Spring 2022 Vol. 27/Issue 1
cbfnc.org
The Gathering is a seasonal publication of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, 2640 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106.
3 To See and Be Seen 4 A Table for Everyone: Campbell University Students Bring CBSF Back to Campus
Larry Hovis
Executive Coordinator
Jamie Rorrer
The Gathering, Editor
Amy Cook
5 Young Baptist Leader Spotlight: Hannah Knight 6 McCollough Named Pastorin-Residence at GardnerWebb School of Divinity
Director of Communications
The Gathering, Graphic Designer Communications Specialist
6 Fruit in the Pulpit 8 CBFNC Annual Gathering
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12 Building a Firm Foundation for Collegiate Ministry 14 Growing Young Program Helps Change Church Culture
CBFNC JACK & MARY LIB CAUSEY FUND Scholarships & Grants for Clergy and Laity Did you know that CBFNC offers scholarships and grants for both clergy and lay leaders who are continuing their education and training to enhance service to local churches?
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE For Graduate Programs Applications for the 2022–2023 academic year are now being accepted. The maximum scholarship for degree students is $3,000.
GRANTS AVAILABLE (to clergy & laity) For Continuing Education & for Special Programs Grant applications accepted throughout the year. Amount will vary based on scope & cost of each program.
GET MORE DETAILS & APPLY ONLINE: cbfnc.org Click Engage > Theological Education & Scholarships For more information on Causey Fund Scholarships & Grants, contact CBFNC at (336) 759-3456 or e-mail Scott Hudgins: shudgins@cbfnc.org. 2 | The Gathering
Reflections:
To See and Be Seen
By Larry Hovis CBFNC Executive Coordinator
O
believe they have experienced the knowing, caring, loving ne of the oldest and most popular children’s gaze of God; and to see their communities and the world games is Hide and Seek. Though there are varias God sees them. ations, for the most part, the rules and flow of the game are very simple. One person is the Seeker. The We partner with churches to see students and young Seeker, with eyes closed, counts to 10 from a position adults, who though the prime targets of marketers and known as Home Base. While counting, the other players popular culture, they nevertheless feel unseen at a deep rush around to find hiding places. When the counting is level in the ways that truly matter. over, the Seeker shouts, “Ready or not, here I come,” and We partner with churches to see and embrace their proceeds to look for the other players. The goal is to find vulnerable neighbors – immigrants, refugees and others and tag as many players as who need housing. possible before they can We partner with make it to Home Base. The churches that are struggling, To be seen does not require first person tagged during who feel their “glory days” that round becomes the being in physical proximity; are in the past, and who Seeker for the next round. wonder if God has forgotbut it helps . . . our In Hide and Seek, playten them. We walk alongside ers try not to be seen. But in them to remind them that fellowship gathers annually life, most people want to be neither God nor their Baptist seen. Sure, there are folks to be reminded that we family has abandoned them, who prefer to work behind that they still have value and see and are seen as the the scenes and avoid the still have much to offer God’s limelight. But deep down kingdom. larger body of Christ. almost everyone wants to We partner with be seen, cared for and loved. churches to channel We all want to believe that resources, in a cooperative we matter to another person. way, to support ministries that extend the loving gaze of Unfortunately, many people in our world feel unseen. God to those churches that desire to serve but are often They don’t think they matter to anyone else. But Jesus unable to engage directly. showed us that everyone matters to God. No one is To be seen does not require being in physical proxbeyond the loving, caring gaze of God. imity; but it helps. Just as churches gather weekly to celebrate the incarnation of God in Christ – and experience Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching seeing and being seen by God and one another – our felin their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the lowship gathers annually to be reminded that we see and kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When are seen as the larger body of Christ. We have not been he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because able to gather in person since 2019. they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a That’s why our upcoming CBFNC Annual Gathering shepherd (Matthew 9:35-36). (March 17-18 at Trinity Baptist in Raleigh) is so important. With vaccines and boosters in arms and masks on faces, we will come together to celebrate the ways, as a fellowAt the core of the Gospel is the truth that God sees, ship, God has seen us and called us to see the world during cares for and loves everyone. The challenge is for us to this challenging period of our history. We will also look forbelieve that truth. Once we believe, we are called to join ward to how God is calling us to be part of His project to God in letting everyone know God sees them, cares for see the world in new ways, together. them and loves them. Joining God in that essential work becomes our main purpose in life. We worship, serve and are loved by a God who sees. Having been sought and seen, God invites us to see, seek CBFNC is devoted to God’s essential work of seeing. and love others through God’s eyes. That’s no game, but a The way we carry it out is to partner with churches to project worthy of the commitment of our lives. help them fulfill their calling to see and be seen – to truly Spring 2022 | 3
A TABLE FOR EVERYONE Campbell University Students Bring CBSF Back to Campus
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Avery Browning and Ainsley Blasius started a new Cooperative Baptist Student Fellowship group at Campbell University last fall.
