ATLANTA (ABP) — This year's general assembly of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship promises to answer the challenge Coordinator Daniel Vestal gave at last year's meeting — a challenge to face head-on the issues of poverty, social justice, diversity and mercy.
According to Bo Prosser, the CBF coordinator for congregational life, Vestal's call for the movement to make a difference in the areas of poverty and mercy was a mandate he couldn't ignore.
“The need is there,” Prosser told Associated Baptist Press. “Those issues are just in your face. We need to make some kind of response.”
The general assembly, June 21-24 in Atlanta, promises to highlight new ways CBF will focus on global missions and poverty, including debuting new missions education material and hosting more than 15 workshops dealing with those issues. This year's theme, “Being the Presence of Christ for a World in Need,” also complements that aim.
Most of the events, worship sessions and speakers correlate with the theme of social consciousness, poverty, AIDS, war, disease and education. Event organizers expect 5,000-6,000 people to attend the general assembly, most representing the 1,800 affiliated congregations.
This year's featured speaker, Trevor Hudson, has written several books about spirituality, including The Serenity Prayer, Signpost to Spirituality, Invitations to Abundant Life and Journey of the Spirit. He serves in a Methodist church in Benoni, near Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Trevor has been involved in the front lines when it comes to poverty,” Prosser said. “He is a real champion for justice and mercy.”
Also speaking at the conference, CBF moderator Joy Yee will give the annual moderator's address before relinquishing that position to Emmanuel McCall of Atlanta. Yee, pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church in San Francisco, is the first woman pastor elected to the office. McCall, the retired pastor of Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in Atlanta, will be the first African-American elected to the moderator post.
In addition to the plenary and breakout sessions, auxiliary meetings include the African American Network, which is sponsoring a discussion and festival for victims of Hurricane Katrina, and the Asian Ministry, which will host its annual dinner.
The most notable auxiliary event, the HIV/AIDS summit, “Breaking the Silence: Compassion for an HIV Positive World,” will take place June 21-22, immediately prior to the general assembly. Keynote speaker David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, a CBF partner organization, will speak during the plenary session, aimed at helping leaders form a personal and corporate response to the “health crisis that is HIV/AIDS.” Other authorities on the subject will speak on topics relating AIDS to local advocacy, education, family matters and ministry.
“The AIDS summit will certainly be a highlight,” Prosser said, noting that poverty directly correlates with the disease.
Prosser said the assembly could provide opportunities for ministry for years to come.
“I hope people leave with a real motivation for ministry. And not just motivation, but tools for ministry,” he said. “I hope people will go away with the face of missions and a call to missions.”
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