By Kristen Thomason

Chaplains and pastoral counselors share God’s love during life’s most difficult moments. To honor their calling and commitment, CBF presents the Carl Hart Award for Excellence in Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Ministry to a CBF-endorsed chaplain or pastoral counselor who exemplifies excellence in ministry in a specialized setting. Nominated by her peers, and chosen by the CBF Council on Endorsement, this year’s recipient is the Rev. Dr. Cecelia Walker.  

A fourth generation Baptist who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, during the Civil Rights struggle, Walker says she learned first-hand that, “the message of Christ to love our neighbor as ourselves was not just a slogan.” The granddaughter of a Baptist minister, she was nevertheless surprised when she felt God calling her to vocational ministry. “I didn’t think as a woman there would be a place for me in ministry.” Trusting in God’s faithfulness, Walker enrolled in Samford’s Beeson Divinity School and earned her Master of Divinity degree, followed by a doctorate from the Morehouse School of Religion in Atlanta. 

As she was discerning the direction of her ministry, Walker’s husband died unexpectedly. A caring hospital chaplain supported her during this crisis. “It was a sacred time for me and my mother… I was able to say goodbye with dignity.” Profoundly moved by her experience, Walker became a chaplain herself. She takes to heart the passage from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, which says God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 

In her work as a chaplain, Walker uses her own loss and life experiences to help those facing similar situations. Whether she’s rubbing lotion on a patient’s feet, advocating for the families of patients, or supporting the spiritual needs of hospital staff, Walker is intentional about “respecting and valuing the imago Dei in each person.” Walker works hard to ensure that everyone who enters the hospital feels the love of Jesus, no matter their religious beliefs. She says, “I am motivated to do this work, because I am called to do so. I determined a long time ago that I would do my best to serve God and His people. I am honored to serve. I show up each day because I have experiences that inform my caring in a way that supports and comforts others.” 

As the executive director of Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education at Brookwood Baptist Health System in Birmingham, Walker is sharing what she’s learned from her time in ministry with the next generation of chaplains and chaplain educators. She is especially interested in teaching chaplains and students to better care for the diverse populations in their communities. Walker is also the current board chair for the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). Under her leadership, the ACPE redesigned and implemented new outcomes for Certified Educator Certification. Walker also supported ACPE members during a difficult accreditation process with the U.S. Department of Education. 

In addition to her ministry as a chaplain, Walker is the associate pastor at Greater Shiloh Baptist Church in Birmingham. She was recently named Beeson Divinity School’s Alumna of the Year and was elected to Samford University’s board of trustees.  

Cecelia Walker says she would not be able to serve the way she does were it not for CBF, “To be endorsed by CBF is not just ‘jumping through a hoop’ or ‘checking off a box’. It is another level of support and accountability that helps me to serve in ways that sustain the ministry I am called to do and safeguards those whom I serve.” She has served two terms on the CBF Council on Endorsement and is currently serving on the CBF Ministries Council for CBF Global Missions as well as the Alabama CBF Coordinating Council. “As a Chaplain, I am very concerned about ministering to those suffering, and CBF’s commitment to serve underserved people wherever we can, makes it a great home for me.”  

For her dedicated service to God and her community, CBF is pleased to award the 2025 Carl Hart Award for Excellence in Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Ministry to the Rev. Dr. Cecelia Walker.  

By CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is committed to ministry among immigrants and refugees.

This statement is true today and it has been true for our entire history. From our inception, we have been commissioning field personnel to serve among migrant populations of the world and for more than two decades we have had a team of field personnel serving in the United States doing ministry with people from other countries.

A significant number of CBF partner congregations are engaged in direct ministry with immigrants and refugees, either through partnerships with our field personnel, relationships with local faith-based nonprofits or ministries they have developed themselves. Some of those ministries are explicitly focused on immigrants and refugees, while others serve immigrants in the context of ministries with a wider focus such as feeding ministries, housing ministries and educational programs.

In these days there are voices and powers increasingly politicizing questions about immigration. Cooperative Baptist Fellowship partner congregations who engage these ministries range from our most theologically conservative to our most theologically progressive and represent everyone in between. People who volunteer in those ministries voted in every way imaginable with every possible emotion in the most recent and previous elections.

Beyond the work of our field personnel and the ministry of our congregations, our Fellowship also stewards partnerships with other organizations who are similarly involved in these ministries.

Why is this so?

As followers of Jesus the most important answer is that we are doing what Jesus tells us to do. Most directly, Jesus said in Matthew 25: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Many people forget that as a child, Jesus himself lived life as a refugee. His parents took him in his earliest years and fled the country of his birth because of the cruelty of Herod’s regime.

In the faces of immigrants and refugees who are fleeing political or religious persecution, or who are seeking sanctuary from tyrants, we see nothing less than the face of Jesus. To welcome a stranger is to welcome Jesus.

Furthermore, in his first mission sermon, Jesus announced that his calling was to “bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind and to let the oppressed go free.” When we show hospitality to immigrants and refugees, when we help them find home, health, life and opportunity among us, we are fulfilling that mission of Jesus.

Jesus’ command to welcome strangers and therefore welcome him, continues a prominent theme of Old Testament scriptures. In Exodus and Deuteronomy, the Hebrew people are charged to welcome strangers because they were once strangers in Egypt. The prophet Micah commands that faithful people “do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.”

Other New Testament scriptures affirm Jesus’ mandate as well. In Romans 12:9, Paul commands that we show hospitality to strangers. In Ephesians 2:19, Paul promises “you are no longer strangers and sojourners but fellow citizens with the saints.” In Hebrews 13, the writer affirms that when we show hospitality to strangers, we entertain angels without knowing it.

Jesus told us to and the Bible commands us to minister among immigrants and refugees. Those are the most powerful reasons Baptist Christians do anything.

We have other reasons as well. When we meet immigrants and refugees from around the world, we see children of God, made in the image of God, loved unconditionally by God as are all people of the world. We know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is intended as “good news of great joy for all people” because that’s what the Christmas angels told us.

With the most quoted words of Scripture of all, we know that “God so loved the world.” For this, reason among many others, we reject the dangerous ideology of white supremacy or any suggestion that God loves people of one nation more than God loves people of other nations.

The most essential identifying mark for Christians is not documents we hold but rather the professions of faith we make in Jesus and a life we live together in the power of Christ.

Since the beginning, the church has been a global community. Ever since Jesus gave the Great Commission, the church has had a global vision, as he charged us to make disciples among people of all nations.

We have sisters and brothers in Christ from every nation, who speak every language, so we are not surprised that many of the immigrants and refugees we meet in our communities share a common commitment to follow Jesus and just like us are “citizens of the household of God.”

The waters of baptism are more powerful than national citizenship, heart language or any other barrier.

Because God’s love is global and because the church is global, we also know that God has always worked in the world by sending people across borders and boundaries. That was true early in the biblical story when God called Abram to leave his country and go “to the land I will show you.” It was true when Paul travelled across the known world working with people from many cultures to start churches.

There has always been an unmistakable connection between the mission of God and migration. God sends people from us and to us to do God’s work among us. That’s why when we receive strangers we entertain angels. God sends people from other places with other gifts to strengthen our faith and advance the ways we serve God’s mission.

Prior to my call to serve as CBF Executive Coordinator I had the privilege of joining a group of lay leaders from a church in a visit with one of CBF’s Global Missions field personnel who served among migrants in another country. One of my deacons asked the field personnel: “Why do you think God is calling CBF to serve among migrants?”

The answer: “Because God is sending those migrants to renew the church here.” Put differently: “Show hospitality to strangers because in doing so you entertain angels without knowing it.”

As I stated above, in these days there are voices and powers increasingly politicizing questions about immigration. For almost all Cooperative Baptists I have met, this question is not first and foremost political. Our ministries with immigrants and refugees are a matter of deep faith in that they flow from the commands of Jesus and the teachings of Scripture.

Our Fellowship has been faithfully engaged in these ministries long before most of today’s state and federal leaders entered public office, and our congregants participating in these vital ministries come from both major political parties in the United States. The mandate to which we respond was issued thousands of years ago and its truth has been borne out across history.

Why do we still do ministry among immigrants and refugees? Jesus commands it. The Bible requires it. God’s love is Global. The church is Global. Or, as the hymn sung in many of our congregations puts it powerfully: “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley serves as Executive Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Por Paul Baxley, Coordinador Ejecutivo de la CBF

El Compañerismo Bautista Cooperativo está comprometido con el ministerio entre inmigrantes y refugiados.

Esta afirmación es cierta hoy y lo ha sido durante toda nuestra historia. Desde nuestros inicios, hemos comisionado a personal de campo para servir entre las poblaciones migrantes del mundo y durante más de dos décadas hemos tenido un equipo de personal de campo sirviendo en los Estados Unidos haciendo ministerio con personas de otros países.

