Learn more about the CBF Foundation at www.cbff.org.
 

The Fellowship also announced a new partnership with the Baptist General Convention of Texas for the ongoing earthquake response in Haiti.

Becoming a member of National VOAD brings credibility to CBF’s response efforts, which are less than five years old, according to Charles Ray, CBF disaster response coordinator. While Fellowship Baptists have historically responded through local churches and state organizations to help those in need, it wasn’t until 2005 that efforts were organized by a national coordinator.

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana coast in August 2005, Ray was working with Arkansas CBF. He was quickly tapped to coordinate the Fellowship’s response.

“We had no program the day before Katrina hit,” Ray said. “I couldn’t get down there to help until two weeks later because of all of the debris.”

National VOAD includes organizations such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Catholic Charities, World Vision, Save The Children and others. “Of the 51 members of VOAD, each brings something strong to the table,” Ray said.

“CBF’s strengths are the generosity of its people – its ability to raise money quickly; the lack of bureaucracy; and its staying power. We’ll come in up to a month after the event and we’ll stay as long as it takes. We like to say ‘we’ll turn the lights out.’”

As evidence of this, Ray said CBF is still invested in rebuilding the Gulf coast following Hurricane Katrina, as well as repairing storm damage from Hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

In addition to its efforts across the United States, CBF Disaster Response is a vital cog in the ongoing recovery efforts in Haiti. Because of CBF’s memorandum of understanding with Convention Baptiste d’Haiti signed in June, the Baptist General Convention of Texas has decided to partner with CBF Disaster Response to coordinate efforts.

“We will help them get there and back, house them and coordinate efforts on the ground there,” Ray said. “We have established our own power supply, our own water system and last week unveiled a state of the art communications system.”

The first team of Texas Baptists to serve through this partnership was deployed to Haiti the last week of June.

To date, Fellowship Baptists have donated more than $1.2 million to the Haitian earthquake relief efforts. For information on the Haiti response, visit the Fellowship’s blog at www.thefellowship.info/blog, or to make a contribution online, go to https://www.thefellowship.info/Give/Donate.aspx?fund=17015.

Registration closed Friday night with more than 2,400 registered participants for the three days of the Assembly, making it the biggest Assembly since the Washington, D.C., Assembly in 2007.

Author and Duke Divinity School professor Lauren Winner brought hope for Fellowship Baptists in the face of mainstream Protestant decline by framing the current challenges as an opportunity to focus on the mission of Jesus rather than internal, denominational problems.

“Really, we really are not powerless,” Winner said. “Remember we are working from the power of God. Also, we’re working from the power of institutions that haven’t, in fact, yet crumbled into uselessness. After all, it is God’s church, and we can’t kill it.”

In response to the offering appeal of George Mason, pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, Fellowship Baptists gave more than $10,000 Friday for a three-day offering total of $29,276, all supporting the CBF Offering for Global Missions.

Also on Friday, the children’s assembly, with more than 50 participants, paraded through the streets of Charlotte collecting food for those in need on the last day of the Assembly. Pulling along wagons decorated with balloons and streamers, the children gathered non-perishable food items from people working in uptown businesses. At the end of the parade, the children brought the food to local hunger ministry Loaves and Fishes.

In the first Assembly since the death of CBF’s first coordinator, Cecil Sherman, the Fellowship’s executive coordinator Daniel Vestal included a memorial slideshow and moment of silence in memory and tribute to Sherman’s life. Later Friday evening in the Assembly’s resource fair, Smyth and Helwys Publishing presented his daughter, Eugenia Sherman Brown, a framed copy of the cover of Sherman’s last book, “To Be A Good and Faithful Servant.”

Fellowship Baptists learn, connect and reflect in workshops

On Friday afternoon, Fellowship Baptists had the opportunity to participate in more than 30 workshops. Topics ranged from spiritual direction to disaster response ministry, and the Essentials Conference, which featured tracks on practical aspects of ministry.

More than 250 people attended the workshop “A Family Conversation about Same Sex Orientation” to hear the story of pastors Joy Yee of San Francisco, Calif., and George Mason of Dallas, Texas.

“I invite you into the presence of God and God’s people to hear testimonies of people who have struggled with the question that is before the church today. The question is, ‘How is God calling us to be the presence of Christ among persons of same sex orientation?’” said workshop facilitator David Odom, executive vice president of Leadership Education at Duke University. “This is not the end of a conversation, it’s the beginning.”

The potentially controversial conversation was handled in a worshipful manner, with a testimony, a time of silent reflection and a verse of the hymn “Come and Find the Quiet Center.” After Yee and Mason shared their ministry experiences, they had a brief period of dialogue between them before taking written questions submitted by the audience.

Yee said passages from the Bible on homosexuality should be balanced by passages against condemnation. She said if Christians wanted to learn more about the issue, they needed to listen to the stories of persons of same sex orientation.

Mason used the story of Jesus healing the blind man from John 9.  Jesus’ disciples asked “Who sinned?” Mason said Jesus seems to be saying that it’s less important to understand why things happen and more important to see what is possible now that it has happened.

Assembly approves budget, elects new officers

In his moderator’s report during Friday morning’s business session, Vestal reflected on the Assembly theme of 1 John 3:1-2, addressing the present reality of the Fellowship and his hope for the future.

“I believe the great test facing Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ‒ and perhaps the larger Baptist and Christian family ‒ is whether or not we really want to be who we are in Christ: ‘God’s servants working together’ or whether we want to be God’s servants working separately in competition and even in conflict? Will we affirm and celebrate our identity and let it shape our mission.”

Also, in the business session, the Assembly approved the 2010-2011 ministry and missions budget of $14.5 million. The Fellowship’s new officers were elected during the session, including moderator-elect Colleen Burroughs, vice president, Passport Inc., and recorder Joanne Carr, a member of First Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga. Moderator-elect Christy McMillin-Goodwin of Rock Hill, S.C., ascended to the moderator position at the conclusion of the meeting.

