The change in the employment of the directors of missions will affect Louisiana
Baptist Convention agencies if previous budgeting procedures hold.
The change in the employment of the directors of missions will affect Louisiana
Baptist Convention agencies if previous budgeting procedures hold.
Churches are being encouraged to “reallocate” Cooperative Program
(CP) gifts to the association, so they can assume the employment of their DOMs.
The cost of employing DOMs is estimated at about $1.5 million per year. If churches
reallocate that much, that will reduce the amount of money that goes to every
convention agency, as well as to the Southern Baptist International and North
American Mission boards. While, technically, the convention does not budget
just by percentages, that has been a defacto practice for years and will not
likely change significantly.
If state CP receipts are reduced by $1.5 million, that would mean, based upon
previous budget percentages, Louisiana College would receive $204,450 less in
the following years, the Louisiana Baptist Childrens Home $34,000 less,
the Baptist Message $29,100 less, the Baptist Foundation $18,150 less and the
general convention $21,600 less. Also, international missions would receive
$262,500 less and North American missions $119,700 less.
The change would, however, mean an $841,000 windfall for the Executive Board
staff (state missions service) budget.
Yes, the Executive Board occasionally must act as the “convention ad interim.”
But neither it, not one of its employees (executive director included) has the
authority summarily to annul a duly-enacted convention matter.
LBC Constitution and Bylaws state in the Executive Board section, Article 1,
Section 2, “The board shall at no time authorize action contrary to instructions
of the convention.”
Before this DOM decision, associations were in the process of trying to implement
what was approved by the convention in regular session on Nov. 12, 2002. That
action is still valid instruction from the convention. The Executive Board,
by its own bylaws, has no right to annul it.
Charles M. Lowry
Pineville, La.