Hello BRN Family, it’s great to be with you today!
The Annual Church Profile is an annual statistical report churches voluntarily submit to the Southern Baptist Convention and the Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey. The ACP acts as a historical record for churches to make it easier for them to evaluate their health and make decisions about their ministries.
But it’s more than that. The data helps BRN, too. It’s natural to only report the good news coming out of churches, but even declining numbers can help tell the story of what resources and training would benefit churches most. Your honesty will help us be good stewards of the work we do on your behalf. In other words, it will help us to know how best to minister to you. We are here for you, but we can’t help what we don’t know.
But it is more than that. The ACP informs what funding the BRN receives from outside organizations as well as the number of SBC entity trustees who can come from the BRN. SBC agencies use your ACP information to know how much funding and other resources to allocate to the BRN to benefit our churches. To put it bluntly, the fewer churches who respond, the less funding we receive.
But it is more than that. The ACP gives you a seat at the table. Reporting the ACP is a requirement for churches who want to affiliate with the BRN, and membership and receipts are requirements for voting at the SBC and BRN annual meetings.
And it’s not just about the numbers. This year, there are additional questions that address your church’s involvement in abuse prevention. For those who answer “no,” or “prefer not to answer,” we will reach out to you with the proper resources to help in these areas. To remind you, these resources are always available at www.brnunited.org/abuse-prevention.
You may use the BRN form link or continue using SBC Workspace as before. We are asking that all churches fill out their ACP data either through our BRN form or SBC Workspace no later than February 15, 2024.
Any questions can be directed to our HelpDesk, helpdesk@brnunited.org or 717-652-5856. Thank you for completing the ACP. You are a vital part of the BRN family and your information helps all of us as we plan and prepare for another year of spreading the gospel and pushing back the lostness in Pennsylvania and South Jersey. Thank you, and as always, God bless you!
