Arkansas Baptist Life is the official newsletter of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM
100 YEARS OF IMPACT CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF CP
The Cooperative Program is making a world of difference for the Gospel thanks to your gifts
The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries.
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has always had one mission— the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20). To fulfill its assigned part of this divine mandate, each SBC entity used to make special offering appeals to the churches. This method was referred to as the “societal” approach to missions and resulted in severe financial deficits, competition among entities, overlapping pledge campaigns,
and frequent emergency appeals which greatly hampered the expanding ministry opportunities God was giving Southern Baptists. Some entities took out loans to cover operating costs until pledges or special offerings were received.
In 1919, the leaders of the SBC proposed the 75 Million Campaign, a five-year pledge campaign that, for the first time, included everything—the missions and ministries of all the state conventions as well as that of the Southern Baptist Convention. Though falling short of its goals, a God-given partnership of missions support was conceived: The Cooperative Program.
Since its launch in 1925, the effectiveness of the Cooperative Program has been dependent upon individuals, churches, state conventions, and SBC entities cooperating, working toward a common goal of sharing the Gospel with every person on the planet.
How your investment in missions is distributed through the Cooperative Program 2025
International + North American Missions
$7,080,400 (33.72%)
Arkansas Baptist Team Ministries
$6,356,700 (30.27%)
ABSC Christian Higher Education
$3,704,400 (17.64%)
Additional SBC Ministries
$2,592,200 (12.34%)
Arkansas Baptist Children & Family Ministries
$535,500 (2.55%)
Arkansas Baptist Foundation
$499,800 (2.38%)
Camp Siloam
$231,000 (1.10%)
How your giving funds missions: The Cooperative Program (CP)
You
You fund missions with your tithes and offerings to your church.
Your church
Your church allocates funds for cooperative missions.
Arkansas Baptists
ABSC distributes in-state funds to missions around the state.
Southern Baptist Convention
Out-of-state funds are used for SBC global and national missions.
MISSION: ARKANSAS
We have outstanding leadership to help our churches in their worship, work with children, to network with pastors and staff. Not to mention the daily calls and visits across the state. Our teams train churches for missions and execute incredible cooperative efforts like One Day, medical missions, church plants, women’s ministries, and interim/staff
BY DR. REX HORNE, ABSC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Blessed is a word that describes having parents, grandparents, and family who have made the most impact on my life. I often say I have no memory, from my childhood forward, where Christ and the church were not central in my life. We were one of the families present “whenever the doors were opened!” One of my early and lasting memories was the realization that we were partners with other believers. We gave offerings at different times for foreign and home missions. We supported the work with children in our state, sending kids to associational camps and Camp Siloam. We had missionaries, professors, and state workers in our Arkansas Baptist church often. I grew up knowing we believed we could accomplish more together than alone.
ABSC Executive Director pictures bright future for Arkansas Baptists in Gospel partnership 1 2 5 6 8 9
As a young pastor, I led churches to give through the Cooperative Program because whatever ministries we thought were essential, Baptists were there. Children and families, evangelism, education, camps, and disaster relief, to name a few. We did not have to look at some organization outside of our own family of faith. What a blessing! Southern Baptist churches have practiced this belief and giving pattern for 100 years.
As I look toward concluding my time here as Executive Director, I recognize that serving in Arkansas, our home, in various ways has exceeded any dream I would have had when the Lord called me so many years ago there in Camden.
There are too many ministries to number but let me bring some to your mind. Each year ECON challenges us to evangelize. Super Summer, PraiseWorks+JoyWorks, Camp Siloam, and Lead Defend apologetics conferences touch thousands of our young people, many coming to faith in Christ.
recommendation support. Soon we will have teams across Arkansas available to work with churches in revitalization. We were one of the first, if not the first, to employ a staff member dedicated to training related to awareness, prevention, and response to sexual abuse. You make these ministries possible. Think for a moment about Williams and Ouachita
Universities, Camp Siloam, Arkansas Baptist Children & Family Ministries (ABCFM), and the Arkansas Baptist Foundation. The universities are thoroughly Christian, creative, and mindful of who they are and those they serve. Camp Siloam is expanding to be a year-round camp while always focusing on those great summer weeks where thousands attend, and hundreds come to know the Lord. There is no greater ministry to families, children, and a hurting world than the ABCFM. Whatever touches families, this group can and does help across our state. The Arkansas Baptist Foundation stewards gifts and estates like no other convention. Our team is professional and zealous for the ministries of the ABSC. Their goal is not to accumulate funds but to disburse them as donors have desired to help churches and ministries across our state and beyond. You make this possible. Our Convention exists to assist churches in their mission. This is primary. Supporting this, however, is to encourage our churches to be involved in shared ministries. There have always been challenges within the Baptist family: debates, controversies, and lawsuits. There is no denying that these impact giving. Outside of the exclusivity of Christ and the authority of Scripture, there is nothing more central to me than the autonomy of the local church. The church governs, organizes, and gives as they believe the Lord leads.
