was one of only three matters brought to messengers
from the LBC Executive Board at last weeks convention.
Louisiana Baptist Convention messengers gave unanimous approval
to a record Cooperative Program budget goal for 2002 last week.
The action was one of only three matters brought to messengers
from the LBC Executive Board at last weeks convention.
The approved budget of $23,923,076 represents an increase of
$1,173,076 (5.2 percent) from the current goal.
It also represents a major challenge for Louisiana Baptists,
who have enjoyed strong giving in recent years.
However, economic unrest has impacted giving this year. At
last weeks annual meeting, convention leaders acknowledged gifts may fall
as much as $1 million below budget by the close of the calendar year.
If that happens, it means giving would have to increase by
almost $2.2 million next year in order to reach the 2002 goal.
However, that scenario did not prove daunting to convention
messengers, who approved the 2002 budget without any discussion or dissent.
As in past years, the new budget allocates 35 percent of receipts
to the Southern Baptist Convention, with the rest retained to use for Louisiana
Baptist work.
Beyond that, breakdown percentages change little for convention
programs and agencies, with some receiving a slightly bigger slice of the Cooperative
Program pie and some receiving a slightly smaller slice.
Still, the percentages are important because that is the means
by which Cooperative Program funds are distributed each month. The dollar totals
in the budget serve as a guide for what programs and agencies are to receive
if the full budget is met. In the case of the 2002 budget, all but one agency
will receive additional funds if that occurs.
In the approved budget:
State missions services is allocated $10,854,598, an
increase of $475,000.
Louisiana College is allocated $3.2 million, an increase
of $150,000.
The Louisiana Baptist Childrens Home is allocated
$650,000, the same dollar amount of their 2000 budget allocation.
The Baptist Message is allocated $464,987, an increase
of $35,000.
The Louisiana Baptist Foundation is allocated $289,897,
an increase of $15,000.
The Baptist Retirement Center is allocated $30,600,
an increase of $600.
If the 2002 budget goal is surpassed, any additional monies
will be distributed on the same percentages as the regular budget.
Messengers handled two other Executive Board matters in easy
fashion as well.
In one, they approved a resolution defining what constitutes
a “cooperating” Louisiana Baptist church.
The action completes a process begun at last years convention,
when the Executive Board originally sought to change the existing definition
of cooperation.
Previously, the constitution simply required that a church
“cooperates” with the convention in order to be able to send messengers
to the annual meeting.
Last year, the Executive Board proposed an amendment to require
that churches must cooperate “monetarily.” But a messenger sought
to amend the proposal, eventually sending it back to the board for study.
This year, the Executive Board brought the same amendment.
However, by the time it reached messenger, leaders had realized no constitutional
change was needed.
“Our constitution already has outlined for us how we go
about defining or qualifying a cooperating Baptist church,” board President
Philip Robertson said. “And it does not say we should do that through an
amendment to the constitution. It says that should be done by bylaws or resolution.”
As a result, Robertson withdrew the proposed amendment and
proposed a simple resolution declaring that “in order to qualify as a cooperating
Baptist church that the church must be one that cooperates mone-tarily with
the convention.”
Messengers approved the resolution without discussion or dissent.
They then handled a bylaw amendment that also dated back to
last years meeting.
At that meeting, a messenger sought to amend convention bylaws,
which stipulate that no more than two members of a church may serve on state
committees and boards at any one time. Last years proposal sought to allow
persons who move to another church to complete their terms of service on a committee
or board, even if it meant more than two persons from the particular church
were serving at one time.
The matter was referred for study.
Last week, the convention Executive Board proposed an amendment
to the membership bylaw but not one in line with last years attempt. Instead,
it proposed:
“Existing board or committee members who move to a church
with two members currently serving on a board or committee shall be rendered
ineligible to serve. No more than one member of the same church may serve on
the same board or committee. Existing board or committee members who move to
a church with a member currently serving on the same board or committee on which
they are serving shall be rendered ineligible to serve.”
LBC President Tommy French said the change “spreads the
work out across the churches, across the convention.”
Messengers approved the proposed amendment without discussion
or dissent.
In two final matters, the Executive Board reported it had reviewed
a messenger proposal on engaging in a missions partnership with Korea and recommended
no further action be taken.
French also reported that a motion calling for the Committee on Arrangements
to choose a Friday-Saturday date for the convention was out of order because
it would change the bylaws and give responsibilities to the arrangements committee
that already rests with another committee.