CBF f ellowship! COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP | WWW.THEFELLOWSHIP.INFO Historic moments highlight 17th annual CBF General Assembly Fellowship Baptists celebrat- ed religious freedom; addressed global concerns of poverty, hun- ger and HIV/AIDS; and partici- pated in events featuring topics such as spiritual formation, con- gregational life, the missional church and social justice. At the concluding general session, the Fellowship joined together in worship with AB- CUSA, which was holding its biennial meeting and celebrat- ing the 100th anniversary of its founding. Together CBF and ABCUSA co-commissioned two couples to global missions service – Marcia and Duane Binkley, who will serve in the U.S. among Karen refugees, and Nancy and Steve James, who have been serving in Haiti as CBF affiliates. “I am delighted that we are cooperating with American Baptists in joint appointments of the Binkleys and the Jameses to their respective places of minis- try,” said CBF Global Missions Coordinator Rob Nash. “ese joint ventures send the signal that mission engagement in the 21st century is about collabora- tion for the good of God’s king- dom in the world.” e previous evening, the Fellowship commissioned 16 other CBF Global Missions field personnel to serve among the world’s most neglected people. Baptist World Alliance president David Coffee affirmed and challenged the new field personnel and the Fellowship to continue to “face the world of spiritual lostness” by knowing the world and knowing the Bible. “If you are going to be the presence of Christ in a broken world, it will not happen without risk-taking,” Coffey said. “ese people you’ve seen commissioned here tonight are risk-takers.” Fellowship Baptists gave more than $22,000 to the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Offering for Religious Liberty and Human Rights. e Baptist World Alliance receives one-third of the Offering proceeds; the other two-thirds is administered through the Fellowship through partnering with organizations with existing initiatives relating to human rights and, specifically, religious liberty issues. Emmanuel McCall, who ended his term as CBF moderator and introduced Fort Worth, Texas, laywoman Harriet Harral as the next moderator, spoke to the Assembly about covenant relationships. “How does CBF fulfill covenant with God?” McCall said. “We continue doing more of what we are doing. We are evangelizing by loving people into a relationship with God. We are evangelizing by dealing with the needs that people have, which if not addressed obscure our message. We are evangelizing by challenging unjust situations, the disparities and inequities of life.” roughout the Assembly ex- citement built for another gather- ing of Baptists — the New Baptist Covenant Celebration, which will be held Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2008, in Atlanta and feature Baptists from more than 36 organizations. “ere’s a great deal of energy about the convergence of Baptists who are coming together to find fellowship, community and address great issues of our day, particularly around the issue of poverty,” said CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal. “I’ve never experienced anything like this in my lifetime.” e 2008 CBF General As- sembly will be held June 19-20 in Memphis, Tenn. By Patricia Heys, CBF Communications I n a historic city, more than 2,500 Fellowship Baptists gathered for a historic event June 28- 29. e 17th annual Cooperative Baptist Fellowship was held in Washington, D.C., for the first time and featured a first-ever joint gathering with the American Baptist Churches USA. i nside this issue... • Pages 6-7 — New CBF Global Missions field personnel • Page 11 — Teaching missions to all ages • Page 8-9 — Resources for missional churches • Page 5 — Nash announces new global missions strategy GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2007 CBF’s Rob Nash, right, and ABCUSA’s Reid Trulson, left, offer a blessing for jointly supported missions personnel, Marcia and Duane Binkley and Nancy and Steve James. Rod Reilly photo General Assembly attendees had an opportunity to fellowship and learn about Fellowship resources such as “It’s Time.” Rod Reilly photo
Historic moments highlight 17th annual CBF General Assembly
Fellowship Baptists celebrat-ed religious freedom; addressed global concerns of poverty, hun-ger and HIV/AIDS; and partici-pated in events featuring topics such as spiritual formation, con-gregational life, the missional church and social justice.
At the concluding general session, the Fellowship joined together in worship with AB-CUSA, which was holding its biennial meeting and celebrat-ing the 100th anniversary of its founding. Together CBF and ABCUSA co-commissioned two couples to global missions service – Marcia and Duane Binkley, who will serve in the U.S. among Karen refugees, and Nancy and Steve James, who have been serving in Haiti as CBF affiliates.
“I am delighted that we are cooperating with American Baptists in joint appointments of the Binkleys and the Jameses to their respective places of minis-try,” said CBF Global Missions Coordinator Rob Nash. “These joint ventures send the signal that mission engagement in the 21st century is about collabora-
tion for the good of God’s king-dom in the world.”
The previous evening, the Fellowship commissioned 16 other CBF Global Missions field personnel to serve among the world’s most neglected people. Baptist World Alliance president David Coffee affirmed and challenged the new field personnel and the Fellowship to continue to “face the world of spiritual lostness” by knowing the world and knowing the Bible.
“If you are going to be the presence of Christ in a broken world, it will not happen without risk-taking,” Coffey said. “These people you’ve seen commissioned here tonight
are risk-takers.”Fellowship Baptists gave
more than $22,000 to the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Offering for Religious Liberty
and Human Rights. The Baptist World Alliance receives one-third of the Offering proceeds; the other two-thirds is administered through the Fellowship through partnering with organizations with existing
initiatives relating to human rights and, specifically, religious liberty issues.
