The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has named two eight-members teams to search for key staff members.
One team will identify needed leadership gifts and structures for the future of CBF Global Missions and serve as a search committee for a coordinator to succeed Steven Porter, who has resigned to focus on writing and other mission projects. Another team will lead the search for someone to fill the newly created position of coordinator of congregational ministries.
The congregational ministries position will focus on resource development, active sensing of needs and opportunities in congregations, partnership cultivation, staff coaching, budget oversight and presence in congregations. This position was created in response to CBF’s new strategic initiative, Toward Bold Faithfulness.
Both search teams were named by CBF officers in consultation with Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley.
Those named to the Global Missions Transition Team are:
- Anyra Cano, coordinator of Texas Baptist Women In Ministry and a member of the CBF Missions Council.
- Hannah Coe, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, and a member of the CBF Missions Council.
- Scott Day, minister of missions at First Baptist Church of Huntsville, Ala., and a member of the CBF Missions Council.
- Angel Pittman, CBF field personnel and educational advocate.
- Kevin Pranoto, executive director of Mission Oak Cliff, a ministry of Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas.
- Tammy Snyder, associate pastor of Bayshore Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla., and chair-elect of the CBF Missions Council.
- Ralph Stocks, retired CBF field personnel previously serving in Hungary and Romania.
- Charles Watson, director of education for BJC, and a member of the CBF Governing Board.
Baxley said the team’s process will include engagements with CBF field personnel, Global Missions staff and others. Once the initial process concludes later this spring, the team will either recommend an interim approach or transition to a formal search committee, he said.
“Over the next several months, this team will do essential work in helping us listen deeply to those most engaged in CBF Global Missions, helping us find ways to further strengthen our participation in Christ’s mission, gain greater clarity about leadership gifts and structures that are most needed now, while also making the culture of CBF Global Missions even stronger,” Baxley said. “Together, after deep listening, we will discern whether a more extensive interim arrangement is needed or whether we are prepared to begin a search for a new coordinator.”
Those named to the coordinator of congregational ministries search team are:
- Debbie McDaniel (chair), CBF moderator-elect and a member of CBF Governing Board. McDaniel is a lay leader at First Baptist Church of Huntsville, Ala.
- Ellen Di Giosia, chair-elect of the CBF Ministries Council, and former pastor of First Baptist Church in Jefferson City, Tenn.
- Marnie Fisher-Ingram, a member of the CBF Governing Board and Youth Ministry Network, who serves as minister of students at River Road Church, Baptist, in Richmond, Va.
- Les Hollon, recently retired pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, San Antonio, Texas, and former member of the CBF Theological Commission.
- Roland Johnson, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Keller, Texas.
- Lauren McDuffie, associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Morehead, Ky., chair of the CBF Nominating Committee and member of the Toward Bold Faithfulness Collaborative Response Team.
- DeVontae Powell, pastor of Rising Star Baptist Church in Flint, Mich., and member of the CBF Pan African Koinonia Steering Committee.
- Tyler Tankersley, pastor of Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The congregational ministries search is currently accepting applications for this role. A job description is posted online. Recommendations and applications should be directed to a CBF email address.
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