Last week’s annual gathering of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, hosted by Pritchard Baptist Church in Charlotte, centered the theme “Serving Together,” bringing forth unity in diversity among North Carolina congregations in the current political, social and economic climate.
Most pressing for North Carolina congregations, leaders addressed continued disaster relief efforts in response to Hurricane Helene, which ravaged areas in multiple states including Western North Carolina.
They recalled how, following the Category 4 hurricane last September, many CBFNC congregations responded immediately with quick methods of support such as providing meals for affected communities, delivering emergency supplies, helping with clean-up efforts and providing purification tools to ensure survivors had access to water. Volunteers and other CBFNC staff also helped search for survivors in the wreckage.
Wanda Kidd, a retired CBFNC collegiate ministry coordinator, was essential in these efforts, and she reported that efforts are continuing to minister to Western North Carolina, even today.
For instance, she said CBF youth groups will aid in summer camps that support the well-being of children who still will be displaced come summertime.
Larry Hovis, executive coordinator of CBFNC, said, “We have provided approximately $200,000 of financial support” to Western Carolina communities.
Hovis also talked about CBFNC’s response to rising tensions related to diverse identities, a pressing issue in today’s political climate, even among Cooperative Baptists.
“We are straight, but we are also gay.”
“We are straight, but we are also gay,” he said. “Because of our foundation in historic Baptist principles that include the lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Scripture, the priesthood of all believers, and the autonomy of the local church, our partner churches hold to diverse positions on issues such as marriage and ordination. But let me say to the LGBTQ people in our midst: We love you. We value you. You are made in the image of God. You are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We affirm you as children of God with inherent dignity worthy of our respect and embrace.”
In light of recent threats to immigrants’ lives in the U.S., CBF national recently joined a coalition of Quakers and Sikhs as plaintiffs in a lawsuit to protect congregations from experiencing ICE raids in their houses of worship. On Feb. 24, that coalition won a temporary restraining order, and now many houses of worship have posted signs by their entrances indicating this update.
Larry Hovis (right) greets an attendee at the CBFNC annual gathering.
Affirming the presence of immigrants in CBFNC congregations, Hovis said: “A growing number of us, including our friends in Red Latina and the Welcome Network, were born in other countries but now claim North Carolina as home. We stand with these newcomers. Defending their rights to live and serve among us … especially during these frightening times. To the refugees, immigrants and international friends in our midst, we embrace you not only as neighbors, but as brothers and sisters in Christ.”
CBFNC leaders also recognized the nature of diversity, both in identity and opinion, as a feature of Baptist life that CBFNC must continue to navigate.
Hovis explained during opening worship, “We don’t agree on everything, but we agree on the importance of serving the mission of Jesus together.”
“We should expect diversity in our fellowship and not be threatened by it.”
Stacy Nowell, who has served as CBFNC’s moderator for the past two years, expanded upon diversity during the business meeting, when she explained the complexity of what it means to be part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
“Here’s the thing” she said. “The logical consequence of being a people who celebrate the autonomy of the local church and each individual believer’s ability to interpret Scripture means, by necessity, that there will be a host of matters about which we disagree. My point is, that is a feature of who we are, and not a bug. … We should expect diversity in our fellowship and not be threatened by it. That is truly what it means to be a Baptist.”
She then challenged CBFNC to consider how this diversity can work as a gift for congregations attempting to do the work of God in their contexts.
“If diversity is a feature and not a bug, this means we need to also lean into respecting the dignity and validity — those are two different things — the dignity and validity of individuals and congregations within our fellowship and all of their particularities. It requires recognizing that God is up to something good in their community and not just yours.”
Affirming the Baptist necessity for unique and diverse congregations, she reminded listeners that all humans are made in the image of God, even though we look, think and believe differently. “It is a challenge for each of us to simultaneously hold our own convictions without needing … to remake everyone else into our own image.”