MAINSTREAM MESSENGER
Vol. 3, No. 5 Sept. 2000 Editor: Bruce Prescott
Investing in the Future
by Dr. Bruce Prescott
Early this year, amid dire predictions of worldwide Y2K computer meltdowns, the Southern Baptist Convention sponsored an expensive New Year’s party and millennial celebration for youth in seven cities around the country. SBC organizers hoped to host 200,000 at YouthLink 2000 but only 46,081 showed up.
The grandiose and unrealistic planning for this event created a $6.6 million dollar budget deficit. SBC Executives covered much of that deficit by appropriating funds from SBC mission agencies and the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU). The International Mission Board (IMB) contributed more than $2.5 million. The North American Mission Board (NAMB) contributed more than $1 million. WMU contributed more than $180,000. LifeWay Christian Resources, primary organizer and planner for the event, paid nearly $2.9 million toward the deficit.
SBC leaders put a good face on their failed stewardship by calling these unbudgeted expenses an “investment” in the “future of the Southern Baptist Convention.”
This is an “investment” in which WMU has clearly been expected to make the greatest sacrifice. While the contribution from the IMB amounts to about 1% of its annual budget and the contributions from NAMB and LIfeWay amounts to less than 1% of their annual budgets, WMU’s contribution amounts to around 1.5% of its annual budget.
The sacrifice is even more disproportionate when consideration is given to the fact that, unlike the IMB and NAMB, the WMU sustains itself mostly though literature sales and receives no funds from the Cooperative Program.
The SBC’s “investment” in the future certainly was certainly poorly timed for WMU. Less than a year ago, declining receipts from literature sales forced to WMU lay off 26% of its staff. Many blame the erosion in WMU literature sales on the popularity of competing Women’s Ministry materials produced by LifeWay Christian Resources.
Some of WMU’s strongest supporters are beginning to wonder why WMU should continue to invest its precious and limited resources with the fly-by-night operators who are now running the SBC?
After interviews with the management and 10 years of unsatisfactory returns from their “investment” in SBC Seminaries, messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas will soon vote on whether they should invest their funds with people who have a more trustworthy record for stewarding resources wisely.
Perhaps WMU should consider doing the same.