In response to the times and desires of churches there are three ways churches support the shared ministries of the ABSC. First, there is the traditional giving of the Cooperative Program. Your church sends gifts you have voluntarily determined to give. Messengers at our Annual Meeting vote on the percentage of those monies to determine what stays in the state and what goes to SBC ministries. A second way of giving is Arkansas CP. Some churches desire to support the Cooperative Program ministries in Arkansas only. This avenue of giving offers that option. A third way of giving is the Dixie Jackson State Mission Offering that goes 100% to fund the mission and ministry work of the ABSC Executive Board ministries (disaster relief, church revitalization, collegiate ministry, church planting, and more).
My hope is that you will see the value of our ministry together and, through your gifts, help us to become more impactful in reaching and ministering to people. What I came to believe as a boy at Cullendale First Baptist Church, I still believe today. We can accomplish more for our Lord together.
PraiseWorks + JoyWorks
JULY 14–18
PraiseWorks is a week-long worship arts camp designed for students who have completed grades 7–12. JoyWorks is for kids who have completed grades 3–6. Meeting on the campus of Ouachita Baptist University, campers become equipped in various worship-leading skills through tracks led by experts in their field, and are given the opportunity to implement their skills in a worship celebration. Registration deadline is June 30. absc.org/pwjw
Disaster Relief Training
AUGUST 9, SEPTEMBER 6
Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers go to share the love and hope of Jesus Christ. Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are trained and credentialed, often provided immediate access into areas of crisis where we can meet people at their points of need.
absc.org/disasterrelief
Residency Builder Workshop
AUGUST 11–12
Residency Builder Workshop is a twoday workshop designed specifically for pastors and church leaders who want to build an intentional, impactful process for training qualified leaders in their local setting.
absc.org/residency
Heart & Four Fields
Evangelism Training
AUGUST 22–23
Whether you’re a church leader, church planter, or everyday believer, Heart & Four Fields will equip you with a biblical, reproducible approach to evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. This two-day training event will help you discover and develop your own unique plan to train and equip potential planters.
absc.org/h4f
“ ” As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.
Arkansas
Baptist Women Conference
SEPTEMBER 20
A special day at Geyer Springs First Baptist Church for Arkansas Baptist women filled with powerful worship led by Cory and Stephanie Epps, words from Kandi Gallaty, and meaningful times of connection. Register your group today!
absc.org/abwc
Arkansas WMU Annual Meeting
SEPTEMBER 20
Arkansas WMU Annual Meeting & Missions Celebration 2025 will be held on September 20, 2025, at Geyer Springs First Baptist Church in Little Rock. You’ll be blessed and challenged by the worship, fellowship, and speaker. And in the WMU community group you’ll experience a two-hour focus on missions, missions, missions!
absc.org/wmuammc
One Day
OCTOBER 4
Partnering with the churches of a local Association, Arkansas Baptists from across the state spend five hours on the first Saturday in October serving in a variety of ministries. This year’s event will take place in the Jonesboro area.
absc.org/oneday
Pastors Conference + ABSC Annual Meeting
OCTOBER 20–21
The 172nd Annual Meeting of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention will be held at First Baptist Church in Russellville. The Pastors’ Conference and Ministers’ Wives Conference are two of several events that are held on Monday preceding the ABSC Annual Meeting. Watch absc.org for additional details.
absc.org/annualmeeting
SEEN + HEARD
As witnesses for Christ, we’re commissioned— and compelled!—to simply profess what we have seen and heard. We tell our Gospel story to our neighbors, and when we share together as Arkansas Baptists, our stories— and our money—go much further. That’s what the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering and Week of Prayer (September 14–21, 2025) are all about. Look for more details soon at absc.org/dj.
The Arkansas Baptist State Convention Annual Meeting 2025 features an all-new schedule—a new two-day format that begins on Monday evening, October 20, and concludes on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 21. The Pastors’ Conference and Ministers’ Wives Conference will still be held on Monday, October 20. So mark your calendars today, and join us at First Baptist Church in Russellville for the 2025 ABSC Annual Meeting, Monday–Tuesday, October 20–21. What you do with your Wednesday is up to you!