I was recently asked to put together a presentation defining "success" in financial development and describing how it can best be achieved. I began by defining success in the more typical ways, e.g., "We seek to increase the amount of annual gifts received by x percent."
However, I quickly found this methodology to be sorely lacking for addressing the fundamentals which must characterize any financial development effort which will yield long-term, institution-sustaining success. Short-term wins can sometimes be had even when fundamentals are poor. However, enduring results do not come without prioritizing the work of cultivating the deep relationships necessary for securing the resources needed to fulfill the institution's mission.
For denominationally-funded institutions of higher education, the last six years have not been kind. Denominational support has declined significantly. In my convention of churches, the Southern Baptist Convention, funding through the Cooperative Program has declined more than $60 million since fiscal year 2007. At last report, receipts for the current fiscal year were approaching a mark ten percent below budgeted expenditures.
Today, my seminary trains 700 more students than she did just ten years ago, and she does it with no more denominational support than she received a decade ago. When considering inflation, the support is significantly less. Yes, you have read correctly. More students. Fewer dollars. The difference has been overcome through tremendous financial leadership and prudent use of cuts in capital expenditures and technology, tuition increases, wage and salary freezes, along with fundraising gains. Many institutions have not been so blessed.
Within the context of denominationally-supported theological education, the need for establishing organizational cultures that joyfully and creatively embrace financial development as essential for long-term viability has never been greater or more apparent.
The trend of cutting cannot continue indefinitely without catastrophic consequences. It is possible to expand while cutting back for a season, but it is mathematically impossible over the long term.
To be sure, institutions of higher education have many challenges and priorities. Funding declines, advances in technology, evolving demographic trends, and a host of other variables constantly contend for the time and attention of higher education's top brass. As such, cultivating a robust financial development presence today that will not provide robust funding gains for several more tomorrows may seem risky or even impossible in today's uncertain funding environment.
Yet, the seminaries that will make the greatest impact ten years from now are the ones who make the right investments today.
Seminaries will never have the Kingdom-extending impact God intends for them to have if they simply pass along accelerating costs to students in the form of debilitating tuition increases.
This is why I am so pleased to serve at Southeastern where keeping tuition as affordable as possible is a stated part of our overall missionary strategy. When students graduate without the burden of educational debt, they often take bolder risks for the sake of Christ and the gospel.
A seminary that does whatever is necessary to be maximally effective in financial development is a seminary that wants to be on the front lines, reaching the ends of the earth by training battle-ready champions for Christ.
So, what is fundraising success?
Success is raising enough of the right money to sustain a Christ-exalting seminary until He comes.
But, how is such success achieved? This is the more challenging question, and it is the subject of the next several posts in which I will share some fundamentals of fundraising success in the hopes that the information and perspective may be helpful to others who are striving to build and sustain institutions that will advance the Kingdom.
How can we live out the truth that "God in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession" (2 Cor 2:14) by building and sustaining institutions that will extend the Kingdom until Christ returns? This is a critical question, and in answering it, nothing less than honoring Christ through our stewardship of the institutions He has entrusted to us is at stake.
Showing posts with label SBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SBC. Show all posts
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
What Happened to the Biennial Motion at the New Orleans SBC?
To everyone who appreciates and understands the
rationale for the amendments I introduced in New Orleans seeking a return to a
biennial convention schedule, thank you for your encouragement, interest,
prayers, and support.
If one meeting of the SBC every two years was sufficient to conduct the business of the Convention in the era of the horse and buggy, it seems a biennial meeting should be sufficient in the era of FaceBook, Twitter, and the world wide web.
Of course, we should not embrace biennial meetings simply because we can. We need a compelling reason to make such a change. Currently, there are nearly 7 billion compelling reasons to consider biennial meetings.
The Convention declared in 2010, along with the distinguished leaders who served on the Great Commission Task Force, that prioritizing the use of our resources for maximal effectiveness in fulfilling the Great Commission is deeply important to us and should impact the way we conduct the business of our Conventions and agencies.
Prioritizing access to the gospel and funding the advance of the gospel is not merely the stuff of convenient strategic planning, it is inherent to the gospel itself.
