TAMPA, Fla. — After its assembly in March the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina challenged members to support the national CBF Global Mission Offering. As an incentive and in appreciation for church support of its own budget, CBFNC offered to match the first $100,000 given to the Global Mission Offering from any North Carolina CBF church or member.
Rob Nash (left) global missions coordinator for CBF, accepts a $100,000 challenge gift from CBF of North Carolina executive coordinator Larry Hovis.
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On June 21, the CBF state affiliate’s meeting at the national CBF General Assembly was highlighted by a presentation of a $100,000 check to CBF missions coordinator Rob Nash and the announcement that North Carolina CBF members and churches had contributed $239,235 to qualify for the match.
Accepting the check, Nash said it is “sometimes very discouraging” to wrestle with limited and even declining budgets in the face of so much need.
“I cannot tell you how encouraging, how meaningful it is to us” to have North Carolina Baptists respond so positively, Nash said.
Larry Hovis, CBFNC coordinator, said the challenge elicited many exciting responses, and named two in particular. He said First Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C., had decided not to receive a Global Mission Offering in the spring, because it had done so earlier. But when they learned of the challenge, they raised $15,000 toward it.
And Hovis said the children of First Baptist Church in Elizabeth City, N.C., raised a “Mile of Pennies,” which is at least $844.
Hovis updated participants on chapter activities and introduced new staff member Ka’thy Gore Chappell. Chappell, who will serve as leadership development coordinator, was associate vice president for advancement and community at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
Moderator Donna Bissette of Winston-Salem, N.C., led a hybrid version of a popular TV game show in, “Are you smarter than a coordinator?” CBF staff coordinators were matched against participants from the audience in a series of questions about CBF work and history.
Norman Jameson is a contributor writer for the Religious Herald.