“I thank my God, I say, for your cooperation in spreading the Good News from the first time it first came to you even until now.” (WNT)
May 13 will be the 100 year celebration of the Cooperative Program in Southern Baptist life. Some of you may say, “So, what does that have to do with me?” EVERYTHING! On May 13, 1925, our national convention made the decision to start a new system of mission support as well as support for education, benevolent ministries, and other partners like Guidestone and the Southern Baptist Foundation to expand our reaching communities, states, and the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As our Pickens Baptist Associational churches designate what percentage of their monies are given through the association, they go towards the Cooperative Program. Each member of our churches is participating in the advancement of God’s Kingdom. In other words, each member is educating college and seminary students, preparing and maintaining stateside and international missionaries on their fields of service, helping pastors and missionaries to retire with dignity, and making bold statements to our representatives in our state and national legislatures on how the SBC believes about certain issues which affect our lives.
I am a product of the Cooperative Program. It began when I served you as Southern Baptists in Waterbury, Connecticut at a Puerto Rican Community Center. Believe it or not, I wasn’t even Southern Baptist at the time. From there, you’ve helped educate me in Southern Baptist colleges and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Then, you provided for Claren and me as we served both the North American Mission Board as well as the International Mission Board for 30 years. Of course, now, we receive CP monies as your Associational Missionaries.
I thank you for faithfully praying and giving to the Cooperative Program. In my humble opinion, it is the best financial system to meet the needs of any convention in the world. May the Lord continue to bless the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention! Please don’t take it for granted!
Until Next Month,
Bro. Lyle