In addition, the Assembly approved a motion encouraging CBF partner churches to become prayer partners with the 44 churches in Juarez, Mexico, which has recently experienced an increase in violence. The motion was presented by Dick Hurst, a physician from Tyler, Texas.

Baptists honored at General Assembly events 

On Friday, the Whitsitt Baptist Historical Society awarded its 2010 Baptist Courage award to Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler, the executive director of the Woman’s Missionary Union from 1974-1989 and the founding mother of the Baptist Women in Ministry in 1983. Crumpler, who acknowledged she was a person who often got in trouble for speaking her mind, said, “Hope is hearing the music of the future and courage is the ability to dance to it.”

“I’ve found that my mission field is where I am,” Crumpler told a gathering of more than 100 people. “Look around you for the person in need and do what you can to help them today. It’s global missions wherever you are.”

At the annual meeting of the Religious Liberty Council of the Baptist Joint Committee, Bill Underwood, the president of Mercer University in Macon, Ga., and Gardner Taylor, senior pastor emeritus of Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, N.Y., were presented with the J.M. Dawson Religious Liberty Award, which recognizes the contributions and advocacy of individuals in defense of religious liberty of all people.

Vestal presented the inaugural Coordinating Council Alumna Award to Beverly Greer, missions coordinator for CBF of South Carolina at the Coordinating Council alumni dinner Friday night. Greer had been involved in the missions work of the Council in the early days of the Fellowship and now works as South Carolina’s missions coordinator on a volunteer basis.

Fellowship Baptists celebrate and network during auxiliary events

At the CBF Foundation breakfast, approximately 160 people heard from outgoing Foundation president Don Durham and Vestal. Also, Foundation Board President Rebecca Wiggs announced that interviews for the new president would begin Monday in Atlanta.

More than 170 people attended the luncheon for CBF-endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors. Dick Hester, co-director of the Narrative Leadership Project at Triangle Pastoral Counseling in Raleigh, N.C., spoke about the power of curiosity.

“As chaplains and counselors, the people in this room have done the work of listening to another person’s story curiously,” Hester said. “And often we have walked away from these conversations saying to ourselves, ‘I am standing on sacred group, and this is why I do what I do.’”

At a luncheon celebrating the You’ve Got the Time Bible listening initiative, people shared stories of transformation from participating in the 40-day program.

“We really appreciated the team from [CBF-partner] Faith Comes By Hearing,” said Kasey Jones, pastor of National Baptist Memorial Church in Washington, D.C. “They had prayer with me over the phone and suggested we do the listening program from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day and distribute the discs on Easter.”

At the Church Benefits Board luncheon, Larry Carroll, president of Carroll Financial Associates, told the 150 attendees that sticking to the basics is the best philosophy in retirement investing.

“People who spend less than they save – good savers – don’t need to worry as much about which plan they are in,” Carroll said. “You have to learn to deal with the ups and downs of the markets and the sooner you get used to market fluctuation, the better. You need to stick to your plan and don’t let daily market results change what you need to do.”

For additional coverage of the Assembly, go to www.thefellowship.info/assembly. The 2011 General Assembly will be held in Tampa, Fla., June 23-24.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.
 

CBF-affiliated Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church hosted the Commissioning Service on the opening day of the Fellowship’s 20th General Assembly, which included the Leadership Institute with Alan Roxburgh, the meeting of the Fellowship’s Coordinating Council and continuation of the collegiate missional experience called the Charlotte Sessions.

“You come with your lives, saying you take this seriously,” said CBF Global Missions coordinator Rob Nash, speaking to the new field personnel. “You are doing what Scripture calls us all to do ‒ following in the footsteps of Jesus. As you go, you have our prayers, our promise of support and our promise to stand with you. Commission means ‘to send together,’ and that is what we are doing tonight. We send with you all we can give as we all seek to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.”

As part of the AsYouGo affiliate program, all the new field personnel are self-supporting personnel serving through the CBF Global Missions field team structure. Whether through business or education employment or through the direct financial support of churches, the program provides a global missions connection for CBF-minded people who have a specific mission calling.

New field personnel and places of service include:

• Anna Anderson, Eastern North Carolina

• Rachel Brunclikova, Czech Republic

• Cindy and Ryan Clark, Baguio City, Philippines

• Anjani and James Cole, Northern Spain

• Lindsay, Southeast Asia

• Mickael Eyraud and Kamille Krahwinkel, China

• Blake and Rebekah Hart, Chile

• Jennifer Jenkins, Haiti

• C.J. and Jack Wehmiller, Murrayville, Ga.

• Mark and Sara Williams, Johannesburg, South Africa

During the service, $12,508 was given to the CBF Offering for Global Missions, which pays for the salaries, benefits and operating and ministry expenses of CBF field personnel.

Task force appointed to carry out restructuring conversation started at Callaway

At its June meeting, the Coordinating Council continued the conversation from the April retreat at Callaway Gardens of leaders of the Fellowship Baptist movement. CBF executive coordinator Daniel Vestal and Baugh Foundation president Babs Baugh reflected on the experience and convened a discussion by the Council that centered on the same questions that were considered at the Callaway Retreat.

“At the retreat, people were eager for things to be done, to move forward,” Baugh said. “People were excited about the future and wanted to be involved. There was a wonderful sense of free and open camaraderie and atmosphere of trust. We want this to continue.”

Vestal has asked Hal Bass, CBF moderator, to put together a task force to meet for two years, reporting back to the Coordinating Council, the 2011 General Assembly in Tampa, Fla., and the 2012 General Assembly in Fort Worth, Texas.

The task force, which was endorsed by the Council, will address three items related to organizational models ‒ models of community that foster missional collaboration, organizational structures that respond effectively to global challenges and ways Baptist churches and organizations can embrace their identity as partners.

“One of the things that came out of the retreat is that it is time for us to evaluate ourselves in terms of structure,” Vestal said. “Is our organizational model the model that best fits the future? We created a model 20 years ago, and now we are at a place where we need to look at the next 20 years.”

