feb/march 2007 fellowship! magazine

CBFfellowship! Cooperativebaptistfellowship|www.thefellowship.info

Evangelism at heart of Fellowship’s vision

Arville and Shelia Earl have not only paid for the life-saving medicine Razmire’s daughter needs, but they have also helped to create a school for her children and offered her their love and friendship. The Earls, who work among the poor in Macedonia as Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel, call their ministry “relationship evangelism.”

“Even after 26 years of living and working overseas,

of seeing people survive insurmountable obstacles — like drought, lack of education, ethnic conflict and

unemployment — I’m still amazed at the indomitable spirit of people like Razmire to survive and make a better life for her family,” Shelia Earl said. “I am so grateful to be here as a witness that God loves her.”

CBF Global Missions field personnel around the world are bearing witness to God’s love. As they help to meet spiritual, emotional and physical needs, field personnel are building relationships and transforming lives.

“Jesus brought the whole gospel to the whole world, and it was a gospel of word and deed that did not value one kind of witness over the other,” said Rob Nash, coordinator for CBF Global Missions. “For this reason, our field personnel minister out of the conviction that meaningful evangelism is relationship evangelism that is built upon love and commitment to the people that God brings into our lives.”

Evangelism is at the heart of the Fellowship’s vision — “being the presence of Christ in the world.” But evangelism is not limited to the ministries

of CBF field personnel. Fellowship Baptists — chaplains, pastoral counselors, ministers, churches and laity

— are being the presence of Christ every day through a variety of words and works.

This issue of fellowship! provides snapshots of the many ways Fellowship Baptists are involved in evangelism

and highlights evangelism resources. True to the Baptist principle of the priesthood of all believers, the Fellowship

affirms and empowers each individual’s personal ministry of evangelism.

“From the earliest days of evangelism, Jesus called us to proclaim his love,” said Bo Prosser, the Fellowship’s coordinator of congregational life. “So the responsibility is on me to tell — not on me to convict. The parable of the sower is a good model for us as modern day evangelists. We are to sow seeds. And that might happen through social interaction, ministry activities or soul winning — but the challenge is to sow.”

Give – To give to the Offering for Global Missions go to www.thefellowship.info/involved/give/ogm.icm or call (800) 352-8741.

By Patricia Heys, CBF Communications

In Skopje, Macedonia, Razmire takes care

of her in-laws, who both have disabilities,

three small children and husband, a manual

laborer who tries to support his family on $20 a

month. It has been an especially tough year for the

family — Razmire’s father was tragically killed by

a bus and the family was informed that the state

would no longer provide medicine for their youngest

daughter, who has leukemia.

CooPERATIvE Baptist Fellowship volunteers are needed

to build houses and build hope for Hurricane Katrina victims April 23-May 5 in Baton Rouge, La.

More than 325 volunteers a day are needed for the two-week Habitat for Humanity build.

“We need CBF churches to respond to this opportu-nity with love and hammers,” said Timothy Wood, the Fel-lowship’s volunteer program manager.

Twelve families who lost their homes during Katrina will be chosen for the new homes. Habitat for Humanity

subsidized the cost of the homes, with several Baptist organizations contributing the remainder. The Fellowship has given $105,000 to the effort, which included an initial three-house build in october.

Both skilled and unskilled volunteers are needed to work in a variety of areas, including construction, hospitality, landscaping and painting. volunteers are invited to stay for the entire two-week build or for just a few days.

“Just because Katrina is fading from the headlines does not mean the hurt and

the devastation are gone. If anything, time has made things worse for many hurricane survivors since Katrina’s landfall,” Wood

said. “These folks are still our neighbors; they are still in need; and we still need to help.”

Fellowship volunteers

should register and receive additional information through CBF’s volunteer of-fice, which is coordinating the Fellowship’s volunteer efforts on this project. There is a $100 per week fee, which covers three meals a day and lodging. If other lodging facilities are used, the fee is $50.

serve – To volunteer or for more information, contact Wood at (800) 782-2451 or [email protected]. For more on the Fellowship’s disaster response, visit www.thefellowship.info/disaster.

By Carla Wynn, CBF Communications

Baptist volunteers needed to build houses for Katrina victims

sheliaearlworkswithchildrenataskopjekinder-garten,whichwasstartedbyCbfGlobalMissionsfieldpersonnel(seestoryonpage10).

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f the

Ear

ls

insidethisissue...

FEbruary/March 2007

• Page 8 — Pastor starts a traveling church

• 1 — General Assembly information

• Page 10 — Smiths create school in Macedonia

• Page 3 — Church Spotlight: Churchland Baptist

J esus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and

every sickness among the people. Matthew 4:23

carla

Wyn

n ph

oto

Morethan325volunteersareneededeachdayinordertobuild12housesintwoweeks.

2

c O O P E r a T i v E b a P T i s T F E l l O W s h i P

Vol. 16, No. 6Coordinator • daniel VestalCoordinator, Fellowship adVanCement • Ben mcdadeeditor • lance wallacemanaging editor • patricia heysassoCiate editor • Carla wynnphone • (770) 220-1600Fax • (770) 220-1685e-mail • [email protected] site • www.thefellowship.info

fellowship! is published 6 times a year in sept./oct., special i (oct.), nov./dec., Feb./mar., apr./may, special ii (July) by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, inc., 3001 mercer University dr., atlanta, ga 30341-4115. periodicals postage paid at atlanta, ga, and additional mailing offices. Usps #015-625

postmaster: send address changes to “fellowship!” newsletter, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, p.o. Box 450329, atlanta, ga 31145-0329

f e l l o w s h i p ! F E b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 7 Inside CBF

Lilly awards second grant for CBF initiative

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship received a $997,874 grant to support its Initiative for Ministerial Excellence — the second such grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant will further the work of the Initiative which began in January 2003.

The goal of the Initiative is to help sustain healthy ministers and deliver practical help to congregational leaders across the country. In its second phase, the Initiative will expand its peer learning groups, create a network of at least 50 teaching congregations, develop a “Caring for Ministers” resource for churches and allow for the staffing of a full-time director.

Fellowship names identity partners

The CBF Coordinating Council identified four theological schools as identity partners at the Council’s meeting in october.

Campbell University Divinity School, Baptist Theological Seminary at Rich-mond, Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology and Baylor Uni-versity’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary were named Fellowship identity partners, a designation that provides for institutional funding and scholarships from the Fellowship.

Nine schools were identified as leadership partners, whose stu-dents are eligible to apply for CBF Leadership Scholarships — Baptist Seminary at Kentucky, Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Baptist House of Studies at Duke University Divinity School, Emory University’s Baptist House of Stud-ies at Candler School of Theology, Gard-ner Webb University’s M. Christopher White Divinity School, Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons Univer-sity, Baptist Studies Program at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Texas Christian University’s Baptist House of

Studies at Brite Divinity School and Wake Forest University Divinity School.

Two schools — Baptist University of the Américas and International Baptist Theological Seminary — were recognized as global partners. Changes in the funding formula will be phased in during the next three years.

Ray named disaster coordinator

CBF and CBF of Arkansas partnered to appoint Charles Ray, of Little Rock, Ark., as the Fellowship’s first coordi-nator for U.S.-based di-saster response. The two-year position was created through a partnership between CBF and CBF of Arkansas, who are jointly funding the position. other state and regional CBF organizations are funding operational expenses for the position.