The call for biennial meetings is not an esoteric call for rethinking everything we do as Great Commission Baptists. It would actually change very little of what we do.
It would, however, give us an opportunity to invest millions - yes millions - more dollars in training pastors and missionaries and reaching our neighbors and the nations.
Any proposal that would allow us to deploy millions more in pursuing the very things we seek to accomplish through our cooperation deserves the consideration of our Convention.
Godly people can certainly disagree on implementing such a change, but we should not fear or avoid a discussion of its merits.
When the Committee on Order of Business referred my motion to the Executive Committee, they turned the motion over to the Committee that had already outlined its disagreement with biennial meetings following my motion requesting the study in 2010.
I attempted to ask for a floor debate, but the question was called very quickly in a rapid series of other motions that were, appropriately, referred to the Trustees of the agencies in question.
For motions dealing with with the governing documents of the Convention herself, the appropriate "Trustees" to consider the motion are not those of the Executive Committee but the messengers of the Convention directly.
My initial motions to amend our governing documents were in order and, as such, the default recommendation from the Committee on Order of Business should have been to the messengers, not the Executive Committee. We are still Baptists, are we not?
The problem with my motions was that they were regarded as neither wise nor or desirable by the Committee and were subsequently referred without the clear understanding of the Convention that a discussion could (and should) have taken place.
The Committee is simply supposed to determine whether motions are in order. The job of the messengers is to determine if they are wise. No where in the Constitution or Bylaws is the Executive Committee given authority to weigh these matters independently of the Convention herself.
The purview of the Executive Committee does not include protecting us from unwise decisions regarding amendments to our governing documents. The Constitution itself provides these protections by requiring an affirmative vote of a supermajority of the Convention messengers for two successive meetings in a row!
That is, rightly, a very tall order. This is all the protection we need.
I hope, next year, for an opportunity to have a family conversation regarding the wisdom or lack of wisdom in moving to biennial meetings.
If we can save and redeploy millions in the battle to reach billions without sacrificing transparency or sound business practices, the proposal deserves serious consideration by the people to whom God has entrusted this Convention - the messengers themselves.
Coming up next
In my next post, I will list and respond to the objections of the Executive Committee to biennial meetings as given in their response to a request for a financial study of the cost of Conventions in 2010.
If one meeting of the SBC every two years was sufficient to conduct the business of the Convention in the era of the horse and buggy, it seems a biennial meeting should be sufficient in the era of FaceBook, Twitter, and the world wide web.
Of course, we should not embrace biennial meetings simply because we can. We need a compelling reason to make such a change. Currently, there are nearly 7 billion compelling reasons to consider biennial meetings.
The Convention declared in 2010, along with the distinguished leaders who served on the Great Commission Task Force, that prioritizing the use of our resources for maximal effectiveness in fulfilling the Great Commission is deeply important to us and should impact the way we conduct the business of our Conventions and agencies.
Prioritizing access to the gospel and funding the advance of the gospel is not merely the stuff of convenient strategic planning, it is inherent to the gospel itself.
The call for biennial meetings is not an esoteric call for rethinking everything we do as Great Commission Baptists. It would actually change very little of what we do.
It would, however, give us an opportunity to invest millions - yes millions - more dollars in training pastors and missionaries and reaching our neighbors and the nations.
Any proposal that would allow us to deploy millions more in pursuing the very things we seek to accomplish through our cooperation deserves the consideration of our Convention.
Godly people can certainly disagree on implementing such a change, but we should not fear or avoid a discussion of its merits.
When the Committee on Order of Business referred my motion to the Executive Committee, they turned the motion over to the Committee that had already outlined its disagreement with biennial meetings following my motion requesting the study in 2010.
I attempted to ask for a floor debate, but the question was called very quickly in a rapid series of other motions that were, appropriately, referred to the Trustees of the agencies in question.
For motions dealing with with the governing documents of the Convention herself, the appropriate "Trustees" to consider the motion are not those of the Executive Committee but the messengers of the Convention directly.