The task force will be chaired by David Hull, pastor of First Baptist Church, Huntsville, Ala. Other members will include: Jean Willingham, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Alan Culpepper, Atlanta, Ga.; Ray Higgins, Little Rock, Ark.; Larry Hovis, Pfafftown, N.C.; Tony Hopkins, Greenwood, S.C.; Stephen Cook, Danville, Va.; Rene’ Maciel, San Antonio, Texas; Ruth Perkins Lee, Auburn, Ala.; Hollyn Holman, Washington, D.C.; Kasey Jones, Washington, N.C.; Susan Deal, Orlando, Fla.; Laura Hoffman, St. Louis, Mo.; Connie McNeill, Atlanta, Ga.

CBF Controller Larry Hurst reported to the Coordinating Council that while the Fellowship is currently operating under a financial contingency plan of 80 percent, as of May 31, the Fellowship’s expenditures are $8 million, 76 percent of the projected amount, and revenues are at $8.7 million, 73 percent of the projected amount. The Fellowship is currently $700,000 in the black, but historical giving trends indicate the lowest revenue months are the remaining four months of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. If current trends continue, the Fellowship will end the fiscal year with a 3.5 percent shortfall.

When asked about steps the Fellowship staff are taking to control expenses, Vestal said that because of careful fiscal management and the grace of God, CBF has not had to call any field personnel home. He cited the generosity of an anonymous donor who had helped underwrite the cost of field personnel for the last several years.

Vestal said that in the near future if the goal for the CBF Offering for Global Missions isn’t reached, the Fellowship may have to bring field personnel home.

“I believe when we start speaking in those kinds of terms to our people, they will respond above and beyond what we think they will do,” said Janie Sellers, Coordinating Council member from Abilene, Texas.

“Tonight, we will be commissioning 16 people,” said Rob Nash, coordinator of CBF Global Missions. “God is calling people and we are sending them, even as we deal with all of the other challenges. That is a miracle. That is something we can celebrate.”

Leadership Institute

At Wednesday’s Leadership Institute, Alan Roxburgh, author of “Leading Missional Churches” spoke to more than 150 ministers and lay leaders about how church leaders can assist churches in discern their role in God’s mission. Roxburgh challenged those in attendance to ask the question: “What is God up to in my neighborhood and how do we join in?”

“The primary way we encounter God is in the eyes of a stranger and the primary way we encounter God is the practice of hospitality to a stranger,” said Roxburgh. “Too often, we see ourselves as the people in control of the meal. But in reality, we need to become like the stranger in need of hospitality.”

College students explore impact of relational ministry at Hyaets

For the third year, college students gathered for a week-long collegiate missional experience, the Charlotte Sessions, during the week of the Assembly. The event included a day of learning and missions at Hyaets, an intentional Christian community in Charlotte. Started five years ago by several graduates of CBF partner Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, members of Hyaets seek to make a difference by living in and becoming part of a low-income, high-risk community.

“We try to be family more than anything,” said Jason Williams, a Hyaets member. “We’re not here to be a [ministry] center. We’re here to be good neighbors. We’re not here to do ministry for people or to people; we’re doing it with people.”

Charlotte Sessions participants Jazzmone Sutton, Christy Kilborn and Bre van Velzen are part of an intentional Christian community connected with CBF partner church Winter Park Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C. Like Hyaets members, the three women live in the community and “try to be a light in the neighborhood,” said Kilbourn.

The students participated in daily activities at Hyaets, including a field day for children at a local park, which helped show the students “what [intentional Christian community] looks like when it’s working,” said van Velzen.

Many of the approximately 20 students participating in the Charlotte Sessions are serving as summer interns in CBF partner churches through the Fellowship’s Lily Endowment-funded program to provide summer church internships to college students exploring a call to church ministry. As part of the Charlotte Sessions, students also participate in the Assembly, including helping lead a workshop about starting a college ministry.

Thursday’s schedule includes the first business session, workshops to introduce and explore the Fellowship’s eight mission communities, state and regional meetings and worship featuring Baptist historian Bill Leonard. For more coverage, including photo galleries and videos of keynote addresses, visit www.thefellowship.info/charlotte.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal signed the agreement with leadership from the Haitian convention in Atlanta on May 4. The organizations agreed to a three-year transformation development strategy, including partnership in medical ministry, restoration and development, and micro-enterprise.

“I'm grateful for all that God is doing to meet the needs of our Haitian brothers and sisters as CBF works in concert with our partners at the Haiti Baptist Convention,” said CBF Global Missions Coordinator Rob Nash. “We're committed to ministry in Haiti over at least a three-year period of time, understanding that real healing can only occur as we move beyond a band-aid approach to work that truly transforms the lives of the Haitian people.”

A base camp for Fellowship relief efforts has been established in the community of Grand Goave, southwest of the Haitian capital of Port Au Prince. Tim Brendle, a retired Virginia pastor and former missionary to Haiti, has been coordinating the Fellowship’s relief efforts in Grand Goave and has been joined by Tori Wentz, one of CBF’s medical field personnel. In the northern areas of the country, CBF field personnel Nancy and Steve James, who are co-appointed with American Baptist Churches USA (ABC-USA), are continuing their medical ministry.

Since the Jan. 12 earthquake, more than $1.18 million has been given to the Fellowship’s Haiti earthquake response, which includes new initiatives such as counseling earthquake survivors. Recently Reid Doster, a pastoral counselor and coordinator of CBF of Louisiana, and David Lane, counseling program coordinator and professor of counseling at Mercer University, traveled to Haiti to lay groundwork for a new program, which would train Haitians to provide post-traumatic stress counseling to earthquake victims. Ultimately, Lane hopes to develop a training model that can be easily taught by Haitians to Haitians.

“Essentially, we would train trainers, who can teach fellow Haitians lay counseling,” Lane said. “We see this as something that can be very meaningful for a group of hurting people.”

Mercer’s Ha Van Vo, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, is also working with the Fellowship in Haiti, designing and fitting low-cost prosthetics for earthquake victims. More than 20 people have been measured for prosthetics and have begun the fitting process.

