KUMASI, Ghana (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has signed a partnership agreement to do ministry with the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, an umbrella organization of Baptists in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The three-year, renewable agreement will deploy CBF resources and volunteers to conduct mission and ministry projects with Baptists in those countries as well as help AABF work for reconciliation among various African nations and groups.
The CBF's coordinator, Daniel Vestal, and global missions co-coordinator, Barbara Baldridge, signed the agreement during a recent 10-day tour of ministry locations in Africa, with stops in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. For the signing ceremony, Frank Adams, AABF general secretary, represented the African Baptist group, which is one of six regional fellowships that comprise the Baptist World Alliance.
“God has called us as a Fellowship to be the presence of Christ in the world,” Vestal said in a statement. “One of the ways in which we can answer that call is to walk alongside our African brothers and sisters….”
The CBF and AABF will coordinate the work of American volunteers and selection of ministry projects. Also included in the partnership will be conferences on peace-making, holistic development and theological education, which will benefit from CBF grants of $5,000 for three years, the leaders said.
“Our mission,” said Baldridge, “is to collaborate with churches and other groups to engage in holistic missions among the most neglected people in the world. This partnership furthers that mission and will help us learn more effective ways to be the presence of Christ in Africa.”
The Fellowship also will help AABF strengthen its organization and improve relationships between its member Baptist conventions. Although AABF has been in existence for some time, regional and national tensions have interfered with relationships between Baptist conventions.
The Fellowship currently has six missionaries serving in three countries in Africa.
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