As you know, our pastors have spent the past year carefully evaluating how our Cooperative Program gifts are funneled and distributed through the Alabama Baptist Convention and on to the Southern Baptist Convention.  We are preparing to put a motion before the congregation regarding how we want to designate these funds.  We simply want to make sure that we are being the best possible stewards of the missions monies given by our members.  We currently give 10% of our undesignated church receipts to the Cooperative Program.  That means that in 2011, Morningview Baptist Church gave $94,050.79 to the Cooperative Program.  We want you, the members of Morningview, to be aware of how those funds were utilized in 2011.  The dollar amounts listed below show exactly how Morningview’s Cooperative Program gifts for 2011 were distributed to each ministry in the Southern Baptist Convention and in the Alabama Baptist Convention.  Of the total amount of $94,050.79 that we gave in 2011,

42.5% ($39,971.59) went to Southern Baptist Convention Ministries. Funds are distributed based on a formula approved by SBC messengers in June of each year:
International Mission Board:     $19,985.80
North American Mission Board:     $9,109.53
Theological Education Ministries (6 Seminaries):    $8,857.70
Christian Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission:     $659.53
SBC Executive Committee and Facilitating Ministries:     $1,359.03

57.5% ($54,079.20) Went to Alabama Baptist Convention Ministries: ALSBOM funds are distributed to THREE different areas (in bold below) according to the budget approved by Messengers to the Alabama Baptist Convention in November of each year:

Alabama Baptist Ministers’ Retirement Ministries: $1,692.91 (1.8%) Protection benefits through GuideStone for full-time employees and ministers. Matching benefits for ministers of Alabama Baptist Churches and associations.

State Board of Missions Ministries: $26,428.27 (28.1%) Distributed to four Teams:

Evangelism/Discipleship Team: $8,034.19 (38 Full-time Employees) Seeks to help churches be more effective in leading the lost to Christ. Team members lead conferences in witness training and Sunday School Leadership training. The work of Baptist Campus Ministry touches 20,000 Alabama college students annually. The DMT helps Christians develop into mature disciples. From moral issues to various approaches to discipleship training, team members are committed to helping the local church strengthen its discipleship efforts.

Leadership Development Team: $2,299.26 (11 Full-time Employees) The LDT believes that healthy leaders make healthy churches. Team members help churches by training ministry and lay leaders, counseling through times of church conflict, and addressing worship and music.

Missions Mobilization Team: $4,519.23 (14 Full-time Employees) Partners with associations in celebrating our cooperative efforts. Members plan partnership events, assist in helping churches start new churches and providing disaster relief.

Missions Support Team: $11,575.58 (31 Full-time Employees) Provides the organizational, functional, and technical support for the State Board of Missions staff in carrying out the Great Commission and for telling the Cooperative Program story. The team also assists church employees with retirement, salary/benefit, and tax information.

Alabama Baptist State Convention Entity Ministries: $25,958.02 (27.6%)

Christian Higher Education Ministries: $1,157.99  The Potts Scholarship provides $750 to freshmen from Alabama Baptist churches enrolled at Samford, Judson, or Mobile. The Board of Aid to Students provides assistance to students at Samford, Judson, and Mobile who are preparing for full-time Christian service. Assistance is also given to the Samford Extension and to assist the three schools with endowment efforts.

Christian Higher Education: $18,518.71  These funds help our three schools (Samford University, Judson College, and University of Mobile) offer students a college education in a distinctively Christian environment.

Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries: $592.62  This group is chartered under the laws of the State of Alabama as a Christian ministry for the purpose of providing children and family services within a context of Christian restoration. A special offering goal is also promoted in our churches.

Shocco Spring: $1,273.24  Shocco’s purpose is to provide a beautiful conference center with quality accommodations designed to enhance the worship and learning experiences of guests. In an average year, over 45,000 people will attend and over 1,300 decisions for Christ are made.

The Alabama Baptist: $1,291.15  The Alabama Baptist, our state paper, exists to provide information, inspiration, interpretation, and involvement for Baptists of Alabama and others to help encourage and equip them to live out the principles of Christian Discipleship.

Alabama Baptist Retirement Centers: $481.78  The ABRC ministers to over 500 elderly people who call one of the four campuses of care home. The centers offer a wide range of ministries to residents.

The Baptist Foundation Of Alabama: $944.61  Foundation ministries and services are directed toward and realized for Alabama Baptists. The entire Baptist family benefits from Foundation ministries. Services include personal consultations, will conferences, estate planning, seminars, and materials.

Christian Life Commission: $57.11  The CLC helps inform and educate Alabama Baptists in matters relating to moral and ethical issues.

Education Commission: $7.53  This Commission represents the interests of Alabama Baptists and their relationship with the three institutions of Christian Higher Education.

Historical Commission: $298.52  As Great Commission Christians in a changing world, it is imperative that we work to preserve the record of God’s constant faithfulness to Alabama Baptists. The Commission collects, protects, and promotes our Baptist heritage.

ALCAP: $152.63  The Alabama Citizens Action Program is an extension of you and the local church on the cutting edge of moral concerns in schools and national, state, and local issues. ALCAP is not an entity of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, but does receive Cooperative Program funding.

Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union: $1,181.61  WMU is driven by five passions: seeking wisdom, touching lives, caring globally, finding fellowship, and passing it on. WMU is an auxiliary of the State Convention