Emmanuel McCall, who ended his term as CBF
moderator and introduced Fort Worth, Texas, laywoman Harriet Harral as the next moderator, spoke to the Assembly about covenant relationships.
“How does CBF fulfill covenant with God?” McCall
said. “We continue doing more of what we are doing. We are evangelizing by loving people into a relationship with God. We are evangelizing by dealing with the needs that people have, which if not addressed
obscure our message. We are evangelizing by challenging unjust situations, the disparities and inequities of life.”
Throughout the Assembly ex-citement built for another gather-ing of Baptists — the New Baptist Covenant Celebration, which will be held Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2008, in Atlanta and feature Baptists from more than 36 organizations.
“There’s a great deal of energy about the convergence of Baptists who are coming together to find fellowship, community and address great issues of our day, particularly around the issue of poverty,” said CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal. “I’ve never experienced anything like this in my lifetime.”
The 2008 CBF General As-sembly will be held June 19-20 in Memphis, Tenn.
By Patricia Heys, CBF Communications
In a historic
city, more than
2,500 Fellowship
Baptists gathered for a
historic event June 28-
29. The 17th annual
Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship was held in
Washington, D.C., for the
first time and featured a
first-ever joint gathering
with the American Baptist
Churches USA.
insidethisissue...
• Pages 6-7 — New CBF Global Missions field personnel
• Page 11 — Teaching missions to all ages
• Page 8-9 — Resources for missional churches
• Page 5 — Nash announces new global missions strategy
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New officers begin termHarriet Harral, of Fort Worth, Texas,
officially began her term as moderator of CBF at the conclusion of the 2007 General Assembly. Harral is the founder of The Harral Group, an organizational consult-ing firm. Jack Glasglow, pastor of Zebulon Baptist Church in Wake Forest, N.C., is the moderator-elect. Emmanuel McCall, pastor of The Fellowship Group Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., is the past-moderator. And Hal Bass, of Arkadelphia, Ark., serves as recorder.
Council affirms 2008 Celebration
During its June 27 meeting, the na-tional Coordinating Council approved a statement of support for the New Baptist Covenant. The statement’s concluding sentences are as follows: “We encourage the full involvement of the Fellowship and its leaders in continuing to promote the Covenant and the upcoming 2008 Con-vocation. Finally, we encourage congrega-tions and individuals in our Fellowship to pray for the New Baptist Covenant, to be involved in this new movement of coop-eration and fellowship, and to be present in Atlanta in January for the New Baptist Covenant Convocation.”
Assembly approves budget
The 2007 General Assembly approved a $16,481,000 budget, along with the nomi-nating committee’s recommendations. An amendment to the bylaws that recognizes a CBF regional organization in the Midwest was also approved.
Additionally, the Assembly approved a motion that instructs the CBF Coordinating Council “to investigate the feasibility and means by which the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship might be involved in acting with other bodies to reach the United Nations Millenium Development Goals.”
Whitsitt Society honors Bethell
For creating a ministry to help victims of the international sex trade, Lauran Bethell was presented the 2007 Whitsitt Society Courage Award at the General Assembly. A former Baptist missionary, Bethell is the founder of New Life Cen-ter, a shelter in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for women looking to escape the throes of the sex trade.
CBF endorses chaplains, pastoral counselors
On June 27, the CBF Council on En-dorsement met to consider the applications of new endorsees. The following were endorsed: Susan Allen, Lexington, Ky., hospital; Larry Baker, San Francisco, Calif., hospital; Nancy Campbell, Lenoir, N.C., hospice; Robert Cooke, Raleigh, N.C., pastoral counselor; Paul Hamilton, Or-angeburg, S.C., hospital; Karen Heistand, Charleston, S.C., hospital; Wayne Hyatt, Spartanburg, S.C., pastoral counselor; Robert Marsh, Richmond, Va., military; Cynthia Meadows, Roanoke, Va., hospital; Susan Rogerson, Farmville, N.C., hospice; Susan Stephenson, Oklahoma City, Okla., hospital; Keith Tekell, Beaumont, Texas, hospital; Debra Walters, Atlanta, Ga., hos-pital; Mary Yates, Louisville, Ky., pastoral counselor.
BWIM releases second report
Fellowship partner Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) released the second annual “State of Women in Baptist Life” during its gathering. Eileen Campbell-Reed and Pam Durso continued the BWIM-sponsored research by
launching the State of Women in Baptist Life Attitudes Survey, which gauged Baptists’ attitudes about women in roles throughout society and church. BWIM also announced the creation of “BWIM Registry for Ordained and Professional Women in Ministry,” an online registry which will continue to document female Baptist ministers.
