ATLANTA (ABP) – How does God want us to use our resources? Finding an answer to that and related questions will be a priority at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly this year.
Leaders will seek input from attendees at the event, set for June 19-20 at Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn.
Using the theme, “Embrace the World: Building Bridges,” the meeting will include a “prayer and discernment experience” to help determine the 17-year-old organization's future.
According to pre-assembly information, the prayer time will cap a year-long effort by CBF's Coordinating Council, state and regional leaders, staff and others to determine the body's future focus.
Participants will receive instructions for the prayer time at the Thursday morning business session. An hour during the afternoon worship experience that day will be devoted to prayer in groups of approximately 30 individuals.
Following worship, small groups of 10-15 people will meet to pray over and respond to specific questions and potential priorities. The smaller groups will meet again prior to a Friday morning business session.
CBF leaders will use the feedback to develop priorities for the organization. Some of those initiatives will be presented Friday morning.
No other major business items are expected during the meeting.
In other General Assembly-related events, CBF will commission 17 new field personnel during a service June 18. The commissioning will be held at First Baptist Church of Memphis.
An hour-long focus on poverty is scheduled for June 19 to allow participants to share and discuss ideas and challenges for meeting worldwide needs. Although a free event, organizers request attendees to register ahead of time at the CBF website planning purposes.
The two-day event will also feature several workshops sessions on topics including missions, disaster relief, religious freedom and poverty.
Keynote speakers include Lauren Bethell, an American Baptist Churches USA ministry consultant based in Prague, Czech Republic. Bethell helps mentor and facilitate ministry among the world's exploited women and children.
A leadership summit, a poverty-emphasis breakfast, a CBF AIDS Network luncheon and several other auxiliary events will be held in conjunction with the General Assembly.
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