In a very personal way, Florida Baptists have seen the Cooperative Program work – and that experience galvanized churches in 2005 to the greatest level of support for CP ever.

A second-in-a-row devastating hurricane season in 2005 did not prevent Florida Baptists from giving more than ever before to missions through the Cooperative Program – $39.2 million, a seven percent increase from 2004, and $2.2 million in excess of the budget, permitting the State Board of Missions to earmark more than $1.1 million for Southern Baptist Convention-wide missions causes.

There can be little doubt that Florida Baptists’ extraordinarily faithful stewardship in 2005 was prompted, in part, by the swift and effective disaster relief response of the Florida Baptist Convention, other state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention during the 2004 hurricane season which saw four major hurricanes sweep the state, leaving virtually no region unscathed.

Even with billions of dollars of damage to our state and hundreds of church buildings experiencing various levels of damage, including total destruction to some, Florida Baptists undoubtedly saw why cooperation matters – and why that cooperation is most effectively achieved through Southern Baptists’ unified missions delivery system, the Cooperative Program.

“The generosity of Florida Baptists has been absolutely overwhelming,” John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, told the State Board of Missions Jan. 27, according to a report by Barbara Denman in our Feb. 2 issue.

And, it wasn’t just the Cooperative Program that enjoyed record giving in 2005 – Florida Baptists gave $3 million designated for disaster relief, a record state missions offering of nearly $1.2 million, and record giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions, Annie Armstrong Offering for North American missions, and the Mother’s Day Offering for Florida Baptist Children’s Homes.

The $1.1 million Florida Baptist Convention overage contribution to the SBC Cooperative Program got the attention of Southern Baptist Executive Committee president Morris Chapman.

“I praise God for the generosity of Florida Baptists in their giving through the Cooperative Program,” Chapman told Baptist Press Feb. 10.

Recalling the challenging hurricane season for Florida in 2005, Chapman noted that the giving of Florida Baptists “reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said about the Macedonian churches: ‘Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity’ (2 Corinthians 8:2). That Macedonian model is a worthy goal for all Southern Baptists living in these days of unprecedented challenge and opportunity. So we are especially grateful for the more than $1 million that Florida Baptists have provided for SBC missions and ministries.”

Chapman added, “Now more than ever, I am convinced that the Cooperative Program is the most efficient and effective funding method for accomplishing the Acts 1:8 mandate to be Christ’s witnesses – beginning where we are and ultimately reaching to the ends of the earth. Since no one individual or single church can fully realize this mandate alone, our predecessors wisely decided that we can do far more together by pooling our collective resources and strategically distributing them through the Cooperative Program.

“Because of the faithful giving of Southern Baptists, together we are able to launch disaster relief teams to places of desperate need; dispatch medical missionaries to AIDS-ravaged Africa; repair inner-city homes all across America; offer hope to hardened hearts in our nation’s prisons; speak on behalf of righteousness in the halls of government; train, equip and send out armies of pastors, chaplains, ministers and missionaries; start 63 new churches every day; and baptize 1 person every 37 seconds.

“The Cooperative Program enables Southern Baptists to participate in all of this, and much, much more,” Chapman said. “Yet everything we do has the same goal, aim and mission – to show and share the love of Jesus Christ with every person in every part of the world.

“I pray that all Southern Baptists not only will take pride in what we are able to accomplish through the Cooperative Program, but feel a renewed sense of urgency to give systematically and sacrificially so that together we might do more to obey the Great Commission of our Lord,” Chapman said.

Chapman’s comments reminded me of a conversation I had with John Sullivan as we traveled together the back roads in the extreme western Panhandle north of Pensacola after Hurricane Ivan hit in September 2004. The third of what would ultimately be four devastating hurricanes that year caused me to wonder aloud what the impact would be on the Cooperative Program. Given the devastation, it would have been easy to assume a very negative result. Sullivan would not hazard a guess, but expressed confidence in the faithfulness of Florida Baptists.

Reflecting on the travels with Sullivan, I wrote in the Sept. 23, 2004, issue (with Hurricane Jeanne heading our way), “If we ever needed the ingenuity and blessing made possible by the Cooperative Program – the Southern Baptist missions lifeline, we unquestionably need it now. Cooperation has fueled the relief efforts of Southern Baptists who have come to our aid, as well as the labors Florida Baptists have given each other as the hurricanes inflicted destruction throughout the state.”

I added, “Few areas of our state escaped the wrath of Charley or Frances or Ivan – and many have been impacted by both Charley and Frances. The months ahead will be a time of testing for Florida Baptists. One thing we know: our God was not surprised by these storms, and that same God will see us through the difficult days ahead. Let’s remember that cooperation is the best way to do that.”

Clearly, Florida Baptists remembered – in record ways! As Chapman noted, if Southern Baptists need an example of modern-day Macedonians, they can come to the Sunshine State where Florida Baptists shine for the sake of the Gospel – even in the midst of the storms.