NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program are up 0.21 percent in 2003, compared to the year-to-date giving last year, Baptist Press reported.
As of May 31, contributions to cooperative Program Missions totaled $124 million, up $259,570 over last year. The SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget is up $6.02 million.
Designated giving, however, experienced a 9.5 percent drop at $130 million compared to $143 million last year.
The Cooperative Program supports missions and ministry efforts of state and regional conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention.
It includes total receipts from individuals, churches, state conventions and fellowships, the news service reported.
Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund and other special gifts.
State and regional conventions keep a portion of church contributions to support work in their respective areas and forward a percentage to Southern Baptist national and international causes. The distribution percentage is at the discretion of each state or regional convention.
