Humanizing the poor and hungry is a vital first step for individuals and churches called to combat poverty and hunger, a group of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ministers and lay leaders learned during a recent webinar hosted by CBF Heartland. “It’s…
Perez and Aho named to new staff roles with CBF
A North Carolina pastor and a Texas mission strategist have been named to new staff positions with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Chris Aho, pastor at Oxford Baptist Church in Oxford, N.C., has been named director of CBF’s Thriving Congregations project…
Despite COVID restrictions, faith-based agencies continue to improve lives in Africa
U.S-based humanitarian enterprises with long histories of service in Africa are continuing their work despite coronavirus and because of partnerships forged over years of ministry. Field personnel of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, for example, have been restricted in travel since…
CBF Governing Board focuses on partner relationships, marks anniversary of COVID pandemic
The next phase of implementing its Toward Bold Faithfulness initiative will lead the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to reimagine its relationships with partner organizations, members of the CBF Governing Board were told Jan. 29. Meeting via Zoom due to the ongoing…
In Virginia, immigrants are ‘exhausted’ but there is new hope
Donald Trump’s four-year war on immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers has taken a heavy emotional and financial toll on those populations that will possibly take years to heal, CBF field personnel Sue Smith said. “The people I work with are…
Relaunch of Global Service Corps begins with placement at refugee ministry
Hannah Turner is one of those young adults religion surveys and church consultants consistently describe as demanding social action and community engagement opportunities from the congregations they attend. At 23, the recent college graduate is bringing her experience as an…
Another week, another hurricane — welcome to 2020
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is stretching the disaster response capabilities of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to the limit. “I’m afraid we are getting to that point,” said Rick Burnette, Global Missions field personnel and the domestic disaster response manager…
Nationwide, twice as many people are hungry during pandemic
Experts predicted food insecurity would skyrocket as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the nation’s economy. According to those who regularly minister to the poor and hungry, those predictions have turned out to be accurate. “It’s bigger than anything we’ve ever seen,”…
Is missions giving ‘paying dues’? And what counts as ‘missions’ anyway?
Several years ago, in my previous life as a pastor, a well-meaning member of our Missions Committee looked at the church’s missions budget, noted the large sum of money we were sending to state and national denominational groups and declared…
Details released on CBF’s budget reductions and restructuring
More details released Oct. 13 about the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s 10% reduction in budgeted expenditures for the new fiscal year indicate a loss of 10 staff positions at the Decatur, Ga., offices and additional savings from normal attrition of missions…
In Lesbos refugee camp, first came the fire, then came the Neo-Nazis
You may have read in the news about the terrible fire that destroyed Camp Moria, the extremely overcrowded refugee camp on Lesbos. I was on the island during this fire. The night of the fire was incredibly windy. I could…
Encourager Church program thriving despite pandemic
Trinity Baptist Church in Seneca, S.C., hasn’t let a pandemic get in the way of deepening its commitment to missions. The congregation is leaning into its Encourager Church relationship with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Scarlette Jasper in Kentucky and…