GRAPEVINE, Texas (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Coordinating Council, meeting June 29 prior to the organization's annual general assembly, approved revisions to the partnership study committee report and approved a one-time gift of $30,000 to the Baptist Center for Ethics.
Speaking on behalf of the council's “building community” initiative team, Emmanuel McCall of Atlanta said BCE executive director Robert Parham, who was diagnosed with acute leukemia earlier this year, has been incapacitated in his role as chief fund-raiser.
“He has not asked for our help,” McCall said of Parham, who described the organization's financial shortfall in an appeal to donors earlier this month. The Nashville-based ethics group is a CBF partner scheduled to receive $75,000 from the Fellowship's 2005-06 budget.
McCall said relieving Parham of the stress of BCE's financial woes will assist in his recovery.
Council members unanimously approved changes to the partnership study committee report that will go to the Fellowship's assembly for affirmation. The proposal, containing principles and guidelines for CBF's relationships with various ministry partners, was developed by a committee working over the past two years.
Committee chairman Charles Cantrell from Missouri presented “two notable changes” to the preliminary report, approved by the council in February: 1) that a funding cap for partner organizations be raised from 20 percent of the partner's annual revenue to 25 percent and 3) that the number of theology schools designated as “identity partners” be increased from “three to five” to up to six.
Under the 25 percent funding cap, two partners — Associated Baptist Press and Baptist Center for Ethics — would lose funding from CBF. Several theological schools, such as Duke Divinity School, would lose funding by not qualifying as one of the six potential “identity partners.”
Additionally, the council amended a guideline that calls for all partners to “appropriately promote CBF.” The amendment clarifies that CBF “holds the highest regard for the tenets and high standards of journalism, including a free press .. and in no way expects [press organizations] to violate their professional mandates in Fellowship news coverage.” The amendment asks media partners – Associated Baptist Press, Baptist Center for Ethics and Baptists Today – to disclose their CBF funding when appropriate.
The council rejected a motion by Gail Coulter of North Carolina to allow for “minimal institutional support” to help fund offices for Baptist study programs at national research universities. Cantrell countered that the motion would “undo” rather than “tweak” the report regarding theological institutions.
“Partnership truly is the paradigm of [CBF],” said Cantrell, wrapping up his report. “It fosters mutual respect and trust.”
CBF Coordinator Daniel Vestal commended the study committee saying their vigorous work reaffirmed the Fellowship's approach to working in partnerships. “They are us,” said Vestal of CBF's partners, “and we are them.”
The nominating committee offered a slate of officers that included CBF's first African-American moderator. Emmanuel McCall of Atlanta will be nominated as moderator-elect. He will assume that top elected position next year, succeeding Joy Yee, who begins service as moderator this year. Current moderator Bob Setzer of Macon, Ga., will serve as immediate past moderator. Susan Crumpler of Cincinnati, Ohio, will return as recorder. All nominations must be approved by the general assembly.
— John Pierce is executive editor of Baptists Today. Both Baptist Today and Associated Baptist Press receive funding from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.