Bountiful Feast focuses on spiritual formation
Glenn Hinson, senior professor of church history and spirituality at Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, a CBF-partner school, spoke to more than 170 at the Bountiful Feast event June 27, which was sponsored by the Fellowship’s Spiritual Formation Network. Following Hinson’s remarks, Rick Bennett, the Fellowship’s congregational life specialist, announced that an initial gift of $5,000 had been made to establish a scholarship in Hinson’s honor at the Academy for Spiritual Formation, which is sponsored by Fellowship partner Upper Room. The gift was made by one of Hinson’s students.
Young leaders gather during Assembly
The Fellowship’s network of young leaders, Current, gathered during the workshop “Bono and Billy Graham: Ministering to All Without Losing Me” to address challenges young leaders face in ministry, generational divides and the future of the Fellowship. While affirming the Fellowship’s Initiative for Ministerial Excellence residency program, many attendees voiced concern about the lack of ministerial positions available. They said this trend has caused ministers to seek positions in other areas of ministry. Additionally, Current participants voiced their desire to bridge generational gaps in Fellowship congregations and began to brainstorm about ways to include multiple generations in Current’s annual retreat and events. Many attendees also expressed an eagerness to participate in the ministry of Fellowship churches and ministries that address social justice issues like poverty, HIV/AIDS and community development.
Attendees urged to be advocates
More than 100 people gathered June 28 to learn how to use their voice on behalf of hungry and poor people around the world. Sponsored by the Fellowship and partners Bread for the World and Baylor University’s Center for Family and Community Ministries, the “Freedom from Hunger and Poverty” event explored the role of advocacy in influencing legislation that would reduce global hunger and poverty. Attendees heard from Bread for the World president David Beckmann, U.S. congressman Artur David (D-Ala.) and former undersecretary of state Alan Larson.
C o o p e r a t i v e b a p t i s t F e l l o w s h i p
‘Free to be the Presence of Christ’By CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal
Below is a portion of the remarks made by CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal at the CBF General Assembly. To read Vestal’s complete remarks, go to www.thefellowship.info/News/GAcoverage/070629vestal.icm. To access the audio file, go to www.thefellowship.info/News/GAcoverage/GA07audio.icm.
The question I would ask is “How free are you on the inside?” How much of the freedom that is yours in Christ do you realize and experience? How free are you? Not only from external tyranny but from internal tyranny. How free are you from the impulses, passions and attitudes that keep you from loving God and loving neighbor?
“Free to be the Presence of Christ” is a declaration, an affirmation, a celebration of our birthright as Christians. God says to us “you are free.” You are free to dream, to love, to serve, to give, to hope. You are free to be responsive and responsible. You are free to live in community. You are free to be compassionate and courageous. You are free to be the presence of Christ to one another and to the world.
I believe that within this Fellowship there is a growing awareness of this freedom and a growing commitment to this vision. We are less and less concerned about Baptist politics and Baptist turf. But we are more and more concerned about what God has done for this world in Jesus Christ and more committed to being his presence in the world. We are increasingly free from the pain of the past and fear of the future. We are free from the institutions of the past even as we birth and build a new institution for the present. We are free to work with other people of faith for social justice and racial reconciliation. We are free to celebrate what other groups are doing, even as we celebrate what we are doing. We are free to experiment, to explore and even to fail.
The theme of this General Assembly is not only an affirmation and declaration of reality. It is also a challenge. It is a challenge to us as individuals, as families, as congregations, as a Fellowship. The challenge is — “Be the Presence of Christ” where you live and around the world, among the most neglected, on behalf of the poor and powerless. The challenge is — “Be the Presence of Christ” in community with one another, by word and deed, in the power of the Spirit. The challenge is – “Be the Presence of Christ” whether or not you’re successful by the world’s standards, even if you don’t see results, to the point of death. You are free — “Be the Presence of Christ.”
3f e l l o w s h i p ! G e n e r a l a s s e m b ly 2 0 0 7Inside CBF
• • • • • •
Susan Deal susan Deal served as the music and worship
leader for the 2007 General assembly, helping to plan
the three General sessions and the joint worship with
abCUsa. Currently the music minister at College park
baptist Church in orlando, Fla., Deal has more than 17
years of experience leading worship services.
Deal, who spent the week prior to assembly in
washington with her youth choir, said the biggest
challenge she faced was encouraging intimate
congregational participation in such a vast space.
“in a large event setting, encouraging each attendee to be an active
participant instead of a passive observer is foremost in my mind,” Deal said. “i
ask myself the question, ‘how can i help the individual feel she or he is vital to the
worship of God?’ we want those who attend to join hearts and hands and voices
in glorious praise of our God.”
• • • • • •
Jake MyersFor Jake myers, every time the General assembly
schedule listed “workshops” he had a session to
lead. myers led “emergent tradecraft: homiletics,
hermeneutics, and the missional ethos,” which
focused on one of his passions — the emergent
conversation. he also co-led “an opportunity to meet
with other CbF Church starters.”
“i am passionate about equipping and empowering
people to live missional and culturally relevant
lives,” said myers, who serves as the coordinator
for missional community at wieuca road baptist Church in atlanta, Ga. “this
translates to leading sessions, connecting leaders and engaging in dialogue with
other free and faithful baptists. i try to ask myself the question, ‘what would i like
to have a good conversation about?’ the answers typically fuel the scope of my
session proposals.”
