December 14, 1961
The Foreign Mission Board met in regular monthly session at
•3:00 p.m. for the business meeting.
Present either at the afternoon or the evening sessions:
Norfleet Gardner, C. Bailey Jones, T. F. Adams, J. Levering
Evans, Stuart Grizzard, Oscar Hite, Josiah Hoover, Mrs. Clyde V.
Hickerson, L. Howard Jenkins, W. Rush Loving, J. Walter Martin,
Ryland 0. Reamy, Meredith Roberson, Emmett Y. Robertson, Herman
P. Thomas, James Todd, Mrs. John C. Tyree, P. Earle Wood,
Baker J. Cauthen, Rogers M. Smith, Winston Crawley, Everett
Deane, Ralph Magee, E. L. Wright, Elmer West, Edna Frances
Dawkins, Bill Cody, Luke Smith, Jesse Fletcher, E. L. Hill,
Fon H. Scofield, Genevieve Greer, lone Gray, Floyd North,
Joseph Underwood, Mary E. Fuqua, John C. Williams.
Dr. Gardner led in prayer.
Dr. Cauthen gave the following report of the Executive Secretary:
REPORT OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
We have been encouraged in the month of November by an increase
in the receipts through the Cooperative Program. Whereas
throughout 1961 Cooperative Program receipts have been running
only slightly above those for I960, the income during November
improved to the point of giving an increase for eleven months
of the year of 3*2 per cent above I960.
It looks as if we will receive something more than 70 per cent
of the $800,000 for capital purposes provided through the
Cooperative Program for 1961. We have been working on the
basis of receiving only 70 per cent of the amount in the
Convention budget for capital purposes, but the anticipation
at this point is that there will be somewhat more. We will
not anticipate receiving any funds beyond the Convention
budget for advance.
This is the season when the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is
being received. It is, of course, far too early to have any
idea about how the offering is going, but it is evident that
there is a very deep spirit of concern for worldwide missions
and a great desire to strengthen all that we do through
increased giving both through the Lottie Moon Offering and
the Cooperative Program.
As is known to the Foreign Mission Board, the sum of $4,000,000
of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering becomes a part of the
1962 budget which was adopted in October. Recommendations
for another $4,000,000 of the offering are now being prepared
and will be reviewed with the Executive Board of Woman’s
Missionary Union in Birmingham in January and then will be
brought back to the Foreign Mission Board for appropriation.
When the exact amount of the offering is known, a third
listing will be arranged so as to provide appropriation for
the full amount for purposes recommended by missions across
the world.
We are now engaged in a study of capital needs with a view to
going into this matter with the Executive Committee of the
Southern Baptist Convention upon their request. The Con¬
vention is now working on a capital needs program which began
in 1959 and will continue through 1963. Under that program
we received in 1959, $400,000; in I960, $800,000; and will
receive something more than 70 per cent of the $800,000
provided in the present year’s budget. In 1962 the amount for
capital purposes is $1,275,000, and the amount for 1963 is
$1,725,000.