hen Avery Browning, current sophomore at Campbell University and member at Ardmore Baptist in Winston-Salem, was looking at colleges, she knew she wanted a school with a Baptist group on campus. She decided on Campbell, but the Baptist campus ministry there had dissolved. She was told that there was always the opportunity to start a new group. “I have been involved in Ardmore Baptist my entire life and wanted a place to flourish my faith while in college,” said Avery. During her freshman year, Avery lived in a Residential Learning Community (RLC) that focused on leadership and community service. That’s where she met Ainsley Blasius, a fellow freshman and Baptist from Fort Wayne, Indiana. “I chose Campbell because it is a private, Christian university. I looked for groups freshman year and nothing seemed to quite line up with my faith,” shared Ainsley. The young women quickly became friends and discovered that they shared the common interest in starting a Baptist group on campus. Over the course of that year, Avery and Ainsley would watch Ardmore Baptist’s services online. Ainsley liked it so much that she was baptized there last Easter and joined the church. As that academic year was about to end, the young women began the process of starting a new Cooperative Baptist Student Fellowship (CBSF) group at Campbell. They first connected with Wanda Kidd, CBFNC’s collegiate engagement coordinator. Wanda facilitated meetings with Campbell staff, including Louisa Ward, the campus minister, to help start the process. “We went through multiple revisions of our plan for the group before presenting to the Board of Spiritual Life,” said Ainsley. “We were approved over the summer and started the new group at the beginning of fall semester 2021.” 4 | The Gathering
They launched the new CBSF group by taking part in Campbell’s annual “Street Fair,” which introduces students to organizations on campus. They also promoted it on Instagram and through email. By Jamie Rorrer But there were some challenges. It CBFNC Director of took a little extra effort to spread the Communications word about Cooperative Baptists and educate other students about what that means. “When a lot of people first heard the word Baptist, it kind of had a negative connotation for them,” said Avery. “There was also awareness of the ‘rules’ that are common among other Baptists,” added Ainsley. With a core group of six students, the Campbell CBSF started with holding monthly meetings. Their first meeting was about sharing what the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is and the core beliefs. “The number one thing that seemed to resonate with students was women in ministry and how if you feel called by God to ministry, then you should be able to pursue that,” said Avery. “It was important for the other students to understand that CBF and our CBSF group have a table for everyone,” said Ainsley. “It’s knowing there’s a seat for you and you can take it or leave it, but there’s always an open seat.” Louisa Ward serves as the group’s on-campus advisor and Lawrence Powers, senior pastor at Benson BaptistBenson and former CBFNC campus minister, serves as the off-campus advisor. The group’s fall activities included monthly meetings where they shared a meal provided by a local church and a devotional led by someone from the church. They also See “A Table for Everyone” on page 5.
