2003 December

The congregation can also celebrate the fact that five

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship global missions field

personnel call the Houston, Texas, church “home.”

“The church has been involved in missions all of

its life,” says David D’Amico, a former minister to

internationals at South Main who now serves as one of

CBF’s field personnel to the United Nations in New

York with his wife, Ana. “Our missionary calling ante-

dates [came after] our involvement with South Main

Baptist Church, but it was reinforced by our 10 years of

service with the congregation,” he explains.

Ana adds: “Every day I serve in New York City at the

United Nations and in my neighborhood, I remember

COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP’S MISSION: SERVING CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES AS THEY DISCOVER AND FULFILL THEIR GOD-GIVEN MISSION.

ChurchesDemonstrate TrueSpirit of Christmas

Texas ChurchAccepts ‘Missional

Possible’

Offering HelpsMost Neglected

in Thailand

Virginia ChildrenImpact

Rural Poverty

IntentionalInterim Ministry

Assists Churches

INSIDE

CBFfellowship!C O O P E R AT I V E B A P T I S T F E L L O W S H I P

DECEMBER 2003

WWW.CBFONLINE.ORG

Missions Vision of Houston Church Reaches around the GlobeW H E N S O U T H M A I N B A P T I S T C H U R C H marked its 100th anniversary in November,

there was much to celebrate, including a ministry-rich heritage and an innovative mission

spirit that reaches from its neighborhood to throughout the world.

South Main volunteers sortand pack shoes collected

for Buckner BaptistBenevolences’ ‘Shoes for

Orphan Souls’ program.

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Online Newsletter

You can access the fellowship! newsletter online in

a PDF format. Go to Newsstand/fellowship! newsletter

at www.cbfonline.org.

[continues p. 2]

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the years I was a member of South Main. I am grateful for

this church. They have called the world to come, they have

embraced the world and they have accepted the peoples of

the world in their own home.”

Aligned solely with the Fellowship, South Main has

innovative missions in Houston, “big time,” according to

its pastor, Steve Wells. The church is a pioneer in teaching

English as a Second Language and a leader in creative inter-

national ministry. The congregation currently reaches out

with programs such as SMILE, the South Main International

Learning Experience, that shows the love of Jesus to immi-

grants and temporary visitors; Friends ‘n’ Deeds, a ministry

offering support to patients at M.D. Anderson Cancer

Center and their families; and Sojourn House, where cancer

patients and their families who come to the Texas Medical

Center can rent an apartment for a nominal fee.

Wells believes South Main’s strong involvement in

missions is a result of the church doing a good job of

developing mature Christians. “South Main is a place where

people come to pray through, think through and wrestle

through what God wants them to do,” he says, “so we get

people who start to wonder, ‘Should I do something occu-

pationally with my Christian faith?’ For some, the answer to

that question has been that their daily work turns out to be

the work of the church.”

In addition to the D’Amicos, the three other South Main

members who have answered the call to CBF Global

Missions are: Sydney Morgan,* who has just finished lan-

guage school in Spain and will soon begin work in North

Africa; and Bill and Michelle Cayard, who have recently

begun an assignment in China.

All three agree that the 2,500-member church’s strong

emphasis on missions partnership encouraged their decisions.

“I have experienced South Main as a church that has

embraced other cultures and related to them as brothers

and sisters in partnership,” Morgan explains. And to the

Cayards, South Main has

been the “tangible evi-

dence” of what they

learned in seminary

about what it means to

be church.

“It is because of our

commitment to the local

church that we value

CBF’s approach to global

missions,” Michelle

says. “Global missions

can only be effective

when it is a partnership between sending and receiving

churches. If our work does not build up the local church on

both sides, it is less than it is called to be.”

“As we begin this new assignment in China, we are

mostly thrilled and thankful,” Bill says. “This is a dream we

have been expecting for 17 years. We are grateful for the

support of CBF churches that make it possible for us to do

this work, and we are grateful for the support of family,

friends and church that have given us their blessing and

prayers to do this work.” f!

* Name has been changed due to security concerns.

For more information about CBF Global Missions career

opportunities, contact Tom Prevost at (662) 871-2444,

[email protected], or Becky Buice Green at (770) 220-1624

or [email protected]. Or go to Missions/Involvement at

www.cbfonline.org.

By contributing writer Gay Campbell, Brentwood, Tenn.

Teens enjoy video games in the after-school program for young people inthe neighborhoods surrounding South Main.

A South Main volunteer teaches needlepoint and cross stitch to partici-pants in SMILE, the South Main International Learning Experience.

Tell Your Story

Let our staff know about ways that

you and your church are actively

engaged in the mission and

ministries of the Fellowship.

Contact Lisa Jones, managing

editor, at [email protected] or

(770) 220-1658.

COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g

w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g DECEMBER 2003

Finley is referring to the yearly involvement of First

Baptist, Savannah, with the Morningstar Treatment

Services – an in-residence facility near Darien, Ga., housing

60 children diagnosed with mental retardation and other

behavioral issues.

“Essentially, we ask members to choose the name of a

child, get sizes and go shopping,” Finley explains. “We

generally buy the same items for everyone.”

Finley says the gifts are then wrapped, placed under the

Christmas tree in the church’s fellowship hall and delivered

to Morningstar during the first part of December to be

included in the gift-giving season.

Another church-wide holiday effort will begin as soon

as the Morningstar project concludes. For eight years,

First Baptist, Savannah, has been involved in an ongoing

partnership with Christians in Cuba, providing Spanish

hymnals, teaching aids, Spanish/English books and

worship-related items. Much needed medicine and

medical supplies, impossible to get in the area, are often

among the items provided.

This year, preparation for the trip takes place during

the Christmas season. Then in January 2004, a 10-person

Partnership Mission Team will carry approximately 700

pounds of medical supplies and medicine to the Genesaret

Baptist Church in the small Cuban town of Sancti Spiritus.

“We have had some touching encounters with people

there,” Finley recalls. “I remember meeting a young cou-

ple in 1997 that approached me looking for medicine for

their newborn child diagnosed with cystic fibrosis – which

is like a death sentence in Cuba.”

Chip Reeves, assistant minister at First Baptist,

Savannah, is an active participant in the seasonal min-

istries. “It sometimes feels like we don’t do enough, but it

is this time of year that helps us understand that we are a

missional church, actually accomplishing missions here

together.”

First Baptist Church, Kannapolis, N.C.This Christmas, First Baptist Church in Kannapolis, N.C.,

seeks to be missional in its area by providing additional

assistance to families affected by the 2003 closing of a

local company headquartered in Kannapolis.