Un número significativo de congregaciones asociadas a CBF están comprometidas en el ministerio directo con inmigrantes y refugiados, ya sea a través de asociaciones con nuestro personal de campo, relaciones con organizaciones de fe locales sin ánimo de lucro o ministerios que han desarrollado ellas mismas. Algunos de estos ministerios se centran explícitamente en los inmigrantes y refugiados, mientras que otros sirven a los inmigrantes en el contexto de ministerios con un enfoque más amplio, como los ministerios de alimentación, vivienda y programas educativos.

En estos días hay voces y poderes que politizan cada vez más las cuestiones relativas a la inmigración. Las congregaciones asociadas al Compañerismo Bautista Cooperativo que participan en estos ministerios van desde las más conservadoras teológicamente hasta las más progresistas teológicamente y representan a todos los que están en medio. Las personas que trabajan como voluntarias en esos ministerios votaron de todas las formas imaginables con todas las emociones posibles en las elecciones más recientes y en las anteriores.

Más allá del trabajo de nuestro Personal de Campo y del ministerio de nuestras congregaciones, el Compañerismo también administra asociaciones con otras organizaciones que participan de manera similar en estos ministerios.

¿Por qué?

Como seguidores de Jesús, la respuesta más importante es que estamos haciendo lo que Jesús nos dice que hagamos. Más directamente, Jesús dijo en Mateo 25: “Fui forastero y me acogisteis”. Mucha gente olvida que, de niño, el propio Jesús vivió la vida de un refugiado. Sus padres, durante su más tierna infancia, huyeron con él del país donde había nacido a causa de la crueldad del régimen de Herodes.

En los rostros de los inmigrantes y refugiados que huyen de la persecución política o religiosa, o que buscan refugio de los tiranos, vemos nada menos que el rostro de Jesús. Acoger a un extranjero es acoger a Jesús.

Además, en su primer sermón misionero, Jesús anunció que su vocación era “llevar la buena noticia a los pobres, la liberación a los cautivos, la vista a los ciegos y la libertad a los oprimidos.” Cuando mostramos hospitalidad a inmigrantes y refugiados, cuando les ayudamos a encontrar hogar, salud, vida y oportunidades entre nosotros, estamos cumpliendo esa misión de Jesús.

El mandato de Jesús de acoger a los extranjeros y, por tanto, de darle la bienvenida a él, es un tema destacado de las escrituras del Antiguo Testamento. En el Éxodo y Deuteronomio, se ordena al pueblo hebreo que acoja a los extranjeros porque ellos fueron extranjeros en Egipto. El profeta Miqueas ordena al pueblo fiel “hacer justicia, amar la bondad y caminar humildemente con Dios”.

Otras escrituras del Nuevo Testamento afirman también el mandato de Jesús. En Romanos 12:9, Pablo ordena que mostremos hospitalidad a los extranjeros. En Efesios 2:19, Pablo dice “ya no sois extranjeros ni forasteros, sino conciudadanos de los santos”. En Hebreos 13, el escritor afirma que cuando mostramos hospitalidad a extraños, hospedamos a ángeles sin saberlo.

Si Jesús dijo que lo hiciéramos y la Biblia nos ordena que ministremos entre inmigrantes y refugiados nosotros lo haremos. Esa es una razón suficientemente poderosa que mueve lo que hace un cristiano bautista.

También tenemos otras razones. Cuando nos encontramos con inmigrantes y refugiados de todo el mundo, vemos a hijos de Dios, hechos a imagen de Dios, amados incondicionalmente por Dios como lo son todas las personas del mundo. Sabemos que el Evangelio de Jesucristo pretende ser “una buena noticia de gran alegría para todos los pueblos”, porque eso es lo que nos dijeron los ángeles en la Navidad.

Como dicen las palabras más citadas de la Escritura sabemos que “Dios amó tanto al mundo”. Por esta razón, entre muchas otras, rechazamos la peligrosa ideología de la supremacía blanca o cualquier sugerencia de que Dios ama a las personas de una nación más de lo que ama a las personas de otras naciones.

La señal de identidad más esencial de los cristianos no son los documentos que poseemos, sino la profesión de fe que hacemos en Jesús y la vida que vivimos juntos en el poder de Cristo.

Desde el principio, la Iglesia ha sido una comunidad global. Desde que Jesús dio la Gran Comisión, la iglesia ha tenido una visión global, ya que nos encargó hacer discípulos entre las personas de todas las naciones.

Tenemos hermanas y hermanos en Cristo de todas las naciones, que hablan todas las lenguas, por lo que no nos sorprende que muchos de los inmigrantes y refugiados que encontramos en nuestras comunidades compartan el compromiso común de seguir a Jesús y, al igual que nosotros, sean “ciudadanos de la casa de Dios.”

Las aguas del bautismo son más poderosas que la ciudadanía nacional, la lengua del corazón o cualquier otra barrera.

Porque el amor de Dios es global y porque la Iglesia es global, también sabemos que Dios siempre ha trabajado en el mundo enviando a personas más allá de fronteras y límites. Eso fue cierto al principio de la historia bíblica cuando Dios llamó a Abram a dejar su país e ir “a la tierra que te mostraré”. Fue cierto cuando Pablo viajó por todo el mundo conocido trabajando con personas de muchas culturas para fundar iglesias.

Siempre ha existido una conexión inequívoca entre la misión de Dios y la migración. Dios nos envía a nosotros y también a personas para hacer la obra de Dios entre nosotros. Por eso cuando recibimos a extraños agasajamos ángeles. Dios envía personas de otros lugares con otros dones para fortalecer nuestra fe y avanzar en la forma en que servimos a la misión de Dios.

Antes de ser llamado a servir como Coordinador Ejecutivo de CBF, tuve el privilegio de unirme a un grupo de líderes laicos de una iglesia en una visita a uno de los miembros del personal de campo de Misiones Globales de CBF que servía entre migrantes en otro país. Uno de mis diáconos preguntó al personal de campo: “¿Por qué cree que Dios está llamando a CBF a servir entre migrantes?”.

La respuesta: “Porque Dios está enviando a esos emigrantes para renovar la iglesia aquí”. Dicho de otro modo: “Muestra hospitalidad a los extraños porque al hacerlo, sin ni siquiera saberlo, hospedas ángeles”.

En estos días hay voces y poderes que politizan cada vez más la cuestión de la inmigración. Para casi todos los Bautistas Cooperativos que he conocido, esta cuestión no es primeramente política. Nuestros ministerios con inmigrantes y refugiados son un asunto de profunda fe que fluyen de los mandamientos de Jesús y de las enseñanzas de las Escrituras.

El Compañerismo se ha dedicado fielmente a estos ministerios mucho antes de que la mayoría de los líderes estatales y federales de hoy en día ocuparan cargos públicos, y nuestros feligreses que participan en estos ministerios vitales proceden de los dos principales partidos políticos de Estados Unidos. El mandato al que respondemos se emitió hace miles de años y su verdad se ha confirmado a lo largo de la historia.

¿Por qué seguimos trabajando con inmigrantes y refugiados? Jesús lo ordena. La Biblia lo exige. El amor de Dios es global. La Iglesia es global. O, como dice con fuerza en la versión en inglés de un himno que cantamos en muchas de nuestras congregaciones: “Sobre Cristo la roca sólida estoy, todo otro terreno es arena movediza”.

El Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley es Coordinador Ejecutivo del Compañerismo Bautista Cooperativo.

By Jonathan Bailey, CBF field personnel

It has now been six and a half months since Nyoman Darsane, my mentor and friend of almost 30 years, passed away. His son, Yoseph, also a painter, has spent much of the time since then completing a museum of his father’s work adjacent to the studio where most of paintings and drawings were made.  

Darsane was a prolific painter, melding biblical themes with Balinese notions of the divine in the image of traditional dance, shadow theater and the ever-present cosmology that intermingles two worlds: sekala and niskala, the seen and the unseen. For Darsane, Balinese thought provided him a ready roadmap of the sacred, helping him to divine in the stories of Jesus particularly the whispers of God that were suited to the Balinese ear.   
  
Whether in word, song, story or image, Darsane was always asking a simple question, “Where is God?” His first response drew on an old Balinese koan-like saying: “the search for God is like looking for the footprint of a bird in flight.” For Darsane the artist, there was something intriguing about the illusiveness of God, the sheer difficulty in apprehending the mystery of Divine Presence. I think it was his commitment to translating that mystery into image, into dialog, into art, that gives his work such power to charm.  

