BY DR. JOHN SULLIVAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-TREASURER
FLORIDA BAPTIST CONVENTION

Endowing the Cooperative Program, good idea whose time has come
July 27, 2006

On my desk is a card that reads, “Reality has no passion for following desires and/or expectation.” I have no idea where this thought originated but it has been rather captivating.

Biblical hope involves both desire and expectation. What God has done in the past will allow us to participate in the future.

In the past few months, I have been dealing with a reality. Something must be done to help ensure the future of our missions ministry as Southern Baptists. No one would question our desire and expectation in this matter. However, we must also consider the reality.

Reality seems to change daily--not the reality of an unchanging Jesus but the reality of a volatile and hostile world. We live in a culture that does not promote God or godliness. Christians live on a constant “San Andreas Fault line” of culture and Christ.

No matter how antagonistic the world seems to become, a phenomenal thing is happening in the life of Southern Baptists. God still is calling out and our seminaries still are training a generation of missionaries who are not afraid to defy culture. Whether these missionaries are going to a “last frontier” place that cannot be published on the prayer calendar or to an America city whose blighted areas are as dangerous as other nations, God has called them to His service.

Now my point: If God is still calling men and women, we must do everything possible to secure the future.

Here is an idea whose time has come. If we are now seeing the greatest transferences of wealth in the history of our nation, should we not be transferring that wealth into our desires and expectations?

I believe that can be done by endowing the Cooperative Program.

Several years ago, a senior adult woman from the Panhandle with a vision and heart for missions gave a gift to endow the Cooperative Program in the state. In response, the Florida Baptist Convention established a Cooperative Program Endowment Fund. Since then, others have joined in to increase this endowment.

The income of this endowment is distributed to mission causes in the state, nation and world. Because only income earned on the principal of the endowment is spent, your gift will continue to spread the good news until Jesus comes.

Perhaps you, too, would desire for your gifts to go around the world to spread the light of Jesus Christ to a spiritually dark world. Maybe God would lead you to consider this ministry.

If you are interested in including a gift in your will or trust, or making a gift to the endowment fund, I would be glad to visit with you. Or you can call the Office of Strategic Endowed Giving, at 800-226-8584 or 904-396-2351, ext. 3030 or e-mail endowedgiving@flbaptist.org.

I believe this is a good idea whose time has come!

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You may contact Dr. John Sullivan at
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