My initial motions to amend our governing documents were in order and, as such, the default recommendation from the Committee on Order of Business should have been to the messengers, not the Executive Committee. We are still Baptists, are we not?
The problem with my motions was that they were regarded as neither wise nor or desirable by the Committee and were subsequently referred without the clear understanding of the Convention that a discussion could (and should) have taken place.
The Committee is simply supposed to determine whether motions are in order. The job of the messengers is to determine if they are wise. No where in the Constitution or Bylaws is the Executive Committee given authority to weigh these matters independently of the Convention herself.
The purview of the Executive Committee does not include protecting us from unwise decisions regarding amendments to our governing documents. The Constitution itself provides these protections by requiring an affirmative vote of a supermajority of the Convention messengers for two successive meetings in a row!
That is, rightly, a very tall order. This is all the protection we need.
I hope, next year, for an opportunity to have a family conversation regarding the wisdom or lack of wisdom in moving to biennial meetings.
If we can save and redeploy millions in the battle to reach billions without sacrificing transparency or sound business practices, the proposal deserves serious consideration by the people to whom God has entrusted this Convention - the messengers themselves.
Coming up next
In my next post, I will list and respond to the objections of the Executive Committee to biennial meetings as given in their response to a request for a financial study of the cost of Conventions in 2010.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Dear Christian: For the sake of our souls, let's talk; let's talk about giving.
Recently, I wrote a letter about my journey in the field of financial development and why the work of raising money for the best seminary in the world is a legitimate, gospel-centered work. Indeed it is an act of worship and discipleship. We cannot claim to be heirs of grace if we are unconcerned about growing in the grace of giving. The letter begins with the next paragraph.
Ten years ago, I began work as a fundraiser for a major research university. The cultural, entertainment, and professional opportunities available were fantastic, but a terrible thought haunted me day-by-day.
The funds I secured supported a school that often ignored the “universal” aspect of her mission. The truth that one God made everything and that we should pursue an understanding of His glory and absolute authority over all things was routinely dismissed as “small-minded.” As I simmered in the cauldron of a foolish and fickle culture enamored with worldly wisdom, the Lord reminded me that He is wisdom — period. If God could be foolish, His foolishness would surpass even the most ingenious worldly thought.
Over time, I arrived at a moral crisis of the first order. I regularly met Christians who invested more in growing a college athletics program or academic department than in fueling the advance of the gospel. The Lord showed me that seeking first His Kingdom meant no longer raising money for initiatives that did not advance, and sometimes undermined, the progress of the gospel. On the day I raised the largest gift in my career, a gift from a Southern Baptist, I was privately devastated. . . what a missed opportunity.
Ten years later, I have the tremendous privilege of raising support for the greatest seminary on the planet. And yet, not every Christian immediately sees it this way. I am frequently asked, “How do you do your job?” or, more directly, “How can you ask someone else for money?” I did everything possible to avoid these probing questions while raising money for a secular university. Today, I eagerly embrace them.
It is often said, “The most difficult topic to discuss in church is giving.” But, why should teaching about the grace of giving be entered upon tentatively when the essence of the gospel is that God gave His Son?
In 1 Corinthians 4:1–2, Paul urges the church, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” What a challenging admonition! We are responsible for our stewardship of the gospel.
Scripture reveals that our willingness and eagerness to give is not so much about giving as it is about the spiritual health of our hearts. Avoiding the issue of giving leaves us vulnerable to a major case of spiritual heart disease. The pastor’s God-given responsibility is to charge the flock of God to examine their hearts and be ready to give (1 Tim. 6:17–19). Pastor, challenge the flock! Christian, urge your pastor to exhort you to excel in the grace of investing for the global advance of the gospel.
Faithful stewardship of the gospel demands that we invest wisely – consistent with the priorities of Christ’s Kingdom and not those of this world. When people consider the gospel and its impact on giving, they will want to know where they can invest and exercise faithful stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to their care.