When 7,000 employees in the community lost their

jobs, First Baptist, Kannapolis, established an emergency

food bank and school supply closet. For the holidays, pastor

Tom Cabaniss asked congregation members Lynda and

Melvin Rape to chair the church’s Christmas Toy Ministry,

an effort to help struggling families celebrate Christmas.

Rather than do a “give-away,” Melvin says the church

opted to have a toy store, allowing parents to come in and

shop for children at a greatly reduced price – paying pennies

on the dollar. The proceeds from the toy store will then be

reinvested in the food pantry.

Melvin Rape says families are being added daily to the

qualified shopper’s list, providing a conservative estimate of

several hundred children benefiting from the Christmas

store.

“This overwhelming need creates opportunities for

others to get involved,” he says. “We are relying on generous

contributions to help us provide this ministry.”

For more information on these projects:

• First Baptist, Savannah: Contact the church at (912) 234-

2671, or go to www.fbc-sav.org. Updates on activities can be

found in the online newsletter.

• First Baptist, Kannapolis: Contact Melvin Rape at (704) 932-

1854 or the church at (704) 938-4697.

By staff writer Jo Upton

Two Churches Demonstrate theTrue Spirit of Christmas

“These are children who wouldn’t have much in the way of a Christmas present if it weren’t for

churches and other groups stepping in to help them out,” says John Finley, senior minister at

First Baptist Church, Savannah, Ga.

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Children participate in a Sunday afternoon worship service at a Cubanchurch that meets in the home of one of its members.

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The process meant dramatically boosting First Baptist’s

involvement in the local community. It also meant

thousands of eggs, hammers and paint brushes, heavy

lifting – and even helping people pay for their gasoline.

The church already had made a public commitment to

remain downtown rather than relocate, indicating that

members recognized that the area offered Christ-honoring

ministry opportunities. So when discussions began in

November 2002 on what it meant to be a true missional

body of believers, the ideas began to flow freely.

“First Baptist has a

long history of missions

involvement,” Pastor

Kyle Reese explains. “We

are involved directly in

ongoing mission projects

in Peru, Brazil, Venezuela

and the Ukraine, in addi-

tion to supporting mis-

sion work in the United

States and around the

world through prayer and

financial support.”

But it soon

became apparent

that the congrega-

tion’s local missions

involvement didn’t match its global vision. “We realized we

didn’t really know a lot of the people who lived all around

us,” Reese says. “We started looking for some simple things

that would let us become part of the normal traffic patterns

of their lives.”

So last spring, “Missions … with our community in mind”

involved First Baptist members ages 18 to 85 in six projects:

• repairing and painting two homes as part of the city’s

annual Christmas in April project;

• filling 5,500 plastic eggs with donated candy for First

Baptist’s first city-wide Easter Egg Hunt;

• making crafts and gifts for San Angelo’s House of Faith

(a ministry to “at-risk” and unchurched children, youth

and families) and preparing used Sunday school lessons

for distribution throughout the community;

• packing clothes, medicine and other supplies into a

40-foot sea container bound for Peru;

• providing food for the volunteers; and,

First Baptist volunteers repair and paint ahouse as part of the city of San Angelo’sannual Christmas in April project.

Related Resources

THE FELLOWSHIP has several

resources for churches wanting to

explore the missional journey:

• The Missional Journey: Being

the Presence of Christ. Outlines

the characteristics of missional

churches. Includes a CD of the

video, The Missional Journey:

Being the Presence of Christ.

(free, plus shipping)

• The Missional Journey Guide.

Assists churches as they

discover, claim and commit to

the mission God has for them.

($29.95 for workbook, CD and

binder; $19.95 for workbook

only, plus shipping)

Order from the CBF Resource

Link at (888) 801-4223 or the CBF

e-Store at www.cbfonline.org.

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Texas Church Accepts ‘Missional Possible’Through Community Outreach

S O M E T I M E S T H E B E S T WAY T O S TAY P U T I S T O M O V E O U T. That’s what First Baptist

Church of San Angelo, Texas, found while providing missional ministries that seek to be the

presence of Christ both in the local community and in the global community of God’s world.

The FellowshipMissional Church Initiative



• in the most unusual effort, staffing a neighborhood gas

station for two hours on a Saturday – not only cleaning

windshields and pumping 2,686 gallons of gas, but also

paying 25 cents of the cost of each gallon. (That’s $671.50

if you’re keeping score.)

All expenses were covered by donations outside the

regular church budget.

There was no local publicity (except a sign about the

discounted gasoline posted two hours in advance). Anyone

who asked “why” was told, “this is a gift, no strings

attached. We feel like God wants us to share with others

because He shares with us.”

Since April, different groups have continued the servant

evangelism. In August, the university Sunday school

department helped students move into the dorms at

Angelo State University and passed out drinks and snacks.

A men’s group formed to do home repair and upkeep for

neighborhood residents in need of assistance. The next

step is to open the church facilities for use by local non-

profit organizations. Major annual efforts are planned for

Christmas and Easter.

Reese described one church member’s response as

typical. “He stood up and said, ‘We can stay within the

walls of this church and die – or we can reach out to the

community and grow.’ That wasn’t a great revelation – but

it was to him.”

And missional members make up missional churches. f!

For more information about the Fellowship’s Missional

Church Initiative, contact Bo Prosser at (770) 220-1631 or

[email protected], or Terry Hamrick at (770) 220-1615 or

[email protected].

By contributing writer Craig Bird, San Antonio, Texas

Baptist Studies Program,

Candler School of Theology,

Emory University. The Baptist

Studies program will offer the

following educational opportuni-

ties in Atlanta next year:

• May 6-7, 2004, Theology of

Hope, featuring Jurgen

Moltmann

• Sept. 16-18, 2004, New

Vision of Youth Ministries

• Oct. 11-13, 2004, Role of

Church in Health.

For more information,

contact David Key, director of

the Baptist Studies program,

at (404) 727-6350 or

[email protected].

Campbell University Divinity

School. The divinity school will

begin offering a Doctor of

Ministry degree in January 2004.

Less than a year after

Jimmie Suggs graduated from

the divinity school, he became

the first alumnus to create a

scholarship. He and his wife,

Janice, recently created a

scholarship in honor of retired

pastor Roger White and his

wife, Mildred.

Central Baptist Theological

Seminary. The seminary is

launching a Missional Church

Institute led by Robert E.

Johnson, associate professor

of church history and missiology.

The seminary recently

named John O. Propert, a

1962 Central graduate,

“Alumnus of the Year.” He has

been an American Baptist

pastor for more than 45 years.