Missional ministry grants awarded

The Fellowship has awarded “It’s Time” Missional Ministry Grants to the follow-ing churches: Common Ground Baptist Church, San Antonio, Texas; Park Avenue Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga.; First Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tenn.; First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Kirkwood Baptist Church, St. Louis, Mo.; Central Baptist Bearden, Knoxville, Tenn., North-

east Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga., and First Baptist Church, Aiken, S.C.

After completing “It’s Time: a Journey Toward Missional Faithfulness” study and meeting other requirements, congrega-tions are eligible to apply for the grant. To review the grant application process, log on to www.thefellowship.info/ItsTime/The-MissionalChurch/grant.icm.

Chaplains endorsed by CBF

The Fellowship endorsed 13 chaplains at the october Council on Endorsement meeting in Atlanta. The Fellowship now has a total of 550 endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors.

The following individuals were endorsed: Lon D. Cullen, Birmingham, Ala.; William D.H. Runyon Jr., Lexington, Ky.; Carol S. Dalton, Swannanoa, N.C.; Sara Jane Moran, Spartanburg, S.C.; Christopher Morris, Winston Salem, N.C.; Melissa H. Whaley, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Michael R. Beach, oliver Springs, Tenn.; James Ellis III, Killeen, Texas; James D. Jones, Seoul, South Korea; Charles Seligman III, Hupperath, Germany; William M. Stewart, Norman, okla.; Paul D. Tolbert, Wilson, N.C.; David A. White, Johnson City, Tenn.

Burton honored as Truett alumna of the year

Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary Alumni Association honored Anne Burton, one of CBF’s Global Missions field personnel, with its distinguished alumni award, which honors a graduate for his or her vision, accomplishments and service to the gospel in both the church and the broader community.

Burton earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s

degree from Truett Seminary. She has served as a chaplain at the University of Southern California, worked with migrants and refugees in North Africa, taught English as a Second Language and ministered among international students.

CBF of North Carolina unveils new logo, look

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina has unveiled a new logo featuring a dogwood, the state flower. The dogwood was also chosen because of its symbolic connections, including the cross formed in the center and the four petals, representing the four “fragile freedoms” celebrated by Fellowship Baptists. The petals also represent CBF of North Carolina’s four major ministry areas — missions, faith development, fellowship and leadership development.

The organization also updated the look of its newsletter, e-newsletter and Web site. Check out the changes at www.cbfnc.org.

CBF of Florida names new coordinator

Ray Johnson has been named coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida. Johnson is the former pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Miami, Fla. He has previously served as a missionary in the Philippines and as pastor of First Baptist Church, York, S.C. Johnson has been involved with CBF of Florida through the representative assembly, administrative council and board of open House Ministries.

March 1-4fourthannualwomenofChurchConference

Myrtle beach, s.c. cbF, south carolina cbF and North carolina

cbF host a weekend conference of learning and fellowship.

info: [email protected] or (803) 328-3864

March 5-8truesurvivorvii

Nashville, Tenn. cbF hosts its annual training event for

christian educators. info: www.thefellowship.info/involved/events/

truesurvivor.icm or (770) 220-1654

March 9-10CbfofGeorgiaGeneralassembly

smoke rise baptist church, stone Mountain, Ga.

info: www.cbfga.org or (478) 742-1191

March 9-10CbfofvirginiaGeneralassembly

second baptist church, richmond, va.info: www.cbfv.org or (804) 213-0412

March 16-17CbfnCGeneralassembly

First baptist church, hickory, N.c.info: www.cbfnc.org

March 16-18 and March 23-25MarchMissionMadness

Eatonton, Ga., and columbus, Ga.a missions weekend for youth sponsored by

cbF of Georgiainfo: www.marchmissionmadness.org

aPril 13-14 CbfoffloridaGathering

college Park baptist church, Orlandoinfo: www.floridacbf.org

aPril 13-14northCentralregionCbfGeneralassembly

speedway baptist church, indianapolisinfo: [email protected]

aPril 20-22 and aPril 27-29Youthspringretreats

vineyard camp, Westfield, N.c.youth retreats sponsored by cbF of North

carolina. Deadline: Feb. 15info: www.cbfnc.org

aPril 27-28CbfofMissouriGeneralassembly

lee’s summit, Mo. info: (816) 415-0009 or www.cbfmo.org

May 2-4 spiritualformationretreat

Durham, N.c.cbF hosts a retreat for associate ministers. info: www.thefellowship.info/involved/events

or (770) 220-1648

JuNE 9-12 breadfortheworldGathering

Washington, D.c.The theme of this cbF partner event will be:

“sowing seeds: Grow the Movement to Overcome hunger and Poverty”

info: www.bread.org

JuNE 28-292007CbfGeneralassembly

Washington, D.c.info: www.thefellowship.info/involved/events/

generalassembly.icm

tosubmitanitem,[email protected].

Upcoming Events

fellowship Roundup

Phot

o co

urte

sy c

omm

on G

roun

d

CommonGroundbaptistChurchwilluseitsgranttohostamonthlycelebrationofthecreativearts.

Charlesray

anneburton

rayJohnson

3

Church Spotlight:Churchland Baptist Church, Chesapeake, Va.

DURING AMERICAN Education Week last fall, Churchland Baptist delivered more than 5,000 cookies

to teachers in three local school districts. The church also invited teachers from the 30 schools to a Sunday worship service and lunch in their honor.

While churches often make headlines for the things they oppose, pastor Larry Coleman said Churchland wanted to communicate a positive message to the community.

The church explained on its Web site: “It is the expression of affirmation. It is the expression of thanks. It is the expression of encouragement for all the hope and opportunity that public education offers to every single child in our society. It is

the time when our congregation decided to say ‘thank you’ to the public educators of our region.”

Founded in 1785, the 750-member congregation has been involved with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship since the organization’s beginnings in 1991. Currently, the church partners with CBF Global Missions field personnel in Thailand and Macedonia, and church members regularly attend the CBF General Assembly.

f e l l o w s h i p ! F E b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 7

w w w . t h e f e l l o w s h i p . i n f o

Inside CBF

• • • • • •

Elizabeth HaneyFor the past four and a half years Elizabeth

haney has served as prayer coordinator for cbF of Missouri, organizing a prayer task team using e-mail. in this volunteer position, haney, a member of First baptist church of lexington, Mo., reaches not only Fellowship baptists in Missouri but also in other states.

People throughout Missouri send haney requests, and she keeps up with churches, events and people around the Fellowship. she sends out the names of people celebrating birthdays and churches searching for a pastor. a month before the cbF General assembly each year, haney reminds people to pray for the event and its organizers — everyone from the leaders to the staff stocking paper towels. When central baptist seminary moved campuses in the fall, haney lifted up the school in prayer and encouraged people to pray for the smallest details, including the effort involved in packing and moving books.

To the prayer team and others, haney suggests “when the lord calls a person to mind, say a prayer for them.”

• • • • • •

Brent McDougal brent McDougal, former pastor of corinth

heights baptist church in haleyville, ala., became coordinator of alabamacbF this fall. With a doctorate in political science from the university of alabama and a master of divinity degree from samford university, the Montgomery native brings education, experience and a network of relationships across the state to his new position.

as with most state organizations, McDougal expects that one of his biggest challenges will be geography — trying to connect churches throughout alabama. but energized by the “creative, thoughtful and passionate people” who are involved with alabamacbF, McDougal said he accepted the coordinator position because he wanted to be a part of developing and communicating the vision of the organization.

