I get questions all the time about what the Cooperative Program is and how UBA is affected by it. A lot of us, including me, didn't grow up in Baptist churches, having the Cooperative Program (or CP) explained to us on Sunday nights.

Sometimes, people think that since the Cooperative Program funds missions endeavors—and UBA is focused on missions, we must be funded by the CP. Well, no.

We love the CP, and we're all for our churches enthusiastically supporting the Cooperative Program!

We just don't want that funding to be confused with funding that stays in Houston, funding that helps churches collaborate and strategically advance the gospel here.

Let me explain:

First, let's get some background.

Back in the early 1900s, funding missions in Baptist life—things like sending missionaries overseas and Baptist education—were done for the most part by individual churches directly giving funds to those causes. There were also state conventions and groups (called societies) that also helped fund missions.

So churches decided on an individual basis—as they were bombarded by missionary couples, colleges, societies, orphanages, and any number of other ministries—what to give their precious resources to. These good causes were usually outside the church's local context.

Missions efforts within the church's local context was done by the church and also by cooperating with other church nearby—through the work of the local association. The local association was where churches engaged their context by working together.

We still do that today.

The Cooperative Program was created to form a unified budget through which churches could support a number of missions efforts outside their local context. And from it, missionaries could be sent, churches could be planted, colleges could be started and maintained, disaster relief could be done, and a wide variety of ministry excellence could be shared.

In essence, Southern Baptists asked themselves, “Aren't we better together? Can't we accomplish more together than we can apart?” And the Cooperative Program was born.

Now, explain it like I'm 5.

I know what you're thinking. “Isn't there a simple diagram or a child's toy that helps explain CP and UBA's relationship to it?” Well, I'm glad you asked.

The Cooperative Program was created to be administered through the state convention—like a giant marble run of ministries. Churches send their missions offerings to the state convention. The state convention retains some portion to fund their ministries here in Texas. They send the other portion on to the Cooperative Program, where it is divided up according to certain percentages.

This system was devised with the assumption that churches would always primarily focus on their local context and, by proxy, support their local Baptist association directly. That local association should be an asset to churches wanting to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in their local context.

With that assumption in place, associations are primarily funded directly from churches and never from the Cooperative Program.

But what about Mary Hill Davis and such?

A number of special offerings are taken up each year in Baptist churches. The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering benefits the North American Mission Board. And the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering benefits the International Mission Board. These are given directly by churches.

The Reach Texas State Offering and the Mary Hill Davis State Mission Offering for the two state conventions here in Texas are also given directly by churches to the state conventions. Of those offerings, UBA gest a tiny portion from the BGCT, which amounts to less than 9% of our budget every year. And we receive no other funding from any Baptist entity.

While it might appear to. the untrained eye that associations are part of the CP system, in reality, churches must support them directly.

At all levels, we're better together.

So there you have it. The Cooperative Program works much as it has for the last 100 years, asking churches to give sacrificially so that all kinds of things can get done for the cause of Christ. And at home, UBA operates on the same principle: we're better together.

UBA is planting and replanting churches, revitalizing churches, equipping pastors and ministers, providing resources to churches, and leveraging one of the most educated and experienced staffs you'll find anywhere—all for the good of our churches. We're better when we do all those things together.

We encourage your church to give to the Cooperative Program and to give to UBA. If you're asking how much to give, I always answer with this, regardless of church size or budget: Invest in the work and share the burden.

There's lots of work to be done. There are lots of ways for your church to be directly involved in ministry across our city. If you want to know more, please email us at info@ubahouston.org. We'll make sure the right person gets back with you.

Better Together isn't just a tagline for us. We really believe this is how ministry gets done and the good news of Jesus Christ goes forward most effectively. Join us, won't you?

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Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash