DALLAS - This year, during the Texas Baptists Annual Meeting in Frisco, nine churches will be recognized for their Cooperative Program giving. Since 1925, the Cooperative Program has provided the fuel to fund missions work in Texas, the United States and around the world.
"There is no way to measure, this side of heaven, the kingdom impact made by the sacrificial giving of thousands of Texas Baptists churches participating in CP over the last 90 years," said Chris Liebrum, director of the Office of Cooperative Program Ministry.
Five churches will be recognized for top giving based upon church size, including: Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler; First Baptist Church in Grapevine; First Baptist Church in Canyon; First Baptist Church in Wheeler; and First Baptist Church in Charlotte. Four additional churches will be recognized for top giving among ethnic congregations, including: Cornerstone Baptist Church Killeen in Harker Heights; Chinese Baptist Church in Houston; Iglesia Bautista Stonegate in Alice; and Vietnamese Baptist Church in Houston.
"In a day where Christianity appears to be attacked from every side, it is critical for followers of Jesus to rally around the things which unite us," said Doug Page, pastor of First Baptist Church in Grapevine. "One way to do this is to cooperate with others who share our same vision and purpose. Christ calls us to unity and the Cooperative Program is a way for Christians across the world to unify in our mandate to reach the world with the message of hope and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ."
In 2015, Texas Baptists churches will contribute approximately $35 million for causes in Texas such as ministerial scholarships for university and seminary students, financial support for existing churches to start new churches, Baptist Student Ministries on 115 university campuses statewide, chaplaincy, health and human care ministries, Texas Baptist Men, and more.
"Twenty years ago, our church, Cornerstone Baptist Church, got started with the help of the church new start program of the BGCT, so we are a living witness of how effective the cooperative giving program is," said Edward Wagner, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church Killeen in Harker Heights.
In addition to Texas causes, last year Texas Baptists churches provided over $27 million for causes and ministries outside our home state, including funding for approximately 5,000 worldwide missionaries.
"The genius of the Cooperative Program is that it allows churches of all sizes to participate in the local and global outreach of Texas Baptists and Southern Baptists," said David Dykes, pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. "We can do so much more together than we could ever do as individual congregations."
To learn more about the Cooperative Program, visit texasbaptists.org/cp or call (214) 887-5477.
Texas Baptists is a movement of God’s people to share Christ and show love by strengthening churches and ministers, engaging culture and connecting the nations to Jesus.
The ministry of the convention is made possible by giving through the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program, Mary Hill Davis Offering® for Texas Missions, Texas Baptists Worldwide and Texas Baptist Missions Foundation. Thank you for your faithful and generous support.
Subscribe to receive stories like this one directly to your inbox.
We are more together.