A Table for Everyone, cont’d. visited local CBFNC churches to help students find a church home while away at college. “This was an important element of the group for us,” said Avery. “There are now students attending Benson Baptist, Memorial Baptist and Buies Creek First Baptist.” They plan to do more church visits in the spring. They are also hoping to join the Spring Break mission trip with CBSF groups from Western Carolina and UNC-Asheville that is being led by David Stone, CBFNC campus minister for the Western NC campuses. The spring meetings will take place on Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. and each week will have a different theme. “Starting this group has helped define my faith, especially writing the personal statement of faith that was part of the proposal process,” said Avery. “It’s been really meaningful to dive more into what CBF is and connecting with different churches. I don’t know what I would do without a group like this on campus.”
Some of the Campbell CBSF participants.
“Being involved in CBSF has helped solidify what I believe and to articulate it better. I look forward to meeting with our group every month and having that time of fellowship and Bible study,” said Ainsley.
Young Baptist Leader Spotlight:
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HANNAH KNIGHT
n 2021, Hannah Knight, currently a sophomore at the University of Georgia and member of First on Fifth in Winston-Salem, spent her summer working as a Bible Study Leader for PASSPORT Camps. Hannah Knight When asked about her experience as a staffer, Hannah said, “From Virginia to Texas, getting to minister to kids from all over the Southeastern U.S., alongside 14 ministers who quickly became my people, was one of the most joy-filled experiences I have ever had!” Bible Study Leaders are the core of the PASSPORT team. They spend the mornings helping campers engage in interactive Bible Studies. In the afternoons they lead students to consider how to engage the world through hands-on missions (youth camps) or mission education (kids camps). They point students to think about caring for God’s creation or explore more about who God has created them to be. In the evening Bible study leaders help lead worship and then they top off the day with a giant camp-wide party. It’s a full summer of fun! No experience? No problem. PASSPORT staffers just need to have a willing spirit and a desire to help students know how to look for their own answers in the Bible. PASSPORT carefully trains young leaders to teach thoughtful Bible Studies. Additionally, all travel,
By Allison Blay Church Partnerships Specialist for Passport, Inc.
training, housing, food and weekly pay is included in the summer ministry. “Getting to witness my whole team quickly bond during training week and then continue to pour into each other over the course of the summer helped teach me the value of true community in Christ,” said Hannah. At the end of the summer Hannah, along with her teammates, has gained concentrated, resume-stuffing experience in things like leadership, public speaking, group dynamics, problem solving, and perspective through miles and miles of cross-country travel. When asked what she loved most, Hannah says “Watching the kids bring energy, love and excitement to camp and connect to the PASSPORTkids team put Christ’s love on display, and I am so grateful that I got to be even a part of their stories.” Know someone who needs to join Hannah this summer? Passport is actively recruiting staff for summer 2022 and welcomes students who love Jesus, enjoy hanging out with children and youth, and are looking for an experience-boosting summer job. While one in three Passport summer staffers end up in full-time ministry, there are a lot of future engineers, teachers, techies and artists who make wonderful leaders. Learn more about joining the summer staff of PASSPORT Camps at: passportcamps.org/apply. Spring 2022 | 5
McCollough Named Pastor-in-Residence at Gardner-Webb School of Divinity
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he Rev. Dr. Gary McCollough, senior pastor at Flat Springs Baptist Church in Sanford has been named Pastor-in-Residence at Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity through CBFNC’s Helping Pastors Thrive program. Dr. McCollough has served the Flat Springs congregation since January of 2005. Beginning this Gary McCollough January, he will spend one month away from his normal pastoral duties in a mini sabbatical/study leave, with the opportunity to utilize the rich resources of Gardner-Webb University and participate in activities on campus. The program is designed to provide rest, renewal and independent study for pastors. The Pastor-in-Residence program is supported through CBFNC’s Helping Pastors Thrive program, in cooperation
Fruit in the
I
Pulpit
n many ways, I was in the first generation of girls to benefit from representation by women in a variety of high profile positions. I watched Sally Ride go into space and saw Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court. Geraldine Ferraro ran for Vice President and Dr. Jane Goodall was studying primates in Africa. Oprah was the queen of television and Madonna and Whitney ruled the Billboard charts. Everyone knew that there was no greater rivalry in sports than Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. For most of the girls that I grew up with, there were seemingly no occupational bounds put upon us by our gender (which played out in the diverse jobs currently held by my childhood friends). There was one area of my 6 | The Gathering
with CBFNC’s partner Divinity Schools at Campbell, Duke, Gardner-Webb and Wake Forest Universities. It is funded by CBFNC and the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving in By Scott Hudgins Ministry initiative. Support for pastors Director of CBFNC’s Helping Pastors includes on campus or near campus housThrive Program ing, funding for food, transportation and incidental expenses as well as financial support for the congregation during the pastor’s absence to meet supply preaching expenses. The Pastor-in-Residence program is open to all experienced pastors and currently applications are being accepted for the Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 terms, with openings on each campus. More information on the program and application instructions can be found at: helpingpastorsthrive.org.
