As bad as the 2.5 Million (or 7.8%) decline in total giving for the first six months of 2008 is; many fear that the financial outlook for the Florida Baptist Convention is going to get much worse in the months ahead. Knowing that the economic downturn has gotten much worse than it was during the first six months of 2008, I think one can safely assume that the Florida Baptist Convention is in for some very hard times ahead.
If giving stays at the current level the Florida Baptist Convention could see its total giving shrink by an astonishing 5-Million by the end of the year. However, considering the shape of the economy I think everyone is expecting the finial shortfall to be well over the 5-Million mark.
But is all the blame for this dramatic downturn in the churches support for the Florida Baptist Convention solely due to a poor economy? I think not!
Under the Fundamentalist leadership of John Sullivan the Florida Baptist Convention has offended and alienated scores of Baptist Churches in Florida who, while some have cut giving through the Florida Baptist Convention out altogether, many are now deciding that during hard times the Florida Baptist Convention is not a top priority for them.
When the chips are down you find out who your friends are and the Florida Baptist Convention and John Sullivan are finding out that they do not have as many friends in Florida as they believed, or even as they once had in years past.
While not solely responsible for this historic downturn in lack of support for the Florida Baptist Convention, the continued sport of “Calvinist Bashing” by high level executives of the Florida Baptist Convention and the personal hobby of “Narrowing the Parameters of Cooperation” by John Sullivan have, in my opinion, played a significant role.
Grace Always