You can’t spell “SBC president” without a “C” and a “P”

When a convention leader told me a few weeks ago about Dr. Ronnie Floyd’s forthcoming nomination as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, I confess I was overjoyed. I’ve read his books. I’ve seen his broadcast. I’ve heard of his wonderful accomplishments for the Kingdom.

But there is something I had not read, seen, or heard about until recently; the Annual Church Profile from Dr. Floyd’s church, First Baptist of Springdale, Ark.

I am confident that Dr. Floyd is an extraordinarily gifted pastor of unquestionable character. But upon discovering that his church gave a paltry .27 percent (don’t miss the decimal point) through the Cooperative Program of the SBC, one thought reverberated in my mind: Southern Baptists need and deserve a CP-supporting president.

Some will point to Dr. Floyd’s impressive denominational resume, which admittedly speaks of his involvement in the life of our great convention. But frankly, whether in my church or my convention, I am not impressed by those who desire to be involved in leadership without being invested in stewardship. We need a president who has demonstrated he is both doctrinally conservative and denominationally cooperative.

Others may say, “You spend dollars, not percentages.” Besides the fact that this comment usually comes from people with embarrassing percentage giving, say that to the wealthy church member who gives .27 percent and wants to chair the finance committee at your local church. This flawed mindset that looks at totals instead of percentages is diametrically opposed to the principle of the tithe, Jesus’ observation of the poor widow in Mark 12, and the Savior’s admonition that to whom much is given much is required.

Share that thought with Hebron Baptist Church of Dacula, where that congregation has just built a multi-million dollar worship center without sacrificing CP giving. Or look to Lawrenceville, where Dr. Frank Cox and the North Metro First Baptist Church family have been faithfully doing the same thing. Visit Calvary Baptist in Waycross, where Pastor Bob Richardson’s congregation sends 23 percent through the Cooperative Program. Come to Emmanuel Baptist in Blackshear, where our church has been in one building program or another for more than a decade, but never at the expense of our CP giving.

These are but a four examples which could be repeated across our convention. In thousands of churches this fall, faithful pastors will face skeptical finance committees at budget preparation time. He will go to bat to keep CP giving strong even in light of building programs and tight budgets. The last thing that warrior needs is for his finance committee chairman to pick up a copy of the Index or SBC Life and read that Southern Baptists elected a president whose church gave .27 percent.

I think the church planting and mission trips attributed to FBC Springdale are admirable. But many of our churches could do similarly if they only gave .27 percent through the Cooperative Program. Besides, we should expect such worthwhile and independent Great Commission efforts from one of our convention’s largest churches. This commitment to Kingdom work is approved by heaven and should be applauded by earth. But it does not, in and of itself, qualify a man to lead our denomination anymore than a church member’s consistent giving through a parachurch ministry qualifies him to serve on the church’s finance committee.

Even though FBC Springdale gave an additional $189,000 (1.6 percent) to the SBC allocation budget I still do not see that as a good role model. This is analogous to designated giving in the local church. It bypasses the cooperative effort of the state convention budget along with its vital ministries. Besides, taken to its logical conclusion, my local church is an “SBC cause.” Our new building is an “SBC cause” as is our new staff member, our new parking lot, our light bill, our literature order and our new copy machine. But not one penny of that will help support an SBC missionary or seminary student who needs and deserves our CP support.

I confess I am utterly amazed at the recent endorsements and letters of encouragement coming from several of our seminary presidents. If Dr. Floyd is elected president and Southern Baptists follow his example of such dismal CP support, these same seminaries and their students would be in dire straits to say the least. At that point I could easily predict a different song coming from the hallowed halls of Southern Baptist academia.

In the mother of all ironies, the 2006 convention that will hear Dr. Floyd’s nomination will also hear a report from the Ad Hoc Cooperative Program Committee of which Georgia’s Dr. Frank Cox and GBC Executive Director Dr. J. Robert White are members. Part of the report will encourage “the election of state and national convention officers whose churches give at least 10 percent of their undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program.” While the carefully worded report only encourages, not requires, 10 percent giving, it is odd that notable leaders within the SBC would expect the convention to seriously consider this report and the nomination of Dr. Floyd in the same annual meeting.

I have no doubt that Dr. Ronnie Floyd is a man of integrity and conviction. Those who support his nomination are of an equally fine spiritual caliber. That is not the issue. The issue is Dr. Floyd’s ability or inability to lead our denomination by both example and exhortation.

One good way to judge that ability is this: Let him show us how to take a megachurch currently giving .27 percent through the Cooperative Program to a more substantive level of support. At that point he will have my vote. In the meantime, Southern Baptists both need and deserve a CP-supporting president.