• • • • • •
Ed and Laura Anne Vicked and laura vick have attended
every CbF General assembly,
including the 17th annual in
washington, D.C. last month. at the
second General assembly in 1991,
attendees were voting on a name
for the new baptist body. the name
United baptist Fellowship was being
considered, when ed stood and said,
“baptists have never been united,
but we can cooperate.” he proposed
the name Cooperative baptist Fellowship.
“we’re very interested in the work of CbF and want to support it in that way by
attending and finding out what’s going on,” said ed, a CbF Foundation trustee.
members of First baptist Church of raleigh, n.C., the vicks have three
daughters and six grandchildren, two of which live in switzerland. ed was one of
three founding owners of Kimley-horn and associates, an engineering firm from
which he retired in 2000.
• • • • • •
Nancy Stanton McDaniel nancy stanton mcDaniel traveled 70 miles from
her church in rhoadesville, va., to washington, D.C.,
to attend the CbF General assembly. mcDaniel,
pastor of rhoadesville baptist Church, was one
of the worship leaders at the thursday morning
General session.
“at the General assembly, i love having the
opportunity to fellowship with like-minded baptists,”
said mcDaniel, who has attended five General
assemblies. “the workshops give me creative ideas
for ministry, and the worship is so uplifting and
inspiring. and it’s such a blessing to celebrate the lord’s supper together with all
of my brothers and sisters at the General assembly — that’s always a highlight
for me.”
a virginia native, stanton mcDaniel has been pastor of rhoadesville baptist for
seven years and previously served as moderator of CbF of virginia.
Fellowship People
susanDeal
JakeMyers
edandlauraannevick
A Look Backn 17 years ago
In Atlanta, Ga., CBF held its first General Assembly.
n 11 years agoThe General Assembly voted that CBF would not become a convention.
n 7 years agoThe General Assembly voted to partner with the Ministers and Missionaries Board
of the American Baptist Churches USA.
w w w . t h e f e l l o w s h i p . i n f o
AMONG the stained glass windows at the 205-year-old First Baptist Church are depictions of 28 his-
toric Baptist leaders, including Lottie Moon and George W. Truett. “It’s a pictorial Bap-tist history,” said pastor Jim Somerville.
Located eight blocks from the White House and just down the street from Dupont Circle, First Baptist helped host attendees at the Fellowship’s General Assembly in June. Many church members served as volunteers, the church hosted auxiliary events and Somerville served as the Assembly’s planning committee chairman.
In a city where the main industry is government, many church members are government employees. The church has been home to U.S. Supreme Court justices, foreign ambassadors, members of U.S. Congress and two U.S. Presidents — Jimmy Carter and Harry Truman. But
the church also reaches out to the city’s international residents and the homeless, who are “no farther away from us than the doorstep of the church,” Somerville said.
“We are working to become — more and more — a living, vibrant, bursting-at-the-seams community of Christ in the nation’s capital,” Somerville said. “It’s the hardest work in the world, but also the best.”
terry walton is a special projects manager for the Cooperative baptist Fellowship. walton facilitates the logistical planning of the Fellowship’s General assembly each year. working closely with others who plan the event, walton develops timelines for the event, manages the budget and together with the production company creates scripts. she also coordinates program events, such as the children and youth assemblies.
Hometown: Fairhope, ala.
Education: University of mobile, mobile, ala.
Experience: previously, walton worked as an assistant producer for the weekly televised services of broadway baptist Church in Fort worth, texas, and ran her own communications and marketing consulting business. since she began at the Fellowship 10 years ago, walton has worked in various capacities, including marketing Fellowship products and facilitating the speaker’s bureau.
Interesting Fact: walton organized a trip of mission leaders from CbF to China. the group observed women leaders and witnessed first hand the work of CbF representatives in China.
“i believe that every aspect of my work helps to empower the work of the local church, equip individuals to fulfill their call and supports CbF’s value of partnering with other organizations. General assembly is a visual reminder of what CbF is about. empowering the local church and equipping individuals and partnering happens 365 days a year, but General assembly is the one time we visually experience that with one another.”
C o o p e r a t i v e b a p t i s t F e l l o w s h i p
4 f e l l o w s h i p ! G e n e r a l a s s e m b ly 2 0 0 7
More than 200 Baptists gathered in Senate Park, adjacent to the U.S. Capitol, June 29 for the Baptist Unity Rally sponsored by Fellowship partner Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Baptist leaders recited portions of George Truett’s famous 1920 “Capitol Steps Speech.” U.S. representatives Robert Scott, D-Va. and Chet Edwards, D-Texas, encouraged advocacy for religious liberty principles.
“How blessed we are that our founding fathers, prodded by Baptist leaders, decided that religion should be placed upon pedestals untouched by politicians,” Edwards said. “How blessed we are that a Texas Baptist, George W. Truett, relit the torch of religious freedom by reminding us that ‘God wants free worshippers and no other kind.’”
