Commitment to Cooperative Program exhorted at New Orleans Seminary

NEW ORLEANS (BP) — New Orleans Seminary has launched a new initiative to promote and strengthen the Cooperative Program (CP) of the Southern Baptist Convention.

During the seminary’s mid-August student orientation, 189 new master’s-level students enrolled in a required course that details the history of NOBTS, the SBC and the CP, also known as CP Missions.

Special attention is given to the 12 SBC entities and how each entity benefits from the $180-plus million given to the SBC through local church members and state conventions each year. Students also learn how the CP provides significant funding for Southern Baptist missions and ministry endeavors throughout the world.

Jerry N. Barlow, dean of graduate studies at NOBTS, facilitated the creation of the CD-based course that utilizes video, graphics and text to create a self-guided learning experience. Along with the CD, students received a folder of informational material including “Meet Southern Baptists,” “The Southern Baptist Convention: A Closer Look” and “We Thought You’d Like to Know” supplied by the SBC Executive Committee as well as a synopsis of how the CP impacts individual students.

Students were allotted just over two weeks to complete the course by passing a final examination. The course final will be administered by the seminary’s Blackboard electronic learning website.