life that was especially important when it came to representation, though, and that was in my pulpit on Sunday mornby Sarah Blackwell ings. During my teenage years, every Former CBFNC Sunday I had a female pastor either Scholar and Member read our scripture or preach from our of Providence pulpit. When we have encounters as Baptist–Charlotte young people, we simply believe that is the norm until someone tells us otherwise. As a member of the youth group, then, I did not think twice about signing up to preach the sermon on Youth Sunday. I was blessed to grow up in a congregation where my gifts were fostered and encouraged. I knew no other way. As sometimes happens when we leave the comfortable confines of home, I soon learned that there was another code of religious operation that I knew nothing about. As I moved south to a college that had only recently broken ties with a conservative denomination in the early 1990s, my religious background in the Disciples of Christ Church and the fact that I had grown up in a church with a female minister was no longer an asset. Instead some saw it as a liability rather than the strength I had believed it to be.
PASTOR-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM Accepting Applications Helping Pastors Thrive is now accepting applications for the four-week Pastor-in-Residence/Study Leave programs that take place at the divinity schools of Campbell, Duke, Gardner-Webb and Wake Forest Universities. All expenses for the residency, including food, transportation and housing are paid for by the Helping Pastors Thrive program. In addition, churches are provided funding for securing supply preaching and leadership during the pastor’s time away.
FOR MORE INFORMATION and to access the application, visit helpingpastorsthrive.org/ campaign-3.. Or contact Scott Hudgins at shudgins@cbfnc.org..
When I returned home at Christmas from my first semester of college, I remember talking with my youth minister who teased if I had “fallen away” from my faith during my first months off on my own. Instead, I told him no; that I had been told I was not a “real” Christian because of the church in which I had grown up. My religious encounters left me with many questions. I was awakened to a biblical interpretation that did not sit well within me. I simply could not fathom why God would sideline half of the population from sharing the good news of the Gospel in this way. In these days of questioning, I returned to the image of the vine. Jesus said that when we are connected to the vine, we will bear good fruit. I let scripture paired with my personal experience be my guide. Representation mattered in my life because I had seen women in leadership deeply connected to the vine and the fruit they bore. Sometimes that fruit was even on display in a pulpit. Thankfully, over time I connected with a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church in North Carolina that ordained women to all areas of ministry. There, I was encouraged to pursue a wide variety of volunteer roles and hear my
own call to ministry. I was able to answer that call to a CBFsupported divinity school, not knowing where it would lead, because of the women I had seen go before me. I knew I could step out in faith because they had done so before me. As Jesus says in John 15:8: “When you produce much fruit, you are my disciples.” I had seen the fruit and I knew it as truth deep within me. I am thankful that the next generation of girls will see many more gifted women in their pulpits. *With great appreciation for Rev. Cheryl Tatham and the other female ministers of First Christian ChurchDisciples of Christ, Jefferson City, MO and to CBFNC for the support of a diverse group of new ministers through their scholarship funds. Sarah Blackwell is a former CBFNC scholar, a 2020 Graduate of the Gardner-Webb School of Divinity and a member of Providence Baptist–Charlotte. She is a contributing writer for Word & Way Magazine. Follow her writings at www.proximitytolove.org.