“My vision for alabamacbF is that we would be a people of renewal, worshipping and growing in the likeness of an ever-creative christ, a place of fellowship, where everyone has a voice and is welcome at the table, and a partnership of kingdom-focused christians, joining together to fulfill God’s purpose in alabama and beyond,” McDougal said.

• • • • • •

Ann Millerann Miller, director of pastoral care at cook children’s

healthcare system in Forth Worth, Texas, was honored by the hospital with the dedication of a prayer garden in her name. The garden, which cost $100,000 to create, contains a labyrinth, waterfalls, walking paths, mosaic tile benches, flowers and trees. Miller, a cbF-endorsed chaplain and chair of the Fellowship’s council on endorsement, has served at the children’s hospital for 19 years. she said it is an honor to be part of something that will be around after she is gone.

“The garden will be a place of comfort and peace for families and the general community for many years to come,” Miller said. “as beautiful as the hospital chapel is, a lot of people can’t sit still there, especially dads. They need to be able to walk and pray or meditate. The garden shows that this community appreciates the value of pastoral care and knows the spiritual needs of children and their families need to be met along with the medical needs.”

• • • • • •

Mike Walker From charlotte, N.c., to seattle, Wash.,

and now in Kansas city, Kansas, the Dead sea scrolls exhibit has drawn thousands of visitors. behind the exhibit’s design is Mike Walker, a member of Providence baptist church in charlotte, who had the opportunity to travel to israel and observe how the 2,000-year-old scrolls are preserved. The scrolls, which were discovered in Qumran in 1947, are the oldest surviving manuscripts of the hebrew bible.

Walker’s exhibit design includes sections on the science of the scrolls, their discovery, history of the period when they were written, life in Qumran, Qumran artifacts and a sampling of other sacred texts. but the focus of the exhibit is the display of the scrolls, whose preservation requires strict security, lighting and humidity conditions.

“in the Gallery of scrolls, my goal was to try and remove the guest from this world today and help them revere these irreplaceable documents,” said Walker. “This gallery is intentionally a peaceful and quiet space, in which we have created almost a sanctuary-like atmosphere.”

Fellowship People

elizabethhaney

McDougalfamily

annMiller

Mikewalker

as the cooperative baptist Fellowship’s associate coordinator for missions education, Tamara Tillman is responsible for developing and managing production of the Fellowship’s missions education and prayer resources, which includes Water for Life, Form, Spark, Ignite and Affect.

Hometown: rome, Georgia Education: samford university, southern

baptist Theological seminaryExperience: Minister of childhood education, First baptist church, Dothan, ala.; Minister of education and youth, First baptist church, Eufaula, ala.Interesting Fact: From 1995 to 2000, Tillman served in the Middle East as one of cbF’s Global Missions field personnel.

“My call to ministry is a direct result of missions education — someone invested in me. The church offered me mission encounters at every stage of development. Through missions education Fellowship churches learn about cbF field personnel who are funded through their gifts to the Offering for Global Missions. but even more so, they discover ways to connect and respond to similar ministries in their communities and the world beyond.”

contact Tillman at [email protected] or (770) 220-1619.

By the Numbers: States and Regions

states will be represented in the new regional organization cbF Midwest — iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and south Dakota. The 2007 General assembly will vote on the bylaw change recognizing the new organization.

regional cbF organizations

state cbF organizations

5

414

meet Tamara Tillman

A Look Backn 15 years ago

Charles “T” and Kathie Thomas and John David and JoAnn Hopper were commissioned on May 2, 1992 as the Fellowship’s first Global Missions field personnel.

n 10 years agoThe Fellowship became a religious endorsing body for chaplains and pastoral

counselors.

n 5 years agoPhill Martin, the director of education for the National Association of Church

Business Administration, served as CBF moderator.

Phot

o co

urte

sy T

he v

irgin

ia-P

ilot

Churchlandmemberspreparedcookiesforteachersatlocalschools.


4 f e l l o w s h i p ! F E b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 7 Cover Story: Evangelism Resources

“It’s Time ... to have a passion for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ”

“It’s Time ... to have a passion for the Great Commission of Jesus

Christ” is the title of one of the study segments of the “It’s Time”

church-wide course. While evangelism can take different forms, it’s always

about sharing the gospel. “It’s Time” includes a lesson on telling your own

personal story of faith, in a manner authentic to you. Discover your own

spiritual potential, your personal call to sharing the Great Commission and

your church’s role in the mission of God with this eight-week study.

Read excerpts from the series at www.thefellowship.info/ItsTime. To order

study resources, call (888) 801-4223 or order online at www.thefellowship.

info/TheCBFStore.

Become an affiliate —Fellowship Baptists with a specific

missions calling have the opportunity to enhance their ministries by becoming CBF AsYouGo affiliates. As an affiliate, individuals are self-supporting, but have access to the resources and infrastructure of CBF Global Missions.

In Asheville, N.C., Fran and Mike Graham reach out to Slavic immigrants, who often come to the U.S. to escape poverty, oppression and religious persecution in their own countries. The Grahams, who have reached approximately 1,000 immigrants, share the gospel through words and works, helping immigrants have access to basic necessities.

Since they became CBF affiliates, the Grahams have been able to pursue new areas of service — including connecting Christian groups and families with new immigrant families needing assistance and coordinating Slavic families to glean fruits and vegetables from local farms June through october.

Become an encourager church —Congregations have the opportunity

to expand their ministry beyond their communities by actively supporting CBF affiliates. Encourager churches partner with specific individuals who are involved in long-term evangelism and missions. The churches offer spiritual, relational and financial support that furthers the ministry of affiliates.

First Baptist Church of Asheville serves as the Grahams encourager church. The congregation has helped host Thanksgiving and Christmas ministry activities, English as a Second Language classes and helped

form the Slavic volunteer Team. “The encourager church has an interest

in missions that only deepens and widens as they become involved in the affiliate ministries,” Fran said.

serve – For information on becoming an affiliate or encourager church, contact Matt Norman at (770) 220-1609 or [email protected].

“My own experience has led

me to the conviction that

Baptists do have a genuine

desire to reach people for

Christ. We are evangelical in

theology and spirit. But we

are searching for authentic

and culturally relevant ways

to help people to faith. And, perhaps more importantly,

we are searching for a new passion for the Gospel.”

— Daniel Vestal, author, “It’s Time”

Learn how others tell the story: Church-wide missions education

Affiliate – A Different Model for a Traditional Mission

fromtherelationshipsdevelopedthroughtheCbfaffiliateprogram,theGrahamshavebeenabletoconnectimmigrants(above)withfarmswheretheycangleanproduce.

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f the

Gra

ham

s

Christianity for BeginnersChristianity for Beginners is a six-week course

designed to introduce people to the Christian faith and to provide basic information for new believers. The small-group, discussion-based learning experience focuses on Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and significance in our lives, and concludes with an emphasis on making a decision to follow Christ and being baptized.

order directly from www.thefellowship.info/TheCBFStore or by calling (888) 801-4223.

Hospitality Evangelism This resource provides participants with

hospitality evangelism-focused devotionals and Bible study lessons. A leader guide, participants guide and video are all available.

order directly from www.thefellowship.info/TheCBFStore or by calling (888) 801-4223.

WHETHER YoU’RE part of an adult mission study group or you teach preschoolers about missions, you’ll find Sam Bandela (this issue’s “Spotlight” missions personnel) and his story in the March edition of your CBF missions education resources.