Having questioned the notion of finding God at all, Darsane would then explain that the Balinese believe that at the cremation, the soul of the one who has died is finally released from the body. It goes first to the one who guards the west, the place of the setting sun and asks, “Is God in the West?” The guardian replies, “No. God is not in the west. Go back.” The spirit travels to the east and again asks, “Is God here in the east?” The guardian of the east answers the same. “God is not here. Go back.” And so the soul travels to the eight directions, one after the other, in search of God and eight times is told to return. Darsane then explains. “In reality, God is at the center point between east, west, north and south. The center is also where your heart is, where God is hidden in the midst of us.” The Balinese represent these eight directions and a ninth center point with a mandala like image called the nawa sangga. The symbol is constellated at each point with an aspect of God, a color, a sound, a weapon, a bodily organ and more. In Bali it has a variety of functions but for Darsane, it was its capacity to hold the question of God that he loved most. 

This week in Bali, my team of musicians and dancers will begin rehearsing a new work for Balinese gamelan titled “Constellations” by Andys Skordis and dramaturgy by Jelena Vuksanovic. Most of the 20 people involved in the performance knew and loved Darsane. This work takes its inspiration from the nawa sangga and the value that Darsane found in it for his own search for God. “Constellations” is a tribute to him. Look for it soon on YouTube! 

By Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley

On February 4, 1968, just months before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood in the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to preach a sermon titled “The Drum Major Instinct.” Working powerfully and faithfully from the text in Mark where Peter, James and John come to Jesus desiring to sit at his right and left hand in the kingdom, Dr. King held up the profound truth that what we see in these disciples, namely a desire to be first and most important, is a quality that is present in all humans across all areas of life. He described that desire to “be out front, lead the parade, a desire to be first” and called it a drum major instinct. 

King’s sermon warns prophetically of the all the ways this instinct can lead to severe societal and personal damage. In human beings, it produces arrogance, social exclusivism, violence, financial irresponsibility and a host of other behaviors designed to get attention at any cost or overpower others for personal gain.  Unchecked, and on a larger scale, it produces conflict between nations, racial injustice and economic disparity. 

It is undeniably the case that racial division is rooted in white supremacy, which is nothing less than an unchecked need of one race to have dominance over all others. 

In the late 1960s and in the mid 2020s, we see the ways the desires of some nations to have unchecked power and dominance lead to the annihilation of people in other nations. 

The political environment today is characterized by an extreme kind of drum major instinct, where individual political leaders press the pre-eminence of their views and policies at the exclusion of any other or any possibility of compromise. On interpersonal levels, it is even more true today than in 1968 that the need for attention, the need for personal advancement, an obsession with self-interest that is now known as narcissism is destroying people, families, relationships and communities. 

I cannot help but believe that Dr. King would describe that narcissism as nothing more than an extreme embodiment of the drum major instinct, another example of the way in which the instinct “is not harnessed, it becomes a very dangerous, pernicious instinct.”

We might anticipate, even as Dr. King did, that because of all the dangers of this drum major instinct that Jesus would unconditionally reject it when it found expression in the request of his three disciples to sit at his right and left hand.  Remarkably, that is not the call Jesus issues, and the text from Mark’s Gospel cannot be heard today that way anymore than it could at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Instead, Jesus calls for a focusing of the drum major instinct, a redemption of it by giving his disciples direction on how they are to express a desire for greatness as his followers. Hear Dr. King’s profound proclamation today:

“Jesus said in substance, ‘Oh, I see, you want to be first. You want to be great. You want to be important. You want to be significant. Well, you ought to be. If you’re going to be my disciple, you must be.’ But he reordered priorities. And he said, ‘Yes, don’t give up this instinct. It’s a good instinct if you use it right. It’s a good instinct if you don’t distort it and pervert it. Don’t give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be first in love. I want you to be first in moral excellence. I want you to be first in generosity. That is what I want you to do.’

And he transformed the situation by giving a new definition of greatness. And you know how he said it? He said, ‘Now brethren, I can’t give you greatness. And really, I can’t make you first.’ This is what Jesus said to James and John. ‘You must earn it. True greatness comes not by favoritism, but by fitness. And the right hand and the left are not mine to give, they belong to those who are prepared.’ And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness.”

Having established the new standard for greatness, the proper focus of the drum major instinct, Dr. King expresses a profound hope as to how he would be remembered: 

“Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness.”

As we pause on this day to remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., faithfulness does not demand that we fully release the drum major instinct. But discipleship demands that we allow it to be redeemed so that we can participate in God’s transformation of the world through Jesus Christ. 

Our world today is torn apart by all the pernicious ways a desire to be first can distort personality, demolish relationships, destroy communities and turn people and nations against one another. 

In the midst of all of the violence, injustice, hate and frustration that abounds today, there is an ever-present temptation to meet the unbridled desire for greatness with unbridled greatness of our own. But that only perpetuates the cycles that threaten to undo us completely. There is an equally great temptation today to believe there is nothing that we can do, no power we have, no agency we hold, no capitals or opportunities at our disposal to be used for anything good. But that kind of surrender also allows unfettered egoism and violence to persist. 

What is needed today are Christians and congregations who allow Christ to remake the drum major instinct within us so that we can be instruments of peace, demonstrations of hope, catalysts for justice and brokers of resurrecting love.

How can you and I, in our lives, our congregations and our Fellowship, lead toward a world that is more like the one for which Jesus came, taught, lived, died and rose again? What words must we speak? What new financial investments can we make? What new partnerships can we forge? What acts of justice can we perform? Is there an act of service we can offer today?

The last line of Dr. King’s sermon offers us a prayer we can each pray in our own words: “Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.”

Lord, make us drum majors for a new creation.

Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley is Executive Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Jeffrey A. Howard, CEO, The Resource Hub; CBF Emmanuel McCall Initiative consultant

“Don’t ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” —Howard Thurman

The above quote from Black Christian mystic Howard Thurman resonates with me, capturing what is currently saving my life: my passion for social justice, the deconstruction of white theology and my commitment to a more just world for people of color. This inner fire propels me forward as a Black male in a world that often overlooks me, empowering me to uplift narratives and engage in spaces that affirm
my voice.

My journey began with an awakening to the systemic injustices that pervade our society. Witnessing the disparities faced by Black communities in the year of the unrest while pastoring an all-white church, unable to engage in the fight, awakened a conviction within me. This sentiment drives my work, compelling me to confront and dismantle the oppressive structures that seek to silence and marginalize people of color. As I do the personal work of deconstructing white theology, while embracing Black liberation theology, I have reclaimed a faith rooted in the struggle for justice and equality.

In my ministry, I strive to create spaces where Black voices are not only heard, but celebrated. I am dedicated to ensuring that the stories of those who are least, left out and overlooked are brought to the forefront. This mission is not just about speaking out against injustice; it’s about building a community where young Black individuals can see their worth and potential. I want to pave the way for a future where my soon-to-be four-year-old, Hudson the Great, and my soon-to-be eight-year-old, Ladybug, can thrive without apologizing for who they are. I want them to grow up in a world where their voices are valued and their contributions recognized.

Finally, my passion for social justice and dedication to my ministry are what make me come alive. They give me purpose and drive, reminding me that my voice matters. As I navigate spaces that often seek to undermine and dismiss my experiences, I am committed to creating opportunities for myself and others to speak out and be heard. By doing so, I hope to contribute to a world where Black narratives are uplifted, Black engagement is encouraged and every individual has the opportunity to live fully and freely. This is what is saving my life right now, and it is what keeps me moving forward with hope and determination.

PRAY, PRACTICE, PONDER
Lord, torment me. Keep before me the faces of the hungry, the lonely, the rejected and the despised. Inflict me with pain for those who hurt, are wounded, are oppressed, are abused and are victims of violence. Lord, give me a burning thirst for justice and righteousness. Give me the hope of Harriet, the writing skills of James Baldwin, and the ability to get into “good trouble” like the Honorable John Lewis. Help me, God, to leave this world a better place and, when I’ve done all that I can do, allow me to hear, well done! Ase and Amen.

By Marv Knox

Carrie Jarrell-Tuning followed God’s prompting and Google’s pointing to become the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s first Black female church starter.

She had been sensing God’s guidance to leave the staff of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Triangle, Va., and to start a congregation in her hometown, Roanoke Rapids, N.C.

“The Lord seemed to be saying, ‘Go home to Roanoke Rapids and start a church,’” Tuning recalled. “I had not lived there in 40 years, and I didn’t really want to leave Mount Zion. But we don’t pick our assignments; God does.

“So, I was trying to show the Lord I would be obedient to the call he had on my life. I was saying, ‘Lord, show me what you want me to do.’ I Googled something about church starting and Roanoke Rapids, and the first thing that came up said CBF was looking to start a church in that area.”

She sent an email to Andy Hale, CBF’s church-starting director at the time. Soon, she joined a new church-starting cohort, which led to her commissioning at the CBF General Assembly in Greensboro, N.C., in the summer of 2016.

