LOUISVILLE—Kentucky Baptist churches far exceeded the state convention’s projections for the fiscal year that ended Aug. 31, giving more than $22.3 million through the Cooperative Program to spread the gospel around the world, plus contributing an additional $8.9 million through three special offerings to support state, national and international missionaries.
The year-end financial report from the Kentucky Baptist Convention showed Cooperative Program giving $1,064,362 more than had been projected, far exceeding budget estimates for the first time in 10 years and exceeding the previous year’s giving for the second year in a row.
“All year I have been hearing about more and more pastors leading their churches to raise their level of CP giving,” said Paul Chitwood, executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. “Seeing such a significant jump in the year-end totals is truly remarkable. Kentucky Baptists refuse to sit silently by when multitudes of people here at home and abroad desperately need the gospel.”
The Kentucky Baptist Convention had budgeted $21,250,000. Actual giving totaled $22,314,362.
Of the $1 million budget windfall, $494,898 will go to the Southern Baptist Convention, $171,404 will go to Kentucky Baptist agencies and institutions, and $397,536 will go to KBC Mission Board operations.
The financial report also showed giving by Kentucky Baptist churches reached an all-time high through two separate missions offerings.
Kentucky Baptists gave $5,383,426 through the Lottie Moon offering for international missions, and $2,350,567 through the Annie Armstrong offering for North American missions. In addition, they gave $1,214,038 through the Eliza Broadus offering for state missions.
“This level of generosity from Kentucky Baptists speaks to their concern for the lost here at home, across the nation and around the world,” said Lowell Ashby, leader of the KBC’s Finance and Business Services Team. “It also speaks to their confidence in the cooperative work of our churches to reach the world for Christ.” (KBC)