Using CBF resources, your entire congregation can learn together about the same mission topics. Affect is designed for adults, Form for preschoolers, Spark for children, and Ignite for youth.

The colorful and engaging curriculum uses the same basic mission emphasis each month, so

that across the generations your congregation is studying the same topic but on a level appropriate to each age.

learn – learn more about cbF’s Affect, Form, Spark, and Ignite™ at www.missionseducation.org or by calling (800) 352-8741 x619. Order directly from www.thefellowship.info/TheCBFStore or by calling (888) 801-4223.

Field personnel provide ‘tangible love of Christ’

CBF Global Missions field personnel Katie and Matt, who live and work along the river, conduct a large part of their ministry through a medical boat. The boat, which is equipped with two

exam rooms, a dental exam room and pharmacy, offers medical services that otherwise would not be accessible. The medical staff reaches an average of 70 patients a day — approximately 10,500 a

year — for the cost of $8.50 per patient. “The prophets of old and the heart of

the gospel mandate that our message not gloss over physical needs with spiritual language,” Matt said. “In the context of the river, a relevant gospel presentation must be tangible in nature. Therefore, out of love for God and love for our neighbor, we must explore ways to help the people and communities along the river obtain their most critical needs. In this way, we become instruments of transformation.”

For the field personnel ministering along the river, evangelism takes many

forms. It is the healing touch and prayerful words for a 3-year-old boy struggling to breathe. It is the reuniting of a father, once an outcast because of disease, with his wife and children, as the gospel comes alive. And it is a young girl receiving sight through a pair of glasses and experi-encing the love of Christ through Katie and Matt.

“The mission and vision of our ministry

goes further and deeper than making sick people well,” Matt said. “It is our desire to completely transform these communities through the tangible love of Christ.”

Editor’s note: Due to security concerns, names and specific locations of some of CBF’s Global Missions field personnel will not be published.


hostaMissionsspeakerinvite missions personnel like Matt and

Katie to share their work with your church or group. contact amy Morris at (800) 352-8741, x630, or at [email protected] to schedule a speaker through cbF face2face.

Along a river in Southeast Asia, thousands of people live in

“poverty that kills,” trying to survive on less than a dollar a day.

Adults and children struggle to meet basic needs — food, water, clothing

and shelter. Without these necessities, diseases such as malaria, dengue

fever, tuberculosis and leprosy are common, and harmless and treatable

illnesses become life-threatening.

Shentons tell the story of Jesus through words and works

“WHEN A Christian helps me, I know it comes from deep in their heart,”

said an Afghan woman to Becky Shenton, who serves with her husband, Doug, as CBF Global Service Corps personnel.

For the refugees in Fremont, Calif., who have fled the violence and tragedy of Afghanistan to come to a strange, new country, their physical and emotional needs are many. The Shentons’ min-istry ranges from helping families furnish their homes and providing money for groceries to helping chil-dren with homework and hosting Christmas parties and baby showers. As the Shentons help meet the needs of refugees, they recognize that evangelism is not an end result of their minis-try but a process of building relationships.

“After they get to know you, they will ask questions,” Doug said. “Amazing

opportunities will pop up, and little by little, you’re planting seeds. They all know we are Christians and that we are helping them because of Christ.”

The Shentons build relationships with people like Laila, a 15-year-old girl whose family fled Afghanistan after their father was shot by the Taliban. Laila attends a California high school and is struggling to learn English and catch up with her classmates. The Shentons con-nected her with a couple at their church to provide tutoring. one day, Laila told them she would like to read the Bible and the next week she asked for a Bible of her own.

“When we gave it to her, she squealed with delight and hugged the Bible to herself,” Becky said. “She announced that she wanted to take it to school

to read during her 30-minute reading period. We are looking forward to seeing [Laila] again and asking what questions she may have about what she is reading.”

The Shentons call these “divine moments” and they pray for the right words and the right way to tell refugees about Christ’s love.


MissionsGivinGrefugees in the u.s., river people in

asia, and countless more around our globe hear the good news of Jesus’ love because of your charitable giving. The year-round Offering for Global Missions supports cbF field personnel. Give through your church or at www.thefellowship.info/involved/give or (800) 352-8741.


5f e l l o w s h i p ! F E b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 7Cover Story: Evangelism

When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various

kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Luke 4:40

cbF

Glob

al M

issi

ons

phot

o

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f the

she

nton

s

For I was hungry and you

gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25:35-36

cbF

Glob

al M

issi

ons

phot

o

withoutcleanwater,diseasesspreadquicklyalongtheriver.

beckyshenton,right,helpsrefugeesfindhousinginfremont,Calif.

EvangelismBeing the presence of Christ through words and works

H e said to them, ‘Go into all the

world and preach the gospel to all creation.’ Mark 16:15

T he King will reply, ‘Truly I

tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40

Connie & Rodney JohnsonIt was 102 degrees along the Rio Grande in Mexico. Rod John-

son and a volunteer construction team were ready to wrap up work for the day when Rod met a storekeeper named Alex, who had moved to the area looking for a better life.

“God opened the door for us to share the gospel with them,” said Rod. “His whole family accepted Christ.”

The Johnsons helped Alex replace the roof on his house, which was leaking so badly that he didn’t want his wife and new baby to get cold and wet in the winter.

Alex and his family are attending a small local church, where they are learning about being disciples of Jesus.

“What a blessing it is to us to be able to see God change lives,” Rod said.

C B F G l o B A l M I S S I o n S A F F I l I A t E S

Phot

o co

urte

sy th

e Jo

hnso

ns

Eleanor & Stu DodsonIn their motor home named Ebenezer, the Dodsons, members of

First Baptist Church, Richmond, va., have set out to live their retire-ment years missionally. one recent road trip took them to Fort Erie, Canada, where they worked at a home for refugees.

When a woman from Ghana asked to see their motor home, El-eanor brought her inside and listened to her story. As a six-year-old child, the woman was forced into servitude as reconciliation for a wrong her parents had committed. Twenty-five years later, she escaped and began the long journey that brought her to Canada.

After hearing the woman’s story, Eleanor looked at her and said, “Your faith is so strong. You know, I love you, and Jesus loves you too.” The woman started to cry and said, “Do you know that no one ever told me they loved me until I came to Matthew House? I never heard the word love in my whole life.”

C h u R C h M E M B E R S

Phot

o co

urte

sy th

e Do

dson

s

Lizzie FortenberryEach year international students arrive at the University

of Southern California as strangers to the campus, the city and the culture. For the students and their families, the ad-justment to life in a new country can be a lonely and often overwhelming experience.

Following Jesus’ teaching of loving your neighbor, Lizzie Fortenberry reaches out to her new Los Angeles neighbors through activities like cooking classes, lunches and teas. She builds community — a place where the women feel they belong. She has found that in the midst of deepening rela-tionships she has opportunities to share her love for Jesus.

“our hope is that these women will see the hope of Christ through our lives, whether it’s through a cooking class or a conversation in their homes or some other inter-action,” Fortenberry said.

C B F G l o B A l M I S S I o n S F I E l d P E R S o n n E l

cbF

Glob

al M

issi

ons

phot

o

Dale RiddleFellowship Baptist Dale Riddle has been leading re-

vivals for 30 years. Riddle still leads revivals on a regular basis, but he also encourages churches to share Christ’s love by building relationships with people in other ways. He has found one of the most effective ways of getting congregations involved in evangelism is through hands-on mission projects.

