When the television program “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” was at the peak of its popularity, we were dreaming of the day that the Eliza Broadus Offering for Kentucky missions would reach $1 million. Named for Eliza Broadus, an early leader of Kentucky Woman’s Missionary Union, this offering provides significant funding for a variety of ministries across Kentucky. So, after finding a shirt that says, “I just want to be a millionaire ... And that’s my final answer,” we created an Eliza for our office and continued to promote the offering and the dream.

This year the dream became reality. The Eliza Broadus Offering exceeded the million-dollar goal for 2007-2008 and even exceeded the goal we already have set for 2008-2009. At the end of March, this year’s total was $1,053,504.38. And reaching that goal is important for several reasons.

First and foremost, all of the ministries that were budgeted for this year will receive their full funding. It is very difficult to learn midway through the year that funding is falling short and expenses will have to be cut. For some of our ministries—depending upon the timing of the event—when there is a shortfall in the offering it is often too late, forcing us to make cuts in other programs.

Growth in the offering demonstrates our commitment to reaching the lost in this state. Kentucky is a mission field, with a higher percentage of lost people in some areas of the state than in some countries around the world.

People often ask, “What does the Eliza Broadus Offering pay for?” The answer is: Not much—by itself. EBO funds, however, combined with Cooperative Program dollars, as well as the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering funds that come back to Kentucky, make a tremendous impact. Ministries through the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s missions growth team depend on EBO funding. For instance, in the area of church planting, the North American Mission Board often will provide matching funds. Thus, every dollar given through EBO for church planting is worth double because those dollars enable us to receive matching funds from NAMB.

In a number of KBC missions growth team areas, CP provides only salaries and travel, while EBO supplies funds for ministry expenses. EBO has purchased vans for use in Eastern Kentucky, provided for international student ministries and training in witnessing to persons of other faiths. EBO helps with language missions, church and community missions, disaster relief, Kentucky Changers and much more.

The Eliza Broadus Offering is also essential to smaller ministries across our state. Many church- and association-based ministries, as well as ministries led by Mission Service Corps missionaries, apply for funding from Kentucky WMU. Crisis pregnancy ministries, food and clothing ministries, language missions, Friendship International outreach, homeless ministries and tutoring are among the applicants each year. Imagine the thrill of receiving a grant from the Eliza Broadus Offering.

Eliza Broadus funds also are important to the work of Kentucky WMU in missions education. EBO funds help with missions events, missions education training and camps. The state missions DVD and other materials that are available to Kentucky churches free of charge are made available through the offering.

Exceeding the $1 million goal is a special celebration. Kentucky WMU has designated the overage from the 2007-2008 offering for evangelism, including Crossover 2009 when the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting comes to Louisville. During the week preceding next year’s convention, there will be several special evangelism activities. As a result of these efforts, plans for new churches also are underway. EBO will play a major role in providing resources for these ministries and new church starts.

Thank you Kentucky Baptists for giving so generously. We look forward to what God will do through the offering this year and beyond.

Joy Bolton is executive director of Kentucky Woman’s Missionary Union