Other Fellowship recovery efforts include:

- Meeting needs for food and temporary shelter, including distributing food and tarps through CBF partner Conscience International. Near Cap Haitien, where the Jameses minister, His Nets donated 1,000 family-size mosquito nets to Haitian families.
- Rebuilding orphanages.
- Developing low-cost ways to harvest and treat water, making it safe to drink and use in agriculture. A specialized drilling unit has been purchased and is being transported to Haiti, where it will allow local residents to drill for water.
- Micro-enterprise efforts including savings and credit associations, vocational training for women and business development. Key leaders will be trained to use a successful micro-enterprise model from Ethiopia.
- Building earthquake-resistant housing through Fellowship partners such as Conscience International and the Fuller Center for Housing, which can construct a single family home for $3,000. Already, Conscience International and local residents have laid the foundation for the first house. 

CBF partnering congregations are also continuing outreach efforts. At CBF partnering congregation First Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., girls and boys in the “Spark” class raised more than $700 for Haiti relief. The funds, raised through a Valentine’s Day Booth and a basketball challenge, were donated to CBF partner Crosslink International, which has been providing medical supplies to Haiti.

More than 100 volunteers have served in Haiti through the Fellowship, ABC-USA and Conscience International. Though medical and construction teams are scheduled through the end of the year, more volunteers are needed. To volunteer for a medical or construction team in Haiti, send an e-mail to engage@thefellowship.info.

To give to the relief effort, visit the Fellowship’s donate page, https://www.thefellowship.info/Give/Donate.aspx?fund=17015 or send your check to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, P.O. Box 101699, Atlanta, GA 30392, indicating fund No. 17015 “Haiti Response.”

“It's much easier to have an opinion about how someone else should lead than it is to actually lead yourself ‒ especially a group of Baptists,” she said.

After significant prayer and conversation with a few people, Colleen decided to say “yes” to the nomination because she's committed to the future of the CBF. She has been nominated to serve as moderator in 2011-12.

Colleen is the vice president of Passport, Inc., a Birmingham-based non-profit she began with her husband David while they were in seminary. Passport is now an international student ministry that has hosted more than 75,000 campers over the past 18 years.

“CBF is the Baptist home where David and I have intentionally chosen to live and work and raise our children,” she said. “Passport was birthed out of the Florida CBF and founded on both the freedom to welcome anyone who wanted to join us and the theological conviction that women could be called to preach. Now, though multiple protestant traditions join us at camp, David and I personally choose to be committed Cooperative Fellowship Baptists. It is not because we have to, but because we resonate with CBF's specific theological voice. It is a Baptist voice that is vitally needed in the world and one which offers a philosophy of missions that is long overdue.” 

“Colleen brings extraordinary gifts of vision, passion, insight, and commitment to this position of leadership and service,” said current CBF moderator Hal Bass, a professor at Ouachita Baptist University. “She is extremely well-informed about CBF missions and ministries, and she is well-connected across our broader Fellowship movement. I am delighted that she has accepted the nomination.” 

Colleen sees three areas of priority for the Fellowship in the near future.

“First, CBF needs to be crystal clear about our identity. I believe there are diverse populations of people and churches who would be drawn to it,” she said. “We all need to build a Baptist home together so our children can grow up with a broader picture of the family of God. The diversity would further inform our identity and strengthen our effectiveness as Christians living and working together in a global community.”

“Secondly, CBF is working on more thoughtful and intentional collaboration with states, regions and partners,” she said. “We all need to focus our energy, ideas and resources more practically if we are serious about investing in the next generation.”

And thirdly, I hope CBF will be scandalously gracious in sharing a thoughtful gospel - not just in a world without borders, but more noticeably with each other.”

In addition to her work with Passport, Colleen is the founder of Watering Malawi, a ministry advocating long-term solutions to poverty and hunger through access to clean water, sanitation and simple irrigation in the country of Malawi. Her interest in that African nation is not surprising since she grew up as a missionary kid in Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Bophuthatswana.

Colleen holds a degree in fine art from the University of Alabama and a master of divinity degree in pastoral care and counseling from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She received both the John Knox Press and Clyde T. Francisco preaching awards.

As the state representative for Alabama on the CBF Coordinating Council, Colleen has served for two years as the chair of the finance committee. Colleen and David live in Birmingham, Ala., with their twins, Milligan and Walker.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.
 

“It's much easier to have an opinion about how someone else should lead than it is to actually lead yourself ‒ especially a group of Baptists,” she said.

After significant prayer and conversation with a few people, Colleen decided to say “yes” to the nomination because she's committed to the future of the CBF. She has been nominated to serve as moderator in 2011-12.

Colleen is the vice president of Passport, Inc., a Birmingham-based non-profit she began with her husband David while they were in seminary. Passport is now an international student ministry that has hosted more than 75,000 campers over the past 18 years.

“CBF is the Baptist home where David and I have intentionally chosen to live and work and raise our children,” she said. “Passport was birthed out of the Florida CBF and founded on both the freedom to welcome anyone who wanted to join us and the theological conviction that women could be called to preach. Now, though multiple protestant traditions join us at camp, David and I personally choose to be committed Cooperative Fellowship Baptists. It is not because we have to, but because we resonate with CBF's specific theological voice. It is a Baptist voice that is vitally needed in the world and one which offers a philosophy of missions that is long overdue.”

“Colleen brings extraordinary gifts of vision, passion, insight, and commitment to this position of leadership and service,” said current CBF moderator Hal Bass, a professor at Ouachita Baptist University. “She is extremely well-informed about CBF missions and ministries, and she is well-connected across our broader Fellowship movement. I am delighted that she has accepted the nomination.”

Colleen sees three areas of priority for the Fellowship in the near future.

“First, CBF needs to be crystal clear about our identity. I believe there are diverse populations of people and churches who would be drawn to it,” she said. “We all need to build a Baptist home together so our children can grow up with a broader picture of the family of God. The diversity would further inform our identity and strengthen our effectiveness as Christians living and working together in a global community.”

“Secondly, CBF is working on more thoughtful and intentional collaboration with states, regions and partners,” she said. “We all need to focus our energy, ideas and resources more practically if we are serious about investing in the next generation.”