Spring 2022 | 7
REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW! Get More Info @ cbfnc.org
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen[a] the One who sees me.”
(In-Person & Livestreamed)
March 17 – March 18, 2022 Trinity Baptist Church–Raleigh
G E N E SIS 16 :13
S E E S
W H O
GOD
THE
Annual Gathering 2022 March 17 – March 18, 2022 | Trinity Baptist Church–Raleigh (In-Person & Livestreamed)
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (in-person only)
Thursday, March 17 | 10:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m.
“Us and Them: Navigating Hard Conversations to Find Deeper Community” with Teesha Hadra
In Acts 15, the church is arguing about whether circumcision is necessary for salvation in Christ Jesus, thereby excluding Gentiles from the people of God. Peter reminded the people that God had given the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles just as God did for the Jewish people, and God “made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9).
Us and them. These words seem to describe the present moment all too perfectly as differences in political persuasion, racial and ethnic identity, and sexuality create fissures and dissension within the church, friend groups and even families. These are the purity tests of today — those things by which we determine if someone is an “us” or a “them.” Conversations about the things that divide us are hard and it is okay be tired and discouraged. But, God still has the whole world in hand, so the responsibility to “fix” everything does not rest on us alone. God is inviting us to participate in the bringing about of “on earth as it is in heaven.” Even in the midst of burnout and fear, the Holy Spirit can draw us into deeper community across our differences. Teesha will provide practical tools for engaging in hard conversations in ways that are healthy and sustainable, along with encouragement to continue the work of bearing witness to the coming kingdom of God.
GENERAL SESSION #1 (in-person and livestreamed online)
Thursday, March 17 | 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
“The God Who Sees: Learning from Hagar and Others on the Margins” with Teesha Hadra
“You are the God who sees.” These are Hagar’s words in the wilderness. She is a woman cast out and cast aside within a system of unjust practices and customs. Yet God sees her and she sees God. Hagar’s story invites us to rethink the role of those on the margins. If we are willing, the marginalized can teach us new ways of seeing God and helping us understand ourselves in the world.
GENERAL SESSION #2 (in-person and livestreamed online)
Friday, March 18 | 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
“Believing is Seeing” (Genesis 16:1-16) with Paul Burgess
If we serve “The God Who Sees,” what implications does that have for the Church? Specifically, how should it influence our engagement with younger generations who feel unseen, misunderstood, or altogether dismissed by Christianity today? Perhaps the story of Hagar, who felt unseen by the “faithful” around her yet was beheld by God, can help modern followers of Jesus find our eyes to see those who feel overlooked around us, provoking us forward into a fuller embodiment of God’s Kingdom.
10 | The Gathering
SCHEDULE FOR IN-PERSON ANNUAL GATHERING Trinity Baptist Church, Raleigh
THURSDAY, MARCH 17
FRIDAY, MARCH 18
Us and Them: Navigating Hard Conversations to Find Deeper Community 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m.
Leadership Institute
(Includes break for boxed lunch 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.)
Registration, Exhibit Hall Open 3:00 p.m.
Opening Reception & Celebration in the Gym
Registration, Exhibit Hall Open Workshop Session #1 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.
