Imagine If ... No State Conventions!

[HowellS]

[Sandy]

This is largely a mega-church created problem. Megachurches, IMHO, do a couple of things to Southern Baptist cooperation. They need every dime they collect to feed their internally focused ministries. They are modeled on supply and demand and because they have large amounts of cash, they pay premium prices for worship leadership (a.k.a. Christian musical entertainment) and for a motivational speaker who uses the title "pastor." Vague ministries that don't provide much in the way of public relations value, such as those things provided out of the Cooperative Program, are seen as un-necessary drains on the money stream. But, these are the people who have put themselves in control of the SBC and the state conventions, hence, we have "Great Commission Giving" rather than "Cooperative" Program giving. The trust that Southern Baptist cooperation was once built upon has evaporated. The big boys consider themselves too important and too big to contribute the same share of their resources to the convention's ministries that the smaller churches do. The end result is less giving to cooperative causes and the setting of an example for churches that what you do for yourself and your membership is more important than ministry outside your walls and your community.

[Blake]

Very well put Sandy.