“Evangelism in 2007 is certainly taking on a new look and causing me to rethink ways of getting churches to experience revival,” Riddle said. “But the challenge is simple — allow people to see first-hand the way most of the world has to live and provide them an opportunity to live out the great commission that Jesus gave us. It is the best means that I have discovered to impact lives in our local churches, as well as the people of other coun-tries. Christian people return with a new vision, purpose and with an excitement they have never had before.”

E v A n G E l I S t

Phot

o co

urte

sy D

ale

ridd

le

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

EvangelismBeing the presence of Christ through words and works

‘T he Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach

good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Luke 4:18-19

T he King will reply, ‘Truly I

tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40

Connie & Rodney JohnsonIt was 102 degrees along the Rio Grande in Mexico. Rod John-

son and a volunteer construction team were ready to wrap up work for the day when Rod met a storekeeper named Alex, who had moved to the area looking for a better life.

“God opened the door for us to share the gospel with them,” said Rod. “His whole family accepted Christ.”

The Johnsons helped Alex replace the roof on his house, which was leaking so badly that he didn’t want his wife and new baby to get cold and wet in the winter.

Alex and his family are attending a small local church, where they are learning about being disciples of Jesus.

“What a blessing it is to us to be able to see God change lives,” Rod said.

C B F G l o B A l M I S S I o n S A F F I l I A t E S

Phot

o co

urte

sy th

e Jo

hnso

ns

Eleanor & Stu DodsonIn their motor home named Ebenezer, the Dodsons, members of

First Baptist Church, Richmond, va., have set out to live their retire-ment years missionally. one recent road trip took them to Fort Erie, Canada, where they worked at a home for refugees.

When a woman from Ghana asked to see their motor home, El-eanor brought her inside and listened to her story. As a six-year-old child, the woman was forced into servitude as reconciliation for a wrong her parents had committed. Twenty-five years later, she escaped and began the long journey that brought her to Canada.

After hearing the woman’s story, Eleanor looked at her and said, “Your faith is so strong. You know, I love you, and Jesus loves you too.” The woman started to cry and said, “Do you know that no one ever told me they loved me until I came to Matthew House? I never heard the word love in my whole life.”

C h u R C h M E M B E R S

Phot

o co

urte

sy th

e Do

dson

s

Sunny MitchellIn Sasebo, Japan, located on the country’s southernmost island,

U.S. Navy chaplain Sunny Mitchell preaches the gospel every Sunday morning to Sailors and their families at the base chapels. For the men and women serving in Japan, who live far away from their friends, loved ones and the familiarities of home, Mitchell is the compassionate presence of Christ.

“Through chaplaincy, I have the opportunity to fulfill my calling of bringing Christ’s healing love to Sailors, Marines, their families and even the Japanese community,” said Mitchell, a CBF-endorsed chaplain. “I have discovered that in order to do evangelism you must be an authentic representation of the God you serve. When you build relationships and gain trust, people are more willing to hear what you have to say.”

C h A P l A I n

Phot

o co

urte

sy s

unny

Mitc

hell


And instead of constructing a building, hosting programs and events, and invit-ing people to come in, Walk on Water (W.o.W.) takes “church” to individuals — with a truck, a trailer and a tent.

Fogarty and his wife, Janet, prayed for an opportunity to return to the Florida Panhandle where Fogarty had grown up in the early 1970s. Even then, individuals were beginning to stream into Florida’s coastal areas, but the interior remained primarily rural.

Now, people are moving further inland along the U.S. Highway 331 corridor between Fort Walton Beach and Panama City. Walton County, home to Freeport, is one of the 100 fastest growing counties according to Money magazine.

“Where God has placed me is to see Freeport now as a little bitty crossroad,” Fogarty said. “We are here to begin laying a network, a foundation to assimilate those who are coming in — to be a step ahead, not a step behind.”

The ministry is designed to carry the gospel to the influx of new people — at fairs, beaches, parks and at community events. The W.o.W. Church will be a cluster of cell groups within a 15- to 20-mile radius of a corporate center. Fogarty believes the small groups will help build up and expand the body of Christ in the area

as people from several denominational backgrounds get involved.

The church will officially launch in March, but Fogarty has already participated in several community events, including a living Nativity at Hammock Bay, a new real estate development with 5,000 homes.

“We want to build commu-nity and to be seen as an asset to the community,” he said. “We want to bless the community, to be willing to be a friend and to show them Christ.”

As part of his preparation to launch the new church, Fogarty attended the Coop-erative Baptist Fellowship’s Boot Camp for church starters, which is held every Au-gust. The week-long training event assists ministers in assessing their calling and ministerial gifts and exploring practical resources for church starting.

“The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

has been a blessing, particularly their inclusiveness,” Fogarty said. “Their pull-ing alongside of us was the greatest thing about the training.”

The Fellowship has assisted Fogarty with training, resources and relationships, and has also provided funds to help pur-chase the W.o.W. tent, truck and trailer.

“What he is doing is definitely moving us beyond the ‘bricks and mortar’ ap-proach to doing church,” said Bo Prosser, the Fellowship’s coordinator for congrega-

tional life. “John is definitely model-ing for us a missional approach to

church planting, going to the people and responding to

the needs of a com-munity,” Prosser

said.

Fogarty’s dreams for the new church include eventually building a permanent structure, which would serve as a corpo-rate worship center for the cell groups. He also hopes to start a coffee shop in Freeport and establish a network of local youth ministers, which will work across denominational lines to reach students.

But right now, Fogarty is praying for

funding for additional equipment for their traveling ministry — everything from bungee cords to a laptop computer — and other needs, such as money for ad-vertising, New Testaments and a Web site.

“It is not our intent or desire for people to leave their churches to solely join us, but that we build up the whole body of Christ,” Fogarty said. “It is our desire for all involved to be encouraged to help ig-nite and fuel a new passion for Christ and the carrying out of the Great Commission by taking their enthusiasm back to where they attend and serve.”

serve – For information on how you or your church can become involved in supporting, encouraging and starting new Fellowship churches, contact Prosser at [email protected] or (770) 220-1631.

By contributing writer Vicki Brown, Jefferson City, Mo.

H ow can a community be reached for Christ? For John Fogarty

and Walk on Water Ministries in Freeport, Fla., the answer lies

in being the presence of Christ by meeting people’s need for friendship

and community.

Traveling church reaches out to newcomers along Florida Panhandle

thefellowshiphelpedJohnfogartypurchaseatruck,trailerandtentforthetravel-ingw.o.w.church.

Phot

o co

urte

sy J

ohn

Foga

rty

withaportabletent,thew.o.w.churchcanbesetupatfairs,beaches,parksandcommunityevents.

Phot

o co

urte

sy J

ohn

Foga

rty

8 f e l l o w s h i p ! F E b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 7 news

2007bootCampforChurchstartsJuly29-aug.3waco,texasforinformationonscholarshipsortoregister,[email protected].

Churches new to Fellowship find variety of partnership opportunities

Recently, Westhunt marked another milestone by deciding to become a Coop-erative Baptist Fellowship partner church.

During the past few years, the church has focused on defining its identity and values, discussing Baptist principles such as soul competency, separation of church and state and priesthood of all believers. These discussions led the church to consider national organizations that share its vision and mission.

“In the past year, I began to talk about how important it was for us to find a national organization who will be a partner with us,” said West-hunt pastor Mike Gillen. “I told the church that there are organizations in which we can participate, who want us to be uniquely us.”

After learning about the mission and ministry of CBF, the church decided to partner with the Fellowship and voted to include the Fellowship in its annual budget.