And thirdly, I hope CBF will be scandalously gracious in sharing a thoughtful gospel - not just in a world without borders, but more noticeably with each other.”

In addition to her work with Passport, Colleen is the founder of Watering Malawi, a ministry advocating long-term solutions to poverty and hunger through access to clean water, sanitation and simple irrigation in the country of Malawi. Her interest in that African nation is not surprising since she grew up as a missionary kid in Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Bophuthatswana.

Colleen holds a degree in fine art from the University of Alabama and a master of divinity degree in pastoral care and counseling from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She received both the John Knox Press and Clyde T. Francisco preaching awards.

As the state representative for Alabama on the CBF Coordinating Council, Colleen has served for two years as the chair of the finance committee. Colleen and David live in Birmingham, Ala., with their twins, Milligan and Walker.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.
 

Financed by a generous gift from the Baugh Foundation, the retreat included 84 attendees who took on five questions:

• What would not have happened or would not exist if it weren’t for the Fellowship Baptist Movement?
• How are lives being transformed through the work of the movement?
• What are the significant challenges the movement faces in the future?
• What audacious dreams do you have for the future of the movement?
• How can we move from dreams to actions?

The meeting was convened as a first step toward celebrating the Fellowship’s 20th anniversary in 2011. Baugh has agreed to serve as chair of the Fellowship’s General Assembly Steering Committee, and worked closely with Vestal to plan the agenda for the three-day retreat.

“I knew this could be good, but I had no idea how truly wonderful it would be to share this time with these incredibly creative people,” said Baugh of San Antonio, Texas. “I feel like God has given us new marching orders. We’ve done what we’re supposed to do so far, but we have much, much more to do.”

The gathering received ministry reports from Diana Garland, dean of the Baylor School of Social Work; David Burroughs, president and co-founder of Passport, Inc.; and Molly Marshall, president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, Kansas.

Presentations on lessons learned from the past 20 years were made by Bill Leonard, dean of the Wake Forest Divinity School; Suzii Paynter, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ Christian Life Commission; and Alan Culpepper, dean of Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology.

On the topic of significant challenges facing the Fellowship Baptist Movement, presentations were given by Marv Knox, editor of The Baptist Standard; Robert Parham, executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics; Pam Durso, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry; and Bill Underwood, president of Mercer University.

The final session of reports on the way forward were made by Larry Hovis, coordinator of CBF of North Carolina; Colleen Burroughs, president and co-founder of Passport, Inc.; and Connie McNeill, CBF’s coordinator of administration.

Reports and presentations were followed by group discussion times and reporting out by a representative from each of the discussion groups.

“This gathering was an important step in a process of celebrating our history and dreaming for our future,” Vestal said. “The two simply can’t be separated. The invited participants represented some of the leadership within the Fellowship Baptist Movement, and we talked candidly about our identity, mission and structure. It was a very hopeful and encouraging meeting, and the Coordinating Council will receive a report in June.”

Editor’s note: For a gallery of photos from the event and a high resolution version of the attached photo, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefellowship/sets/72157623949169846/.

Sherman, the founding coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, suffered a massive heart attack April 15 and died two days later at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, Va. He was 82.

A worship service celebrating his life will be held at 2 p.m. April 20 at River Road Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. A second service will follow at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Asheville, N.C., on April 23. More details on the arrangements are forthcoming. Updates will be posted to www.thefellowship.info as well as http://www.cecilsherman.com/news.html.

"Baptists have lost a great champion, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has lost its founding coordinator and I have lost a friend,” said Fellowship Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal. “But I celebrate his fruitful life and the resurrection hope we have in Jesus Christ.”

Born Dec. 26, 1927, Sherman was a native of Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas; Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas; and Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, N.J.

Sherman served as pastor of several churches including First Baptist Church of Chamblee, Ga. (1956-1960); First Baptist Church of College Station, Texas (1960-1962); First Baptist Church of Asheville, N.C. (1964-1984); and Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas (1985-1992). He also served at Baptist General Convention of Texas as staff associate in the evangelism division from 1962-1964.

As fundamental-conservative leadership shifts began to occur within the Southern Baptist Convention in 1979, Sherman was among those who recognized and fought against the change, paving the way for the formation of the Fellowship in 1991. He was then unanimously selected by the Fellowship’s first Coordinating Council to become the new organization’s first coordinator. He began serving on April 1, 1992, and served until his retirement in 1996.

“Cecil had the courage and capacity to look reality in the face and make hard decisions. His leadership was widely recognized,” said Jim Slatton, who chaired the search committee that recommended Sherman for the CBF role. “Cecil is a genuine churchman, who has a real life-wish for the local church and for the Baptist denomination and for Baptist principles.”

Clarissa Strickland, the Fellowship’s networking specialist, was among the two Fellowship employees when Sherman joined the staff. “Cecil presided over the nascent Fellowship with the utmost integrity and with an enormous life-wish for the organization,” she said. “Cecil was unstinting in his willingness to spend his energies as he traveled throughout our constituency, building the base of CBF during those early years. And he did so with the full support of his beloved wife, Dot.”

Sherman met Dorothy “Dot” Hair in 1950, and the two were married on Dec. 23, 1953, in Greer, S.C. After 54 years of marriage, Dot died Aug. 1, 2008. Just days before her death, Sherman was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and underwent repeated treatments at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

At the time of his diagnosis, Sherman was serving as a pastor of Westover Baptist Church in Richmond, where he had lived for several years. He had also served as interim pastor of several Richmond churches including Chamberlayne Baptist Church, Westhampton Baptist Church and River Road Baptist Church.

Sherman’s cancer treatments had been largely successful, and he was able to continue serving as a visiting professor of pastoral ministries at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (BTSR), a CBF partner seminary where he has taught since 1996.

“His devotion to his students was nothing short of legendary. He saw himself preparing a new generation of ministers for local church ministry,” said Ron Crawford, the seminary’s president. “His service at BTSR has made a grand contribution to students.  It is a contribution that will pay dividends in the lives of ministers and churches for decades to come.”

