In a key vote at this year’s BCI Annual Meeting, messengers approved a recommendation by the BCI Executive Board to increase the convention’s giving to the Cooperative Program from 60% to 75%.
After a presentation of the budget and a full understanding of the numbers, the messengers voted unanimously to increase the state’s CP giving to 75 percent. What is the significance of this decision?
Each state convention passes a percentage of the contributions from churches to the Cooperative Program (CP), which fuels the SBC national agencies such as NAMB, IMB, ERLC, and the six SBC seminaries. In 2015, BCI increased CP giving to 50%, up from 20% in previous years. Some other state conventions have also significantly increased CP giving, including a few that have increased to 50% and beyond. Last year, BCI was the first convention to increase giving to 60%, and this year’s decision to increase to 75% is another exciting step for our convention.
Investing in the Great Commission
The decision to increase giving is just one example of our convention’s intentional investment in the Great Commission. Over the past decade, significant adjustments have been made with the goal to invest funds where they can produce the most gospel fruit. One major challenge was preserving unity while making difficult decisions about programs, facilities, and staff, as seen in the History of BCI video, “Leading Through Change.”
The 9-member BCI Executive Board continues to provide visionary leadership to maximize BCI’s budget and financial assets to multiply disciples, churches, and mission in Iowa and around the globe. President Michael Felkins noted the recommendation to increase CP giving to 75% was a unanimous decision from the Executive Board.
Valuing Strategic Stewardship
Tim Lubinus, executive director of the Baptist Convention of Iowa, explained the work that went into this recommendation. “As a convention, we see strategic stewardship as a foundational value of the BCI. Rather than watch money sit in buildings and bank accounts, we want to invest in multiplying disciples, churches, and mission throughout Iowa, across the United States, and around the world. There is no better investment than the Cooperative Program.”
“What we have done today,” stated Vance Pitman, senior pastor of Hope Church Las Vegas, “can be a model for other state conventions to follow.” As one of the keynote speakers at the BCI Annual Meeting, Pitman celebrated this decisions and passionately urged the pastors and church leaders present to commit themselves to faithful prayer for gospel fruit in and through our convention churches.
Faith-Filled Vision
Tim Lubinus expressed his gratitude for the faith and trust this decision demonstrates. “I’m so pleased to see the faith-filled vision of our BCI executive board and of our convention at the annual meeting. They decided to increase BCI’s contribution to global missions, national church planting, and leadership development through the Cooperative Program. We are grateful for the generosity of our churches to all of us to expand our local BCI staff while at the same time giving more generously to ministry outside of our state.”
