FLORENCE—A Bowling Green, Ky., pastor and 17 churches were singled out as models of unwavering faithfulness to cooperative missions giving during the Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
Tom James, lead pastor of Eastwood Baptist Church, received the Distinguished Leadership Award for his lifelong devotion to the Cooperative Program. He has served the 1,400-member congregation and the community of Bowling Green since 2004.
At last year’s annual meeting, Eastwood Baptist achieved the $4 million milestone for giving to missions through the Cooperative Program, which contributed to the increase in baptisms and church plants in Kentucky and around the world.
“Tom James is a convictional leader,” said Curtis Woods, Kentucky Baptist Convention’s associate executive director. “He embodies the ’four pegs’ of our convention: he has a high view of scripture; he adhers to the Baptist Faith and Message; he is passionate about the Great Commission; and he honors cooperation.
“Eastwood Baptist is a shining example in CP giving,” Woods said.
On behalf of all Kentucky Baptists, Woods thanked the top Cooperative Program-giving churches for believing that “together, we can do more” to spread the news of Jesus Christ throughout Kentucky and the world.
The top contributors in total giving through the Cooperative Program in the fiscal year 2015-16 were:
– Severns Valley Baptist Church, Elizabethtown, $356,867
– Immanuel Baptist Church, Lexington, $337,758
– Lone Oak First Baptist Church, Paducah, $312,167
Top CP supporters in per capita giving for the year were:
– Mexico Baptist Church, Marion, $302
– Countryside Baptist Church, Morganfield, $280
– Faith Family Church, Hopkinsville, $278
Also, 17 Kentucky Baptist churches reached milestones in their Cooperative Program giving history.
$12 million milestone: Severns Valley Baptist Church, Elizabethtown
$8 million milestone: Porter Memorial Baptist Church, Lexington
$5 million milestone: Second Baptist Church, Hopkinsville
$4 million milestone: Shelbyville First Baptist Church, Shelbyville
$3 million milestone: Hurstbourne Baptist Church, Louisville; First Baptist Church, Princeton; Shively Baptist Church, Louisville; Versailles Baptist Church, Versailles
$2 million milestone: Bruner’s Chapel Baptist Church, Harrodsburg; Harlan Baptist Church, Harlan
$1 million milestone: Central Baptist Church, Paris; Dripping Springs Baptist Church, Olmstead; First Baptist Church, East Bernstadt; First Baptist Church, Sebree; Hillvue Heights Church, Bowling Green; Ormsby Heights Baptist Church, Louisville; Waco Baptist Church, Waco. (KBC)