Also an author, Sherman’s writings include a 2008 memoir, “By My Own Reckoning,” and the Formations Bible study commentary series for adult Sunday school classes. Recently, he had been writing a new book, which had not yet been published.

Sherman is survived by family including his only child, Eugenia Brown of Madison, Wis.; a brother, Bill Sherman of Nashville, Tenn.; a sister, Ruth Hamm of Edmond, Okla.; and a grandson, Nathaniel Brown.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

Editor’s note: A high resolution version of this photograph as well as a photo gallery of other photos of Cecil Sherman are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefellowship/4525977502/.

"All of us in the CBF family are praying for Cecil and his family," said Fellowship Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal. "We hold them in our hearts and ask for God’s grace and strength for them in this time."

Sherman, 82, was the first coordinator of the Fellowship, serving from 1992 through 1996. His pastoral ministry spanned decades, including pastorates at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, and First Baptist Church in Asheville, N.C. Sherman, whose wife of 54 years – Dorothy "Dot" Sherman – died in August 2008, was diagnosed with acute leukemia in July 2008. He is the visiting professor of pastoral ministries at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, a CBF partner seminary.

For more updates visit http://www.cecilsherman.com/news.html.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

Contributions to the Fellowship’s Haiti response effort vary from an anonymous $600,000 gift to the $900 that children at North Broad Baptist Church in Rome, Ga., raised by designing and selling note cards. Gifts have come from churches in Thailand and the Philippines, the Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary and the Union of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Chile. Shortly after collecting $1,114 for Haiti, the Chile congregations were rocked by a major earthquake in their own country but still decided to send the money to Haiti.

"The Philippines, Thailand and Chile have all seen extensive disasters in their own contexts. Yet, these folks continue to look beyond their own suffering and challenges to join with us in meeting the needs of our Haitian brothers and sisters," said CBF Global Missions Coordinator Rob Nash. "I'm grateful that these institutions see CBF as a place to network in order to meet human need globally."

Gifts to the Fellowship’s Haiti response will fund a long-term disaster response plan that includes:

The Fellowship’s response began immediately after the quake, including a medical supply donation effort as well as the medical ministry of CBF field personnel Nancy and Steve James in Haiti. The Jameses, who are co-appointed with American Baptist Churches USA (ABC-USA) and have served in Haiti for years, are joined in medical ministry by Tori Wentz, one of CBF’s medical field personnel based in Virginia.

Rotating as the Fellowship’s on-site relief coordinator in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, are Scott Hunter, former CBF field personnel who is on temporary assignment, and Tim Brendle, who began serving April 9. A former missionary to Haiti, Brendle lives in Petersburg, Va., and is a retired pastor who has served on the Fellowship’s national coordinating council and as chair of CBF’s global missions coordinator search committee in 2005-2006.

"My hope is that Cooperative Baptist Fellowship can come alongside the Haitian people to empower and encourage them so that by God’s grace they can transform their society," said CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal, who traveled to Haiti in March to see relief work in progress. "My experience in Haiti, though brief, was humbling and overwhelming."

In partnership with ABC-USA, the Fellowship is focusing on the Grand Goave community – located near the quake’s epicenter – to help rebuild a church school and local churches. By the end of April, more than 80 volunteers will have served in Grand Goave through ABC-USA, the Fellowship and CBF partner Conscience International.

To volunteer in Haiti, sign up on the Fellowship’s Web site at http://www.thefellowship.info/Disaster-Response-Application. The Fellowship will match the skills and resources of volunteers with on-site needs to ensure a meaningful and effective response.

To give to the relief effort, visit the Fellowship’s donate page, https://www.thefellowship.info/Give/Donate.aspx?fund=17015 or send your check to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, P.O. Box 101699, Atlanta, GA 30392, indicating fund No. 17015 "Haiti Response."

Updates about the Fellowship’s response and recovery efforts will be posted at its blog, www.thefellowship.info/blog.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

Board president Rebecca Wiggs said the firm’s president, Jerry Baker, is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and a Wake Forest University board of trustee member, making him uniquely qualified to help the Foundation find the best candidate.

"What attracted us is the firm is not exclusively Baptist and has strong ties in non-profit, education and for-profit areas," Wiggs said. "They know a lot of people in a lot of arenas and can help us uncover the best candidates."

Wiggs, who is a Mississippi attorney, said the ideal candidate might come from a variety of places such as church life, non-profit agencies or even a lay person looking for a way to combine their professional life and faith.

"We have practical needs in finding the person who will lead the Foundation," Wiggs said. "Baker and Associates supplies that support. First, we’ve got to get the word out to people who have expertise in money management, helping churches or other Baptist agencies grow their resources. People with experience in other non-profit settings may be the ones who can help the Foundation further the goals of moderate Baptists moving forward."

The CBF Foundation exists to raise and manage endowment funds for CBF strategic initiatives and CBF partner organizations and churches. The Foundation is an autonomous organization, closely linked to the Fellowship, but governed by a separate board of trustees.

Wiggs said the timetable for the process is to have a new candidate identified and approved by the board in time for CBF General Assembly which begins June 23 in Charlotte, N.C.

"Don’s only the second president we’ve ever had, so we feel this is an opportunity for someone to make a mark on this institution, to further the work of CBF moving forward," Wiggs said. "We’re not just a reactionary force. I think the foundation is really coming into its own, partnering with others around the world in bringing about the kingdom of God."

Learn more about the Foundation at www.cbff.org.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

“Terry brings to this position a wealth of experience in congregational ministry as well as a passion for missions,” said CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal. “We are privileged to have him as a part of the leadership team for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in Tennessee.”

For many years, CBF and Tennessee CBF have actively cooperated in the promotion of their complementary mission and vision throughout Tennessee. As field coordinator, Maples will work to advance both the mission and identity of CBF and the purpose and goals of Tennessee CBF.  He will serve Christians and churches in Tennessee, providing resources, support and encouragement and facilitating opportunities for fellowship and missions service.

