After reading the May 22nd Baptist Message article about the Cooperative Program giving being on track to see a 6 percent increase this year I am excited and perplexed all at the same time.
After reading the May 22nd Baptist Message article about the Cooperative Program giving being on track to see a 6 percent increase this year I am excited and perplexed all at the same time.
I am excited because I have seen first-hand the Cooperative Program in action.
I know an increase in CP giving means more missions and ministries can be developed and the Kingdom will be increased.
On the other hand, the news about the 6 percent increase comes on the heels of the announcement that the Louisiana Baptist Convention will no longer make the $17.50 matching contribution to the Guidestone retirement accounts of pastors and other church staff.
As a young pastor, this matching fund contribution could have meant more than $30,000 towards my retirement. Louisiana will now be one of only four Baptist state conventions that make no matching fund contribution.
What kind of message does this send to pastors, music ministers, youth pastors, church secretaries and custodial staff?
The Louisiana Baptist Convention will continue to fund the disability insurance and survivor death benefit, which I do appreciate.
But the fact of the matter is that the LBC will go from paying $17.50 for the matching funds to paying $12.50 in 2011 for the disability and survivor death benefit.
This is a cost reduction to the LBC, at a time when the LBC is taking in more money.
I believe most church staff would certainly appreciate some kind of matching fund contribution, instead of a complete elimination.
First Baptist Church
Oil City