Although Tuning’s path to church starting pivoted on a single search-engine click, it began decades earlier and included several other “firsts.”

She was born and raised in Roanoke Rapids, where she graduated from high school in 1976. “I was influenced by my father, who was a Navy veteran, about how noble it is to serve our country,” she said, and she enlisted in the U.S. Army a year later.

“During my military career, I took college classes at night and sometimes during my lunch hour and on weekends at various military installations,” she recalled. Along the way, she became the first member of her family to earn multiple college degrees. Eventually, they included associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, two master’s degrees and a doctorate.

She also became the first African-American female warrant officer, or legal administrator, in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps. In that capacity, she won numerous military awards for innovation and efficiency.

Later, she became the first Black woman associate dean of the School of Business at Strayer University’s campus in Woodbridge, Va.

While still in the Army and working on her doctorate in education and business, Tuning heard from someone higher than Uncle Sam.

“It was during this time that God called me to preach, and in 1995, I delivered my initial sermon and was licensed to preach,” she said. She took time off from her doctoral studies to earn a Master of Divinity degree at Howard University School of Divinity and then went back to George Mason University to complete her doctorate.

“My military career helped mold me to become a better servant for the Lord,” she reflected. “It was as though God had placed me on a path and directed my footsteps to make it all come together for his good. I just tried to be obedient to my call and serve according to the gifts that he has provided and instilled in me.”

Tuning sharpened her ministry skills under the tutelage of Pastor Alfred Jones Jr. at Mount Zion Baptist Church.

“I worked closely with him and basically received hands-on training in aspects of ministry I didn’t encounter while in seminary,” she said. That included responsibilities for training and assimilating new members, coordinating baptisms, starting and operating jail and prison ministries, developing children’s church, providing spiritual guidance to the pastor’s aide and collaborating with the pastor as they built a new church facility.

“I was grateful for the opportunities afforded me and tried to accomplish any/all tasks which were required of me,” she said. “It is because of these opportunities that I developed the right skillsets and blossomed.”

Across 21 years on the Mount Zion Church staff, Tuning felt happy and secure, and she didn’t necessarily want to take the next step God seemed to be preparing for her.

“When God called me to become a pastor, I was reluctant,” she recalled. “To be honest, I didn’t even want to be ordained. I saw what my pastor went through. I didn’t want to do these things. But the Lord would have his way.

“Still, when God told me to go to Roanoke Rapids and start a church, I was kind of reluctant because in the back of my mind, I never saw women being pastors. I thought, ‘Lord, am I hearing you correctly?’”

Her online search and subsequent call to CBF paved the path to which God seemed to be directing. It all started with CBF’s church-starting program, which provided her new church money for three years and offered plenty of other support.

“CBF was very instrumental in helping me,” she said. “They provided coaching, peer cohorts and other encouragement. They provided a pathway forward.”

CBF’s unconditional affirmation of her as a woman pastor also made a huge difference in her ministry, she added. “Had I stayed at my current location in Virginia, I probably would not have been afforded an opportunity (to start a church) because of the area I was in. Even though my pastor accepted me, my going out and getting a church was highly unlikely.

“As a divorced woman in ministry with two adult children, many times, I was not accepted. I felt isolated and unwelcomed. There were times that I would go and support my pastor at other churches and was not allowed to even go in the pastor’s study, not to mention the pulpit.”

Working with CBF, Tuning’s “highly unlikely” opportunity to start a church turned to reality.

“This (rejection) all changed when I became a part of CBF,” she explained. “I felt welcomed — a sense of belonging — and they took the call on my life seriously. I feel so honored and blessed to be a part of CBF because I believe this is the way heaven will look — people from all walks of life fellowshipping and worshiping God together in spirit and in truth.”

From her commissioning in the summer of 2016 and a six-month ramping-up period, HOPE Christian Fellowship Baptist Church held its first worship service in a rented hotel room Jan. 15, 2017.

Looking back, Tuning sees clearly how God led her to launch HOPE Church.

“It started from my meager beginnings,” she explained. “I would come back here every quarter to put flowers on my parents’ and loved ones’ graves. And I would see the degradation of the community … like people living in a camper with no running water or electricity. It hurt my heart, and I felt I had to reach out to those who are hurting, who are in need.”

She felt God gave her the name for the congregation, HOPE (Helping Others Prepare for Eternity) Christian Fellowship Church, with a later addition. “People said they didn’t want to be involved in a cult,” she recounted. “So, I put ‘Baptist’ in the name, because we’re not a cult and because I believe in Baptist doctrines.”

Whatever its full name, the church has been “trying to show love and compassion” to folks desperately in need of kindness, she explained.

“A lot of people who attend our church feel they don’t fit in with some churches because of the way they dress or where they live,” she said. “But they can feel comfortable in our church because of the love we exemplify.”

Sometimes, HOPE Church has been a gateway to other congregations, Tuning conceded.

“Once they got to feeling good about themselves and got tired of attending church in a hotel room, they would leave and go to the churches they had longed to belong to,” she said. “So, I felt a bit down. Then I talked to the Lord and realized these people don’t belong to me; they belong to the Lord. Maybe God used me to plant a seed, and then they went somewhere else to be watered and to blossom.”

After three years meeting in a hotel room, the location of the church suddenly didn’t matter. Covid struck, and gathering in person became impossible. For Tuning and HOPE Church, that was less of an obstacle that it was for other congregations.

“I was already leading Bible study by way of a conference call,” she said. “A lot of people in this area don’t have Internet, and so we found conference calls provided a way for everybody to be connected and made participating easy for seniors who aren’t tech-savvy.

“So, when Covid started, we already knew how to stay connected. In fact, some pastors were calling me, asking how we conducted church remotely. Plus — here’s the good news — Covid actually saved us money, because we didn’t have to rent a hotel room every week.”

On top of that, HOPE Church expanded its reach. Because a shared location became unnecessary and remote connection became possible, some people participate in the congregation from across the United States, she said.

The time away from in-person worship and the financial savings made possible by not leasing worship space eventually benefitted the church, she added. In September 2022, the congregation bought a building that previously was used as a church and a small house, which is located on nine acres, and renovated it to become their current meeting space.

In addition to using the campus for worship and Bible study, the church has other plans for its new property. “We hope to start a community garden and a food pantry to feed people and give things to our neighbors,” Tuning said. “We have seesaws and horseshoes, and we plan to put up basketball goals. We want this to be a safe place for children to come.

“God has truly been good to us,” she stressed. After being refused a loan on another property, the opportunity to buy their current building and land came with far less red tape.

“The seller financed the church for us, and I give God all the glory and credit. Only he can do this,” she said. “God didn’t allow us to get the first church because he had something better for us.”

Making things better has been a theme throughout Tuning’s life. And her friends in Roanoke Rapids and in CBF insist that’s still true.

The pastor has demonstrated she is “a devoted and genuine Christian through her kindness,” reported David Medlin, a member of the congregation. “She shows acceptance and tolerance for all humankind. I truly feel blessed for having met her.”

To illustrate, Medlin added: “She also has shown my family and my 91-year-old mom … much love and a renewed faith and perseverance through the hard work she put into the church. Carrie has been a testament for God’s compassion to everyone through her actions and deeds.”

Tuning “was a strong leader before God called her into ministry,” added Dellar Burch, a HOPE Church member who lives in Mississippi but participates online and via conference call. Burch has known Tuning since Tuning was her teacher at Strayer University.

“Pastor Tuning’s father and her career as a JAG warrant officer in the Army … shaped her as a strong leader,” Burch said. “One of her quotes is, ‘When God gives you vision, he makes provision.’ She stands out among strong leaders and leads by example.”

By her involvement in CBF — particularly as a founding member of CBF’s Pan African Koinonia — Tuning has made the Fellowship stronger, noted Kasey Jones, CBF’s coordinator of outreach and growth.

Tuning is “the epitome of resilience, commitment and care,” Jones said. “During her tenure as pastor of HOPE Christian Fellowship, she has maintained the ministry while caring for sick family members, facing prejudice in her community and being the true presence of Christ by offering support to those hurting and lost in her community.

“Her vision to be a place of hope for those who are in need and offer a place ‘where everybody is somebody and Christ is in charge’ is powerful and inspirational.”

Tuning reciprocates those feelings, noting the Fellowship creates beautiful, powerful outreach through PAK.

“It’s a way of inviting other churches, people who look different and another ethnicity into CBF,” she said. “We come together and see we are all serving the same God. We may be different in delivery style, but we worship and praise the same God.

“It exemplifies what heaven will look like.”

