2008 Woodie Awards
Convention drops initiative to cost NGU, Baptist institutions $1.7 million
Issue date: 11/16/05 Section: News
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Staff and Wire Reports
After protests from Baptist leaders across South Carolina, the Great Commission Initiative is being dropped from the table at this week's South Carolina Baptist Convention meeting.
The Initiative, designed to help meet the objectives of the Convention's "Empowering Kingdom Growth" directive, met resistance from SCBC institution leaders after it became clear that the initiative might deprive those institutions of $1.7 million over a five year period.
"The Task Force felt we needed to do more for international missions by taking money away from the children's home, South Carolina Baptist ministries for the aging and from three institutions," said North Greenville University President Dr. Jimmy Epting.
"It is not appropriate to take the money away because North Greenville University is trying to reach people for the Lord," Epting said. "It seemed to me they were taking money from our kingdom fund to give to their kingdom fund. It does not seem right to take from a good ministry for their ministry."
"While we're in support of the South Carolina Baptist Convention…we do not view this as being beneficial to our ministry," said Steve Williams, chairmen of the trustees for South Carolina Baptist Ministries for the Aging to the Baptist Courier in a report published Nov. 3, 2005.
The reduction in funding, had it passed, would have affected Anderson University, Charleston Southern University, North Greenville University, Connie Maxwell children's home, The Baptist Courier and South Carolina Baptist Ministries for the Aging by lowering funds received from the Cooperative Program from 26 percent to 21 percent over a five year period.
When voted on by the SCBP executive board on Oct. 10-11 the Initiative received nearly unanimous approval; however, the board reversed itself at a called meeting Nov. 4. The initiative was set to be voted on at the Convention's annual meeting this week, and according to the Baptist Courier was expected to be "a key - and…controversial - item."
After protests from Baptist leaders across South Carolina, the Great Commission Initiative is being dropped from the table at this week's South Carolina Baptist Convention meeting.
The Initiative, designed to help meet the objectives of the Convention's "Empowering Kingdom Growth" directive, met resistance from SCBC institution leaders after it became clear that the initiative might deprive those institutions of $1.7 million over a five year period.
"The Task Force felt we needed to do more for international missions by taking money away from the children's home, South Carolina Baptist ministries for the aging and from three institutions," said North Greenville University President Dr. Jimmy Epting.
"It is not appropriate to take the money away because North Greenville University is trying to reach people for the Lord," Epting said. "It seemed to me they were taking money from our kingdom fund to give to their kingdom fund. It does not seem right to take from a good ministry for their ministry."
"While we're in support of the South Carolina Baptist Convention…we do not view this as being beneficial to our ministry," said Steve Williams, chairmen of the trustees for South Carolina Baptist Ministries for the Aging to the Baptist Courier in a report published Nov. 3, 2005.
The reduction in funding, had it passed, would have affected Anderson University, Charleston Southern University, North Greenville University, Connie Maxwell children's home, The Baptist Courier and South Carolina Baptist Ministries for the Aging by lowering funds received from the Cooperative Program from 26 percent to 21 percent over a five year period.
When voted on by the SCBP executive board on Oct. 10-11 the Initiative received nearly unanimous approval; however, the board reversed itself at a called meeting Nov. 4. The initiative was set to be voted on at the Convention's annual meeting this week, and according to the Baptist Courier was expected to be "a key - and…controversial - item."