Jacksonville, Fla.—The Florida Baptist Convention sent an additional $500,000 in Cooperative Program funds to the Southern Baptist Convention Jan. 25.

The funds represented 51 percent of the $970,924 in budget overages from Florida Baptist churches to the state convention’s 2015 budget of $28.8 million.

“What a tremendous blessing from God for Florida Baptists to express our commitment to the Great Commission in our work together as Southern Baptists through this budget overage,” said Tommy Green, the convention’s executive director-treasurer.

“This means we will be sharing an additional $500,000 to the SBC beyond the $11,808,000 budgeted amount, bringing the total earmarked for the SBC to $12,308,000,” he said.

Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, voiced gratitude to the Lord “for the faithfulness of His people to support our state convention and SBC ministries through the Cooperative Program.”

“I have heard of several other states that have experienced overages in their CP as well. As in this case, several have shared this means an even greater percentage for national missions and ministries because of their state’s predetermined formulas for distribution,” Page said. “These state executives are excited about what God is doing through their churches, and we celebrate with them. Praise the Lord!”

The 2015 giving of Florida Baptist churches through the Cooperative Program is the first time since 2007 when receipts exceeded the prior year, reversing a seven-year trend when CP receipts dropped by 25 percent.

Florida Baptists gave $29,770,924 through the Cooperative Program in 2015, exceeding the year’s $28.8 million budget by 3.37 percent and surpassing the 2014 giving of $29,643,195 by approximately $128,000, or 0.43 percent. (BP)