In May 1920, Truett, pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas, gave a historic speech on the steps of the Capitol, which rallied approximately 10,000 onlookers in support of religious liberty and the separation of church and state. On June
29, following a reading of excerpts from that speech, BJC general counsel K. Hollyn Hollman said, “The mark of religious freedom is Baptist, not for ourselves, but for all people of faith.”
Fellowship Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal spoke to the Assembly’s theme during his remarks to the General Session.
“‘Free to be the Presence of Christ’ is a declaration, an affirmation, a celebration of our birthright
as Christians,” Vestal said. “God says to us ‘you are free.’ You are free to dream, to love, to
serve, to give, to hope. You are free to be responsive and responsible. You are free to live in community. You are free to be compassionate and courageous. You are free to be the presence of Christ to one another and to the world.”
During the June 29 joint worship with CBF and ABCUSA, the first-ever
American Baptist Religious Freedom Award was presented to the Baptist Joint Committee (BJC). Celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2007, the BJC was given a $7,500 gift.
“This will help us fight the fight for another 70 years,” said Brent Walker, executive director of the BJC. “The gift will go to support the campaign to build a center for religious liberty on Capitol Hill.”
“The Minister and Politics: How to be Political without Being Partisan” event June 27 also focused on the opportunities and challenges related to religious liberty.
Sponsored by Fellowship partner Chris-tian Ethics Today, the conference featured panelists Jim Wallis, president and execu-
tive director of Sojourners/Call to Re-newal; Melissa Rogers, visiting professor of religion and public policy at Wake Forest University; Greg Boyd, pastor of Woodland Hills Baptist Church in St. Paul, Minn.; and speaker and author Tony Campolo.
“We need to be careful with religion and politics and how they mix,” Rogers said. “We won’t recognize the gospel of Jesus Christ after the state has subsidized and sponsored it. What we’re going to be left with is a fun house version of our faith that will not serve the cause of Jesus Christ … that will corrode our prophetic witness.”
By contributing writer Bob Perkins Jr., Atlanta, Ga.
With the theme “Free to be the presence of Christ,”
attendees at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
celebrated religious freedom during a number of events at the
General Assembly 5f e l l o w s h i p ! G e n e r a l a s s e m b ly 2 0 0 7
“It is time for congregations to engage the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Nash said. “It is time for a whole new paradigm in which congregations join together in global mission and in partnership with sister congre-gations all around the world for the purpose of learning from each other and of sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Nash, who described the twenty-first century as the century of the local con-gregation in global mission, announced the formation of a missional church team, which will begin work at the CBF Resource Center in Atlanta Aug. 1. The team will work alongside the existing field ministries team in the CBF Global Missions initiative area and be divided into two sub-teams that connect with the Congregational Life and Leadership Development initiatives.
“[CBF is] ready to implement a viable model for global mission engagement in the twenty-first century that encourages and fa-cilitates congregational participation in global mission, affirms and supports the significant work and ministry of field personnel, and en-courages a collaborative and network-based missiological framework that values partner-ship and engagement with other Christians, churches, and institutions,” Nash said.
This new vision and restructuring fol-lows a year of conversation with congrega-tions, mission leaders and field personnel.
The creation of the missional church team is the first stage in the process of integrat-ing congregations. The second stage will focus on engaging congregations more intentionally. The missional church team will work with congrega-tions to determine a model of engage-ment.
“There is no way to say exactly what this model of congregational engagement will look like in the end,” Nash said. “Together, congre-gations, partners and field personnel around the world will shape it and
give it life and vitality and purpose. Con-gregations and CBF field personnel have been hard at work alongside each other for more than 16 years now, ministering in the
world, nurturing relationships and creating ministries that are fully sustainable. In the future, this process of collaborative engage-ment will continue with a great deal more intentionality given to the connection and with the conviction that congregations are as necessary to the effort as field personnel. I am convinced that it is this kind of collab-oration that will make all of the difference in God’s kingdom in the world.”
By Patricia Heys, CBF Communications
to read nash’s complete remarks, go to
www.thefellowship.info/News/GAcoverage/
070629Nash.icm.
to access the audio file, go to www.
thefellowship.info/News/GAcoverage/
GA07audio.icm.
serve – to learn about partnership
opportunities through CbF, contact the
Fellowship at (800) 352-8741.
In his keynote address at the
General Assembly June 29,
CBF Global Missions coordinator
Rob Nash cast a new vision for
the Fellowship’s approach to global
missions, outlining a plan that
will elevate local congregations in
the Cooperative Baptist Fellow-
ship’s global missions strategies.
Nash announces new direction, restructuring of CBF Global Missions
How CBF will facilitate the engagement of congregations in global missions• Consult with congregations in formulating global missions
strategy
• offer congregations training for cross-cultural engagement
• assist congregations in short-term mission engagements
• Connect congregations to the work of field personnel and
partners
• nurture networks of collaboration among congregations
and partners that focus on particular kinds of ministries and
With more than 80 booths, the CBF Resource Fair at the General Assembly provided attendees with opportunities to reconnect and fellowship, learn about resources available through CBF and partner organizations, meet CBF Global Missions field personnel and shop for handmade crafts from around the world. The Missions Marketplace, left, featured products from some of the world’s most marginalized people.
rod
reilly
pho
to
* Due to global security concerns, names and specific locations of some of CBF’s field personnel will not be publicized.
