Missouri Baptist churches will be encouraged to give $16.7 million to the Cooperative Program in fiscal 2005.
During their April 13 meeting, Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board members approved the CP goal and set goals for special offerings for the year. The original CP proposal for the 2004 goal was $17.5 million, but it was later revised and adopted at $16.2 million.
The board set the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions at $4 million, the same as the 2004 goal. The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions was set at $2.3 million, up from the $1.8 million 2004 goal. The goal for world hunger remains the same at $375,000.
Board members also will ask Missouri Baptists to give $750,000 to the Rheubin L. South Missouri Mission Offering. Of the total, $209,000 would be earmarked for church planting, $199,000 to compassion ministries, including the Missouri Baptist Children's Home, and $47,000 for evangelism. The budget balance – $295,000 – would be used for missions, including partnership missions and collegiate summer missionaries.
Goals must be approved by messengers to the 2004 annual meeting this fall.
During their session, board members also voted to remove Broadway Baptist Church, Kansas City, as an affiliated MBC church.
Printed recommendations from the MBC administrative committee indicated the board is withdrawing fellowship due to the congregation's stand on homosexuality, including performing same-sex unions in March. The recommendation cited news articles from the Kansas City Star.
The recommendation also noted that the MBC would consider reinstating the church if the congregation demonstrates "true biblical and public repentance."
Although the convention continued to list Broadway Baptist in its annual book of reports, the MBC did not send messenger cards to the congregation for the 2002 and 2003 annual meetings.
In 2002, then MBC president Bob Curtis said cards were withheld because each of the affected churches had voted to terminate affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention. (4-22-04)
