The Executive Board of the SCBaptist Convention met April 23 in Columbia to conduct business, welcome four new members, and share ministry updates.

In addition to Great Commission advancement celebrations, members heard about the SCBaptist’s 10×10 Strategic Priorities Funding Plan and recent Cooperative Program giving trends.

In his report to the board, Executive Director–Treasurer Tony Wolfe called serving SCBaptists “one of greatest honors of my life.” He referred to the ongoing work and ministry across the state as successful in the pursuit of the “eradication of lostness and pushing back of darkness. And that’s the story of the SCBaptist Convention.”

A History of Generous Giving 

Wolfe challenged the board to join in efforts to encourage SCBaptists to draw from a history of generous giving in order to see a future “generous harvest of souls.” He cautioned that church giving trends indicate the Convention’s current season requires sacrifice and Cooperative Program education. 

“At our core we are a missions-funding and sending organization. We exist because churches want us to exist,” Wolfe said, before warning that “the future of the SCBaptist Convention can only be calculated in terms of direct investment of churches committed to our shared vision. If we do not rebound in Cooperative Program giving in the next three years, then the SCBC of 2030 will look different from the SCBC of 2024.” 

Giving Trends

Board members were presented with detailed giving trends from 2018 forward. Of note, data shows that in the last five years members of the top 50 SC giving churches have increased giving through undesignated offerings to churches while churches are giving less through the Cooperative Program. Both Janie Chapman and Annie Armstrong giving reflects a slow but steady increase since 2018. 

“When everything is considered, God isn’t interested in what we don’t have. He expects us to be faithful with what we do have. The success of our future is in the hearts of our people. Through the 10×10 Plan we will sacrificially invest these funds with overflowing grace and full confidence of God’s limitless supply. We count our greatest joy to give everything we have to see the Great Commission advance in our lifetime,” Wolfe told the board.

The Executive Board reconvenes October 1 in Columbia.