“I’m hoping our connection to the CBF will generate missions partnerships, foster relationship with like-minded sister

churches and provide opportunities for laypeople to participate in the decision-making processes of a national ecclesial organization,” Gillen said.

The Fellowship’s purpose is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission. Each

year, the Fellowship has the opportunity to be a resource for churches like Westhunt, who are partnering with CBF for the first time.

“CBF exists to serve the local church,” said Bo Prosser, the Fellowship’s co-ordinator for congregational life. “We provide resources — both in print and elec-

tronically that will enhance the ministries of the congregation. Additionally, we are available for personal consultations and coaching to help church leaders strive for maximum ministry effectiveness. Being a part of the CBF movement links a church to like-minded ministers and relevant resources.”


Westhunt Baptist Church began in 1968 as a suburban

neighborhood church on the West End of Richmond, Va., where

a brand new housing development was being built. Since its beginning,

the church has gone through a number of milestones, including ordaining

its first female deacons in the 1970s, doubling the size of its building space

in the 1980s and a revitalization in the 1990s.

CBF resources available through CokesburyTHRoUGH A new partnership, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship resources will be available through Cokesbury. All Fellowship resources and curriculum, including “It’s Time” and missions education re-sources Ignite, Spark, Form and Affect, will be for sale through Cokesbury, the retail division of The United Methodist Publishing House.

“It’s our strategy to partner with like-minded organiza-tions that are excellent in what they do,” said Bo Prosser, the Fellowship’s coordinator for congregational life. “Cokesbury has worked to understand our position, history and theology, and therefore can make available not just our products but a world of products that are specifically valuable to Fellowship churches and individuals.”

The partnership will also give Fellowship Baptists the oppor-tunity to support the Fellowship by purchasing their resources

through Cokesbury. Whenever Fellowship Baptists purchase through Cokesbury and indicate they are affiliated with CBF, a portion of the sales beyond an established threshold go to CBF.

9f e l l o w s h i p ! F E b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 7news


purchaseresourcesatCokesbury• Online www.cokesbury.com

• Phone (800) 672-1789

• at one of 71 retail stores

1learnabouttheministriesandmissionoftheCooperativebaptistfellowship.

www.thefellowship.info

2attendtheCbfGeneralassembly,whichwillbeheldthisyearinwashington,D.C.,June28-29.theassemblyincludesopportunitiesforworship,learning,networking

andfellowship.

www.thefellowship.info/involved/events/generalassembly.icm

3ConnectwithaCbfstateorregionalorganizationandparticipateintheorganiza-tion’smeetingsandministries.

www.thefellowship.info/inside cbf

4prayfortheministryofthefellowship,partnerorganizationsandyourchurch.orderfreecopiesofCbf’swaterforlifeprayerguide.

www.thefellowship.info/TheCBFStore

5inviteaCbfleaderorCbfGlobalMissionsfieldpersonneltocomespeakatyourchurchthroughtheCbfface2facespeakers’bureau.

contact amy Morris at [email protected] or (770) 220-1630

6becomeateachingcongregation,givingstudentsatCbfpartnerseminariestheopportunitytolearn,growandserveinyourchurch.

contact Terry hamrick at [email protected] or (770) 220-1615

7DeveloprelationshipswithotherCbfpartnerchurchesinyourarea.

contact Joel Mclendon at [email protected] or (770) 220-1643

8becomeanencouragerchurchforCbfGlobalMissionsfieldpersonnel,providingprayerandadministrative,financial,physicalandspiritualsupporttospecificindi-

viduals.

contact Matt Norman at [email protected] or (770) 220-1609

9promotetheministriesofCbfandseekoutmissionalopportunitiesinyourcommu-nity.orderthe“it’stime”missionalstudyorCbfmissionseducationresources.

www.thefellowship.info/TheCBFStore

10GivetotheCbfofferingforGlobalMissions,whichdirectlysupportstheministriesoffieldpersonnelaroundtheworld.

www.thefellowship.info/involved/give/ogm.icm

10waysyourchurchcanbecomeinvolvedinthelifeofCbf

“CBF exists to serve the local church.... Being a part of the

CBF movement links a church to like-minded ministers and

relevant resources.”

Antiphony: Call and Response

UniversitystudentsandyoungpeoplegatheredinatlantaoverthenewYear’sholidayfortheantiphonygathering.thethemefor2006-2007was“Callandresponse,”focusingonhowandwhereGodmightbecallingyoungpeople.

“alltoooftentherearethosewhotellyouthatyouarethechurchoftomorrow,”saidantiphonyspeakerreggieblount.

“butiwonderhowwellourchurchesacknowledgethatGodhasalreadygiftedeachandeveryoneofyoutobethechurchoftoday.”

antiphonyincludedanewYear’seveGala,squaredance,“recess”party,filmfestivalandchatroomswithpaneldiscussions.theconferencewas

sponsoredbyCooperativebaptistfellowshipGlobalMissions,passportinc.andthebaptisttheologicalseminaryatrichmond.thenextantiphonyconferencewillbeheld2008-2009.Story and photos by Melissa Browning

Mel

issa

bro

wni

ng p

hoto

s


Kathy and her husband, Darrell, have been living and working in Skopje, Macedonia, for nine years as Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global Missions field personnel. Darrell travels throughout the region using his training in environmental science to develop sustainable water and farming projects.

When the Smiths first moved to Macedonia, Kathy found herself busy with their children as she balanced teaching them from home and making connections with women in her neighborhood. It was through one of these connections that Kathy found God opening a new door in her life, giving her a chance to follow her passion through a new calling.

It started with a friend who came to Smith with a burden for the children of Skopje’s ghetto. In Macedonia there are no state sponsored kindergartens or preschool programs, but children are still

required to pass a test before starting first grade. And when families live in poverty, when children are immigrants, when there is no one to help them navigate the system, these tests are difficult to pass.

Kathy had been praying for two years, seeking a new calling from God, and the idea of a kindergarten seemed to be a perfect fit.

“It was like light bulbs going off in my head as I started to think of my years working in mother’s day out programs and teaching Sunday School,” said Smith. “I had been asking God for a ministry that would be unique to my gifts, but I didn’t know what that might look like.”

But the work of starting a kindergarten in another country is not an easy task. For the first few months, the teachers from the community, who had no formal training, divided the children’s days into singing songs and copying their alphabet over and over. Smith’s job quickly shifted from

big picture dreams to teacher training. She learned how to convey new concepts in Albanian as she stretched both her vocabulary and her skill set. She described the process as tearful and wonderful. As the misunderstandings were overcome, Smith said she grew closer to the women who were investing themselves in the program.

“When I can succeed in making a new friend, when we can understand

each other, it makes me feel like I can keep going,” Smith said. “When I am teaching adult English classes, a simple invitation to a cup of coffee is my greatest reward.”

But these invitations to coffee are not always easy to come by. When the kindergarten began, many Muslim parents were suspicious of a religious group offering free education, even though Macedonian guidelines prohibit religion being taught in the school.

“The parents ask me why the education is free,” Smith said, “and when they ask I am able to say it is paid for by Christians living in the U.S.”

Smith believes this is one reason the offering for Global Missions is so important. She says it provides a way for field personnel to make long-term commitments to their communities.

“To make friends with people in a cross-cultural context takes a great deal of time. To have real, heart-to-heart, true friendship takes years,” Smith said. “But here, once people open their hearts to you, you are in their hearts forever. You become family.”