C o o p e r a t i v e b a p t i s t F e l l o w s h i p
EmbracE thE World
Give | The CBF Offering for Global Missions is the funding mechanism for
field personnel salaries, benefits and ministry and operating expenses. By
giving to the Offering, Fellowship Baptists enable field personnel to be the
presence of Christ around the world. To give, call (800) 352-8741 or go to
www.thefellowship.info/involved/give.
serve | Extend the ministries of your church from local communities to global
communities by becoming a CBF partner church. You can partner with
CBF Global Missions field personnel in a variety of ways — from prayer
and emotional support to hands-on missions immersion. To learn more
about partnerships, call (800) 352-8741.
praY | “Praying the Seasons,” a yearly prayer resource that focuses on the
ministries of CBF field personnel, is available free through the CBF Store
at (888) 801-4223. CBF also distributes a monthly list of prayer requests
from field personnel — sign up for Prayer Associates at www.thefellowship.
Cokie and Jay Westfall Affiliatesbangalore,indiaMedicalliaisonandadvocateforholisticministriesHome church: Winter Park Baptist Church, Wilmington, N.C.
* Due to global security concerns, names and specific locations of some of CBF’s field personnel will not be publicized.
w w w . t h e f e l l o w s h i p . i n f o
CBF Global MissionsNewly Commissioned Field PersonnelCBF Global Missions commissioned these new field personnel June 28 at the General Assembly in Washington, D.C.
Give | The CBF Offering for Global Missions is the funding mechanism for
field personnel salaries, benefits and ministry and operating expenses. By
giving to the Offering, Fellowship Baptists enable field personnel to be the
presence of Christ around the world. To give, call (800) 352-8741 or go to
www.thefellowship.info/involved/give.
serve | Extend the ministries of your church from local communities to global
communities by becoming a CBF partner church. You can partner with
CBF Global Missions field personnel in a variety of ways — from prayer
and emotional support to hands-on missions immersion. To learn more
about partnerships, call (800) 352-8741.
praY | “Praying the Seasons,” a yearly prayer resource that focuses on the
ministries of CBF field personnel, is available free through the CBF Store
at (888) 801-4223. CBF also distributes a monthly list of prayer requests
from field personnel — sign up for Prayer Associates at www.thefellowship.
Cokie and Jay Westfall Affiliatesbangalore,indiaMedicalliaisonandadvocateforholisticministriesHome church: Winter Park Baptist Church, Wilmington, N.C.
* Due to global security concerns, names and specific locations of some of CBF’s field personnel will not be publicized.
8 f e l l o w s h i p ! G e n e r a l a s s e m b ly 2 0 0 7
C o o p e r a t i v e b a p t i s t F e l l o w s h i p
Equipping missional churchesMISSIONAL CHURCHES seek to minister by being the presence of Christ both in their local communities and the global community of
God’s world. These visionary churches ask, “What is God wanting us to be, become and do to continue the ministry of Christ in our present
community and global context?”
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship assists churches in many aspects of their missional journey. To learn more about the opportunities offered through CBF,
call (800) 352-8741 or go to www.thefellowship.info.
Resources
Missional Church
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Missional church resourcesit’stime!...aJourneytoward
Missionalfaithfulness
the “it’s time” study series is designed to help congregations discover their
• Call to mission
• passion for ministry
• relationship with God
“it’s time” study participants work together as a group to respond to the questions of
becoming and being a missional church. the typically eight-week study is flexible, to be
used in different formats and times, including as a retreat. the kits include:
book: “it’s time: an Urgent Call to Christian mission” by Daniel vestal.
the work from which the study was born, this book challenges believers
to participate with God on mission.
MemberGuide: the student component of the study, the member Journey
Guide includes devotional material, space for journaling and reflecting, and
guides to study information.
alsowithintheresourceare:
administrativeGuide – guides church leaders in praying, planning and organizing
the study
teacherGuide – steps for facilitators in leading class and small group sessions
DvD – contains resources for carrying out the study.
More resourcesKlesis: God’s Call and the Journey of Faith. Klesis help Christians discover how
God is calling them and how they can be the presence of Christ. more than a
spiritual gifts study, Klesis leads to holistic consideration of unique callings.
Christianityforbeginners: a short Course in Knowing, loving and
Following Jesus. Designed to be taught in small groups, the six-week guide
helps you introduce unchurched persons to the Christian faith and provides
basic information to new believers.
theMissionalJourney: being the presence of Christ in the world.
stories from the new testament church, missional examples, and
suggested resources and processes for focusing a church on its mission.
lightforthepath: a Guide to spiritual Formation resources. For both
individual spiritual formation and congregational, chapters introduce and
recommend resources and approaches to spiritual formation for baptists.