“After 27 years of meaningful local church ministry in Florida and Virginia, I am excited to serve as field coordinator for the Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,” Maples said. “The Fellowship is my theological home where I find kindred spirits. TCBF folks are deeply committed to historic Baptist principles and values embraced by The Fellowship. I believe the future of TCBF is bright, and I look forward to serving alongside free and faithful Baptists in Tennessee.”

Maples currently serves as associate pastor for education and discipleship at Huguenot Road Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. Previously, he served at Westwood Baptist Church, Springfield, Va., and East Hill Baptist Church, Pensacola, Fla. He has also been an adjunct professor at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, a CBF partner, since 2001. Maples, a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the University of Alabama, has been involved with CBF since its inception.

“At the beginning of our search when the Coordinating Council first articulated its vision of the characteristics of the ideal field coordinator, we had no idea that we were exactly describing the life and ministry of Terry Maples,” said Dr. John Rohde, chair of the search committee and moderator of TCBF. “Among the numerous impressive candidates that were under consideration, we are convinced that Terry is exactly who we have been looking for. In returning to his home state to lead our Fellowship, he is bringing  a combination of new energy and mature leadership to our efforts to support churches and individuals as they seek to be the presence of Christ in Tennessee.”

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

Editor’s note: A high resolution version of this photo is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefellowship/4436279516/.

Leaders of the hymnal project, which also includes online music and worship planning resources, dubbed it as a comprehensive mixture of treasured hymns and songs that have been sung by generations as well as new ones by many of the nation’s best-loved composer and arrangers.

Tom McAfee, who was project chairman, said the new volume was five years in the making and was culled down to about 700 from more than 2,500 submissions.

John Simons, coordinating editor of the hymnal and director of The Townsend-McAfee Institute for Church Music studies at Mercer University, said the project was successful in large part because of the grass-roots effort involving churches, music ministers and laity in the creation of a new hymnal. With an editorial board composed of seven people and more than 70 other committee members, leadership involved a broad group of contributors.

"At the beginning and the heart of our project was the driving philosophy that through the power of the Holy Spirit, music changes lives," Simons said. "This very grass roots organization was distinctive because it cuts across denominational barriers, and it unites us in this philosophical cause through the power of the Holy Spirit."

McAfee said a goal from the beginning of the project was to be intentionally inclusive of all Baptists and folks from other denominations.

"One of the things that makes our hymnal unique in the Baptist family and in hymnals in general is we included the Cooperative Baptists, the National Baptists, American Baptists, Canadian Baptists, Southern Baptists – if you are Baptist, we wanted you involved in this," McAfee said. "We also wanted to involve people from the Methodist tradition, the Presbyterian tradition, we wanted it to be something that is yes, Baptist, built by Baptists with Baptists in mind, but we also wanted to bring in these other traditions so others can use the book as well."

Along with the new hymnal, project leaders have developed The Worship Matrix™ and online Supplemental Music Resources, which will provide church leaders planning tools and online access to worship materials that are designed to create cohesion between music elements, scripture readings, sermon illustrations and other worship elements.

Mark Edwards, vice president and worship resource manager for Celebrating Grace, said there will be 900 additional items on the Web at www.celebrating-grace.org, created by more than 100 different composers and arrangers.

"These days, there are many other things that have to go along with a hymnal book if it is going to be used effectively," Edwards said.

Simons said the goal with the new hymnal was to make these hymns and the worship experience as a whole meaningful to congregants. "It’s not so much focused on a certain genre or certain type of Christian music, as it is intended as a worship resource for the entire family."

The hymnal’s debut featured two concerts – March 7-8 – with selections from the hymnal performed by a mass choir made up of musicians from across the country. The hymnal event coincided with the national meeting of Polyphony, the Fellowship of Pastoral Musicians.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

"I have known for 20 years that the time would come for me to leave institutional ministry for a local church setting – it’s time," said Durham, a 1994 graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. "When I decided more than a year ago to move closer to my daughters in central North Carolina, I knew that it was also time to make this ministry transition. I am pursuing bi-vocational ministry among people for whom traditional church doesn’t typically work."

The CBF Foundation exists to raise and manage endowment funds for CBF strategic initiatives and CBF partner organizations and churches. The Foundation is an autonomous organization, closely linked to the Fellowship, but governed by a separate board of trustees.

Durham, 40, has been working with the Foundation’s board since July 2009 to ensure a smooth transition. The board is conducting a national search for a replacement and would like to have someone in place by mid 2010.

"Don’s leadership has allowed the Foundation to provide meaningful support to the work of the Fellowship into the 21st century," said Rebecca Wiggs, a Mississippi attorney and current chair of the Foundation’s board. "He has helped create a genuine partnership between Baptist agencies, churches and families who want to be effective stewards of their money so that the ministry of CBF will be ongoing. Don’s skills for both ministry and financial planning have helped us develop the Foundation in such a way that it will be a resource for the next generation of God’s people."

Responsible for all facets of managing the CBF Foundation, Durham’s primary focus was on securing fund management clients among CBF churches and partners with endowment funds of their own, and providing endowment and stewardship promotion planning services tailored to the local situation and culture of each of the congregations or partners.

By focusing on building funds under management, Durham was able to bring the Foundation to the break-even point in 2008 as projected. This growth allowed the Foundation to add another full time staff position to give primary focus to the Foundation’s long term reason for existing – work with individual donors who can and will make transformational gifts to endowments for the work of the Fellowship and its partners.

He increased the number of CBF Foundation clients by more than double from 17 to 43, and he attracted the first multi-million dollar fund management clients for the Foundation. He secured more than $10 million in fund management accounts and realized estate gifts including the Foundation’s largest realized estate gift to date – over $1.2 million to endow CBF Global Missions field personnel salaries.

"We’ve been blessed by Don Durham," said Daniel Vestal, the Fellowship’s executive coordinator. "Don has approached his work with the deeply-held conviction that financial management and investment not only contributes to help make ministry happen, it is a ministry. He is one of the most gifted development specialists I have ever worked with. CBF has a brighter future because of Don Durham."

A major focus of Durham’s work with the foundation was in his role as a consultant to congregations for planning their endowment promotions in ways that fit the local culture of the church and integrate well with the larger mission and vision of each church.

