Ronnie Floyd

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January 12th, 2015

11 Financial Facts of the Southern Baptist Convention

Join the Movement, Southern Baptist Convention

Facts are our friends. Without the facts, one cannot determine reality. Without facing reality, it is impossible to chart a successful future. This is not only true for us personally, but for our churches as well as our Southern Baptist Convention.

Each of our churches has the privilege to join in our grand vision of reaching the world for Christ. We do this by giving monies through the Cooperative Program, which is our way to fund Great Commission work together statewide, nationally, and internationally.

Today, I share with you 11 Financial Facts of the Southern Baptist Convention. This is our reality. These facts are our friends because from here, we launch to the future.

These facts are not my opinions; they are facts about our financial status following the fiscal year from October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013. Following the presentation of these facts, I will extend three brief observations.

1. $482,279,059 was given in Total Cooperative Program by our churches through the State Convention through the SBC Fiscal Year, October 1, 2012, through September 30, 2013.

2. $188,001,276 was received by the SBC Executive Committee directly in order to distribute to our SBC entities:

$183,419,803 from state conventions
$4,581,473 from individuals and churches
38% on average was sent by the states to the National SBC CP Allocation Budget

3. $298,859,256 of the $482,279,059 was reported as the State Convention Share of Total Cooperative Program in order to conduct their Great Commission ministries.

4. 28,853 churches reported giving through the Cooperative Program on the latest Annual Church Profile report. Of the 46,124 churches, LifeWay reported that at least 8,846 churches did not submit an ACP report.

5. 17,721 churches did not self-report any giving through the Cooperative Program on the latest ACP report.

$25,352,778 was received for the Cooperative Program from non-ACP reporting churches; therefore, when a church does not report Cooperative Program gifts on the ACP, it does not necessarily mean these churches did not give through the Cooperative Program.

6. 7.5% less monies was received by our churches over the past five years.

$12.1 billion in 2008 to $11.2 billion in 2013

7. 5.6% is the percentile of decline of the National Cooperative Program over the past five years.

$194 Million to $183 Million

8. $57,004,211 was reported by the North American Mission Board for the 2013 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North America Missions.

9. $154,057,852 was reported by the International Mission Board for the 2013 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.

10. $777,452,659 was reported by the most recent ACP for 2013 Southern Baptist Convention gifts to “Great Commission Giving”, which is defined by the ACP as “total amount of all money given to Southern Baptist Mission causes by the congregation.”

When you take this total and subtract Cooperative Program and the two major mission offerings, it means that Southern Baptist Convention congregations gave $84,111,698 to other Southern Baptist Missional endeavors.

11. $1,294,701,479 was reported as Total Mission Expenditures by congregations in the 2013 ACP (defined as “Total amount of all money given to Southern Baptist and non-Southern Baptist mission causes.”)

When you subtract the $777,452,659 of Great Commission Giving from this figure, it means that Southern Baptist congregations gave an additional $517,248,659 to direct church mission trips or projects or non-Southern Baptist Convention mission causes. There is no way to quantify what was used for specific church mission trips or projects as compared to non-Southern Baptist Convention mission causes.

3 Brief Observations

1. Due to the increasing lostness in the world, each church needs to find a way to give now through our Cooperative Program and additionally, give more now than ever before, so we can continue advancing the gospel together.

2. For the churches giving to mission causes apart from Southern Baptists, consider reallocating some of that money or even all of it to our Southern Baptist mission causes.

3. Pastor and church leader, talk with your church’s financial team about increasing your church’s commitment to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention.

In Closing

In closing, this is not about money and finances as much as it is about advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ at an accelerated pace. Together, we can do more than we can ever do by ourselves.

Yours for the Great Commission,

Ronnie W. Floyd

Senior Pastor, Cross Church

President, Southern Baptist Convention

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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is currently serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination with more than 15.7 million members in over 46,000 churches nationwide.