While the idea of starting a kindergarten first seemed different from the agricultural development the Smiths moved to Macedonia to do, the impact of

this little school on the community has been nothing less than transformative. With each new hug from a child or their parents, Smith sees hope that the cycle of poverty will be broken for these families.

“Everyone was amazed at the change in the children’s health [when they started school],” said Smith. “Many of these children were almost starving when they began the pro-gram. The meal they were given each day caused their health to improve. Their education levels were also rising.”

And when the children were ready for first grade, they all passed the entrance exams to begin elementary school.

“I still have no idea where this is going,” Smith said, “but it is the prayer support, the financial support of our churches that makes this long-term investment possible. This is a gift more valuable than gold.”

By contributing writer Melissa Browning, Chicago, Ill.

There’s an African proverb that says “it takes a village to raise a

child,” but if you ask Kathy Smith she might tell you that children

can also raise a village.

School offers children hope for a better future

“Many of these children were

almost starving when they began the program. The meal

they were given each day caused their

health to improve. Their education levels were also

rising.”

Phot

o co

urte

sy K

athy

sm

ith

kathysmithhopesthekindergartenwillhelpbreakthecycleofpoverty.

thekindergartenhashelpedchildrenpassthestatetestnecessarytostartfirstgrade.

Phot

o co

urte

sy K

athy

sm

ith

Give To give to the offering for Global Missions, which supports the Smith’s ministry and the entire operation of CBF Global Missions, go to www.thefellowship.info/involved/give/ogm.icm. The national goal for 2006-2007 is $6.32 million.

10 f e l l o w s h i p ! F E b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 7 offering for Global Missions

11f e l l o w s h i p ! F E b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 0 7


General Assembly

THERE WILL BE a historic moment during this year’s General Assembly, held June

28-29, in Washington, D.C. When American Baptist Churches USA and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship convene in worship Friday, June 29, it will be a historic gathering and celebration of Baptist unity and shared values.

“We are connected to American Baptists as people who share some common heritage and hold dear, core Baptist tenets as expres-sions of our faith,” said Connie McNeill, CBF’s coordinator of administration.

ABCUSA and CBF have much in com-mon, including many churches affiliated with both groups. CBF also partners with AB-CUSA’s Ministers and Missionaries Benefits Board to make job and retirement benefits available to staff at CBF partner churches. Both CBF and ABCUSA share several part-ners, including the Baptist World Alliance. The groups also share a commitment to his-toric Baptist principles and to missions. Their shared efforts — in hurricane relief, sending missionaries and starting churches — will be

highlighted during the joint worship service. “We look forward on this special night

together to celebrating those areas of mu-tual cooperation and mission,” said Roy Medley, ABCUSA’s general secretary.

During its biennial meeting, American

Baptists will celebrate 100 years of ministry. In 1907, they were constituted as the North-ern Baptist Convention, the name remnant of an 1845 Baptist schism over slavery that formed the Southern Baptist Convention from which CBF later emerged. In 1950,

Northern Baptists changed their name to the American Baptist Convention and in 1972 adopted its current name. Now, they number approximately 5,800 churches and 1.5 million members.

“There will be close to 10,000 Baptists in the nation’s capital on the weekend before July 4th, celebrating Baptist history, heritage, freedom and fellowship,” said Bo Prosser, CBF congregational life coordinator. “There will plenty of opportunities for sharing in each other’s events with the highlight of the time being a combined worship experience centering on our witness and fellowship.”

Also involved in the joint worship ser-vice will be leadership from the Progres-sive National Baptist Convention and the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention.

“We believe this is just the beginning of fruitful work together with CBF and with other Baptist bodies,” Medley said.

By Carla Wynn, CBF Communications

Register online at www.thefellowship.info.

Assembly to feature joint worship with ABCUSA

CBF CoMMunICATIon’S Carla Wynn talked with Jim Somerville, chair of the General Assembly steering committee and pastor of First Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., about touring the nation’s capital — site of the 2007 CBF General Assembly.

Sommerville provided his recommenda-tions below and pointed out that while hotel rooms may be expen-sive, touring the city doesn’t have to be.

“Thanks to your tax contributions all those great museums are free,” Somerville said. “Seeing the monuments and playing Frisbee on the Mall — that’s free, too. And if you bring your own water bottles and buy a hot dog from a vendor, you can spend all day sightseeing for almost nothing. Everybody has to visit Washington sometime, right? So combine this General Assembly with a family vacation and go home feeling like you got a bargain. You won’t regret it.”

Museums: “The National Air and Space Museum is the most-visited mu-seum in the world! It’s thrilling to see the Wright Brothers’ flyer, Lindbergh’s ‘Spirit of St. Louis,’ and the Mercury capsule in which John Glenn orbited the earth, just to name a few.

Nearby are the new Museum of the American Indian and the Hirshorn Muse-um of Modern Art (the sculpture garden

is a quick visit, and definitely worth it). Also, the National Gallery of Art — my favorite. You can sit on a sofa in a whole room full of Monet paintings and feast your eyes while you rest your feet.”

Neighborhoods: “If you’re coming back to D.C. for the second or third time, let me recommend visiting some of the fascinating neighborhoods. There’s old Town Alexandria, with its historic waterfront,

shops, homes and the church where both

George Washington and Robert E. Lee worshiped (not at the same time!).

There’s Dupont Circle, with its beauti-ful fountain, coffee shops, bookstores and some of the most interesting people-watching opportunities in the city. There’s historic U Street — once known as ‘Black Broadway,’ where Duke Ellington played in some of the city’s hottest jazz clubs. And that’s only a start — don’t miss Georgetown, Adams-Morgan, Capitol Hill or Chinatown. Washington has some-thing for everyone.”

Must See: “Come to worship at First Baptist Church at 11 a.m. Sunday (1328 16th Street, NW), sing hymns, hear a sermon, see the pew where Jimmy Carter sat when he was a member and spend some time staring at all the stained-glass windows of famous Baptists.

If you have time, visit the magnificent Washington National Cathedral, which took nearly 100 years to build (did you know you could lay the Washington Monument down inside that church and still have some room at each end?).”

Celebrations: “There’s no place like Washington, D.C., to celebrate the fourth

of July. If you want to avoid the crowds, come down to the Mall on July 3 for the dress rehearsal of the special broadcast on PBS — ‘A Capital Fourth.’ on the Fourth itself, you’ll want to find a spot to watch the fireworks explode over the Washington Monument. There’s nothing much more thrilling than that.”

online—For pre-registration and reservations, go to www.thefellowship.info/involved/events/generalassembly.icm. after registering online, you will be directed to the room reservation Web site for the Grand hyatt or renaissance. you will be asked for a credit card number to hold the reservation, and your credit card will be charged at that time. The deposit is refundable if cancelled 7 days prior to arrival.

phone—Please call the cbF resource center at (800) 352-8741 to pre-register for the General assembly. after registering, you will be given instructions to make your reservations by phone at either the Grand hyatt or renaissance. Once in touch with a hotel, you will be asked for a credit card number to hold the reservation and your credit card will be charged at that time. The deposit is refundable if cancelled 7 days prior to arrival.

o f f i C i a l h o t e l i n f o r M at i o n

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 2007 General Assembly

Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.June 27-30, 2007

(Auxiliary events only will be held June 27 and June 30, main General Assembly meeting will be held June 28-29.)