Break
10:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Workshop Session #2 10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Celebrating the retirement of Wanda Kidd
Lunch
General Session #1
General Session #2
6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
THEME: The God Who Sees This year our theme is The God Who Sees, based on Hagar’s story in Genesis 16. Having been treated cruelly by Sarai, Hagar flees to the wilderness. There she meets an angel of the Lord who tells her to return home where she will give birth to a son. In response Hagar speaks the words of our Annual Gathering theme verse, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me,’” (Genesis 16:13, NIV). The probability is high that, over the past two years, we have all had moments of feeling like Hagar in the wilderness. Longing for someone to say, “I see you and I love you.” The God Who Sees will be woven into every aspect of our fellowship, whose overarching focus is Engaging Students and Young Adults. CBFNC has emphasized faith formation for people of all ages, especially youth and young adults, those who are most vulnerable to feelings of loneliness and lostness. Our students and young adults, most of all, need to be reassured that God sees them exactly as God created them and loves them. You will see this theme and focus emphasized in our times of worship, fellowship, and workshops.
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
SCHEDULE FOR ONLINE ANNUAL GATHERING THURSDAY, MARCH 17 General Session #1 6:00 – 7:15 p.m. (Livestreamed)
FRIDAY, MARCH 18 Welcome Video 9:00 – 9:10 a.m.
Workshop Session #1
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. (Pre-recorded sessions w/ live Q&A)
Workshop Session #2
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. (Pre-recorded sessions w/ live Q&A)
Break
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
General Session #2 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (Livestreamed)
Spring 2022 | 11
Building a for Collegiate Ministry
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ince 2007, Wanda Kidd has served as CBFNC’s collegiate engagement coordinator. Over the years she has assisted numerous CBFNC leaders, congreBy Wanda Kidd CBFNC Collegiate gations and ministry partners to develop Engagement and direct ministries that lead young adults Coordinator into vital and compassionate Christian discipleship and leadership primarily through a presence on college campuses. Most importantly, Wanda has impacted the lives of countless students/young adults. She has helped build a firm foundation for CBFNC’s Collegiate Ministry over the last 15 years and has decided it is now time for a new adventure. Wanda will retire at the end of March 2022. In celebration of this milestone, she shares the following reflection about her time leading CBFNC’s Collegiate Ministry. Fifteen years ago, while many denominations were downsizing and defunding ministry to college students, there were voices within the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina that were encouraging a different approach. North Carolina Baptists had shaped and empowered generations of young adults through a strong and dedicated commitment to college students. For decades, many of those people, both men and women, were encouraged to follow the principles that defined what it meant to be Baptist. It was a training ground for an adult understanding of missions, church autonomy, biblical understanding and discipleship. They were also the very people who were shaping CBFNC and wanted to make sure that the generations that followed had the same opportunities that had been provided for them. Once again, CBFNC was stepping out in faith to create a ministry-based, Christ-centered organization that would take a group of Baptists into a vibrant and hopeful future.
From the beginning there were challenges. Ministry to college students is expensive: providing trained leadership, places for the groups to gather, funds for programming and mission opportunities is a costly undertaking. Historically, this ministry was funded by a large organization that had a long history of generously providing opportunities for their students. 12 | The Gathering
CBFNC was a much smaller organization that had to think strategically and creatively about how to provide campus ministry. We approached churches that would partner with us to provide meeting locations and other support. Churches like Oakmont, The Memorial and Immanuel in Greenville; University, Hillside and Mt. Carmel in Chapel Hill; Forest Hills in Raleigh; St. John’s and Providence in Charlotte; and Cullowhee on the Western Carolina Campus. Each of these churches provided not just space, but encouragement that what we were trying to accomplish was valuable and important. We could not have pursued this endeavor without them.
Wanda Kidd with some of the current and former campus ministry staff.
Another group that was instrumental in the imagining of this ministry was a group of lay people who met through the years to shape, encourage and plan ways to give it life. They helped us create our first statewide retreat that met from 2008 until COVID-19 disrupted its lineage in 2020. Students from state universities, historically Baptist Colleges and local churches came together at Mundo Vista Camp in Sophia for fellowship, leadership development and joint worship. This team thought it was important that students knew they were part of something larger than their local groups.
