During the 2024 Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) Annual Meeting, messengers gave final approval of a recommendation from the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws Committee to further define a cooperating Baptist church as one that “financially supports the Cooperative Program.”
“We are so blessed to enjoy such a spirit of cooperation that exists within the family of autonomous churches that make up the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. Each fall, messengers from those churches meet to decide matters regarding the work and ministry of the ABSC,” Executive Director Dr. Rex Horne said in a letter recently sent to Arkansas Baptist pastors and church leaders. “During last year’s ABSC Annual Meeting, the messengers finalized changes to the ABSC Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.”
The amendment – which defines a cooperating Baptist church as “a Baptist church which in doctrine and in practice adheres to the principles and the spirit of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 and financially supports the Cooperative Program” (Article III, Section1) – was first approved Oct. 25, 2023. It received final approval by messengers on Oct. 23, 2024.
To now be considered in cooperation with the ABSC, a church must give annually to the Cooperative Program, which funds mission and ministry work in Arkansas, North America, and the world, or to “Arkansas CP,” which funds mission and ministry work in Arkansas.
“Since 1848, local autonomous Baptist churches in Arkansas have cooperated as the ABSC, and we are confident that cooperation will continue as we adhere to the new definition of a cooperating Baptist church as approved by the messengers,” Horne said.
Benefits of cooperating Baptist churches within the ABSC include:
- Participation in the pastor/staff protection plan provided by the ABSC and Guidestone Financial Resources
- Sending messengers to the ABSC Annual Meeting to oversee the work of the Convention
- Being eligible to have trustees on the ABSC Executive Board and ABSC agencies and institutions
- Assistance from ABSC Executive Board staff and ministries
“As we continue to serve the Lord and enjoy seeing people saved and communities transformed through believers working together in local churches and all over Arkansas, we affirm that we can accomplish more together than we ever could on our own,” Horne said.
The full amended and restated Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws can be found under resources on the ABSC website. For an Interpretative Note of Clarification from the Articles and Bylaws Committee, click here.
For more information on Arkansas CP, visit absc.org/ARCP. General giving information is available at absc.org/Giving.