October 2, 2026
ATLANTA — Georgia Baptists adopted a $61.9 million budget for 2026 at the annual meeting earlier this month, continuing a strong commitment to missions and ministry as the Cooperative Program marks its 100th anniversary year.
The spending plan, presented by Georgia Baptist Mission Board Chief Financial Officer Ty Salter and Financial Services Committee chair Greg Benfield and approved overwhelmingly by messengers, directs resources toward gospel advance, new church plants, and statewide evangelism initiatives.
Salter thanked churches for their continued generosity, reminding messengers that most of the convention’s income still flows through the Cooperative Program.“Thank you, Georgia Baptists, for your wonderful generosity to the mission,” he said.
The 2026 budget anticipates $33.5 million in Cooperative Program giving from Georgia Baptist churches. Of that amount, 40% will go to the Southern Baptist Convention for distribution among its national entities.
“This year, as has been said, we celebrate the 100th year of the Cooperative Program. It is Southern Baptists’ largest evangelical mission ministry in the world,” Salter said. “May we be found faithful as we continue to support and press forward.”
The single largest allocation in the budget remains the International Mission Board at $16.8 million, reflecting longstanding support for taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. The budget calls for $9.3 million for the North American Mission Board’s church-planting efforts in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Other major ministry investments include $5.7 million for Church Strengthening in Georgia, nearly $10 million for SBC seminaries and Baptist universities, and $5.3 million for community and compassion ministries, which include literacy, human trafficking response, prison outreach, and Mission Georgia initiatives.
The budget also maintains a $1 million contingency fund, about 2% of the total. "This helps ensure that we are equipped to meet needs and remain in a stable financial position," Salter explained.
Evangelism and church planting saw significant increases. An additional $800,000 has been moved into statewide evangelism efforts, bringing the total to $888,000 to support training, events, and resources for the statewide evangelism initiative. Church planting will see an additional $300,000 to strengthen efforts to start new congregations. Salter said the GBMB is looking to plant 50 to 60 new churches next year, compared to 27 planted in the prior year.
“We need strong congregations to reach Georgia and reach the world,” Salter said. “Light that shines farthest shines brightest at home.”
Greg Benfield, chair of the Financial Services Committee, thanked the 12-member committee that meets monthly to review income, expenses, assets, and investments. “Our Georgia Baptist Mission Board leadership is committed to transparency and accountability,” he said.
Salter agreed, saying, “We’re stewarding the very best we can, the money the Lord has blessed you with and you have trusted us with, so we can invest it to the farthest reach of the gospel.”
After the presentation, President Stephen Fountain called for the vote. Messengers raised their ballots with no opposition. “We have a budget,” Fountain announced. “Thank you so much.”
Executive Director Thomas Hammond thanked churches for their partnership in the gospel. “I am grateful for the generosity of Georgia Baptists and their willingness to reach our state, our nation, and our world for Christ,” he said.
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Video of the sessions and presentations during the annual meeting is available on Acts2.
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