Providing theologically trained leadership to these campus groups was another challenge we faced in the beginning. We wanted to offer ministers who understood the importance of this transitional period in the lives of young adults and could couple that with a sound, balanced and compassionate Christian voice. We also wanted these groups to be a place where young adults could experience the call to ministry and we needed leadership who could nurture that. Through the years we have been incredibly fortunate to partner with ministers who were called to this specific ministry, often at a sacrifice to themselves, to work with us on campuses and beyond. They have ministered to students in the name of Jesus and CBFNC to help them understand the call to ministry, to experience mission opportunities and to develop into people who see themselves as beloved children of God. We are blessed to serve with an outstanding group of campus and young adult ministers. We have done all of this with the approach that, first, we had to help churches understand who we are; then, we could help them point their students towards these ministry groups when their students arrive on campus. An added challenge was becoming a ministry with name recognition on campuses that would connect students, universities and churches together as partners. Being the new group had many things to overcome, but it also gave us the opportunity to be a fresh voice in ministering to students and young adults. CBFNC leadership made it Wanda’s leadership clear from the beginning that through the years. this was not to be a standalone ministry. All the staff that worked with students were also tasked with helping churches reach out to, engage and understand the young adults within their own congregations. These ministers have been part of initiatives such as “Growing Young” and would gladly help any church that asked them to strategize about ways of strengthening their relationship with young adults in their congregations and in their communities.
Since the beginning of this journey, the CBFNC Coordinating Council and other leaders have embraced these challenges in order to envision a fellowship that includes young adults in who we are and who we believe we need to be in the future.
The challenges continue. There are things to celebrate and hurdles to overcome. I am confident that CBFNC knows in order to have a future we must equip, engage and embrace the generations who follow as well as those who make up our fellowship today. There is a bright future for collegiate ministry in our state, with possibilities to develop a broader, more diverse approach to reach young adults not only on campuses but wherever they are. May God continue to infuse us with courage and wisdom as we forge a new way. “CBFNC has been blessed by Wanda’s ministry for the last decade and a half. There literally would not be a CBFNC collegiate ministry without Wanda Kidd. She has not only provided visionary leadership to our state, but has led the entire CBF community to embrace young adult ministry as a necessary component of our shared mission,” said Larry Hovis, CBFNC executive coordinator. “It’s hard to imagine a future for CBFNC young adult ministries without Wanda, but I’m grateful that she has been working to craft a new vision for how we can reach young adults, not only on college campuses, but in all the places where young adults learn, work and serve. I’m excited to see how this vision will unfold in the coming years, built on the strong foundation of Wanda’s hard work, faithfulness and generosity.” Join us as we celebrate Wanda’s ministry at Annual Gathering 2022. Find specific details about the schedule of events at cbfnc.org/annualgathering. Spring 2022 | 13
Helps Change Church Culture
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rowing Young is more than a program; it’s much like a long-term investment. If your church is looking to make a culture change, Growing Young will help you do this over time. As one of the Growing Young Team Members at First Baptist Church in New Bern (FBC New Bern), I have seen some small but significant changes since we began. Our Growing Young cohort began right before the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, so our timing was
Youth from First Baptist-New Bern.