Destinations: a resource for missional Church planning. this new
resource helps churches decide as a community their “destination”
– discern their direction together and map out ways to reach it.
web aides, resource suggestions, ideas for ministry events, and
discussion guides are all part of its planning process.
Equipping missional churchesMISSIONAL CHURCHES seek to minister by being the presence of Christ both in their local communities and the global community of
God’s world. These visionary churches ask, “What is God wanting us to be, become and do to continue the ministry of Christ in our present
community and global context?”
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship assists churches in many aspects of their missional journey. To learn more about the opportunities offered through CBF,
call (800) 352-8741 or go to www.thefellowship.info.
Resources
spark“our boys’ group uses Spark at our church,” says ben Curry of First baptist in lithonia, Ga. “it’s helpful, i think, to divide the group up by ages. we switch off teaching to make that easier, but we can share the same picture packs and resources for the interest areas.”
Flexible for any age of elemen-tary school child, each unit includes six interest areas:
• Using the bible
• meeting the missionary
• tasting the food
• enjoying the arts
• playing the games
• experiencing the culture
formeach issue of Form includes three months’ of lessons; eight pages of color resource items, such as puzzles, pictures and cut-outs; suggestions for arranging learning centers for small groups; and recommendations for leading large group time. lessons (four per month) include:
• story about Fellowship missions personnel
• prayer calendar
• word bank for new terms
• art ideas, puzzles and games
• nature segments
• home-living ideas
• music and movement suggestions
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C o o p e r a t i v e b a p t i s t F e l l o w s h i p
For example, on one Wednesday night a young girl studies what it’s like to be a mis-sionary kid in Thailand — learning about tuk-tuks (motorcycle taxis), eating fried worms as a delicacy and how one pickup truck can change a farming community.
That same night, the girls’ parents lead teenagers in a discussion about Thailand’s Palaung people. The teenagers learn about CBF Global Missions field personnel who work alongside the Palaung as they face challenges to obtain food and water. Inspired by the discussion, the youth
plan an Earth Day awareness service that includes ideas on sustainable agriculture as a way to answer Christ’s call to care for the earth and its people.
And on that same evening, the girl’s grandparents meet in their book club. Guided by their missions education resource, the book club discusses the presence of CBF missions personnel in Thailand — including how their ministry with Christians and Buddhists demonstrates God’s concern for the whole person and for creation. The suggested
book the group chose for the month is Wendell Barry’s “The Gift of Good Land.”
In its second year of production, the newly revised resources for missions education have been met with enthusiasm by hundreds of church groups. At one point, subscriptions had become so popular that a second printing was necessary. Each quarter, the colorful, interactive resources include the same theme in each of the age group publications, so that everyone in a church can study the same topic at the same time.
Upcoming ThemesAcross the congregation’s study of
missions, these topics and themes will be appearing in the upcoming months:• Bali/Indonesia: Art and expression• Los Angeles: Welcoming internationals
• Brooklyn: Arab Americans• Guangxi Provence: Living simply in
China• Zambia: Voices for justice• Greece: Albanians in Greece• Washington, DC: Discerning a call to
missions• Miami: Transforming communities• Alabama: Forgiveness and
reconciliation• Haiti: Medical ministries• New York: Living in the face of death
Try it for freeIf your church or group is interested
in trying Form, Spark, Ignite or Affect, please contact the Resource Center in Atlanta and request a free issue. Call (800) 352-8741 ext. 625 or email requests to [email protected].
Congregations are finding the new missions education resources from
the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship give them just what they need
— and a little more. And one of the unique aspects of the curriculum is that
it’s church-wide.
Missions education for the whole congregation
igniteCreative, flexible uses for Ignite abound. texas pastor velma porraz says she doesn’t teach Ignite, she lets the youth use it to teach themselves.
“a section of each lesson will be picked by one of the youth, who will read it, maybe do a little other research, and then present it to the group,” porraz said. “they have surprised me at how creative they have been, and how seriously they take their sections.”
volume 2 of Ignite focuses on missions understood through the lens of Christian practices. each of the 12 units presents a new spiritual discipline and how it relates to youths’ mission and ministry through:
• Knowing the source (bible study)
• Understanding the need (mission study)
• Following the example (mission project)
• responding in worship (youth-led worship)
affectas the missions education resource for adults, Affect inspires participation in the world of missions. included in the four-page, full-color issue each month are shared stories, a prayer calendar, images of Fellowship field personnel, topics for discus-sion and suggestions for books in “the reading Corner.” a leader’s guide, Using Affect, is provided with every issue to help facilitate sessions. it includes ideas for bible passages, web sites, maps, messages for church bulletins, ways to include mission themes in worship, agendas for sunday school or weekly classes, and plans for large group gatherings.
who is using Affect?
• small groups
• book clubs
• bible studies
• missions-study circles
• sunday school classes
• individuals
Resources
Y o U t h a D U l t s
p r e s C h o o l C h i l D r e n
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NETWORK As a fellowship of Christians and churches, CBF helps to connect Fellowship Baptists across the country and around the world through a variety of networks.