9 de enero de 2025

Por Aaron Weaver

DECATUR, Georgia — Mientras el país observa el 9 de enero como Día Nacional de Luto en honor del ex presidente Jimmy Carter, líderes bautistas cooperativos reflexionan sobre la vida y el legado del “bautista más famoso del mundo” que ayudó a impulsar el establecimiento de CBF hace poco más de 30 años.

“El actual Carter fue un hombre de profunda fe, persistente integridad y valiente visión”, afirmó el Coordinador Ejecutivo de CBF, Paul Baxley. “Entregó su presidencia y muchos años después a la búsqueda de una paz duradera, a la búsqueda de una auténtica justicia racial, a una fiel administración medioambiental y a la defensa de los derechos humanos. Fue un activo laico bautista, profundamente implicado en su querida Iglesia Bautista Maranatha de Plains, pero también en la Iglesia Bautista Northside Drive de Atlanta y en la Primera Iglesia Bautista de la ciudad de Washington, D.C.”.

Baxley representa hoy a CBF en el servicio conmemorativo por el Presidente Carter en la Catedral Nacional de Washington, D.C.

“A lo largo de su vida, el presidente Carter hizo de la enseñanza en la escuela dominical y de la participación en el culto una prioridad y, al hacerlo, modeló la sinergia más hermosa entre una fe profunda y un liderazgo público convincente”, continuó Baxley. Como bautistas cooperativos, no sólo celebramos sus marcados compromisos y su amor permanente por la vida congregacional, sino que también somos más fuertes hoy gracias al liderazgo que ofreció en nuestros primeros años”. El presidente Carter no sólo fue un líder notable en el mundo, sino que se implicó en nuestra comunidad bautista y por él damos gracias a Dios.”

Con solo dos años de fundado el Compañerismo Bautista Cooperativo, Carter pronunció el discurso de apertura de la Asamblea General de 1993 en Birmingham, Alabama, anunciando que él y su esposa Rosalynn, la ex Primera Dama, habían “encontrado un hogar” en el nuevo Compañerismo.

“En el Compañerismo Bautista Cooperativo, mi esposa y yo hemos encontrado un hogar”, dijo Carter a los 5.000 asistentes.

Carter desafió a los bautistas cooperativos a apoyar a las mujeres en el ministerio, la reconciliación racial y la inclusión, la cooperación ecuménica y el trabajo para abordar la pobreza mundial.

“Oro a Dios para que, mientras Rosalynn y yo echamos nuestra suerte por el resto de nuestras vidas con este Compañerismo, podamos ser parte de un movimiento trascendente -no importa cuán grande sea en número- analizando constantemente lo que hacemos medido por las normas de Jesús… dedicados al servicio de los demás como la mejor manera de difundir el evangelio de Cristo.”

Carter también elogió a CBF por su apoyo a principios bautistas como la autonomía de la iglesia local, la separación Iglesia-Estado y el sacerdocio de todos los creyentes.

“Cuando existe una definición de lo que es una persona adecuada, un bautista adecuado, un estadounidense adecuado, estamos violando los principios básicos de lo que creemos”, afirmó. “Cuando imponemos la uniformidad a otras personas, socavamos su libertad”.

Carter volvió a dirigirse a la Asamblea General en junio de 2001, ante una multitud récord de 8.100 personas, para celebrar el 10mo aniversario de CBF, e instó a los Bautistas Cooperativos a olvidar el pasado y formar nuevas alianzas.

“Es hora de que nos unamos en un espíritu de amor” para maximizar los esfuerzos misioneros en todo el mundo, dijo. “Creo que ha llegado el momento de que CBF quizá asuma el liderazgo y que los bautistas tradicionales empiecen a acercarse más agresivamente unos a otros”.

En 2007, Carter convocó a líderes de 30 organizaciones bautistas que representaban a más de 20 millones de bautistas para anunciar públicamente los planes de una “Celebración de un Nuevo Pacto Bautista”, una red multirracial que se centraría en la acción ministerial local.

Al año siguiente, más de 15.000 bautistas se reunieron en Atlanta para celebrar el primer encuentro del Nuevo Pacto Bautista, con el fin de derribar las barreras raciales, teológicas y geográficas entre los bautistas y hacer realidad la visión transformadora de Jesús en Lucas 4: proclamar la Buena Nueva y liberar a los oprimidos.

En los años siguientes, New Baptist Covenant continuó su labor creando comunidades bautistas inclusivas en todo el país y formando proyectos compartidos de “pactos de acción” centrados en abordar los bajos índices de alfabetización, el hambre infantil, la pobreza, los préstamos abusivos y otros problemas sociales.

El ex coordinador ejecutivo de CBF, Daniel Vestal, elogió a Carter como “fiel seguidor de Jesucristo, ejemplo de integridad moral y feroz defensor de la justicia social”.

“Jimmy Carter vivió entre nosotros como un hombre de iglesia sin complejos, un servidor público honesto y un esposo devoto. Fue un estudiante y profesor de las Escrituras, un defensor de los derechos humanos y un pacificador mundial”, dijo Vestal, que dirigió el Compañerismo entre 1996 y el 2012.

“La influencia del Presidente Carter dentro de la familia bautista ha sido inconmensurable. Es el bautista más famoso del mundo; y desconocido para muchos, fue incansable en sus esfuerzos por fomentar la reconciliación entre los bautistas y movilizarlos para el ministerio. Estoy profundamente agradecido a Dios por su vida y su testimonio”.

Suzii Paynter March, que fue Coordinadora Ejecutiva de CBF entre 2013 y 2019, compartió un recuerdo de su visita a la Iglesia Bautista Maranatha en Plains, Georgia, para asistir a la clase de escuela dominical de Carter y relacionarse con los líderes de la iglesia local.

“Un domingo, al final de su clase, el Presidente Carter me pidió que orara y envió un micrófono que atravesó los bancos de gente hasta llegar a mi mano”, recordó. “El público se sentó en silencio con las cabezas inclinadas. Antes de inclinarme, miré a la cara del Presidente Carter y nuestros ojos se encontraron durante un largo momento. Creo que el Espíritu Santo intervino para resaltar nuestra fe común y nuestros compromisos compartidos. La conexión espiritual fue un momento de tierna intimidad en Cristo, no como Presidente o como bautista, sino como creyentes que buscan sinceramente el camino de Cristo.

“Como en tantos otros lugares en los que compartió su presencia, el Presidente Carter hizo que lo que podría haber sido un momento de protocolo sin sentido se convirtiera en una petición compartida en fe y práctica vibrantes. Fue en este momento, como en tantos otros, profundamente fiel en su liderazgo, no por diseño o ceremonia, sino profundamente fiel por la práctica diaria, la sinceridad y la clara convicción. La gente se pregunta qué da a los pequeños líderes en entornos desconocidos el valor para hacer algo bueno y fiel frente a la oposición o la crítica. Para mí, fue la vida y la fuerza de santos vivos como el Presidente Jimmy Carter trayendo la bondad de Cristo al mundo y multiplicando cada ofrenda fiel con el gran cálculo de la abundancia divina de Dios”.

Pat Anderson, que fue Coordinadora Ejecutiva Interina de CBF entre 2012 y 2013, compartió recuerdos de la coordinación de la Asamblea General de 1993 en Birmingham, Alabama, y de haber ayudado a organizar el viaje y la visita de los Carter, transporte que fue posible gracias al líder laico bautista John Baugh.

Anderson, que había visitado China en múltiples ocasiones en nombre de Misiones Globales de CBF, ayudó más tarde a organizar la presencia y participación del presidente Carter en la ceremonia de inauguración de la Exposición del Ministerio Bíblico de China en 2006 en la 2da Iglesia Bautista Ponce de León de Atlanta y en las conversaciones con los líderes del Consejo Cristiano de China (CCC). Anderson también tuvo la oportunidad de llevar a la delegación del CCC a Plains para asistir a la clase de escuela dominical del Presidente Carter en la Iglesia Bautista Maranatha.

“Nos presentaron grandiosamente a la congregación y el Presidente Carter promocionó la exposición de la Biblia en China”, dijo Anderson. “Después del servicio y de la foto de grupo con los Carter, fuimos a comer a un restaurante local. El viaje de vuelta a Atlanta fue alegre y lleno de recuerdos para todos nosotros”.

Walter “Buddy” Shurden, profesor jubilado de Historia de la Iglesia en la Universidad de Mercer, reflexionó sobre la búsqueda de la aprobación de los Carter para nombrar una ofrenda especial de la Asamblea General de la CBF en su honor.