There are few places like Southeastern, a church-initiated ministry in which believers can invest and impact a variety of gospel-centered initiatives. Where else can a Christian give and realize an immediate return that multiplies into eternity through Christ-exalting alumni serving in so many meaningful ministries? Today, our alumni serve in churches, military and work-place chaplaincy, church plants, Christian education, counseling, reaching unreached people groups, Bible translation, campus ministry, pregnancy support services, and much more.
Over the next 15–20 years, despite the current status of our economy, we will witness the largest generational transfer of wealth in our nation’s history. As baby boomers consider the end-of-life implications for their assets, the tax and financial implications will be huge. Now is the time to be asking big, gospel-centered questions and dreaming big, gospel-centered dreams!
The question every Christian must consider is this: “How can I exercise faithful stewardship of the gospel?” As you ask this question, and as you consider others in your sphere of influence who should ask this question, please keep Southeastern in mind.
If you would like to read the rest of the letter, please visit http://www.sebts.edu/alumni/giving/default.aspx.
Ten years ago, I began work as a fundraiser for a major research university. The cultural, entertainment, and professional opportunities available were fantastic, but a terrible thought haunted me day-by-day.
The funds I secured supported a school that often ignored the “universal” aspect of her mission. The truth that one God made everything and that we should pursue an understanding of His glory and absolute authority over all things was routinely dismissed as “small-minded.” As I simmered in the cauldron of a foolish and fickle culture enamored with worldly wisdom, the Lord reminded me that He is wisdom — period. If God could be foolish, His foolishness would surpass even the most ingenious worldly thought.
Over time, I arrived at a moral crisis of the first order. I regularly met Christians who invested more in growing a college athletics program or academic department than in fueling the advance of the gospel. The Lord showed me that seeking first His Kingdom meant no longer raising money for initiatives that did not advance, and sometimes undermined, the progress of the gospel. On the day I raised the largest gift in my career, a gift from a Southern Baptist, I was privately devastated. . . what a missed opportunity.
Ten years later, I have the tremendous privilege of raising support for the greatest seminary on the planet. And yet, not every Christian immediately sees it this way. I am frequently asked, “How do you do your job?” or, more directly, “How can you ask someone else for money?” I did everything possible to avoid these probing questions while raising money for a secular university. Today, I eagerly embrace them.
It is often said, “The most difficult topic to discuss in church is giving.” But, why should teaching about the grace of giving be entered upon tentatively when the essence of the gospel is that God gave His Son?
In 1 Corinthians 4:1–2, Paul urges the church, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” What a challenging admonition! We are responsible for our stewardship of the gospel.
Scripture reveals that our willingness and eagerness to give is not so much about giving as it is about the spiritual health of our hearts. Avoiding the issue of giving leaves us vulnerable to a major case of spiritual heart disease. The pastor’s God-given responsibility is to charge the flock of God to examine their hearts and be ready to give (1 Tim. 6:17–19). Pastor, challenge the flock! Christian, urge your pastor to exhort you to excel in the grace of investing for the global advance of the gospel.
Faithful stewardship of the gospel demands that we invest wisely – consistent with the priorities of Christ’s Kingdom and not those of this world. When people consider the gospel and its impact on giving, they will want to know where they can invest and exercise faithful stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to their care.
There are few places like Southeastern, a church-initiated ministry in which believers can invest and impact a variety of gospel-centered initiatives. Where else can a Christian give and realize an immediate return that multiplies into eternity through Christ-exalting alumni serving in so many meaningful ministries? Today, our alumni serve in churches, military and work-place chaplaincy, church plants, Christian education, counseling, reaching unreached people groups, Bible translation, campus ministry, pregnancy support services, and much more.
Over the next 15–20 years, despite the current status of our economy, we will witness the largest generational transfer of wealth in our nation’s history. As baby boomers consider the end-of-life implications for their assets, the tax and financial implications will be huge. Now is the time to be asking big, gospel-centered questions and dreaming big, gospel-centered dreams!
The question every Christian must consider is this: “How can I exercise faithful stewardship of the gospel?” As you ask this question, and as you consider others in your sphere of influence who should ask this question, please keep Southeastern in mind.
If you would like to read the rest of the letter, please visit http://www.sebts.edu/alumni/giving/default.aspx.
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