Women On Mission - July 2026

The Cooperative Program - A Brief History

The Cooperative Program is the SBC’s unified financial plan, established in 1925, that enables local churches to pool their resources to fund state, national, and global missions, theological education, and benevolent ministries.

Previous to 1925, mission boards operated independently for funds, exhausting local churches and leading to aggressive fundraising tactics.

In 1925 the SBC adopted the Cooperative Program at its convention in Memphis.

How It Works

1. Individual church members give tithes and offerings to their churches.
2. The church sends a set percentage of undesignated receipts to state convention.
3. The state uses a portion and sends the rest to the SBC.
4. The SBC allocates funds to national and international missions, seminaries, and ethical / religious liberty concerns.

Southern Baptists have always been a missionary people. The CP has been an essential tool for making this possible.