QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING THE COOPERATIVE MISSIONS GIVING STUDY COMMITTEE REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

*Reprinted from the Baptist Standard, August 17, 1994 issue.

1. WHY WAS THE COMMITTEE CREATED?

The Baptist General Convention, in its 1993 annual meeting, voted for the Convention President to name a committee to study how to enhance cooperative missions giving among all Texas Baptists. The approved motion instructed this Committee to bring its findings and recommendations to the 1994 meeting of the convention in Amarillo.

2. DO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS CALL FOR A SEPARATION OF THE BAPTIST GENERAL CONVENTION OF TEXAS FROM THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION?

No. The Baptist General Convention of Texas will continue to have the same relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention as it has now. The Baptist General Convention of Texas/Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program relationship continues. Churches may support Southern Baptist work through this channel. All of the working agreements between the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptist Convention agencies remain in place, each one being voluntary.

3. DO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS EFFECTIVELY DESTROY THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM?

No. The Cooperative Program has gone through changes from its inception in 1925. This is another change. The historic channel continues to be available to all the churches. In addition, churches may continue to use different channels through which to provide funding for worldwide Baptist missions and ministries. The fact that some of these gifts will be called Cooperative Program” does not destroy the Cooperative Program. Rather, it broadens the scope of cooperation and the Cooperative Program.

4. HOW DO THE COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATIONS AFFECT THE WAY CHURCHES GIVE TO MISSIONS? WHAT IS AND IS NOT CHANGED BY THESE RECOMMENDATIONS?

For churches and individuals desiring to continue the same practices of giving to Baptist missions and ministries, the Committee’s recommendations require no change—and the distribution to Baptist causes thus is not changed.

Churches and individuals desiring to direct their missions gifts differently to various Baptist causes may also do so.

In both instances, the church’s gifts to Baptist causes will be received and distributed as directed and will be reported by the Convention as Cooperative Program gifts. The Committee followed the long-cherished Baptist principle that it is the churches who direct their missions gifts, not the Convention.

5. WILL ALL GIFTS BE COUNTED AS COOPERATIVE PROGRAM?

No. Special missions offerings will continue to retain their identity. The gifts to Baptist General Convention of Texas budget, plus worldwide Baptist missions and ministries as directed by the churches, will be counted as Cooperative Program.

6. ARE WE ABANDONING OUR MISSIONARIES IF WE ADOPT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS?

No, not at all. In 1993, Texas Baptists sent over $23 million to foreign missions and $10 million to home missions. Along with those contributions, Texas Baptists have given for state missions approximately $12 million. The Committee believes that this giving level will be increased by affirming the giving of all churches affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

7. WILL CHURCHES BE REQUIRED TO VOTE ON HOW TO DIRECT THEIR COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIFTS TO BAPTIST MISSIONS AND MINISTRIES?

These recommendations in no way change the way churches determine their giving patterns. Baptist polity affirms that churches are self-governing. It is they, not the Convention, who determine how their missions gifts are to be used. For this Committee not to honor this established right of the churches would violate every working relationship between Baptist churches and denominational bodies. Furthermore, the Constitution of the Baptist General Convention of Texas forbids the Convention from endeavoring to exercise any authority over churches. The way each church goes about deciding how much they will give to missions, to which causes, and through which options is totally up to the church. Most churches have and will continue to make these decisions as part of their annual budget planning/adoption process. Church treasurers currently inform the Convention treasurer how their missions gifts are to be directed by filling out a form that is sent with their church’s gifts. This will continue to be true. But the Convention certainly will not tell any church how or by whom its giving decisions must be made.

8. HOW WILL THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ENHANCE COOPERATIVE MISSIONS GIVING?

The Convention’s approved motion, as interpreted to the Committee by the messenger who made the motion, indicated that to “enhance cooperative missions giving” involved the methods and structures for missions giving rather than a promotional program to enlarge giving. The Committee recognized that both aspects were important but limited its study and recommendations to the methods and structures. It was the Committee’s understanding that promotional emphases will follow and will be shaped by the Convention’s response to the Committee’s recommendations. The Committee acted on the belief that providing fairness and equity to all Texas Baptists in the Convention’s missions- support plans was the task of the Committee and a priority in Convention life.

9. WHAT IS THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THESE RECOMMENDATIONS?

A strong effort will be made to inform all Texas Baptists about the recommendations. They will be communicated to Texas Baptists through The Baptist Standard, letters and other material. Possibly town hall type meetings will be conducted by members of the Cooperative Missions Giving Study Committee. A review of the Committee’s work will be presented to the Administrative Committee, August 19, and to the Executive Board, September 13. These presentations are for information and discussion only; no votes will be taken. The Convention meeting in Amarillo, October 31-November 1, will then have the opportunity to approve or disapprove the recommendations.

10. WHEN WILL THESE RECOMMENDATIONS BE IMPLEMENTED IF THEY ARE APPROVED?

January 1, 1995.

September 1994