Peer Learning GroupsPeer learning groups meet monthly to
provide ministers with opportunities for worship, spiritual growth, study, discussion of ministry-related issues and fellowship. Currently, there are 71 peer learning groups of 10-14 members. Groups are a component of the Fellowship’s Inititative for Ministerial Excellence.
If you are interested in becoming part of a peer learning group, contact Steve Graham at [email protected] or (800) 352-8741.
CurrentThe Current young leaders’ network
provides opportunities throughout the year for worship, service, networking and fel-lowship. Current participants include stu-dents, ministers and leaders in Baptist life.
To learn more about Current, call (800) 352-8741 or go to www.the fellowship.info/current.
Spiritual Formation Network
The network provides churches and individuals with resources, opportunities for dialogue and events all related to the practice of spiritual formation.
For more information, contact Rick Bennett at [email protected] or (800) 352-8741.
Ministerial Networks Three networks — Children’s
Ministry Network, Youth Ministers Network and Fellowship of Baptist Pastoral Musicians — provide a variety of opportunities for ministers serving on church staffs to connect with their colleagues across the country.
The network allows interim ministers to interact with each other and discuss the unique responsibilities facing pastors who serve during an interim period. CBF also partners with the
Center for Congregational Health to offer certification courses.
RESOURCE As part of CBF’s mission, the Fellowship provides resources to churches and individuals, helping them to “fulfill their God-given mission.”
CBF FoundationThe CBF Foundation provides
churches and individuals with a range of services, helping churches to expand their mission and ministries. Services include administration of charitable trusts and gift annuities, private consultations on endowment principal, assistance with direct donor solicitation and educational seminars on giving options through wills, bequests and trusts.
Contact the CBF Foundation at (800) 352-8741.
Church Benefits BoardCBF’s Church Benefits Board enables
Fellowship partner churches to provide medical and retirement benefits to their ministers and staff. These benefits improve the quality of life for CBF ministers serving across the country.
Contact the Church Benefits Board at (800) 352-8741.
Chaplain and pastoral counselor endorsement
The Fellowship serves as an endorsing body for chaplains and pastoral counselors. Currently more than 550 men and women are endorsed by CBF.
bureau schedules speakers at partner churches. Depending on the needs and interests of the congregation, face2face arranges speakers on a variety of topics — from missions to the “It’s Time” resource to the Fellowship movement.
Contact the speaker’s bureau at [email protected] or (800) 352-8741.
ScholarshipsStudents at the Fellowship’s partner
seminaries are eligible to apply for
scholarships, which cover tuition, books and General Assembly expenses. To learn more about these scholarships, contact a
partner seminary directly and ask about becoming a CBF leadership scholar.
Joel mclendon is a development specialist for the Cooperative baptist Fellowship. mclendon serves as a liaison between churches and CbF. by managing the Fellowship’s database of contributing churches and donors, mclendon helps guide the strategic growth of CbF. mclendon assists individuals in locating CbF partnering churches when they move to a new area or are looking for a new church home. he also connects churches with other Fellowship churches in their own neighborhood or across the country.
Hometown: anniston, ala.
Edutation: berry College in rome, Ga.; emory University’s Candler school of theology in atlanta, Ga.
Experience: at berry College and Candler, mclendon worked as a research assistant. he also worked on the data integration project for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of Georgia. he served as an interim youth minister at First baptist Church, lithia springs, Ga., and currently leads a sunday school class at smoke rise baptist Church, stone mountain, Ga.
Church: smoke rise baptist Church, stone mountain, Ga.
Interesting Fact: while earning his masters of theological studies at Candler, a Fellowship partner school, mclendon became interested in how ideas about God change over time.
“sometimes it’s hard to see the big picture of CbF churches when you’re busy doing the important
work of the local congregation, but the Fellowship movement is very broad reaching. my job is to help the Fellowship movement grow — one of the ways i do that is by helping churches and individuals find one another.”
Clarissa strickland works as a networking specialist with the Fellowship’s leadership development initiative. she coordinates CbF’s reference and referral program, helping CbF partner churches connect with ministerial candidates. strickland also provides resources for established ministers looking for a new place of service and recent seminary graduates looking for a first full-time ministry position. she facilitates leader-Connect CbF, an online resume-matching service.
Hometown: atlanta, Ga.
Education: samford University in birmingham, ala.
Experience: prior to working at CbF, strickland was a high school teacher and medical technologist. her extensive experience in baptist life and denominational matters prepared her for working at the Fellowship.
Church: wieuca road baptist Church, atlanta, Ga.
Interesting Fact: strickland has worked at CbF for 16 years, making her the longest tenured staff member. one of strickland’s passions is sewing, and she frequently makes liturgical items, such as worship banners and stoles.
“although i am not an ordained minister, i see my responsibilities as true ministry. helping to
connect ministers seeking places of service with churches that are looking for pastors and staff ministers seems to fit perfectly with CbF’s mission of ‘serving Christians and churches’.”