A special January term class

will include a missions trip to

Haiti, Jan. 7-24, 2004. Students

will minister alongside the

Nzunga family, an American

Baptist missionary family who

were missionaries-in-residence

at Central last year. Robert E.

Johnson will coordinate the

class.

McAfee School of Theology,

Mercer University. The

theology school has established

the Sylvan Hills Baptist Church

Endowed Chair of Baptist

History.

The chair was endowed by

the members of Sylvan Hills

Baptist Church in Atlanta, using

part of the funds received from

the selling of the church’s

property. The chair will be held

by Wm. Loyd Allen, professor

of church history and spiritual

formation at McAfee.

Truett Theological Seminary,Baylor University. Todd Stillhas joined the Truett faculty as

associate professor of

Christian scriptures. He was

formerly the Bob D. Shepherd

Chair of New Testament

Interpretation at the M.

Christopher White School of

Divinity at Gardner-Webb

University.

The Divinity School, WakeForest University. The Divinity

School Spring Convocation has

been scheduled for 11 a.m.,

Jan. 20, 2004, in Wait Chapel

with James M. Dunn, adjunct

professor of Christianity and

public policy, as the keynote

speaker.

Class Notes: News from Partner Schools

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Volunteers wash the windshield and pump gas for one of the driversthey served at a neighborhood gas station.

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Both people groups have two significant similarities: dire

physical needs and an animistic religion that attributes

conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature. The

Pegueros are Fellowship global missions field personnel

working alongside the Karen and Lahu people in Northern

Thailand, hoping to minister to both their physical and

religious needs through medical ministry.

One of the populations the Pegueros work among is

youth hostels supported by local Thai churches. “In those

villages where they [the Karen and Lahu people] are, there

is no school, and mainly these children have to come from

their villages to the city where the school is located,” Ascanio

explains. “The church is ministering to those people as they

build a place for them to stay as they go to school.

“There in the hostel, they not only receive love but also

receive a place to sleep, a place to live,” Ascanio adds.

“Together with that, they will have a meal, they will learn the

Bible, and they will also learn things about their own culture,

including their own language.”

Painting one of these hostels on a missions trip with

Louisville’s Crescent Hill Baptist Church was Ellard’s first

contact with the Karen people. It was then that the children

captured her heart.

“The Karen of

Northern Thailand are

now my Jerusalem,”

says Ellard, referring to Acts 1:8, where Jesus tells his fol-

lowers to share the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and

everywhere in the world. “They may not be closest to me in

geographical terms,” Ellard continues, “but they’re certain-

ly closest to me in terms of my concern, my love and my

passion for those people.”

The theme for the Fellowship’s 2003-04 Offering for

Global Missions is “Everyone … Everywhere, Being the

Presence of Christ.”

As the Pegueros work alongside the Karen and Lahu

people, they are careful to respect their native culture. “We

believe that the Holy Spirit can work in our brothers and

sisters and can envelope a church according to God’s will,

and according to their own culture. So, instead of coming to

lead them, we have come to walk by their side in the ministry

that God has called them to do,” Ascanio emphasizes.

Through it all, the Pegueros believe that prayer is the

foundation of their ministry. “Through prayers, God gives

us vision. Through prayers, God talks to us. So people

praying [for us] will help us find solutions to our problems,”

Ascanio says.

So what does a world without borders look like? “Just

stretch your arms as far as you can to minister to all the

people that you can,” Ascanio says. f!

Volunteer opportunities to serve in Thailand with the Pegueros

are in development. Contact the CBF Global Missions Office –

Raleigh for updates on these opportunities at (877) 856-9288

(toll free), (919) 754-8649 or [email protected]. Go to

www.destinationmissions.net for additional volunteer

opportunities.

For more information about the Offering for Global Missions,

click on the “Offering for Global Missions” button at

www.cbfonline.org or call (770) 220-1653. Use the contribution

envelope in this issue to enable the Offering to meets its

$6.1 million goal. Please mark your check “Offering for Global

Missions.”

By contributing writer Amy Walker, Atlanta

Annette Ellard spends time with a young girl at the House of Love inThailand. The House of Love, a part of the Health Project for TribalPeople, is home to hill tribe women and children infected with HIV orwho have been orphaned by HIV.

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Missions Field Personnel Serve Most NeglectedAlongside Northern Thailand Churches

A LT H O U G H A S C A N I O A N D YA N I R A P E G U E R O live and work in Northern Thailand,

while Annette Ellard lives and works in Kentucky, all three share a common

bond: a deep love and affection for the Karen and Lahu people groups.


THEY MAY HAVE TRAVELED THE WORLD , but many

teenage missionary kids (MKs) think of themselves as no

different from teens whose parents don’t serve on the

missions field.

“We watch movies, go to the mall, drink coffee, and yep,

... we even get in trouble, sometimes,” says 16-year-old

Alyssa Aldape, whose parents serve as Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship global missions field personnel in India.

Though they may face the typical challenges of teenagers,

children of field personnel have unique opportunities –

related to travel, different languages and new cultures –

and specialized needs. “They are kids,” emphasizes

Barbara Baldridge, CBF Global Missions co-coordinator.

“They are not official field personnel from the Global

Missions office perspective,” she adds.

“We’re committed to providing resources for their

education and for their physical and mental health,”

Baldridge says.

The Fellowship helped meet those needs through a

recent week-long retreat attended by 25 MK teenagers.

“I could relate to all the campers, because they knew

what I was going through,” Alyssa says.

The Bible studies and MK discussions were thought-

provoking, says Faith Shaw, who enjoyed spending time

with other teens during the retreat. “Some of the best

parts were just watching movies, and also just hanging out

before we had to go to sleep,” says the 15-year-old whose

parents serve in Macedonia.

While CBF Global Missions does not treat MKs as official

young missionaries, some of the children and teenagers

have their own ministries. “I love to sing and dance and

I’ve always loved being on stage,” says Christen “Sissi”

Green, who belongs to a contemporary Christian Belgian

singing group. “So being able to share my faith in ways

that I love is the summit of happiness for me.”

The hardest part of being an MK is not knowing where

you belong, says the 17-year-old whose parents serve in

Belgium. Sissi, who spent her first seven years in Africa,

has spent all of her teenage years in Belgium.

“I feel part American, but when I go to the States, I

don’t fit in,” she says. “I don’t quite fit here in Belgium,

because I’m from America.” But despite some of the draw-

backs of living between cultures, Sissi says she wouldn’t

change a thing. “I have learned to disagree with a culture

or religion as well as understand, love and respect them,”

she says.

