NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – Georgia is one of 14 Baptist state conventions that will share in $1.6 million being allocated by LifeWay Christian Resources for evangelism projects. The funds are earmarked to help Southern Baptists achieve 1 million baptisms in 2005.

The funds represent LifeWay’s response to the Southern Baptist Convention’s challenge to reach one million baptisms in the coming year and reverse four consecutive years of declines in baptisms throughout the SBC.

The LifeWay initiative began last December, when following a state executive directors meeting in Nashville, fourteen state conventions responded to evangelistic challenges with a wide range of proposals to meet the standard, including state fair evangelism, youth encounters, evangelism training involving LifeWay’s “Share Jesus Without Fear” and FAITH Evangelism Strategy and university evangelism.

States receiving the funds in addition to Georgia are: Alabama, the Dakotas, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New England, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania/New Jersey and Southern Baptists of Texas.

Last year LifeWay invested $6.7 million in state conventions through its ministry investment plan, student ministry and other evangelism and discipleship initiatives.