"Don Durham and the CBF Foundation have been of immeasurable help in getting our Planned Giving Campaign moving and on the right track," said Paul McElroy, co-chair of the Planned Giving Team at First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C. "He helped us develop an outline of important issues and milestones and spoke to our congregation several times on Planned Giving. The CBF Foundation will be a repository for the gifts and manage the investments for our church. We owe a lot to Don and CBF Foundation."

In addition to helping churches connect their endowments with their missions, Durham led CBF Foundation to offer churches a way to invest a portion of their endowment principal in micro enterprise development loans to entrepreneurial borrowers in poor countries who use the loans to start or expand businesses to support their families.

"I’m more proud of this than anything we’ve done during my time with the Foundation," Durham said. "Churches get really energized when they realize they can invest their endowments in microfinance and do as much good with the principal as with the proceeds. Over a 5 year period, an investment of just $10,000 can offer more than 500 individuals the best opportunity they can have to lift themselves out of poverty – and stay out."

The foundation has just over $1 million committed to microfinance investments so far.

"I’ve spent the last 15-20 years helping pay for an awful lot of good ministry as a fund raiser," he said. "However, I believe it’s time for me to transition to a more direct expression of local ministry with my sleeves rolled up as one seeking to be the presence of Christ."

Learn more about the Foundation at www.cbff.org.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

CBF field personnel Nancy and Steve James will continue coordinating medical work in Cap-Haitien – about 100 miles north of Port-au-Prince. Scott Hunter, one of CBF’s former field personnel serving on temporary assignment, is establishing an operation base southwest of Port-au-Prince, near the epicenter where 98 percent of all local structures were either damaged or totally destroyed. Soon, the Fellowship will be able to receive volunteers in this heavily affected area.

There are limited volunteer opportunities available now for individuals and teams to help prepare the operation base. Once the base is finished, the Fellowship will send more volunteers into the region. Service opportunities include debris cleanup, reconstruction, administrative services, supply logistics and providing medical services.

The Jameses, CBF field personnel co-appointed with American Baptist Churches USA, have served in Haiti for years as healthcare professionals. For days after the quake, Steve, a physician, treated survivors at Haiti Health Ministries’ Christianville Clinic, less than four miles from the quake’s epicenter and close to where the CBF base is being prepared.

"We who have been in Haiti many years have lived with hearing and witnessing terrible tragedies. Yet this present disaster has shaken all of us in the scope and breadth of pain for so many," Steve James said.

The Jameses and Hunter, who previously coordinated portions of the Fellowship’s response to the 2004 Asian tsunami, will soon be joined by Tori Wentz, one of CBF’s medical field personnel based in Virginia.

Those desiring to volunteer must sign up on the Fellowship’s Web site at http://www.thefellowship.info/Disaster-Response-Application. The Fellowship will match the skills and resources of volunteers with on-site needs to ensure a meaningful and effective response.

The Fellowship’s long-term disaster response plan includes working with ministry partners to provide medical services, access to clean water, spiritual formation and pastoral care. Efforts will also include work with children and orphanages, microenterprise development among women and construction of earthquake resistant housing.

As of Feb. 5, more than $193,135 has been contributed to the Fellowship’s Haiti response effort. Also, Fellowship Baptists have sent more than 4.3 tons of medical supplies worth more than $153,000 to CBF partner North Stuart Baptist Church in Stuart, Fla., where the supplies are repackaged and sent to Haiti.

"We thank God for each of you who have loved, prayed and cared for the suffering ones of Haiti and the world," James said.

To give to the relief effort, visit the Fellowship’s donate page, https://www.thefellowship.info/Give/Donate.aspx?fund=17015 or send your check to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, P.O. Box 101699, Atlanta, GA 30392, indicating fund No. 17015 "Haiti Response." Under newly-passed legislation, donations to Haiti response made between Jan. 12 and Feb. 28 will be eligible for deduction on 2009 taxes.

To contribute medical supplies, download the list of items needed from the Fellowship’s Web site at www.thefellowship.info/haiti.

Updates about the Fellowship’s response and recovery efforts will be posted at its blog, www.thefellowship.info/blog.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

"Within the Baptist family 20 years ago the Holy Spirit quickened, awakened, aroused and empowered Baptists to dream, act and organize in creative new ways so as to give witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ," said CBF executive coordinator Daniel Vestal. "Our 20th General Assembly is a marker of God’s goodness."

Among the new events at this year’s historic meeting is a special missions emphasis June 24 called "Discover Your Passion." Led by CBF field personnel and other ministers, the event will challenge attendees to explore and connect with specific areas of CBF missions ministry, such as poverty, justice, education and faith sharing.

Another all-new event is the Essentials Conference. Designed for church leaders, including deacons, staff, teachers and committee members, the Essentials Conference offers four 75-minute learning sessions on 14 practical topics, including deacon ministry, stewardship, evangelism, pastoral care skills, church planning, age-group teaching and more.

The Assembly theme, "And so we are…" (1 John 3:1-2), will be explored in evening worship services, which feature preaching by Bill Leonard and Lauren Winner, both from North Carolina. Leonard, dean and professor at Wake Forest University Divinity School in Winston-Salem, will speak June 24 about Baptist life. Winner, the author of Girl Meets God, Mudhouse Sabbath and Real Sex: The Naked Truth about Chastity, will speak June 25 about the future of mainline churches. Winner, who teaches at Duke Divinity School in Durham, will also lead a morning prayer retreat on June 26.

Other Assembly highlights include:

As in previous years, the Assembly will offer auxiliary events hosted by CBF partners, events for children and youth, state and regional CBF organization meetings, a resource fair, workshops, business sessions and more. The Assembly will be held in the Charlotte Convention Center and the Westin Hotel, both in downtown Charlotte.

While registration for the Assembly is free, some events require advance paid registration. More information about the Assembly, including online registration and hotel discounts, is available at

Formed in 1991, the Fellowship celebrates its 20th anniversary at next year’s General Assembly June 23-24, 2011, in Tampa, Fla.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.