Southern Baptists Report Donations Drop

[Rose Siding]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Southern Baptist Convention could face a financial crisis within a few years unless churchgoers start giving more money to the denomination, according to an internal report.

snip>

In addition to the sluggish economy, the report cited several possible causes for the downturn in Cooperative Program support: increased local church expenditures and greater emphasis on their own missions; the belief that Convention ministries have enough money; and concerns Cooperative Program funds aren't spent efficiently and effectively. Another theory is that "political infighting has led to decreased satisfaction with the denomination."

In 2001, gifts to the Cooperative Program totaled $487.2 million.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-southern-baptists-donations,0,7479652.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Could it also be...

that their membership is out of work?

[schultzee]

26. Tsk tsk....they all end bible study with "lets pray for our president."

Perhaps people don't like their support of our president as much because they don't have jobs.

[Sweetpea]

2. Maybe they need to start subsidizing with oil contracts.

[The Magistrate]

3. In Short

The reactionary politicians we urge our congregants to vote for have put so many of our congregants out of work we cannot run our churches much longer.

It sounds like a self-correcting problem to me.

[instantkarma]

16. I humbly? disagree

That is, I agree the politicians currently in power bear an amount of responsibility for the (alleged) current drop in funds as we begin nationally to tighten our belts. I just think the SBC is lying. "...increased church expenditures and greater emphasis on their own missions..." is a red flag to me. My opinion is the SBC's principal interest is the continued increase of their influence worldwide as part of an aggressive expansionist ideology, i.e. calling a lesser-than-expected increase in funds a decrease in funds. It would be interesting to know the actual dollar amount and compare any drop in "percentage of earnings" donations -- converted into actual dollars -- with any increase in membership between 1968-1998.
I think they're just putting the squeeze on their congregation so they can carry on with their agenda, and using much the same tactics as *. Two peas in a pod.

[The Magistrate]

31. You May Be Right, Sir

Those would be interesting figures to see. But it would surprise me if actual donations were not falling. Regular attendance is, and congregations are aging: the fastest growing "religious category" today is people under thirty with no religious affilliation.

[qanda]

4. Churches should stay OUT of politics.

eom

[patdem]

5. Maybe if they spent more money on people on the way down

they would get more when they recover and are on their way up??? just a thought....

[bmbmd]

24. I visited a lovely Baptist church down the road a piece-

They had a magnificent building, great music, and an earnest, inspiring speaker. Thought it might be a good place to put my kids in this new home. Later found out that they have a FOUR MILLION dollar budget and spend only twenty-eight thousand dollars on missions and charity. Guess we'll stick with the Methodists a while longer.

[Chovexani]

6. GOOD

Fascist Taliban fucks! Looks like Reverend Bigshot will have to buy his own Benz this year!

Words can't describe how much I loathe these clowns.

[saigon68]

27. A FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED

Or where there are SHEEP to be sheared, men who know how to use the shears, will get the wool!!!!!

[karlschneider]

7. Well, all I have to say about that is

:nopity:

[scarletlib]

8. Ha! Ha!

I'm old enough to remember when Southern Baptists were proud to be known as free-thinkers who refused to be put in a "box". What a change over the last 25 yrs.

[Frances]

20. I remember that time too

n/t

[PROGRESSIVE1]

9. It seems that "FReeperism", that's what I call it........

isn't so popular after all! They are a bunch of hard right wing screwballs who are in the MINORITY of the American Populace!

[w4rma]

10. As they became more Republican, they gave less to to the church. (n/t)

[Rose Siding]

17. Could be the wing-nuttier among them

are doing more political contribs than tithes.

[bleedingheart]

11. Walmart just doesn't pay enough to keep those coffers full

[PROGRESSIVE1]

14. Good One!

.

[Noordam]

12. When the Economy is in the Shitter do not expect donations to

be normal.

[bleedingheart]

13. This is where they look for that BIG FEDERAL HANDOUT

...you know the same fundies that told people to distrust the government... they will now go to their savior * and ask him for cash to help em out...

[NashVegas]

15. School Vouchers Will Come in Handy

Baptist-run schools were the fastest growing (low total, but a 50% leap) of sectarian private schools in the last decade. Connecting any dots yet?

[saigon68]

29. Certain Religious schools=places where no darkies allowed

A lot of these places are segregation academies-- IE--- Lilywhite Joe's daughter won't have to put up with any negros.

[Phyl]

18. I was one of these people for years

I suspect, with revenue dropping, it's time for another "let's scare all our supporters" campaign, dragging out all the old so-called "studies" that "prove" gays and lesbians are out recruiting their children, so they'd better throw money into the coffers again to help fight that Satanic crew, blah blah blah.

Remember how Jerry Falwell commented to Mel White (whom he didn't know at the time was gay) that homosexuals were such a cash cow for the right-wing church that "if they didn't exist, we'd have had to invent them."

So it won't surprise me at all if they really get rolling on a new, even more-rabid-than-usual "anti-gay" program. That'll bring the budget right back up to speed.

[leesa]

19. Congratulations on your escape from insanity

[Phyl]

21. Heh!

It was a long, hard road. But it's been like waking up slowly and gradually from a horrible sickness, and looking back on it and thinking, "My god, what was I THINKING??"

Though it does give me an advantage, now, being able to explain in fact what they're thinking in a lot of instances. Having participated in it all -- signing the petitions to keep gays from teaching jobs, picketing abortion clinics, being a financial supporter of Falwell's organizations (not to mention going to Bible school and being taught that socialists were Satanic, and let's not get started on Satanic influences like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!!) -- I know their rationale for things, and how their system of thought holds together. It's an extremely tough nut to crack.

I remember when the Moral Majority was just getting started, and they sent out newsletters describing exactly how they were going to organize and take control of school boards, municipalities, the courts, politics at all levels -- and now, a couple of decades later, they've done it. This is why I insist that the only way to undo what they've done is exactly the same way -- NOT merely by voting in a Democrat President or overturning a law or two, but by re-taking every school board, municipality, court, political office, one by one. Anything less than that, unfortunately, is going to be merely cosmetic and temporary.

[cprise]

22. Thank you for that reality-check

And welcome to DU! :toast:

[Phyl]

23. Thanks!

I lurk occasionally when someone links to threads here that are pertinent to some subject we're talking about elsewhere. I find it hard to keep up just as a general thing, but on specific threads, this place seems to be dynamite.

[prolesunited]

30. If socialists are Satanic

what did they think about Jesus' teachings that we should feed the hungry and clothe the poor?

Glad you deprogrammed yourself and welcome to DU! :hi:

[saigon68]

28. Falwell is a Rampant Homophobic

The mother fucker used to sell tapes of various gay pride parades, through his church , especially closeups of drag queens etc., so the flock could see for themselves, how perverted these "queers" were.

The tapes however, could only be sold to the head of household. Falwell would then preach that the tapes were so disgusting that children couldn't see them.

[InkAddict]

25. But I'll bet their grant writers are really really busy

The faithful probably figured it out like this:

"Why donate so much when the long LOST uncle (Sam) will be passing out all those appropriated tax cuts (LOL) from the broader base of the low-income wage earners and middle class w/o kids of all faiths or none. Gee, don't forget the righteous can then administer those programs with discrimination. I hear God asking for VOLUNTEER grant writers!

Maybe they're not so faithful? Time for some hellfire and brimstone to weed out those sinners.