“Siempre me impresionó la forma en que el Presidente Carter incluía a la Sra. Carter pidiéndole consejo”, dijo. “Cuando la dirección de CBF acordó denominar a una ofrenda especial ‘Ofrenda Jimmy y Rosalynn Carter por la Libertad Religiosa y los Derechos Humanos’, un grupo de personas fuimos a Plains a pedir permiso al Presidente para utilizar su nombre. Recuerdo que Hardy Clemons, Daniel Vestal y yo, entre otros, formábamos parte del grupo que se reunió en el modesto salón de los Carter. Después de explicarle al Presidente por qué estábamos allí y qué queríamos, nos dijo: “Bueno, primero tendré que preguntarle a Rosalynn qué piensa, y os lo comunicaré después de hablar con ella”. Nos contestó dandonos el permiso para seguir adelante”. La ofrenda especial quinquenal recaudó más de 45.000 dólares en su año inaugural, destinándose los fondos a apoyar las iniciativas de la Alianza Bautista Mundial y las Misiones Globales de CBF en Tailandia y Marruecos, entre otras organizaciones de refugiados.

Pam Durso, presidenta del Seminario Teológico Bautista Central, reflexionó sobre su participación en el grupo de trabajo del Nuevo Pacto Bautista entre 2013 y 2015 y las oportunidades que tuvo de participar en reuniones junto a Carter.

“A principios de enero de 2015, me senté en una sala del Centro Carter con otros siete u ocho miembros del grupo de trabajo”, dijo Durso. “Cada uno de nosotros le presentó un informe sobre el trabajo que se estaba realizando. El presidente Carter escuchó atentamente, hizo preguntas inquisitivas y no tomó notas. Diez minutos después de nuestra reunión, subió al podio para una conferencia de prensa y, en una sala abarrotada de periodistas y participantes en el Nuevo Pacto Bautista, resumió nuestros informes, ofreciendo tanto los detalles que habíamos compartido como entretejiendo maravillosamente nuestros informes en una narración que honestamente hacía que nuestros esfuerzos parecieran más extraordinarios de lo que eran.

“Cuando concluyó la conferencia de prensa, llevé a mi pastor, el reverendo Charles Brown, a conocer al Presidente Carter y me sorprendieron las amables palabras que le dirigió a Charles sobre mí. A la edad de 91 años, la generosidad de espíritu del Presidente Carter, su hermosa mente y memoria, y su resistencia física eran inspiradoras.

Durso añadió que una de sus posesiones más preciadas es un ejemplar del libro de Carter “A Call to Action: Mujeres, religión, violencia y poder”, con un mensaje personalizado.

“En ese libro y en los discursos que pronunció en torno al momento de su publicación en 2014, el presidente Carter fue audaz y directo al llamar la atención a las instituciones religiosas por su complicidad en la perpetuación de la violencia contra las mujeres”, dijo Durso. “Sus firmes declaraciones de que el desempoderamiento de las mujeres y las niñas, la violencia y la opresión que habían experimentado estaban directamente relacionadas con la mala interpretación de los textos bíblicos por parte de las autoridades religiosas masculinas. Agradecí y agradezco su valentía al enfrentarse a los prejuicios sexistas en las comunidades religiosas y pedir a los cristianos que afirmen la igualdad y la universalidad de los derechos humanos.”

Kasey Jones, Coordinadora de Extensión y Crecimiento de la CBF y antigua Moderadora de la CBF, señaló que Carter hizo algo más que alzar la voz contra la discriminación.

“Al reflexionar sobre la vida y el legado del Presidente Jimmy Carter, pienso en cómo hizo algo más que pedir el fin de la discriminación: trabajó para acabar con ella dando cabida a afroamericanos y latinos en puestos de poder”, afirmó. “Su trabajo con Hábitat para la Humanidad creó oportunidades para quienes tradicionalmente habían quedado excluidos de la propiedad de la vivienda. Luchó por unas elecciones justas y libres y para acabar con las crisis sanitarias en lugares que otros no considerarían dignos. Espero que al celebrar las contribuciones del Presidente Carter se encienda el manto para pasar a la acción y crear oportunidades para acabar con la discriminación.”

Jeremy Shoulta, que anteriormente fue pastor de la Iglesia Bautista Maranatha de Plains (Georgia), señaló la “presencia” como uno de los mayores dones de Carter.

“Su presencia entre la familia y los enfermos y marginados validó la existencia de innumerables personas que de otro modo podrían ser ignoradas o difamadas”, dijo Shoulta, pastor principal de la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Gainesville, Ga. “La presencia del Presidente Carter sembró semillas de amor y paz desde los lugares más pequeños hasta los escenarios internacionales”.

Julie Pennington-Russell, pastora principal de la Primera Iglesia Bautista de la ciudad de Washington, D.C., dijo que esa congregación tuvo “la bendición de contar con Jimmy y Rosalynn Carter como miembros activos durante su presidencia”.

“Las enseñanzas del Presidente Carter inspiraron los corazones y las mentes de los miembros de nuestra congregación y de otros lugares. Su posterior trabajo por la paz y la justicia surgió de la persona que era en el fondo: un seguidor de Cristo”, subrayó Pennington-Russell. “Encarnando el camino de Jesús, la vida de Jimmy Carter se caracterizó por la honestidad, la pacificación, la justicia, la sencillez, la integridad, la compasión y el amor”.

Bill Leonard, decano fundador de la Facultad de Teología de la Universidad Wake Forest, recordó una conversación telefónica con Carter en 1997, mientras revisaba el último libro del presidente, “Sources of Strength: Meditaciones sobre las Escrituras para una fe viva”.

“Había votado por él en dos ocasiones y estaba encantado de hablar con él sobre el libro”, recuerda Leonard. “La reseña del libro termina con estas palabras que creo que aún se aplican a la vida, obra y bautismo de Carter: ‘La Jornada de fe de Carter refleja elementos de la piedad bautista en su máxima expresión, alimentada en la familia y la iglesia y potenciada por el activismo profético de Clarence Jordan, Millard Fuller y Martin Luther King Jr. Ha llevado a Carter a un activismo de principios que tanto su denominación como su partido político encuentran cada vez más difícil de sostener.”

Leonard conocería a Carter en persona al año siguiente, cuando el ex presidente convocó a un grupo de líderes bautistas en un intento de reconciliar a las facciones de la Convención Bautista del Sur.

“Cuando ese esfuerzo fracasó, el Sr. Carter nos invitó de nuevo a discutir formas de forjar mayores relaciones entre los bautistas, blancos y negros”, dijo Leonard. “El resultado fue la creación por parte de Carter del Nuevo Pacto Bautista. A través de todo ello, fue un agente de reconciliación, perspicacia y compromiso cristiano”.

Cynthia Holmes, abogada y líder laica que fue moderadora de CBF entre 2003 y 2004, recordó al presidente Carter por su compromiso con el Gran Mandamiento de amar al prójimo.

“Es alentador recordar a Jimmy Carter, un presidente que esperamos que nuestros hijos y nietos puedan emular”, dijo. “Su bondad, empatía y amor por todos los vecinos personificaban la presencia de Cristo que CBF nos ha animado a ser”.

Rubén Ortiz, Coordinador de Ministerios de Campo Latinos de CBF, expresó su profundo y personal aprecio por Carter, al haberse criado en Cuba.

“Para mi generación, él fue la primera referencia que tuvimos en la isla de que un cristiano podía participar en política y hacerlo decentemente”, explicó Ortiz. Me enorgullecía aún más saber que era bautista”. En medio de una retórica de agresión en su apogeo en la Guerra Fría, Carter comunicaba paz y comprensión. En su amor por la paz y la reconciliación, trató de normalizar las relaciones diplomáticas con Cuba desde el comienzo de su mandato en 1977. Sus esfuerzos aliviaron el clima de confrontación y, pensando en las familias cubanas, en 1979 reabrió las secciones diplomáticas de La Habana y Washington D.C. También afrontó la crisis del Mariel, provocada por el gobierno cubano, con altos valores de compasión y franqueza.

“Pero, al mismo tiempo, luego no le tembló la voz cuando pronunció un enérgico discurso en la Universidad de La Habana sobre la necesidad de que la isla diera pasos hacia la apertura democrática. Debo agradecerle que intercediera por la liberación de personas encarceladas por motivos religiosos en la isla, mi padre entre ellas. Siempre estaré agradecido por “el hermano Carter”, como solíamos llamarle en casa. Nos enseñó cómo llevar las creencias a la plaza pública y ser un buen vecino”.

-30-

CBF es una red cristiana que ayuda a las personas a poner en práctica su fe a través de esfuerzos ministeriales, misiones globales y una amplia comunidad de apoyo. El Compañerismo tiene como misión servir a los cristianos y a las iglesias para que descubran y cumplan la misión que Dios les ha encomendado.

January 9, 2025

By Aaron Weaver

DECATUR, Ga. — As the country observes Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning in honor of former President Jimmy Carter, Cooperative Baptist leaders reflect on the life and legacy of the “most famous Baptist in the world” who helped galvanize the establishment of CBF just over 30 years ago.

