Cooperative Program Promotion, Stewardship Education, and the Southern Baptist Convention An Historical Review
On February 22, 2010, the Great Commission Task Force issued a “Progress Report” on ways it hopes to assist Southern Baptists to “work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission.” The 32-page report contains a brief sermon outline, eight core values, and six principal “components.” This brief essay will evaluate its Component #4 in light of the 85-year history of promotion of the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention. [Read More]

Great Commission Resurgence
In late April, President Johnny Hunt issued a call to Southern Baptists for a “Great Commission Resurgence,” with an accompanying ten-point “Great Commission Resurgence Declaration.” This Declaration has generated widespread interest and conversation among Southern Baptists. The links and articles contained in this collection are designed to assist Southern Baptists by posting the Declaration in its various revisions and directing the reader to a sampling of published denominational perspectives on this important and timely subject. [Read More]

Statement of the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention Morris H. Chapman on Sexual Abuse Prevention
Indianapolis, IN, June 10, 2008 – As Southern Baptists, we have much for which to be thankful. Our pastors preach the Word of God with power. Our churches witness effectively to the unsaved in cities and communities throughout the country. God continues to call many of our young people to the mission fields of the world; a new strategy for evangelizing the United States has been launched. Our seminaries excel in teaching new theologians and training new pastors. Our moral and religious liberty convictions are well represented in the public square. Our publications are some of the finest Bible study materials in the world.  [Read More]

MY HOPE FOR OUR CONVENTION
My hope for our Convention is simple. It runs upon one premise. It rides upon one purpose. It rests upon one person. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. [Read More]

Statement of the President Morris H. Chapman on proposed changes to CP recommendations to be presented at the 2006 SBC annual meeting
The mention of a specific percentage in the recommendations has generated so much discussion from a variety of perspectives that we felt a revision would allow all Southern Baptists, from churches large and small, to enthusiastically approve the report, including the nine recommendations. [Read More]

Statement of the Chairman Rob Zinn on proposed changes to CP recommendations to be presented at the 2006 SBC annual meeting
When we voted on this in February, there was no intention that we're telling any church what to give. We as officers of the Executive Committee have been listening to pastors around us -- it is coming from large churches, mega churches and even small churches -- the feeling was that we're telling people what to give. That's not true. [Read More]

Statement of the President and Officers on proposed changes to CP recommendations to be presented at the 2006 SBC annual meeting
he president and officers of the SBC Executive Committee, in a conference call Thursday afternoon, May 25, 2006, concluded that the convention’s environment has changed dramatically since the February meeting of the Executive Committee when it received the Ad Hoc CP Committee Report and approved its nine recommendations. [Read More]

Statement of the Chairman Anthony L. Jordan on proposed changes to CP recommendations to be presented at the 2006 SBC annual meeting
While I am disappointed with the modifications made to the Ad Hoc CP Committee Report by officers of the Southern Baptist Convention, I greatly respect their right to lead the convention as they deem best. [Read More]

Stand For Marriage
Most of you have seen ABC TV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition where they tear down a house and rebuild it. Unfortunately, there has been another Extreme Makeover happening to the American home. Some are trying to tear down traditional marriage and redefine it. In fact, we are only one Supreme Court decision away from legalizing same-sex "marriage" all across America. How should Christians respond? [Read More]

SBC Executive Committee President Morris H. Chapman Statement on the resignation of NAMB President Robert (Bob) Reccord
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April, 17, 2006—Dr. Morris H. Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, made the following comment on the news of Dr. Robert (Bob) Reccord’s resignation: Bob Reccord is a friend, colleague and brother in Christ. I will miss working with him as president of the North American Mission Board. He is both a visionary leader and gifted communicator, and I’m convinced he will have a significant and fulfilling ministry in the Lord’s service for many years to come. [Read More]

SBC President Bobby Welch Statement on the resignation of NAMB President Robert (Bob) Reccord
Dr. Reccord’s resignation signals the next great step and stage for the relatively new NAMB. As NAMB’s first president, Dr. Reccord assumed a Herculean task in the launch of that new and expanded entity. One reflection of his innovative and creative guidance led to the coordination of the state conventions’ disaster relief ministries. That resulted in an unprecedented and nationally recognized help to our world and nation as well as the pastors and people of the Southern Baptist Convention. Such leadership also explored and test a number of contemporary opportunities for reaching out to the lost world with the Gospel. [Read More]

Final Report of Ad Hoc Cooperative Program Committee
Southern Baptists have always been a missional people. From the inception of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845 we have always rallied around the command of Christ to carry the Gospel to the entire world. At the heart of our local churches, and of all organizations and agencies beyond the local church, is the desire to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Cooperative Program was implemented to give each Southern Baptist a way to be a part of reaching the world for Christ through their local church. Sadly, we too often have allowed our focus to become ingrown and diverted from our evangelistic responsibility. Most of the strategies and initiatives in this report focus on telling the story of what we are currently doing through the Cooperative Program, but we must not fall into the trap of thinking we can reposition the Cooperative Program in the hearts of Southern Baptists by focusing only on what we are accomplishing. [Read More]

Final Report of Ad Hoc Cooperative Program Committee (Appendices)
Appendix A, B and C for Final Report of Ad Hoc Cooperative Program Committee [Read More]

Fourth Report of the SBC Funding Study Committee
The SBC Funding Study Committee (FSC) is an ad hoc committee of the Executive Committee, having been charged by action of the full Executive Committee in February of 2002 with the task of studying Southern Baptist Convention funding issues. The study was begun against a backdrop of recognition that the SBC seminaries faced financial challenges, although funding issues relating to all our entities are within the committee’s scope of discussion and review. [Read More]