When the SBC approved the new giving category, Great Commission Giving, an aggregate category that includes giving to the Cooperative Program, state convention, local association, plus any direct gifts to any SBC entity, great weeping and gnashing of teeth ensued in some quarters. Dire predictions of negative effects on the Cooperative Program were made.
2011 was the first reporting year for GCG but I don't know that much can be learned by it, since nothing can be viewed comparatively; nonetheless, here are some figures for the top giving churches in the Georgia Baptist Convention:
First Woodstock (Johnny Hunt's megachurch):
Total gifts $1,194,200
Total CP 866,170
Total GCG 3,144,120
Woodstock is the top Cooperative Program giving church in the GBC. Their CP gifts were 27.5% of their total Great Commission Giving meaning that they gave a lot more directly to SBC causes than to the CP.
Hebron, Dacula (formerly Larry Wynn's megachurch):
Total gifts $902,640
Total CP 840,905
Total GCG 944,882
Only Woodstock gave more to the CP than Hebron last year. Hebron's CP gifts were 93.1% of their total Great Commission Giving indicating that their main channel for SBC giving was the CP.
Johnson Ferry (Bryant Wright's megachurch):
Total gifts $566,079
Total CP 566,079
Total GCG 793,315
Johnson Ferry's CP gifts were 71.4% of their total Great Commission Giving.
Clearly, Woodstock and Hebron have different giving philosophies.
Local church autonomy at work.
I haven't asked but it looks like Johnson Ferry chooses to report differently than the other two. Fact is, the Great Commission Giving total for any church would be a voluntarily reported figure supplied by the church that is comprised of components that could not be easily checked. I'm not alleging anything here about JFBC, just saying that a simple comparison of GCG statistics may not be valid.
I first heard Adrian Rogers make the statement that "Dollars pay the bills, not percentages," an assertion made to counter the complaint of megachurches giving smaller percentages to the Cooperative Program than other churches. Of course he was right and that assertion is manifestly true.
Here in Georgia, Woodstock First is the top CP giving church in total gifts - $866,170. That amount is over six times larger than the aggregate Cooperative Program giving of the top five churches in the GBC in percentage Cooperative Program giving (and who average giving 39% of their total undesignated giving to the CP).
All deserve praise for their support of missions through the Cooperative Program. None deserve criticism.
My view has been that the new Great Commission Giving category will merely reflect the reality on the ground rather than generate any new giving trends. While it may be useful for comparison of candidates for SBC offices, it is beginning to look like it may be a fuzzier figure than originally thought.
But, for SBCers who are numbers junkies, here's something to chew on.
2011 was the first reporting year for GCG but I don't know that much can be learned by it, since nothing can be viewed comparatively; nonetheless, here are some figures for the top giving churches in the Georgia Baptist Convention:
First Woodstock (Johnny Hunt's megachurch):
Total gifts $1,194,200
Total CP 866,170
Total GCG 3,144,120
Woodstock is the top Cooperative Program giving church in the GBC. Their CP gifts were 27.5% of their total Great Commission Giving meaning that they gave a lot more directly to SBC causes than to the CP.
Hebron, Dacula (formerly Larry Wynn's megachurch):
Total gifts $902,640
Total CP 840,905
Total GCG 944,882
Only Woodstock gave more to the CP than Hebron last year. Hebron's CP gifts were 93.1% of their total Great Commission Giving indicating that their main channel for SBC giving was the CP.
Johnson Ferry (Bryant Wright's megachurch):
Total gifts $566,079
Total CP 566,079
Total GCG 793,315
Johnson Ferry's CP gifts were 71.4% of their total Great Commission Giving.
Clearly, Woodstock and Hebron have different giving philosophies.
Local church autonomy at work.
I haven't asked but it looks like Johnson Ferry chooses to report differently than the other two. Fact is, the Great Commission Giving total for any church would be a voluntarily reported figure supplied by the church that is comprised of components that could not be easily checked. I'm not alleging anything here about JFBC, just saying that a simple comparison of GCG statistics may not be valid.
I first heard Adrian Rogers make the statement that "Dollars pay the bills, not percentages," an assertion made to counter the complaint of megachurches giving smaller percentages to the Cooperative Program than other churches. Of course he was right and that assertion is manifestly true.
Here in Georgia, Woodstock First is the top CP giving church in total gifts - $866,170. That amount is over six times larger than the aggregate Cooperative Program giving of the top five churches in the GBC in percentage Cooperative Program giving (and who average giving 39% of their total undesignated giving to the CP).
All deserve praise for their support of missions through the Cooperative Program. None deserve criticism.
My view has been that the new Great Commission Giving category will merely reflect the reality on the ground rather than generate any new giving trends. While it may be useful for comparison of candidates for SBC offices, it is beginning to look like it may be a fuzzier figure than originally thought.
But, for SBCers who are numbers junkies, here's something to chew on.