“President Carter was a man of deep faith, persistent integrity and courageous vision,” said CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley. “He gave his presidency and many years after to the quest for lasting peace, the pursuit of genuine racial justice, faithful environmental stewardship and advocacy for human rights. He was an active Baptist layman, deeply invested in his beloved Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, but also in Northside Drive Baptist Church in Atlanta and in the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C.”

Baxley is representing CBF today at the memorial service for President Carter at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

“Across his life, President Carter made teaching Sunday school and participating in worship a high priority and in doing so modeled the most beautiful synergy between deep faith and compelling public leadership,” Baxley continued. “As Cooperative Baptists, we not only celebrate his defining commitments and his abiding love of congregational life, we are also stronger today because of the leadership he offered in our earliest years. President Carter was not only a remarkable leader in the world, he invested himself in our Baptist community and for him we thank God.”

Just two years after the founding of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Carter delivered the keynote address at the 1993 General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala., announcing that he and wife Rosalynn, the former First Lady, had “found a home” in the new Fellowship.

“In the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, my wife and I have found a home,” Carter told the 5,000 attendees.

Carter challenged Cooperative Baptists to support women in ministry, racial reconciliation and inclusion, ecumenical cooperation and work to address global poverty.

“I pray to God that, as Rosalynn and I cast our lot for the rest of our lives with this fellowship, we could be part of a transcendent movement—no matter how large in number—constantly analyzing what we do as measured by the standards of Jesus…dedicated to service of others as the best way to spread the gospel of Christ.”

Carter also praised CBF for its stands in support of Baptist principles such as the autonomy of the local church, church-state separation and the priesthood of all believers.

“When there is a definition of what is a proper person, a proper Baptist, a proper American, we are violating the basic principles of what we believe,” he said. “When we enforce uniformity on other people, it saps their freedom.”

Carter again addressed the General Assembly in June 2001 before a record crowd of 8,100 in celebration of CBF’s 10th anniversary, urging Cooperative Baptists to forget the past and form new partnerships.

“It’s time for us to get together in a spirit of love” to maximize worldwide mission efforts, he said. “I think the time has come for CBF maybe to take the leadership and for traditional Baptists to begin to reach out more aggressively to one another.”

In 2007, Carter convened leaders from 30 Baptist organizations representing more than 20 million Baptists to publicly announce plans for a “Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant”—a multi-racial network that would become centered around local ministry action.

The following year, more than 15,000 Baptists gathered in Atlanta for the first-ever New Baptist Covenant meeting to break down barriers of race, theology and geography among Baptists to fulfill Jesus’ vision of transformation in Luke 4 to proclaim the Good News and set the oppressed free.

In subsequent years, New Baptist Covenant continued its work creating inclusive Baptist communities across the country and forming shared “covenant of action” projects focused on addressing low literacy rates, childhood hunger, poverty, predatory lending and other social concerns.

Former CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal praised Carter as a “faithful follower of Jesus Christ, an exemplar of moral integrity and a fierce advocate for social justice.”

“Jimmy Carter lived among us as an unapologetic churchman, an honest public servant and a devoted husband. He was a student and teacher of Scripture, a champion of human rights and a global peacemaker,” said Vestal, who led the Fellowship from 1996-2012.

“President Carter’s influence within the Baptist family has been immeasurable. He is the most famous Baptist in the world; and unknown to many, was tireless in efforts to foster reconciliation among Baptists and mobilize them for ministry. I am deeply grateful to God for his life and witness.”

Suzii Paynter March, who served as CBF Executive Coordinator from 2013-2019, shared a memory of visiting Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., to attend Carter’s Sunday school class and engage with the church leadership.

“One Sunday, at the close of his class teaching, President Carter asked me to pray and sent a microphone passed through pews of people and into my hand,” she recalled. “The audience sat silently with bowed heads. Before bowing, I looked at President Carter’s face and our eyes met for a long moment. I believe the Holy Spirit intervened to highlight our common faith and shared commitments. The spiritual connection was a moment of tender intimacy in Christ, not as President or as Baptist, but as believers sincerely seeking Christ’s way. “Like in so many other places where he shared his presence, President Carter warmed what could have been a moment of meaningless protocol to a shared petition in vibrant faith and practice. He was in this moment, like so many others, deeply faithful in his leadership not by design or ceremony but deeply faithful by daily practice, sincerity and clear conviction. People ask what gives small leaders in unknown settings the courage to do a good and faithful thing in the face of opposition or criticism. For me, it was the life and strength of living saints like President Jimmy Carter bringing Christlike goodness into the world and multiplying each faithful offering with the great calculation of divine abundance from God.”

Pat Anderson, who served as Interim Executive Coordinator of CBF from 2012-2013, shared memories of co-coordinating the 1993 General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala., and helping to organize the Carters’ travel and visit—transportation made possible by Baptist lay leader John Baugh.

Anderson, who had visited China multiple times on behalf of CBF Global Missions, later helped organize President Carter’s presence and participation at the opening ceremony of the China Bible Ministry Exhibition in 2006 at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta and discussions with China Christian Council (CCC) leaders. Anderson also had the opportunity to take the CCC delegation to Plains to attend President Carter’s Sunday school class at Maranatha Baptist Church.

“We were grandly introduced to the congregation and President Carter promoted the China Bible exhibition,” Anderson said. “After church and the group photo with the Carters, we then went to the local restaurant for lunch. The drive back to Atlanta was joyful and filled with memories for all of us.”

Walter “Buddy” Shurden, retired church history professor at Mercer University, reflected on seeking the Carters’ approval to name a special CBF General Assembly offering in their honor.

“I was always impressed by the way President Carter included Mrs. Carter by asking her advice,” he said. “When CBF leadership agreed to name a special offering the ‘Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Offering for Religious Liberty and Human Rights,’ a group of us went to Plains to ask the President’s permission to use their name. I remember that Hardy Clemons, Daniel Vestal and I, among others, were in the group that met in the Carters’ modest living room. After telling the President why we were there and what we wanted, he said, ‘Well, I will first have to ask Rosalynn what she thinks, and I will get back to you after I talk with her. He got back to us with the permission to proceed!”

The 5-year special offering collected more than $45,000 in its inaugural year, with funds being allocated in support of the Baptist World Alliance and CBF Global Missions initiatives in Thailand and Morocco among refugee organizations.

Pam Durso, president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary, reflected on serving on the New Baptist Covenant task force from 2013-2015 and having opportunities to participate in meetings alongside Carter.

“In early January 2015, I sat in a room at the Carter Center with seven or eight other task force members,” Durso said. “We each gave him a report on the work being done. President Carter listened intently, asked probing questions and took no notes. Ten minutes after our meeting, he stood at the podium for a press conference, and in a crowded room with reporters and New Baptist Covenant participants, he summed up our reports, offering both the details we had shared and beautifully weaving our reports into a narrative that honestly made our efforts sound more extraordinary than they were.

“When the press conference concluded, I took my pastor, Rev. Charles Brown, to meet President Carter and was surprised by the kind words he said about me to Charles. At the age of 91, President Carter’s generosity of spirit, his beautiful mind and memory, and his physical stamina were inspiring.

Durso added that one of her treasured possessions is a copy of Carter’s book “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power,” complete with a personalized message.

“In that book and in addresses he gave around the time of its publication in 2014, President Carter was bold and direct calling out religious institutions for their complicity in perpetuating violence against women,” Durso said. “His firm statements that the disempowerment of women and girls, the violence and oppression they had experienced was directly related to the misinterpretation of biblical texts by male religious authorities. I was and am grateful for his courage in taking on gender bias in faith communities and calling for Christians to affirm equal and universal human rights.”

Kasey Jones, CBF Coordinator of Outreach and Growth and leader of CBF’s Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice and Leadership Initiative, noted that Carter did more than speak out against discrimination.

“As I reflect on the life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter, I think about how he did more than just call for an end to discrimination, he worked to end it by making space for African Americans and Latinos in positions of power,” said Jones, also a former CBF Moderator. “His work with Habitat for Humanity created opportunity for those traditionally left out of home ownership. He fought for fair and free elections and to end health crises in places others would not consider worthy. It is my hope that as we celebrate President Carter’s contributions that the mantle to take action and create opportunities to end discrimination is ignited.”

Jeremy Shoulta, who previously served as pastor at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., raised “presence” as one of Carter’s greatest gifts.

“His presence amongst family and friends, church and community, and the sick and marginalized validated the existence of countless individuals who might otherwise be ignored or maligned,” said Shoulta, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Gainesville, Ga. “President Carter’s presence sowed seeds of love and peace from the smallest venues to international settings.”

Julie Pennington-Russell, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., said that FBC was “blessed to include Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter as active members during his presidency.”