H o t e l I n f o R m A t I o n

Grand Hyatt Washington (headquarter hotel) – 1000 H Street NW • Washington, DC 20001

Single/Double – $160 plus tax (Current room tax 14.5%)Triple/Quad – $180 plus tax (Current room tax 14.5%)

Renaissance Washington DC Hotel – 999 Ninth St. NW • Washington, DC 20001

Single/Double/Triple/Quad – $160.00 plus tax (Current room tax 14.5%)

Pre-registration for the 2007 General Assembly is required before making a hotel reservation at the Grand Hyatt or Renaissance.

Please make your hotel reservations by phone or online by May 30, 2007.

WEDNEsDay, JuNE 27 1:00-4:00p.m.

“The Minister and Politics: how to be Prophetic Without being Political”

an ethics conference spon-sored by christian Ethics Today

speakers: Tony campolo, Jim Wallis, Melissa rogers, Greg boyd

5:30p.m.bountiful Feast a spiritual formation event sponsored by the

Fellowship’s spiritual Formation Networkspeaker: Glenn hinson

ThursDay, JuNE 28Morning worship with an address from

Fellowship moderator Emmanuel Mccall

Evening worship with an address from David coffey, baptist World alliance president

FriDay, JuNE 29

Morning worship with an address from Fellowship Global Missions coordinator rob Nash

Evening worship combined with american baptist churches usa, including address from cbF coordinator Daniel vestal

Highlights

‘You’re going to love it here’

Washington, D.C., pastor provides guide to nation’s capital

Greetings from Washington, D.C.!

Jimsomervillevisitedthewhitehousewithhiswife,Christy,anddaughters,Catherineandellie.

Cooperative Baptist Fellowshipp.o.box450329•atlanta,Georgia31145-0329www.thefellowship.info(800)352-8741

SAM

BA

ND

ELA

, one

of C

BF G

loba

l M

issio

ns fi

eld

pers

onne

l, ha

s ser

ved

with

th

e Fe

llow

ship

sinc

e 19

94. S

ince

200

0, h

e ha

s bee

n m

inist

erin

g in

Indi

a.

Bac

kgro

und:

Ban

dela

was

bor

n an

d ra

ised

in In

dia.

H

is fa

mily

was

Hin

du,

but B

ande

la’s m

othe

r be

cam

e a

Chr

istia

n aft

er

deve

lopi

ng a

rela

tions

hip

with

miss

iona

ries

. Whe

n hi

s mot

her d

ied,

the

miss

iona

ries

took

car

e of

Ba

ndel

a an

d pa

id fo

r him

to

go

to b

oard

ing

scho

ol,

colle

ge a

nd th

en se

min

ary.

Band

ela

has w

orke

d as

a

coun

selo

r, pa

stor

and

A

sia/

Paci

fic a

rea

dire

ctor

fo

r Hab

itat f

or H

uman

ity

Inte

rnat

iona

l Inc

. M

inis

try:

Afte

r wor

king

am

ong

unre

ache

d pe

ople

gro

ups i

n no

rthe

rn In

dia,

Ba

ndel

a’s m

inist

ry tr

ansit

ione

d to

the

Sout

h w

hen

the

tsun

ami s

truc

k in

Dec

embe

r 20

04. S

ince

that

tim

e, he

has

faci

litat

ed

med

ical

clin

ics,

spur

red

econ

omic

de

velo

pmen

t and

wor

ked

to p

lant

chur

ches

in

the

sout

heas

tern

par

t of t

he co

untr

y.Ba

ndel

a ac

com

plish

es th

is m

inist

ry

prim

arily

thro

ugh

purc

hasin

g an

d

dist

ribu

ting

prac

tical

item

s. H

is se

win

g m

achi

ne m

inist

ry h

as a

llow

ed h

undr

eds

of te

enag

e gi

rls a

nd w

idow

s to

earn

an

inco

me

by p

rovi

ding

them

with

the

esse

ntia

l equ

ipm

ent a

nd tr

aini

ng to

get

st

arte

d in

bus

ines

s. Re

cent

ly,

Band

ela

prov

ided

bic

ycle

s to

50

evan

gelis

ts a

nd c

hurc

h pl

ante

rs to

hel

p th

em

trav

el to

rem

ote

villa

ges t

o pr

ocla

im th

e go

spel

. He

is

also

com

mitt

ed to

shar

ing

Jesu

s Chr

ist w

ith p

eopl

e on

e-on

-one

as h

e m

akes

inro

ads

in th

is ge

ogra

phic

are

a.“M

y he

art i

s in

Indi

a,”

Band

ela

said

. “Th

at is

whe

re

I cam

e fr

om —

I ca

me

from

unr

each

ed p

eopl

e gr

oups

. And

I be

lieve

that

if

Indi

a is

to b

e re

ache

d in

our

tim

e an

d ge

nera

tion,

it h

as to

be

reac

hed

by th

e In

dian

nat

iona

ls, w

ho n

eed

no v

isa

and

no

lang

uage

lear

ning

. Th

ey a

re fa

mili

ar w

ith

loca

l bac

kgro

unds

, life

styl

es a

nd a

bove

all,

fa

mili

ar w

ith lo

cal c

usto

ms.

How

ever

, the

y ne

ed to

be

enlis

ted,

edu

cate

d, e

ncou

rage

d,

equi

pped

and

em

pow

ered

. Chr

istia

ns in

A

mer

ica

need

to jo

in o

ur h

ands

toge

ther

an

d w

e sa

y ‘w

e ar

e w

ith y

ou a

nd w

e’ll j

oin

with

you

and

pra

y w

ith y

ou’.”

Fie

ld P

erso

nnel

Spo

tligh

t: S

am B

ande

la

0610

P009

cO

OP

Er

aT

ivE

ba

PT

isT

FE

ll

OW

sh

iP

ww

w.t

hef

ello

wsh

ip.i

nfo

sam

ban

dela

cbF Global Missions photo

Chi

ldre

nan

dM

issi

ons

your

chi

ldre

n ca

n le

arn

abou

t sam

ban

dela

in th

e

upco

min

g M

arch

uni

t of s

park

. Pla

ying

gam

es n

ative

to th

e re

gion

, usi

ng th

e bi

ble,

exp

erie

ncin

g th

e

cultu

re o

f ind

ia, t

astin

g th

e fo

od a

nd e

njoy

ing

the

arts

are

all

part

of t

he s

park

cur

ricul

um, t

he c

olor

ful

year

-roun

d m

issi

ons

educ

atio

n re

sour

ce fr

om c

bF.

To o

rder

cbF

’s m

issi

ons

educ

atio

n cu

rric

ulum

, go

to

www.

miss

ions

educ

atio

n.or

g or

cal

l (88

8) 8

01-4

223.

Photo courtesy of the Earls

FEbr

uary

/Mar

ch 2

007

serv

ing

Chr

istia

nsa

ndc

hurc

hes

ast

hey

disc

over

and

ful

fillt

heir

God

-giv

enm

issi

on

CB

Ffe

llow

ship

!

Co

op

erat

ive

ba

pti

st

fell

ow

sh

ip

| w

ww

.th

efel

low

sh

ip.in

fo

Eva

ngel

ism

Stor

ies o

n pa

ges 4

-7ar

ville

ear

l,on

eof

Cbf

’sG

loba

lMis

sion

sfie

ld

pers

onne

l,re

ads

toa

chi

ld

inM

aced

onia

.

Pul

l-out

pos

ter P

ages

6-7

feb/march 2007 fellowship! magazine

Documents