Mission Board Approves Cooperative Program Definitions 05/12/2008 BAGDAD – Mission Board members approved a recommendation to adopt definitions for the Cooperative Program and Cooperative Program gifts during the May 5-6 spring meeting at Cedarmore Conference Center in Shelby County. The approved definition of the Cooperative Program is identical to one passed in June of 2007 at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. Board members also approved an additional clarification statement defining a CP gift for Kentucky. Both definitions will be presented as a recommendation to Kentucky Baptist messengers at the annual meeting, Nov. 11, at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington. The definition of the Cooperative Program is as follows: “The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries.” The definition of a CP gift is as follows: “A Cooperative Program gift is an undesignated gift made through the Kentucky Baptist Convention and distributed for the support of KBC and Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries according to a formula approved by messengers to the KBC annual meeting.” According to Steve Thompson, KBC assistant executive director, neither the SBC or the KBC have ever had a formal definition of the Cooperative Program or a Cooperative Program gift since the program’s inception. Thompson said the proposed definitions would serve only to put in writing what has been the practice of Kentucky Baptists since the start of the Cooperative Program’s in 1925. No changes are being made to the program or how funds are processed, he said. The Kentucky Baptist Convention is a cooperative missions and ministry organization made up of more than 2,400 autonomous Baptist churches in Kentucky. A variety of state and worldwide ministries are coordinated through its administrative headquarters in Louisville, Ky. including: missions work, disaster relief, ministry training and support, church development, evangelism and more. For more information, visit www.kybaptist.org. - 30 - Release prepared by Kristie Randolph, KBC Communications