By Bob Allen Veteran pastor Doug Dortch has been selected to be in line as 26th moderator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Dortch, senior minister of Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., will be nominated as moderator-elect of the…
Memorial Day can evoke painful memories for military chaplains, former Navy officer says
By Jeff Brumley Gerry Hutchinson attended a Memorial Day ceremony with state officials in Georgia last week, leaving him free to enjoy the holiday weekend with family. But Hutchinson, who oversees chaplains and pastoral counselors for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,…
CBF’s Porter gives peek at new global missions process
By Jeff Brumley Steven Porter has made it clear since he was named head of global missions for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship that the organization must overhaul the structure and operation of its domestic and overseas missions efforts. Now, a…
At 25, CBF Florida thanks God — and Hurricane Andrew — for missions focus
By Jeff Brumley A lot of names are cropping up as the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida spends 2015 celebrating its 25th anniversary. They include Pat and Carolyn Anderson, the first and second coordinators of the organization formed in 1990. They…
CBF, SBC unite against payday loans
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission joined other faith groups May 14 in announcing a new coalition to combat predatory lending. The new Faith for Just Lending coalition, announced at a press…
Why Rachel Held Evans is not that controversial
Just as we had finished imposing ashes on the foreheads of worshipers, my friend and fellow pastor David Bennett turned to me and said, “Alan, remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” And with those words, David…
Baptist minister mourns executions of ‘Bali 9’ members
By Jeff Brumley Tina Bailey took to Facebook May 3 to appeal for prayer. For a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel like Bailey, that’s not all that unusual. But this post was particularly painful. “On this Sunday morning wherever you…
Baptists join growing army of relief headed to Nepal
By Jeff Brumley Governments, the United Nations and an army of international aid agencies are pouring relief supplies and workers into Nepal. And faith-based groups, including many Baptist organizations, are going in right along with them. Baptist groups across the…
Baptist disaster responder, through Facebook, reports on Nepal efforts
By Jeff Brumley Eddy Ruble used his Facebook status to share a long-time dream with friends Tuesday. “I’ve always dreamed of visiting Nepal, but not under the circumstances to which I am to arrive to today,” he wrote. The circumstances…
Community rallies to rescue, nurture elderly immigrant
By Ashleigh Bugg Irene Calderón is 78 years old with a face full of sun-warmed wrinkles and a voice that lilts like music. “Ma-mitaa, cómo esta niñaa” — the words moved up and down when she laughs. The small Peruvian grandmother…
CBF Northeast coordinator reflects on attending U.N. Women’s Conference
By Phyllis Boozer On Friday, March 13 I had the opportunity, thanks to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Baptist World Alliance, to attend a United Nations Women’s Conference in New York. This was part of a two-week series of meetings,…
Every refugee is a chance to live the gospel, ministers and missionaries say
By Leah Allen and Jeff Brumley Just under 70,000 refugees from around the world were legally resettled in the United States in 2014, bringing the total to 3 million in every state since 1975. And that, some ministers and domestic…