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ATLANTA – The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship announced a 20 percent spending reduction for the next 19 months as part of a financial contingency plan presented to its Coordinating Council Feb. 19-20.

 

The Council’s Finance Committee and Advisory Council approved the plan that impacts the CBF Missions and Ministry budget including Fellowship partners.

 

“In light of the continuing decline of the global economy, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is taking proactive steps to manage its resources and ensure its long term viability,” said Moderator Jack Glasgow, pastor of Zebulon Baptist Church, Zebulon, N.C.

 

“We understand the actions that our fiduciary responsibility prompts us to make will have consequences on people’s lives. We did not undertake these deliberations lightly. In an attitude of prayerful discernment, we sought the wisest course of action given the current economic climate.”

 

CBF Controller Larry Hurst reported CBF’s receipts are down about 20 percent from the budget, but only 7 percent from last year. As a result, the approved financial contingency plan reduces CBF spending by 20 percent for a total of $4.66 million over the next 19 months. The reductions to CBF’s operational budget include the following:

 

·         An across the board pay cut of 1 percent for all CBF employees,

·         a 3 percent reduction in contribution to employees’ retirement,

·         a hiring freeze

·         a 20 percent travel reduction for all staff, and

·         the elimination of other staff-related expenses.

 

Of the $4.66 million in cuts, Glasgow said about $315,420 would come from funding intended for partners and $544,921 from funding for partner seminaries and theology schools. The contingency plan will take effect March 1.

 

“We are aware that these cuts will impact our partners,” Glasgow said. “We will be communicating the specific amounts in letters next week. Because we have partnership covenants with each of our partners that stipulate CBF contributions should not constitute more than 25 percent of total revenues, these reductions should not impact more than 7.5 percent of their budgets. It is our intent that these reductions will not be an undue burden to their ministries.”

 

The Council approved a budget of $16.15 million, which will now go to the General Assembly for approval. Actual expenditures, however, will be subjected to the financial contingency plan.

 

The Council also received an update on the condition of Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal, who underwent prostate cancer surgery earlier this month.

 

“Daniel sends his love and gratitude for the many expressions of love you have sent his way,” said Connie McNeill, coordinator of administration. “His recovery couldn’t be going better. The pathology report has come back, and his doctors have said he is cancer free.”

 

McNeill said Vestal is planning to return March 1.

 

As a result of the new strategic priorities, the Coordinating Council was restructured with each member having two assignments. All Council members will be assigned to one of four initiative teams: congregational formation, global missions, administration and advancement. Additionally, Council members will serve on one of three strategic priority teams: honoring generations, gender and race; interacting with the world community or missional engagement. With the reorganization, the Advisory Council will now consist of officers, chairs of the initiative teams, chairs of the administrative committees, chairs of strategic priorities teams and CBF staff leaders. The plan also allows the moderator to appoint up to three at-large members to the Advisory Council.

 

“When I think about this discernment process and how easily it broke up into priorities, this process seems really special,” said Tom Siddle, of Rocky Mount, Va., chair of the committee on Coordinating Council changes. “I’ve been a part of a lot different groups, and I’ve never been a part of one that has had the rapid response this one has. We, the Coordinating Council, need to reorganize to align with what the staff is doing.” 

 

Harriet Harral, of Fort Worth, Texas, CBF’s past-moderator, announced that two-thirds of this year’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Offering for Religious Liberty and Human Rights would support the European Baptist Federation and a specific project facilitated by CBF field personnel. One-third of the offering goes to the Baptist World Alliance each year. The offering will be collected at the General Assembly in Houston, Texas.

 

In its final business of the meeting, the Council approved a resolution affirming the CBF staff and field personnel, presented by Barry Birdwhistell, of Elizabethtown, Ky. The resolution thanked CBF employees for their work under the difficult financial circumstances caused by the global economic downturn.

 

The Council will meet again on July 1, prior to the General Assembly.

 

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

 

Photo information: Members of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Coordinating Council tour the new offices at Mercer University. The Fellowship’s Atlanta Resource Center relocated to the Administrative Conference Center in October 2008. Joel McLendon photo