Louisville—Kentucky Baptist churches reached a major milestone when total Cooperative Program giving topped $800 million on Dec. 2.

“$800 million really is a staggering amount of money,” said Kentucky Baptist Convention Executive Director Paul Chitwood. “Seeing the cumulated generosity of Kentucky Baptists represented by this missions giving milestone helps us understand the enormous kingdom impact of the Cooperative Program.”

The Cooperative Program is the primary means through which nearly 750,000 Kentucky Baptists in 2,400 churches support the work of missionaries in the state, across the country and around the world.

Lowell Ashby, head of the KBC’s finance and business services team, said end of November tallies placed Cooperative giving about $48,000 shy of the mark. Woodland Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville gave the last needed push with their gift of $805.

Total CP receipts through three months of the current 2015-16 fiscal year stood at about $5.2 million. The $1,579,360 given to the Cooperative Program in November was $165,000 more than contributions at the same period last year.

“How many churches have been started and strengthened with these funds? How many missionaries have been supported in Kentucky, North America, and overseas? Most importantly, how many souls have been saved as a direct result of God using the ministries funded by the CP?” Chitwood asked.

Kentucky Baptist churches baptized 14,228 new believers last year and had a part in more than 305,000 baptisms globally because of their support through the Cooperative Program.

“I have to believe that every Kentucky Baptist will be as humbled as I am right now as we cross this significant milestone,” Chitwood said. “As the Psalmist writes, ‘Let the nations be glad!'” (KBC)