Charles Osgood, host of “The Osgood File,” once reported the story of two ladies who lived in a convalescent center. Each had suffered an incapacitating stroke. Margaret’s stroke left her left side restricted, while Ruth’s stroke damaged her right side. Both of these ladies were accomplished pianists but both had given up hope of ever playing the beloved instrument again. Until one day, the director of the convalescent center sat the two of them down, side by side, at a piano and encouraged, rather begged, them to play. Finally, they did. Margaret sat on the right side of the piano bench and played the upper melody while Ruth sat on the left side of the piano bench and played beautiful lower harmony. Together they made beautiful music—in harmony.
What a picture of the church’s call to work and serve together! What one member cannot do alone, two or more can do together—in harmony. Likewise, what one church cannot do alone, an association of churches or a convention of churches can do together—in harmony. That “in harmony” way of believing and behaving is the heart of the Missouri-Southern Baptist cooperative method of reaching the world for Christ. In the words of author Cecil Ray, the Missouri-Southern Baptist Cooperative Program is “The Baptist Way to a Lost World.”
Through the Cooperative Program, Missouri-Southern Baptist churches support missions and ministry all over the world:
• More than 10,500 missionaries worldwide
• 5,200+ North American missionaries serving throughout the United States and Canada—last year starting more than 1,700 new Southern Baptist churches
• 5,300+ international missionaries currently serving in more than 1,200 nations and people groups around the world
• Stewardship education and Cooperative Program promotion through the work of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee
• The work of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission as they educate Missouri-Southern Baptists concerning the moral issues that face us.
As you give to missions and ministry through the Cooperative Program, you offer theological education in six world-class seminaries—with one of those seminaries, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, located right here in the Show-Me state. Through those seminaries, you provide training for more than 15,000 future ministers of the Gospel. Future pastors and church staff members, future evangelists, and future missionaries are enabled to prepare for the calling that God has placed on their lives because of your generous Cooperative Program giving.
But not just across the ocean—your sacrificial Cooperative Program giving also involves your church in missions and ministry across the nation, all over the state, around the corner and down the street. As Missouri Baptists give through the Cooperative Program, together we support worldwide missions and ministry—starting in the Show-Me state:
• Family help for Missouri Baptist ministers and their families through events like the Minister’s Juggling Act;
• Assistance for Missouri Baptist churches seeking to revitalize Bible Study through Sunday School, discipleship and small group ministries;
• Children’s ministries designed to produce lifelong followers of Jesus Christ;
• Two elite institutions of higher learning—Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar and Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal;
• Evangelistic and discipleship ministries on more than 30 of Missouri’s secular college and university campuses;
• Student ministries designed to disciple young Missourians from ages 12 to 24;
• The Missouri Baptist Children’s Home where children with little hope find help, healing and an opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel;
• Partnership Missions opportunities for churches of all sizes.
As you give to Show-Me missions and ministry through the Cooperative Program, you offer assistance to Missouri Baptist churches in Men’s Ministry and Disaster Relief, Women’s Ministry and WMU, evangelism, church planting and spiritual awakening. And you and I both know that list is incomplete. Space in this column will not allow me to tell all that your Cooperative Program dollar is doing. For as long as I can remember, Missouri-Southern Baptists have heard and said—and it is still true to say—that through the Cooperative Program you and I are literally involved in worldwide missions and ministry.
I love the Cooperative Program. Of course, Cooperative Program support comes natural to me. My father used to often say “Stamped somewhere on my body is the logo ‘Made in Nashville,’ and if you cut me, I bleed Cooperative Program.” I loved and believed in the Cooperative Program long before it became my job to promote it. Look at the Cooperative Program giving of the churches I have pastored or ask the Missouri Baptists I have served as pastor—they will tell you that I believe in the cooperative method of doing worldwide missions and ministry. Even as we became heavily involved in direct missions through the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) missions partnership in Romania, Pisgah Baptist Church in Excelsior Springs was raising its Cooperative Program percentage.
You should also be aware that your Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board has decided to keep less and give away more of your Cooperative Program dollars. In July of 2007, your MBC Executive Board voted unanimously to increase the percentage of Cooperative Program giving that goes to the Southern Baptist Convention—moving away from the traditional 65/35 percentage split between the state and national conventions to a 60/40 percentage split. Currently the MBC sends 36.75 percent to national and international outreach. And we are continuing to increase the percentage that goes to national and international missions by .25 percent per year until we reach the 60/40 split. Even while we all face an economic downturn, the members of your Executive Board and I are committed to giving more, not less, to worldwide missions and ministry through the Cooperative Program.
What about your church? Will you also increase your commitment to worldwide missions and ministry through the Cooperative Program?
Some of you have heard me tell this story before. It’s one of my favorites—the story of Ignace Paderewski, the famous Polish composer-pianist, who was once scheduled to perform at a great American concert hall for a high-society extravaganza. In the audience was a mother with her fidgety nine-year-old boy. Tired of waiting, the boy slipped out of his seat and made his way to the platform and the stunning Steinway piano on the stage. Without much notice from the audience, he sat down at the stool and began playing “Chopsticks.” Almost immediately, the crowd began to roar as hundreds shouted, “Quiet that noise!” “Off the stage!” “Get that boy out of here!” “Where’s the Maestro?” When Paderewski heard the uproar, he grabbed his coat and rushed over behind the boy. Sitting beside the boy and reaching around him, the master began to improvise a beautiful countermelody to “Chopsticks.” Together, the maestro and the boy made beautiful music.
Likewise, working and serving together, through the Cooperative Program, Missouri-Southern Baptists make beautiful music, singing the songs of Zion, reaching the world for Christ.