Sojourner #48: 100 Years Of God's Faithfulness & Provision

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

The Centennial of the Cooperative Program

On May 13, 1925, the Southern Baptist Convention launched what would become one of the most enduring and fruitful missions strategies in modern church history: the Cooperative Program.

Born out of a desire for unity, stewardship, and Gospel advance, this plan of giving was not merely a financial innovation, it was, and remains, a testimony to the faithful provision of God and the willing partnership of His people for the sake of Christ’s Name among the nations.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!” (Psalm 105:1)

For 100 years now, the Cooperative Program has multiplied the ministry of local churches across Alabama and beyond, taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the darkest corners of the earth and strengthening the light in our own neighborhoods.

As we celebrate this centennial year, we look back in humble gratitude, stand firm in present obedience, and look forward with unshakable hope in the God who calls, sends, and sustains His church.

What Is the Cooperative Program?

At its core, the Cooperative Program is a shared commitment, a unified plan of giving that allows Southern Baptist churches to pool their resources for the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission.

Every time your local church gives a portion of its undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program, you are helping to fund the work of missions, theological education, compassion ministries, and church planting - both locally through the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) and globally through the International Mission Board (IMB) and North American Mission Board (NAMB).

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” (Romans 10:14)

This is not mere theory. This is boots-on-the-ground, gospel-in-the-air, Bibles-in-hand ministry. Right now, as you read this, your giving through the Cooperative Program is supporting international missionaries in unreached villages, training up pastors in seminaries, feeding the hungry in disaster zones, and planting churches in spiritually barren places.

Your giving is literally at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, all for the glory of Christ and the advance of His Kingdom among the nations.

A Testimony of Grace in Alabama and Beyond

In Alabama, the Cooperative Program has allowed us to train pastors, support campus ministries, provide disaster relief, send church planters into underserved communities, and equip the next generation of missionaries. The work is vast and often unseen, but God sees - and He is glorified through it.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

The story of the Cooperative Program is not about budgets or bureaucracy. It is about churches, small and large, joining together for the sake of a greater Kingdom. It is about the widow’s mite, the faithful steward, and the gathered bride of Christ saying with one voice: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) It is about you, and your church, choosing to be part of something far bigger than yourselves: the unstoppable advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Join the Celebration. Advance the Mission.

As we mark 100 years of the Cooperative Program, we invite you to reflect on God’s faithfulness and ask how you and your church might participate more deeply in His mission. Perhaps that means hosting a missions banquet at your church, setting aside time in worship to celebrate the work of the Cooperative Program, or inviting one of our ambassadors to speak at a missions night.

And if your church is unfamiliar with the Cooperative Program, now is the time to learn. We would be honored to help you discover how your congregation can join with others across Alabama in this century-long testimony of generosity and obedience.

“Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (Psalm 67:3)

The Cooperative Program is not perfect. But it is proven. And more than anything, it is a vessel, formed by God’s providence and filled by the sacrificial giving of His people, that has carried the gospel to millions.

May the next hundred years be marked by deeper dependence on Christ, wider generosity from His church, and a fuller harvest among the nations.

Interested in celebrating the Cooperative Program in your church?

Schedule a missions event or banquet with us by calling 334-613-2283. Visit our website to access resources, videos, and promotional materials to help your congregation catch a vision for cooperative missions giving.

About the Author:

This article was written by a Cooperative Program Ambassador who wishes to remain anonymous. As one who has seen firsthand the fruit of faithful giving and gospel partnership, the author desires only that Christ be magnified and His Kingdom advanced through the ongoing work of the Cooperative Program. Soli Deo Gloria.

-

Visit the Sojourner Magazine Website here.

Please share this article with your friends and family. Follow the Sojourner Magazine Facebook page, visit our website to read other articles, and sign up for the Newsletter to receive updates, information about the print edition, and more stories from the front lines of the greatest fight in the world.

Questions? Email sojournermagazine@gmail.com