CBF Global Missions structure includes a Member Care

counselor who relates directly with children of field per-

sonnel and their families.

Milton Womack, Fellowship associate coordinator for

Member Care, offers suggestions for churches and indi-

viduals who want to help meet the needs of children of

field personnel. They can pray specifically for MKs,

“adopt” an MK who goes to college by providing encour-

agement and affirmation, and provide educational support

for MKs in non-U.S. or home-schooling situations.

Children and teens also can provide personal contact with

their MK peers.

Womack concludes by echoing the sentiments of the

young people: “Our MKs are kids just like all kids, but

[they] have a maturity from being part of the CBF missions

family that sets them apart in a positive way.” f!

For more information about providing support for MKs, contact

Milton Womack at (281) 395-3759 or [email protected].

The Fellowship’s January 2004 missions education curriculum

highlights the children of Fellowship field personnel.

(Annual subscription: adult and youth, $20; children and

preschool, $80. Shipping will be charged.) To order, contact

the CBF Resource Link at (888) 801-4223.

By Lisa M. Jones, CBF Communications, and staff reports

Missionary Kids Face SameChallenges as Other Teens

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Lindsay (left) and Alesha Dawson, whose parents serve in Russia,embrace after finishing a boat tour in Prague during an MK retreat.

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“MINISTRY DOESN’T HAVE TO BE LONELY,” says

Courtney Krueger, pastor at the First Baptist Church of

Pendleton, S.C. “It is possible to drop the masks – and any

competition we might ordinarily feel as clergy – and actually

develop a community of people who love and understand

you.”

Krueger’s participation in an all-clergy Companions in

Christ group – a 28-week small group spiritual formation

resource from Upper Room Ministries – started last year as

part of a successful Cooperative Baptist Fellowship pilot

group.

“Clergy are in need of support and connection to other

clergy. Many of them are isolated,” says Eileen Campbell-

Reed, CBF spiritual formation consultant. “When we

offered a way, a structure for them to connect to each other

through Companions, they did – quite hungrily.”

“Companions is really well done,” Krueger explains. “They help you ‘get your foot in the water’ before you are

asked to reveal too much. Then, in the fifth week, they ask

you to share your faith stories.”

It was during this sharing that Krueger says their group

was “absolutely solidified.”

“We didn’t give ‘Sunday school’ answers at that point,”

he continues. “We really went deep and took risks, revealing

things we hadn’t told many others. That week made the

group.”

As the Companions study concluded, the group made the

decision to remain together, reluctant to end what they now

considered a valuable spiritual bond. An offer to participate

in the newly formed Fellowship peer learning networks was

the perfect answer. Participants in the First Baptist, Pendleton, peer learning group meet inthe "picnic house" during warmer months.

Members of the First Baptist Church of Pendleton peer learning groupstarted out as an all-clergy Companions in Christ group.

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Companions in Christ, Peer Learning GroupsProvide Freedom from Isolation for Clergy

“I COMPLETED Companions in

Christ. It was a great experience.

What should I do now?”

If you have completed the

spiritual formation resource and

are looking for another small

group resource, or guidance for

a personal devotional practice

that will nourish your spiritual

life, you may want to consider

these resources:

FOR SMALL GROUPS

Two additional resources in

the Companions series are now

available for small groups:

• The Way of Forgiveness*

(8 weeks). Focuses on

forgiveness as understood in

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.

(participant’s book: $12 ,

leader’s guide: $8)

• The Way of Blessedness*

(9 weeks). Focuses on living

in the reign of God as under-

stood in the Beatitudes.

(participant’s book: $12,

leader’s guide: $8)

• Weavings reading group.

Focuses on the articles of the

bi-monthly spiritual journal

and encourages group members

to share ways the content

provides openings into their

own life stories and God's

presence and work in those

stories. (6 issues, 1 year, $24)

FOR INDIVIDUALS

• Creating a Life with God: The

Call of Ancient Prayer

Practices by Daniel Wolpert

• On the Way to Bethlehem:

Reflections on Christmas for

Every Day in Advent by Hilary

McDowell

• A Guide to Prayer for All

God's People by Rueben P.

Job & Norman Shawchuck

(Prices vary.)

All items are available from

Upper Room by calling (800)

972-0433 or visiting

www.upperroom.org.

* Items available from the CBF

Resource Link. To order, call

(888) 801-4223 or visit the CBF

e-Store at www.cbfonline.org.

Shipping will be charged.

Spiritual Formation Resources


Terry Hamrick, CBF leadership development coordinator,

says the peer learning groups – part of the Initiative for

Ministerial Excellence, a Lilly Endowment funded pro-

gram – has allowed participants to remain “connected.”

“Their need to be together in a group, even after the

Companions experience, was not satisfied,” Hamrick says.

“The need for mutual support to avoid the isolation

[among clergy] is the overriding factor here. They valued

the ‘group-ness,’ fellowship and togetherness – needs the

peer learning groups are trying to address.”

Hamrick says the time spent together during Companions

will accelerate the positive effects of the peer learning

networks.

“These groups already have a high level of trust. They

will be able to go right into more difficult subjects, areas of

real need or concern.”

Beth L. McConnell, associate pastor for education at

Greenlawn Baptist Church in Columbia, S.C., also partici-

pated in an all-clergy Companions group that remained

together.

“We just did not want to disband [after Companions],”

McConnell says. “It was such a good experience for us. It is

very difficult to come together as ministers and learn to be

vulnerable with each other and move beyond just the

information side of small groups.”

McConnell feels this type of support is often missing

among the clergy.

“In our Baptist churches, we know how to have wonderful

Sunday school classes, support groups and missions, but

to be on spiritual journey together – where we share our

faith walk and relationship with Christ – I’m not sure

we’ve done that in quite the same way that Companions has

led us to do.”

McConnell says the offer to participate in a peer learning

network was “perfect timing,” providing encouragement

for the group to remain intact.

Hamrick says the positive experiences of these two

groups define the primary goal of the peer learning net-

works: “We want to provide a community for folk to be in,

addressing the loneliness/isolation issue and providing

continuing education and support.” f!

To learn more about peer learning networks, contact Terry

Hamrick at (770) 220-1615 or [email protected].

For more information about Companions in Christ, call

Upper Room Ministries at (800) 972-0433 or go to

www.companionsinchrist.org.


For more information about becoming part of a “Spiritual

Formation Network,” watch upcoming issues of fellowship!

FAITH FO

RMATIO

N

9

The First Baptist Church of Pendleton peer learning group includes:(seated, l-r) Mary Frances Thompson, Jack Couch, Marcia Stow,(standing, l-r) Ellen Sechrest, Mark Wise, Marcy Mynatt, CourtneyKrueger, Eddie Fort, Beverly Greer.

THE FELLOWSHIP recently endorsed 18 chaplains and pastoral

counselors. The Fellowship now has a total of 352 endorsed

chaplains and pastoral counselors. The following individuals

were endorsed recently:

HOSPICE CHAPLAINS: Richard E. Atkinson Jr., Odyssey

Healthcare, LaGrange, Texas; J. Rodney Bolejack, VistaCare

Hospice, Temple, Texas

HOSPITAL CHAPLAINS: Julia T. Cadenhead, Department of

Veterans Affairs, Pensacola, Fla.; Laura A. Mannes, Jefferson

Regional Medical Center, Pine Bluff, Ark.; B. Wayne Morris,

Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Lawton, Okla.; Kevin J.

Park, St. Joseph Hospital, Bellingham, Wash., and Washington

Army National Guard; Carl N. Price, St. Thomas Hospital,

Nashville, Tenn.; Peter D. Stephens, Eastern Kentucky Veterans

Center, Hazard, Ky., and U.S. Army Reserve; H. Jackson Younts,

Pee Dee Regional Center, South Carolina Department of

Disabilities and Special Needs, Florence, S.C.

MILITARY CHAPLAINS: Jeffrey L. Cantrell, U.S. Air Force,

Austin, Texas; John T. Johns, U.S. Navy, Mayport, Fla.; John

Mark Ritchey, U.S. Air Force Reserve, Lexington, Texas; Julie

M. Rowan, U.S. Army, Fort Gordon, Ga.; Arthur L. Wiggins, U.S.

Navy and Mary Washington Hospital, Fredericksburg, Va.;

Matthew S. Wysocki, U.S. Army, Fort Gordon, Ga.

PROFESSIONAL CHAPLAINS: Gwyen A. Driskill-Dunn, board

certified chaplain, Association of Professional Chaplains, Fort

Worth, Texas; John D. Emmart, board certified chaplain,

Association of Professional Chaplains, Stoughton, Wis.; Bethany

L. McLemore, fellow, American Association of Pastoral Counselors;

pastoral counselor, Pastoral Counseling Center of the Roanoke

Valley Inc., Roanoke, Va.

For more information on chaplaincy and pastoral

counseling, contact George Pickle at (770) 220-1617 or

[email protected].

Fellowship Endorses New Chaplains,Pastoral Counselors

10

GLO

BAL

MIS

SIO

NS

& M

INIS

TRIE

S

A L ITTLE BOY NAMED JOHN , attending Vacation Bible

School at Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., puts a

crumpled dollar bill into an offering plate. Weeks later, on

the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, a child checks

out a book from a church library. How are these two children,

nearly a continent apart, tied together?

Thanks to the generosity of John and others at Bon Air,

nearly $1,500 was raised through a special offering for

Partners in Hope, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s

rural poverty initiative. In turn, $250 was given to establish

a library where Native American children can go to learn.

Partners in Hope is the Fellowship’s 20-year missions

commitment to join forces with people in some of the

poorest counties in the United States as they change their

quality of life. Celebrating its third anniversary, Partners in

Hope has conducted ministries and established partner-

ships in eight counties across the U.S., with inroads cur-

rently being made into four more, the latest of these

Shannon and Todd counties in South Dakota.

Upon hearing of the Partners in Hope initiative, Lucy Dorr,

associate pastor for children’s ministries at Bon Air Baptist

Church, says she thought it would be enthusiastically supported

by her church. John’s response was just one of many.

“One of our teachers got a note from John’s mother,”

Dorr says. “In it, she wrote that their family didn’t have a

lot of money, but John had been

saving his dollar for a long time. He wanted to give his dol-

lar to help another child who needed it.”

With matching funds from the Partners in Hope budget,

the Bon Air Vacation Bible School donation grew to $3,000

and was shared not only with Rosebud Reservation but also

five other communities where the following initiatives took

place:

• 35 children in Kentucky received clothes and school

supplies.

• Summer ministries were supported for children and youth

in Perry County, Ala.

• Aid was provided for children and youth ministry devel-

opment in Mississippi.

• A new toy-lending library was furnished in Arkansas.

• Housing restoration was funded for a family in Texas.

In South Dakota, in addition to the gift to establish the

church library on the Rosebud Reservation in Shannon

County, money was given for the networking of computers

for youth in GED classes and learning job skills on the Pine

Ridge Reservation in Todd County. In both counties, where

the population is primarily Native American, the unem-

ployment rate is 80 percent and nearly 45 percent of the

people live below the poverty line. f!

By contributing writer Bob Perkins Jr., Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Cou

rtes

y of

Ste

ve J

ohns

on


Gifts of Virginia Children Impact Livesthrough Partners in Hope

TEN-YEAR-OLD Malory Johnson, a member of

Central Baptist Church of Bearden in

Tennessee, became aware of HIV and AIDS

through an educational program at church

last December in response to World AIDS

Day. Having participated in several projects

working with Samaritan Ministry – a church

ministry to individuals with HIV/AIDS in the

Knoxville area – Malory began connecting

human faces to the disease.

As a Girl Scout, Malory wanted to use the

annual cookie sale to help those with AIDS.

Each year, Troop 262 participates in a

community project called the “Gift of Caring”

– allowing those who buy cookies to

purchase an extra box to be given to a local

charity. Malory explained the work being

done through Samaritan Ministry to her

troop. The girls agreed to the project,

ultimately selling 60 boxes of cookies that

were included in the ministry’s regular monthly

food delivery to people with HIV/AIDS.

Malory’s parents, Glenda and Steve

Johnson, say Malory has “a sincere heart for

community service.” Working as church youth

leaders for more than 10 years, the

Johnsons exposed her to community needs

by involving her in youth group ministries.

“Malory learned the value of helping

others as a ‘tag-a-long’ on the projects,”

Glenda says. “We are proud of her willing-

ness to make a difference.”

By staff writerJo Upton.

Cookies Can Make a DifferenceGirl Scout Leads Project for AIDS Ministry


THE LOSS OF A LONGTIME PASTOR can happen to

any congregation. During this uncertain time, many

churches improve congregational health, while establishing

the basis for a meaningful relationship with their next

pastor, through an intentional interim ministry.

Offered through the Center for Congregational Health

in Winston-Salem, N.C., the intentional interim ministry

is a five-step program taking 12 to 18 months and explained

on their Web site as “a process that guides a congregation

to explore its history, decision making, denominational

relationships and core identity before the congregation

authorizes the search for a new pastor.”

First Baptist Church of Dalton, Ga., had been searching

for a new pastor for nearly two years when the decision was

made to contact the Center for Congregational Health.

Through the intentional interim program, Roger Lovette

was called as interim pastor.

Paula Batts, licensed marriage and family therapist and

member of First Baptist, describes the program as “therapy

for the church.”

“Our church staff was so weary,” Batts explains. “The

extra work that senior pastors usually do, like funerals and

weddings, our church had to do.”

Batts notes that the church had excellent guest speakers

to supply the pulpit, but that the church needed more than

a “great 11 o’clock corporate hour of worship.”

“We needed someone on-site during the week,” Batts adds.

“We needed to see the lights on in the senior pastor study.”

Batts feels that Lovette provided the spiritual anchor

and direction the congregation needed during his ministry,

preparing the church to work alongside new pastor Bill

Wilson when he stepped into the pulpit this August.

Wieuca Road Baptist Church in Atlanta is presently

involved in the intentional interim ministry. Having deter-

mined two years ago to have a primary relationship with

the Fellowship, Wieuca used the time devoted to examining

denominational ties to strengthen their existing association.

“[Wieuca] had already taken a pro-CBF stance,” says

Charles Horton, Wieuca’s intentional interim pastor. “So

we decided to reinforce the present relationship and educate

our people as to what it is about.”

Horton served as pastor for nearly 23 years at College

Park Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla., before becoming

part of the intentional interim team. He says congregational

feedback on the process “has been excellent.”

Les Robinson, vice president for the Center for

Congregational Health and manager of interim ministry

resources, says the center has trained slightly more than

1,400 ministers for the interim program.

“Once the interim gets there, things begin to settle in,”

Robinson says. “People feel continuity and the anxiety

begins to drop. They can then concentrate on finding a

pastor in agreement with the congregational mission.” f!

For more information on the intentional interim ministry,

contact Les Robinson at (336) 716-9722 or [email protected].

Or go to www.healthychurch.org.


Intentional Interim MinistryHelps Strengthen Congregations

NETWORKING/BUILDING COM

MUNITY

11

“Once the interim gets there, things begin

to settle in. People feel continuity and

the anxiety begins to drop.”— L E S R O B I N S O N , V I C E P R E S I D E N T, C E N T E R

F O R C O N G R E G AT I O N A L H E A LT H

“CHURCHES NEED not despair

when they become pastorless

– there is an active network in

CBF available to help identify

true Baptists who can serve as

pastors,” says Bob Beck,

national chair for the

Fellowship’s Interim Pastor

Network (IPN).

Beck, a retired pastor in Fort

Worth, Texas, has worked as

national chair for IPN for three

of the four years since the

network began.

“CBF’s Interim Pastor

Network works in each state

where we have a major

presence,” Beck says. “We are

proactive, watching for churches

that find themselves without a

pastor, then providing names

and resumes of potential

interims.”

Network volunteers serve in

various geographic locations.

Fellowship congregations or

individuals interested in the

process can find out who is in

charge of the IPN program in

that area by contacting their

local Fellowship state or

regional office.

Beck concludes that IPN is

always concerned about the

full-time pastor called to

minister within each church,

but stresses that “our stated

purpose is to recommend good

interim pastors.”

For more information about

the Interim Pastor Network,

contact Bob Beck at (817)

294-5511 or [email protected].

Fellowship Interim Pastor Network

12

CBF

LEAD

ERSH

IP

AFTER TWO YEARS OF FOCUS on finances, the

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Coordinating Council was

able to focus on ministries and initiatives in its October

deliberations in Atlanta.

“We had a very productive meeting and left energized

after hearing how our staff and missions personnel are

being the presence of Christ where they serve,” said the

Fellowship’s moderator, Cynthia Holmes of St. Louis, Mo.

“The meeting inspired Council members to go and do

likewise.”

The Fellowship’s 72-member Council was led in devotions

and heard reports from CBF Global Missions during each

of the plenary sessions. The reports came from regional

missions team leaders representing work in Europe,

Northern Africa, the Middle East, North America and Asia.

“Our role in CBF Global Missions is to fan the flames of

passion for missions,” said Barbara Baldridge, co-coordi-

nator of CBF Global Missions.

The Fellowship’s national coordinator, Daniel Vestal,

brought a report on progress on such key issues as finances,

growth and collaborative partnerships around the world.

“We are gaining consensus around our vision – being the

presence of Christ,” Vestal said.

“We will fulfill our vision as we, as individuals, are

responsive and responsible,” Vestal said. “We will fulfill our

vision as we, as a fellowship, collaborate as community.

Most importantly, we will fulfill our vision with an absolute

dependence on God.”

In addition to the Baptist World Alliance, which granted

the Fellowship membership at its July meeting in Rio de

Janeiro, Brazil, Vestal reported meaningful collaboration

with the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, American

Baptist Churches in the USA, the Baptist General

Convention of Texas, Baptist General Association of

Virginia, the North Carolina Baptist State Convention, the

Washington D.C. Baptist Convention and Canadian Baptist

groups, among others.

Council Finance Committee Chair Philip Wise of

Lubbock, Texas, reported that through the first three

months of this fiscal year, revenues are keeping pace with

the budget. He also said the staff is monitoring revenue

closely and is prepared to make adjustments as the year

progresses. f!

By Lance Wallace, CBF Communications


CBF Coordinating Council ReceivesGood Report on Key Initiatives

THE COORDINATING Council’s

other business included the

following action:

• The Council adopted the

finance committee recom-

mendation of setting a not-

to-exceed figure for the

fiscal year 2004-05 budget

at $16,008,000. Staff has

begun budget planning for

the next fiscal year and will

propose a budget to the

Council’s finance committee

in December. The finance

committee will bring a

recommendation to the

Council in February 2004,

and the General Assembly

will adopt a budget in June

2004.

• Personnel Committee Chair

Elizabeth Barnes of Raleigh,

N.C., announced the

personnel committee is

evaluating the scope of the

Resource Center Coordinator

position, seeking input from

staff, Coordinating Council

members and state and

regional membership. The

personnel committee will

present recommendations to

the Council when it meets in

February. The search will

begin following that meeting.

The position became vacant

when Reba Cobb resigned

to accept a position

elsewhere.

• Michele Deriso, the

Fellowship’s associate

coordinator for congregational

life, announced that the

theme of the 2004 General

Assembly in Birmingham,

Ala., June 24-26, will be

“Being the Presence of

Christ… Today… Tomorrow…

Together.” For more

information about next

year’s General Assembly,

see p. 15 of this issue.

• The partner study committee

met for the first time. Chair

Charles Cantrell of Mountain

View, Mo., reported the

group began by defining the

questions the committee

needs to address and set

the parameters for the

committee.

• Phill Martin of Richardson,

Texas, past moderator and

chair of the 18-member

nominating committee,

announced the committee

will seek input from the

Fellowship for the next

moderator-elect. Bob Setzer,

pastor of First Baptist

Church in Macon, Ga., is the

current moderator-elect.

Coordinating Council Business


GEORGIACOOPERATIVE BAPT ISTFellowship of Georgia has started a

Vocational Awareness Initiative with

the help of David Odom of the

Center for Congregational Health.

Eleven Georgia ministers, led by

Stephen Cook, pastor of First Baptist

Church, Morrow, met as a group for

the first time. The group is under the

supervision of Devita Parnell, CBF

of Georgia associate coordinator for

congregational life, who led an initial

meeting to seek ways to encourage

congregations to recognize and

nourish individuals who are called

into the pastoral ministry.

Natalie Nicholas Adams and

Tony Adams are leading a CBF of

Georgia church start in Cumming

called Bannister Creek Church.

Natalie serves as pastor and leader/

trainer of the ministry team, and

Tony serves as leader/trainer of the

launch team. For more information,

go to www.bannistercreekchurch.com.

North Broad Baptist Church in

Rome recently called Tony and

Katrina Brooks as co-pastors.

Milledge Avenue Baptist Church

in Athens has begun raising funds for

a joint Habitat for Humanity house

with Congregation Children of Israel

and the Al-Huda Islamic Center in

Athens. Construction on the project,

named “Abraham Habitat House,” is

scheduled to start in early 2004.

KENTUCKYNEW CHURCH START Anchor

Baptist Church in Richmond, Ky.,

recently started work on a building.

Currently meeting on the Eastern

Kentucky University campus, Anchor

is led by retired U.S. Army chaplain

Ron Porter.

MISSOURIORBIT MINISTRIES of St. Louis is

planning a new Hispanic church in

conjunction with the Fellowship and

the Hispanic Baptist Convention of

Texas as part of their partnership to

start 400 Hispanic churches during

the next eight years. CBF Missouri

continues to support the work of

Pueblo De Dios, a new Hispanic

church start in Columbia.

NORTH CAROLINACBF OF NORTH CAROLINA began

offering children’s retreats in

November and has two more events

scheduled in February. The retreats

cost $20 and are scheduled from 10

a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 6 at First

Baptist Church, Raleigh, and on Feb.

28 at First Baptist Church, Hickory.

The cost includes a long-sleeved

T-shirt, games, Bible study, music

and a special guest speaker. Visit

www.cbfnc.org/youth for more

information.

FELLOWSHIP FARE

13

Fellowship Roundup News from CBF’s states, regions and national offices

Coming Attractions

Dec. 22-26

CBF Resource Center Closed

The Fellowship Resource Center will be closed

for the Christmas holiday. The Fellowship staff

wish you a wonderful holiday.

Feb. 18-21

current Retreat

Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas

Speakers: George Mason, Diana Garland

Information: www.currentonline.org or call Mary

McCoy, (770) 220-1637

Feb. 29-March 3

True Survivor Gathering for Christian

Educators

Providence Baptist Church, Charleston, S.C.

Cost: $50 per person, plus lodging

Speaker: Dan Bagby of BTSR

Contact: Toni Draper, (770) 220-1654,

[email protected], or Bo Prosser, (770) 220-

1631, [email protected]

For a complete schedule of events, go to

Community/Calendar at

www.cbfonline.org.

NORTH CAROLINA: After hearing about the need for a tractor at a North African orphanage,the children of Cullowhee Baptist Church in Cullowhee decided to ask the congregation to helpthem raise money to buy one. During the children’s time in worship for several weeks, the childrenpassed the collection plate for the tractor. The children raised $255.59 and presented a checkto CBF of North Carolina Missions Coordinator Jim Fowler during a special presentation.

Cou

rtes

y of

Cul

low

hee

Bap

tist

Chu

rch

14

FELL

OW

SHIP

FAR

E

TENNESSEEFIVE MEMPHIS -AREA CHURCH-ES are working together on a Habitat

for Humanity house, the 250th to be

built in Memphis. The churches are

First Baptist Church, Second Baptist

Church, Union Avenue Baptist

Church, East Acres Baptist Church

and Trinity Baptist Church.

TEXASCBF TEXAS HAS FOUND a home at

the Ruble Community Center in San

Antonio. CBF Texas Coordinator Rick

McClatchy can be reached there at

(210) 732-2225 or at [email protected].

CBF Designated Giving at All-Time HighA RECENTLY COMPLETED AUDITof the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s

fiscal year 2002-03 finances by its

independent public accountant showed

revenues for the fiscal year reached an

all-time high of $24.5 million. Of that,

$20.8 million came from churches and

individuals while the remainder came

from a grant from the Lilly Endowment

Inc., resource sales and other earnings.

Total revenue increased by 15.1 percent

compared to the previous fiscal year

with contributions from individuals

increasing by 18 percent and contri-

butions from churches falling by 2.1

percent.

While total revenue for the year was

at an all-time high, undesignated

contributions, which came in at $9.03

million, were flat compared to the

previous fiscal year. The Offering for

Global Missions raised $5.32 million,

short of the $6.1 million goal but on

par with the previous year. Softness in

these two areas resulted in the

Fellowship dipping into reserves by

$513,000.

The Fellowship maintains operating

reserves of $8.3 million. The Fellowship

is also proceeding with a plan to

restore the $513,000 to the reserves

as contributions grow during the next

few years.

Designated contributions have

experienced a 28 percent increase

over 2001-02. To break down the des-

ignated category even further, the

Offering for Global Missions brought

in $5.3 million during this fiscal year,

roughly the same as in 2001-02.

Other designated gifts jumped by 52

percent, from $6.04 million in fiscal

2001-02 to $9.2 million in fiscal

2002-03. This increase is attributed

to the grant from the Lilly Endowment

and an anonymous $5 million gift.

“We are committed to being the

presence of Christ in the world,” said

Daniel Vestal, national coordinator of

the Fellowship. “We do this through

our missionaries around the world

and through many, creative and inno-

vative ministries. We also do this

through our partners. As the economy

provides us with windows of opportunity

to improve our ministry and sharpen

our focus, we will continue to look for

ways to strengthen our relationship

with our partners and allow them to

share in the ups and downs of doing

ministry in uncertain economic

times.”

