June 2017 - Press Toward the Mark

June begins the Vacation Bible School season. Every year, effective Vacation Bible Schools contribute significantly to professions of faith and baptisms in Southern Baptist Churches. To all the wonderful leaders and volunteers who conduct Vacation Bible Schools, thank you for your investment in the eternal futures of children and their families reached through VBS. Let us pray for the 2017 Vacation Bible School season. 

Another June event is the 2017 Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. Each year elected local church messengers gather to receive reports from the SBC Agencies, approve the Cooperative Mission Program budget, and conduct other business. The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention is also a time for fellowship through renewing of enduring friendships and participating in moving worship. Let us pray for the 2017 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

June also marks the beginning of the third quarter for the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio fiscal year. Through April the 5th month of the fiscal year, receipts from SCBO churches total 92.7% of the budget-to-date. At this rate, the SCBO fiscal year budget would experience a shortfall of $337,649.72. 

Messengers to the 2016 SCBO Annual Meeting adopted the 2016-17 mission budget which employs a 50/50 ratio in the distribution of Cooperative Mission Program receipts from the churches. Of the undesignated receipts from SCBO churches, 50% will support worldwide Southern Baptist missions and 50% will support Mission Ohio. 

This move to the 50/50 ratio distribution in one year represents a decrease of $78,059 in personnel costs and an increase of 16.65% (an additional $630,447) in contributions from the SCBO churches. This additional decrease in SCBO staffing, brought the total to a 52% reduction in positions implemented over the years in order to continue supporting missions from Ohio to the ends of the earth. 

The need of the day is to promote and support the Cooperative Mission Program. Thank you for stepping up to the challenge of engaging SCBO churches to support Southern Baptist missions worldwide through the Cooperative Mission Program. 

Mission Ohio is the cooperative effort of Southern Baptists to reach 1,000,000 believers in 2,020 congregations by the end of 2020. Supporting missions from Ohio to the ends of the earth is the heartbeat of Ohio Southern Baptists. The State Convention of Baptists in Ohio exists to assist Southern Baptist churches and associations in Ohio obey the Great. Let’s press toward that mark.

Jack Kwok, Ph.D. 
Executive Director-Treasurer 
State Convention of Baptists in Ohio