“President Carter’s teaching inspired the hearts and minds of those in our congregation and beyond. His later work for peace and justice flowed from the person he was at his core: a follower of Christ,” Pennington-Russell emphasized. “Embodying the way of Jesus, Jimmy Carter’s life was characterized by honesty, peacemaking, justice, simplicity, integrity, compassion and love.”

Bill Leonard, founding dean of Wake Forest University Divinity School, remembered a phone conversation with Carter in 1997 as he was reviewing the president’s latest book, “Sources of Strength: Meditations on Scripture for a Living Faith.”

“I had voted for him twice and was delighted to talk to him about the book,” Leonard recalled. “The book review ends with these words that I think still apply to Carter’s life, work and Baptistness: ‘Carter’s faith journey reflects elements of Baptist piety at its best, nurtured in family and church and empowered by the prophetic activism of Clarence Jordan, Millard Fuller and Martin Luther King Jr. It has carried Carter into a principled activism that both his denomination and political party find increasingly difficult to sustain.”

Leonard would meet Carter in person the following year when the former President convened a group of Baptist leaders in an attempt to reconcile factions in the SBC.

“When that effort failed, Mr. Carter invited us again to discuss ways of forging greater relationships between Baptists, Black and white,” Leonard said. “The result was Carter’s formation of the New Baptist Covenant. Through it all, he was an agent of reconciliation, insight and Christian commitment.”

Cynthia Holmes, attorney and lay leader who served as CBF Moderator from 2003-2004, remembered President Carter for his commitment to the Great Commandment to love one’s neighbor.

“It is heartening to remember Jimmy Carter, a president we hope our children and grandchildren can emulate,” she said. “His kindness, empathy and love of all neighbors personified the presence of Christ that CBF has encouraged us to be.”

Ruben Ortiz, CBF’s Latino Field Ministries Coordinator, expressed his deep and personal appreciation for Carter, having been raised in Cuba.

“For my generation, he was the first reference we had on the island that a Christian could participate in politics and do it decently,” Ortiz explained. “I was even prouder to know that he was a Baptist. Amid a rhetoric of aggression at its height in the Cold War, Carter communicated peace and understanding. In his love of peace and reconciliation, he sought to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba from the beginning of his term in 1977. His efforts eased the climate of confrontation, and with Cuban families in mind, in 1979, he reopened the diplomatic sections in Havana and Washington, D.C. He also faced the Mariel crisis, provoked by the Cuban government, with high values of compassion and candor.

“But at the same time, his voice did not tremble when he delivered a strong speech at the University of Havana on the need for the island to take steps toward democratic opening. I must thank him for interceding for the release of people imprisoned for religious reasons on the island, my father among them. I will always be grateful for ‘el hermano Carter’ (our brother Carter), as we used to call him at home. He showed us how to bring your beliefs to the public square and be a good neighbor.”

–30–

CBF is a Christian network that helps people put their faith to practice through ministry efforts, global missions and a broad community of support. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

By Paul Baxley

Tomorrow has been designated a National Day of Mourning for President Jimmy Carter and our Fellowship is releasing several pieces to encourage our reflection on President Carter’s life and legacy above all else because he and Rosalynn were members of a CBF partner congregation and were personally involved in our Fellowship’s life.

A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 AM ET at the National Cathedral, and I will have the profound honor of representing our CBF family by attending the service.

Though I will go as one person with my own personal remembrances and prayers of gratitude on my heart and mind, I will also be keenly aware that there are thousands of Cooperative Baptists not in that majestic cathedral but who are worshipping and giving thanks for President Carter’s life and witness.

With Baptists of many traditions, Christians of every denomination and people of goodwill across our country and the world, we thank God for Jimmy Carter. We can see all the ways President Carter’s life reflected the image of God. On this day, we can grieve with hope because of the promise of resurrection extended not only to President Carter but to all who follow Christ.

We will read and hear much about President Carter’s many accomplishments. As I have reflected on what I know of his life and leadership, I have certainly spent time considering many things that he did. But as today has drawn closer, I have found myself even more mindful of how President Carter led than of what he did. And I’ve been praying actively about the question: “Through the ways President Carter lived and led, what can congregations learn about ministry and Christians learn about leadership?”

A word frequently used to describe President Carter’s character is “humble.” People speak of the humility of his origins and the humble character of his personality. But his leadership was also marked by a remarkable kind of humility.

Historians have noted that on several critical occasions during his presidency, Carter intentionally chose a course of action that he believed was best for the country even if could be politically damaging in the short term. For example, as he considered options to deal with the inflation crisis that gripped the nation in the late 1970s, he had clear counsel that the approach he was considering most prominently would likely not show any clear signs of progress until after the 1980 presidential election. But because he believed the approach was best for the country’s long-term interests, he chose it anyway.

Moments like that call to mind the instructions Paul gave the Philippians in Philippians 2: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” President Carter practiced a leadership marked by a sacrificial humility in the moments he prioritized what he believed to be the common good over his own ambitions, and that posture was deeply formed by his living faith.

What would it mean for congregations within and beyond our Fellowship to adopt humility about our lives together? To make decisions not from a framework of institutional protection but the radical pursuit of the well-being of our communities?

How might we have opportunities to use our facilities, finances and other resources to seek healing, justice and transformation in a communal kind of humility that seeks the interests of others? And what would it mean for those of us who hold leadership positions in congregations, denominations, businesses and public spaces to lead with a humility that sacrificed personal gain for the common good?

Wouldn’t that be a genuinely Christian kind of leadership, shaped by the mind and character of Christ, who, as Philippians went on to say, “did not count equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself and took the form of a servant.”

Humility was an essential element of how President Carter lived and led. His life and leadership, within and beyond his presidency also bore witness to the power of convening. He had a remarkable capacity to bring people together to seek lasting peace, authentic racial justice, the advancement of human rights and improving access to physical and mental healthcare. The most well-documented example of this convening capacity came with the Camp David Accords that produced an unprecedented treaty between Israel and Egypt that has held until this day.

In his post-presidency, President Carter joined with his wife Rosalyn to establish the Carter Center, which to this day is involved in convening work all around the work around the world. Even in his Baptist Leadership, President Carter demonstrated his convening power in brokering the creation of The New Baptist Covenant, which was publicly announced in 2007 as a remarkable collaboration of many different Baptist denominations across racial lines to pursue the mission of Jesus as set forth in Luke 4.

Through his life and leadership, Jimmy Carter demonstrated the power of gathering people in ways that catalyze transformation. He brokered unlikely collaborations toward remarkable outcomes. We should not be surprised because cooperation is really a synonym for fellowship. The Greek word used by the Scripture that we translate “fellowship” is koinonia, the same word describes the relationship between the persons of the Trinity. God does God’s work in the world through eternal cooperation.

As I have visited many congregations associated with our CBF community, I have noticed that our congregations are naturally cooperative. They are often composed of as many members who did not grow up Baptist as who did. And if there are any collaborative efforts in a community toward the common good, one or several CBF related congregations are usually in the middle of those collaborations if not actively convening them.

But I’m not always sure we think proactively about the convening power of our congregations to broker those kinds of collaborations. How could we unleash that cooperative, convening impulse even more for the sake of the transformation Christ is making in the world?

Furthermore, all too often, we grow up with a vision of leadership defined by a power that dominates and gets its way no matter what. What if the most faithful kind of Christian leadership is one that does not dominate, but instead works with others toward the kinds of good that cannot be accomplished by any of us on our own? What if the art of convening collaboration is one of the highest forms of Christian leadership? How are we Christian leaders called to elevate this kind of convening?

President Carter’s way of leading and living was marked both by radical humility and convening collaboration. He also saw faith as a way of life and prioritized participation in congregations for his entire life. Whether in Plains at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Atlanta at Northside Drive Baptist Church or at The First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., he was an active church member deeply committed to congregational life. He taught Sunday School. He participated actively in worship. He supported the life of the congregation. That example is particularly powerful in a world where commitment to congregational life is declining in so many places.

But Jimmy Carter was a counter-cultural witness that faith is not just something we talk about for personal or political gain, it is rather a way of life and an allegiance that defines us, and one for which we need the support of being fully engaged in a congregation.

So I wonder, how might we be called to make a deeper commitment to our own congregations? How can denominational communities like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship order our lives more toward the thriving of congregations and a more faithful participation in Christ’s mission? How can each of us strengthen our congregations by investing in them more deeply so that they can be more faithful and powerful convenors of the change God is making in the world?

Thursday is a day to remember with deep gratitude, to reflect intensely and personally and to wonder how the Holy Spirit is calling us to a life and a leadership more marked by humility, more demonstrative of transformative convening and even more invested in the well-being of congregations that are necessary for the strengthening of our faith and the healing of our communities.

Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley is Executive Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.