Although Cooperative Program (CP) totals lag behind the 2018 budget to date, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) officials saw improvements in CP receipts over the past month.

Through the end of October, overall 2018 CP receipts from N.C. Baptist churches totaled slightly more than $23 million, which is about $2.5 million or 10 percent behind the year-to-date budget. The budget shortfall is still about a 2 percent improvement from the end of September when receipts were about 12 percent behind the year-to-date budget.

CP receipts are also 3.3 percent behind the same time period last year, which also reflects about a 2 percent improvement from September to October.

“We did gain a little ground in our year-over-year receipts,” said Beverly Volz, the BSCNC’s director of accounting services.

Volz’ financial report came during a regularly scheduled meeting of the BSCNC’s Executive Committee on Monday, Nov. 5 which was held in conjunction with the state convention’s Annual Meeting in Greensboro, N.C.

Volz also reported that giving to the 2018 North Carolina Missions Offering totaled nearly $1.6 million through the end of October, an increase of more than 4.6 percent from the same time periods as last year.

Giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions totaled nearly $10 million and $6 million, respectively, through the end of October, Volz said.

Hurricane relief update
Robert Simons, president of North Carolina Baptist Men (NCBM), also known as Baptists on Mission, reported to the committee that there has been an outpouring of support from other states and other Baptist state conventions in response to the ongoing disaster relief and recovery efforts related to Hurricane Florence.

Simons said approximately $1.5 million in financial contributions have poured in from individuals, churches and Baptist conventions from across the country since the storm struck eastern North Carolina in September.

In addition to the nearly 1.1 million meals delivered to hurricane victims, disaster relief volunteers have completed 3,000 recovery jobs, Simons said. About 2,500 more jobs remain open, and the relief and recovery effort is far from over, Simons said.

“We certainly do need volunteers,” Simons said. “It’s an effort that we plan to continue for two or three more years.”

BSCNC Executive Director-Treasurer Milton A. Hollifield Jr. also praised individuals and churches from around the country for helping North Carolina during a time of need. Hollifield said the disaster relief efforts are making an eternal impact.

“It makes you thankful to be a Southern Baptist and what we’re able to accomplish in partnering and working together,” Hollifield said. “In addition to all that we’re doing, we’re seeing people come to accept Christ as their Savior through this.”

Retiring committee members
At the conclusion of the meeting, convention officials recognized committee members who have completed their terms of service.

Retiring committee members were: Rick Byrd, chairman of the Evangelism and Discipleship Committee; Lawrence Clapp, chairman of the Church Planting and Missions Partnerships Committee; John Compton, chairman of Articles and Bylaws Special Committee; Marc Francis, board president; John Mark Harrison, board vice president; Jeff Isenhour, chairman of the Budget Committee; Ken Jones, at-large member; Matt Ledbetter, at-large member; Boyce Porter, chairman of the Convention Relations Special Committee; and Robert Simons, president of N.C. Baptist Men.