Why I Believe in the Cooperative Program

I was called to ministry in a Southern Baptist church.

1. I finished college at Oklahoma Baptist University, and it was made affordable to me because of the Cooperative Program.
2. I graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Seminaries from groups other than Southern Baptists are very expensive. My seminary degree probably cost 50 percent because of the Cooperative Program.
3. I believe in the Cooperative Program because of LifeWay Christian Resources, which itself does not receive CP funds. However, LifeWay’s materials are second to none, in large part because most are authored by those who have been trained in one of the six seminaries supported by gifts through the Cooperative Program.
4. I believe in the program because of the great work done by Alabama Baptists. No other denomination in the history of the world has the capability or capacity as that of the Southern Baptist Convention. When more than 40,000 churches work together, the synergy for Kingdom impact is amazing.

— Terry Herald, executive pastor, Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville