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.
Phot
os c
ourt
esy
of S
outh
Mai
n Bap
tist
Chu
rch
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]
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.
BU
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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.
Cur
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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.
Phot
os c
ourt
esy
of F
BC, S
an A
ngel
o
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
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
• 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
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
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
BU
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Volunteers wash the windshield and pump gas for one of the driversthey served at a neighborhood gas station.
6
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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.
Mar
iann
e Ta
ylor
pho
to
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g
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.
w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g DECEMBER 2003
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.
Milt
on W
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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.
Phot
os c
ourt
esy
of C
ourt
ney
Kru
eger
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g
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
w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g DECEMBER 2003
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.
By staff writer Jo Upton
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
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
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g
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
w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g DECEMBER 2003
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.
By staff writer Jo Upton
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
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g
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
w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g DECEMBER 2003
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.
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g
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
w w w . c b f o n l i n e . o r g DECEMBER 2003
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
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