When I asked the Executive Committee to review the costs and potential savings associated with the annual meeting of the SBC, I asked them to consider everything -- the convention center, the buses, the parking, the hotels, the flights, the car rentals, the meals, the child care, the coffee, the Exhibit Hall, the shipping and erecting of booths, lighting, staging, the publications, the computers, monitors, webcasting, staffing, and anything else that goes into an annual meeting.
According to this article, "the Executive Committee said the change would save several hundred thousands of dollars in years the convention doesn't meet."
I assume that the Executive Committee did not understand my request because I cannot fathom how this statement is accurate unless they are counting only the direct expenditures by the Executive Committee.
Allow me to explain how our Convention of churches approaches and likely exceeds $10 million for its annual meeting. I am intentionally conservative in my estimates below.
Direct Convention Expenses
I do not know a current figure for direct convention expenses by the Executive Committee. I do not have my copy of One Sacred Effort by Brand and Hankins with me this afternoon, but, from memory, I believe they estimated direct convention expenses at $900,000 per year. The book was released in 2005. I suspect direct convention expenses remain near $1 million annually.
Messenger Expenses
There were approximately 7,800 messengers at the SBC in New Orleans. New Orleans is not an inexpensive city. Most convention locations are quite pricey. Even though I overnighted in New Orleans for only two nights (many are there for at least 3 nights), the cost of my travel, food, lodging, and parking was nearly $1,000. Based on my conversations with other messengers, I did very well! Assuming every messenger spent an average of $1,000, Great Commission Baptists spent $7.8+ million last week.
Agency Expenses
"Booth space" in the Exhibit Hall is not inexpensive. Even a modest exhibit filling a 20ft. by 20ft space can cost upwards of $30,000 not counting additional costs to ship, assemble, and staff these booths. Just surveying the Exhibit Hall and doing a little "mental math" suggests that our Convention probably spends at least $1 million on filling the Exhibit Hall.
SBC Convention Math
$1 million + $7.8 million + $1 million = a very conservative $9.8 million
State Conventions
I assume that state convention meetings vary greatly in terms of their overall costs. I suspect that states in the southeastern US naturally spend more than those in the northeast or midwest simply because of the size of space required and the numbers of messengers in attendance. In states like Georgia, Florida, Texas, Alabama, and etc., I am hoping a reasonable and conservative guesstimate of the total convention costs (using the same methodolgy as above) would be approximately $1 million for each state. Other state conventions probably cost less than $50,000.
Based on the very loose (but hopefully conservative!) mental math above, I guesstimate that the average state convention costs at least $325,000 in direct convention expenditures, travel, lodging and etc. Assuming that the 42 state conventions cost an average of $325,000 each year, another $13.65 million could be saved if state conventions also moved to a biennial meeting schedule.
SBC + State Convention Math
$9.8 million + $13.65 million = $23.45 million every 2 years/2 years = $11.7 million/year
Concluding Thoughts
I recognize that not every person who attends the Convention each year will take their money and use it for a mission trip or donate it to Lottie Moon or Annie Armstrong. Nevertheless, churches would have more resources for ministry in their community or to save and send messengers biennially.
Agencies would save significant dollars typically spent for purchasing, erecting, and staffing booths at the SBC and could re-deploy those dollars to hire a professor, send more missionaries, or commission more church planters. The direct expenditures by the Executive Committee in the "off years" could be a significant way of reaching mark of at least 51 percent of the SBC allocation budget being used to fund the IMB.
Considering a move to biennial meetings is not considering change for the sake of change; it is considering meaningful change for the sake of mission and ministry - for the sake of Christ and the gospel.
I thank you for your consideration and welcome your questions or comments.
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