The Fellowship has also begun

several new projects under the lead-

ership of Vestal and a new growth

team. Because of this work, the

Fellowship remains optimistic about

future growth.


Vol. 13, No. 8

CBF COORDINATOR • Daniel Vestal

EDITOR • Ben McDade

MANAGING EDITOR • Lisa M. Jones

PHONE • (770) 220-1600

FAX • (770) 220-1685

E-MAIL • [email protected]

WEB SITE • www.cbfonline.org

fellowship! is published 8 times a

year in Jan./Feb., Mar., April/May,

June/July, Aug., Sept./Oct., Nov., Dec.

by The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,

Inc., 3001 Mercer University Dr.,

Atlanta, GA 30341-4115.

Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta,

GA, and additional mailing offices.

USPS #015-625

POSTMASTER:

Send address changes to “fellowship!”

Newsletter, Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship, P.O. Box 450329,

Atlanta, GA 31145-0329

CBF Year-end Contributions

Fiscal Year 2001-02 2002-03

Contributing Churches 1,715 1,819 6.1%

Church Contributions $13,929,598 $13,640,915 -2.1%

Contributing Individuals 3,128 3,773 20.6%

Individual Contributions $6,104,366 $7,205,837 18.0%

CBF Ministries (undesignated) $8,943,419 $9,031,800 1.0%

Designated Giving* $11,358,291 $14,522,428 27.9%

Total Contributions $20,301,710 $23,554,228 16.0%

Resources & Earnings $1,002,964 $961,556 -4.1%

Total Revenues $21,304,674 $24,515,784 15.1%

* includes Offering for Global Missions and Lilly Foundation grant (2002-03)

Increase/decrease


CBF Church Benefits Board AchievesMilestonesTHE CHURCH BENEF ITS BOARD (CBB) of the

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship achieved several notable

milestones in the recently concluded fiscal year, including

surpassing $10 million in total assets, increasing mem-

bership from 300 to 440 and growing from 80 participat-

ing employers to 134.

“This is real growth, and we’re excited about the

prospects for this year,” said Gary Skeen, CBB president.

“Everyone continues to wonder about the direction of the

markets and the impact that will have on their retirement.

The good news for church staffs is that CBB is holding its

own and providing access to retirement plans and medical

coverage that they may not have had before.”

Through a partnership with the American Baptist

Churches USA benefits arm, known as the Ministers and

Missionaries Benefit Board (MMBB), the Fellowship has

been able to offer competitive benefits packages to those

in ministerial vocations, and many times, at a considerable

cost savings.

“Nobody particularly wanted to insure a group of just

six full-time staff members, and while we managed to get

medical coverage through another company, the premi-

ums went up 25 percent after the first year,” said John

Finley, pastor of First Baptist Church, Savannah, Ga.

“Right at that moment, the option through MMBB opened

up and we literally took $25,000 out of the next year’s

budget in savings on the medical premium alone. That was

$25,000 that we were able to put toward a host of better

causes and ministries.”

CBB was strengthened in the spring by a $500,000 des-

ignated gift, part of a $5 million gift to the Fellowship that

was designated primarily for global missions and church

starts. In April, total assets exceeded $10 million and now

stand at more than $11.6 million. For the calendar year

2002, rollover dollars exceeded $2 million, and monthly

billings have exceeded $2 million.

Skeen expects continuing growth, especially in light of

the first quarter growth of 18 percent in new accounts.

“Word is spreading that CBB is a viable option for

churches and ministers in need of competitive benefits

plans,” Skeen said. “As more and more churches and

ministers look to us for management of their benefits,

we’re working to provide the best level of service while

finding ways to improve what we offer.” f!

(News articles by Lance Wallace, CBF Communications)

FELLOWSHIP FARE

15

JOHN KINNEY, dean of the

theology school at Virginia

Union University in Richmond,

Va., will be the keynote

speaker at the Fellowship’s

General Assembly in

Birmingham, Ala., June 24-26.

He will lead participants

in exploring the Assembly

theme of “Being the Presence

of Christ… Today…

Tomorrow… Together.”

Kinney’s career in

theological training spans 20

years. He received a Ph.D.

from Columbia University/

Union Theological Seminary

in 1979. He currently serves

as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist

Church in Beaverdam, Va. In

addition to his pastoral

duties, he serves as a

consultant to the American

Baptist Convention, the

Progressive National Baptist

Convention, the Baptist

General Convention of

Virginia, and both the United

States Navy and Army

Chaplain Corps.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodations for the

2004 General Assembly in

Birmingham, Ala., are filling

up quickly as participants

make plans to attend.

At the time this issue

went to press, accommoda-

tions were still available at

the following locations:

• The Tutwiler Hotel: rate:

$100 single, $109 double,

two blocks from the

convention center

• Radisson Hotel

Birmingham: rate: $89

single/double, 1.5 miles

from convention center.

No rooms are available at

the Sheraton Birmingham,

the host hotel.

Hotel reservations can be

made online at www.cbfon-

line.org/community/ga2004

or by filling out the form in

the September/October

2003 issue of “fellowship!”

All requests for room

reservations must be made

in writing or by the Internet.

Contact S Stewart &

Associates at (770) 619-

9671 for more information.

General Assembly 2004:Kinney Named Keynote Speaker

John Kinney

P. O. Box 450329

Atlanta, GA 31145-0329

Address Service Requested

A D V E N T 2 0 0 3D O X O L O G Y, C O N F E S S I O N , W I T N E S S

I worship the living, loving God, Creator and Sustainer of all that exists.

I follow Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, the image and incarnation of the invisible God, the Savior for all humanity and the crucified, resurrected Lord.

I trust the Spirit, present and active in the world, in the church and in the lives of individuals.

I read the Scripture, Old and New Testaments, as the divinely inspired record of God’s self-revelation, the written word of God.

I love the Kingdom of God – God’s order of things – as present in Jesus and now available to all who accept it.

I celebrate the mystical presence of Christ in the gathered church and the continued mission of Christ in the scattered church.

I anticipate life beyond death, the resurrection of the body, a final judgment and a future glory that words cannot describe.

I cherish — the truth and power of prayer,

— the beauty and goodness of life, — the redemptive power of pain and suffering,

— the pure joy of family and friends.

I affirm the freedom of conscience and competency of every person to respond to God for themselves.

I believe in the love and grace of God for all people, including those whose confession is different than this one.

By Daniel Vestal, coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Documents

2003 December