To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd

Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.

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January 5th, 2015

4 Considerations for Every Southern Baptist Church in 2015

Join the Movement, Southern Baptist Convention

As we near the coming of the Lord, we should be more focused than ever before. As our 50,000 plus churches and congregations partner together in gospel causes, the time is now for us to rise up like never before.

I want to ask you to consider these four things with me in 2015.

1. Personally, collectively, and cooperatively, we need to own the Great Commission.

As Southern Baptists, our missional vision is to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations. There is not one of us that can escape this vision, not because it our vision as Southern Baptists, but because it is the vision of Jesus Christ for each of us as His disciples.

When I challenge us to own the Great Commission, I mean we must own this responsibility personally. This means that my church and your church must own the responsibility of presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to every person and make disciples of every people group in our own region. It also means we must work cooperatively to reach the world for Jesus Christ.

Our church cannot do it by ourselves. Your church cannot do it by yourselves. Our 50,000 plus churches and congregations must cooperate like never before through our 1,100 associations, 42 state conventions, and twelve Southern Baptist entities. As Southern Baptists, we must own the Great Commission in every way possible.

2. Increase your financial support of our Great Commission work together.

Unashamedly and unapologetically, I humbly request that each local church increase their giving through our Cooperative Program. I have never been more convinced that each church must give more than we have ever given before through our Cooperative Program. Whether your practice is to give by percentage or dollar amount, I call upon each of our churches to increase our giving. This is imperative if we are going to see all of our Great Commission ministries advanced regionally, nationally, and internationally.

The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which churches give to reach the world for Jesus Christ. As Southern Baptists, I have heard us talk about our great commitment to the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

Friends, we must renew and increase our financial commitment to seeing the gospel advanced throughout the world. Therefore, consider this strongly and urgently. Tell the story. Trust your people. I believe they will step up in an unprecedented manner.

3. Plan now to have your church represented at our upcoming Southern Baptist Convention on June 16-17, 2015, in Columbus, Ohio.

Since the moment I was elected as President, I have extended a clear calling to Columbus, Ohio, for our annual gathering in 2015. Regardless of the size of your church, we need your church represented.

Why is this so important? We need our Southern Baptist family in one place, praying, worshipping, and working together to see the Great Commission completed in our generation. Soon, I will begin to talk about many more specifics of our upcoming gathering, but right now, do all you can to be in Columbus, Ohio. If you have questions, go online to our annual meeting website or call 615-244-2355 to have your questions answered.

Remember, we would like to see every church represented in Columbus. Join me. I believe this will be one of the great spiritual highlights for each of us this year. Come early! Help us in Crossover Columbus on June 13, participate in our pre-convention gatherings like the Pastors’ Conference, the Women’s Missionary Union, the Pastors’ Wives session, and others. We need to come to Columbus on June 16-17, in clear agreement, visible union and in extraordinary prayer for the next Great Awakening and to reach the world for Christ.

4. Join many of us that are praying and seeking the face of God daily for the next Great Awakening and to reach the world for Christ.

Our beloved nation and world needs the next great move of God to come upon us more than anything. Our churches in America need a mighty spiritual revival. Disunity needs to cease and unity in Christ’s community must begin to prevail.

Spiritual awakening is our greatest need in America. We need to see places, regions, and prayerfully even nationally, a sweeping, God-sized moving of God. It has happened before. It can happen again. America’s need has never been greater.

We must reach the world for Jesus Christ. This is why we are praying and seeking the face of God for the next Great Awakening. A massive harvest is needed and every people group in the world deserves the privilege to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

Join others who are downloading, reading, and sharing this special and free e-book, Pleading With Southern Baptists. Please consider sharing it with your church and others.

Southern Baptist Family, we can do this

We can do this together. Pastor and leaders, you are not in this quest alone. Take these four considerations to the Lord in prayer, then take them to your church. The need is now. The urgency is upon us. This is our time.