Virginia missionaries Greg and Sue Smith will be commissioned as Cooperative Baptist Fellowship global missions affiliates at the Fellowship's 2006 General Assembly in June.
The Smiths will remain in Fredericksburg, where they serve with the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. They provide resources for churches in Latino outreach and help coordinate the activities of the Latino Network of Virginia Baptists. The network is a partnership among the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia, the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and the John Leland Center for Theological Studies.
“The CBF is missionary at heart, which is how I understand God to be,” said Greg, a native of Hot Springs, Ark. “Baptists are most true to themselves not when disputing doctrine but when cooperating among themselves and with others in mission. The CBF also interprets mission holistically, that is, in all its multifaceted dimensions, including both the social and the spiritual dimensions. Christian mission embraces the whole person, something I believe the CBF tries to model in its emphases and strategies worldwide.”
The Smiths will also continue a ministry they helped found, LUCHA (Latinos United through Christ in Brotherhood and Support) Ministries Inc., which is a community-based Christian outreach ministry with and among Latinos in the greater Fredericksburg area. Along with United Methodist Church leaders Victor and Heather Gómez, the Smiths began LUCHA Ministries in 2004 as a partnership effort between the CBF of Virginia and Fredericksburg United Methodist Church.
“LUCHA is a good fit with CBF missions,” said Sue, a native of Carthage, Ark. “Basically, we walk beside Latinos in our community through whatever struggles they are facing, whether they are physical, emotional, spiritual or social struggles. We try to be the presence of Christ to them in all that we do.”
AsYouGo Affiliate service offers a means for self-supporting personnel to serve through the CBF global missions field team structure. Affiliates serve through a career, such as teachers, professors, business people, or medical professionals, or through the direct financial support of partners. Regardless of support structure, the ultimate goal is long-term, self-sustaining ministry.
Being CBF affiliates will allow the Smiths to continue partnering through LUCHA, the Latino Network and the Virginia Baptist Mission Board as well as extend their partnership to the CBF global missions North American international team.
“Affiliate service plays an important role as the Fellowship partners with churches and other groups to engage in holistic missions and ministries with the most neglected people in a world without borders,” said Matt Norman, the Fellowship's associate coordinator for career and affiliate field selection.