Thoughts: Congratulations, Alabama Baptists, You're No. 1

The official results are in, and Alabama Baptists are No. 1 in Cooperative Program (CP) giving for Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) causes during the last fiscal year. In addition, Alabama Baptists are No. 1 in combined giving to SBC missions causes through the CP and designated missions offerings such as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.

The SBC fiscal year runs Oct. 1��t. 30. The final report for the 2008��fiscal year released just days ago announced that Alabama Baptists gave $19,136,056.80 to SBC causes through the CP. Georgia Baptists were second with $18,678,710.99. Tennessee Baptists were third with $15,088,968.50.

Overall, in the 2008��fiscal year, SBC CP causes received $199,822,090.18 from all sources, primarily funds channeled through cooperating state Baptist conventions. That is a decline in receipts of 2.23 percent compared to the 2007��fiscal year. But receipts from Alabama Baptists climbed by 1.33 percent during the year. That makes a 3.56 percent difference between SBC giving as a whole and Alabama Baptist giving to SBC causes.

Obviously the decline would have been steeper for the SBC had Alabama Baptists not increased their giving. In fact, even though Alabama Baptists' membership makes up 6.47 percent of the total membership of the SBC, Alabama Baptists gave 9.58 percent of the total SBC CP dollars received.

That deserves a big "thank you" to Alabama Baptists for your faithfulness and congratulations for a job well done. But there is more.

The same report shared information about giving to SBC causes through special designated offerings. To the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Alabama Baptists gave $11,258,189.83 channeled through the SBC Executive Committee. That amount was topped only by North Carolina Baptists, who gave $13,488,894.71.

For the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, Alabama Baptists contributed $5,697,936.99. Again that number was topped only by North Carolina Baptists, who gave $5,745,108.15.

Alabama Baptists were also second in other designated giving to Southern Baptist causes such as world hunger. Our $1,116,864.14 trailed Georgia Baptists by about $50,000.

But when CP giving to SBC causes is added to designated giving to SBC causes, Alabama Baptists again come out on top. Through both giving plans, Alabama Baptists contributed $37,209,047.76 to SBC causes. Georgia Baptists were second with $35,403,866.68. North Carolina Baptists fell further down the list because their SBC CP giving was $10,134,181.48.

And again, Alabama Baptists gave more than their proportionate share. Our giving amounted to 9.47 percent of the $392,998,040.82 total through both giving plans.

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