probably not the best, but God continues to demonstrate how His timing is always perfect. Through the tools learned in Growing Young, our church engaged young people (defined as ages 15 to 29) in as many ways as we could in the midst of such an “abnormal” time in our history. During Advent of 2020, we invited young people to talk in-person or by video about what they enjoyed most about Christmas and to share what Christmas means to them in their personal testimonies. This was one of the highlights from all of 2020 in my opinion. In a year when more was planned and then canceled than any other year in my lifetime, the true meaning of Christmas from the perspective of our young people became our church’s major focus of Advent 2020. We continued to engage young people moving forward. Young people ran PowerPoint during our 8:45 a.m. nontraditional service for most of 2021 when we were 14 | The Gathering
By Jeremy Slagle
Associate Pastor of meeting in our Family Life Center. Youth and Family Life Our Pastoral Staff intentionally asked First Baptist-New Bern our young people to read our Call to Worship as a focal point for Growing Young. In our youth ministry, we have had a young person step up to serve as a small group leader for our Middle School young ladies. Through Growing Young, we learned that extensive research shows that once most young people graduate from high school, they feel there is nowhere that exactly fits them in the church. Hannah Garner was also a member of FBC New Bern’s Growing Young Team and she seemed to already feel this way. Thanks to Growing Young, she stepped up in that small group leader role. She is also a chaperone for some of our youth trips and has brought some much-needed excitement to our youth ministry during the pandemic. Hannah has taken these keys to leadership in our youth ministry which I have felt God leading me to hand to her. One of these keys is connecting with our youth through the use of Instagram. I am thankful for Growing Young and the ways that God has already used this resource to empower young people because they are not the future of our church; they are the present. Hannah understands that the ministry of presence is so important and often overlooked. As a small group leader it is vital to show up and provide consistency to our youth. Hannah not only shows up but shows up ready to make an impact in the lives of our youth. Thanks be to God for Growing Young and for leaders everywhere like our own Hannah Garner! Growing Young is a CBFNC initiative in partnership with Fuller Youth Institute to help churches better welcome and engage young people ages 15 to 29. We now have 18 Growing Young “alumni” churches in North Carolina that have completed the year-long program. The 2022 cohort began in January and recruitment for 2023 will take place this fall. For more information about Growing Young, visit cbfnc.org/engage/growing-young.
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MINISTERS ON THE MOVE Our encouragement and support go to the following ministers who have recently moved: Buck Cochran to First Baptist–Greensboro as Associate Pastor: Missions and Community
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PLEASE REMEMBER CBFNC IN YOUR WILL OR ESTATE PLAN. Contact Jim Hylton at 336.759.3456 for more information. Gifts from individual supporters established this endowment fund to supplement the CBFNC annual operating budget. Gifts to this fund assist all areas of CBFNC ministry as we strive to join the work of God in the world.
Shannon Hall to Mount Carmel Baptist–Chapel Hill as Minister of Music Tyler Roach to The Memorial Baptist–Greenville as Associate Pastor: Families, Formation and Community Engagement Rob Stone to Durham Memorial Baptist–Durham as Pastor When you make a move or know of someone who has changed places of ministry, please send us an email: seth.hix@cbfnc.org. For assistance to search committees and ministers seeking vocational discernment, visit the Equip Ministers and Churches page on our website (cbfnc.org) or call us at 336.759.3456.
CBFNC HONORARY & MEMORIAL GIFTS November 2021 – December 2022
Melanie Baldwin in celebration of The Coopers
Lisa and Kenneth Rust in honor of Marc and Kim Wyatt
Jennifer and Seth Asbill in honor of Jesse Croom
Dolores and Bob Shepherd in honor of Dr. Tyler Roach
Elisabeth Baker in honor of Marc and Kim Wyatt
Amanda Smith in honor of Wanda Kidd
John Barnes in honor of Gwen and Russell Bowles
Nick Spindler in honor of Mike and Marilyn Eddinger
Nancy and Steve Brown in honor of Larry and Kim Hovis
Ming Yu in honor of Sharyn West
Tillie Duncan in honor of the staff of Sardis Baptist Church: Rev. Bob Stillerman, Rev.Jonathan Eidson, Hilary McIntyre, Kathryn Kreutzer
Deborah and Donald Cherry in memory of Selma and Mather Hurdle
Joyce and Robert Fulcher in honor of Rev. Marcia McQueen
Barbara Huggins in memory of Kay Huggins
Patricia Greene in honor of Rev. Dr. David Whiteman Fletcher Hartsell, Jr. in honor of Tana H Hartsell Karen Holland in honor of Mike and Cheryl Brooks Mary Ann and Billy Howell in honor of Rev. Phillip Barton Sandra Jarrell in honor of Wanda Kidd Debra and Phil Kaylor in honor of George and Kathryn Pace Donald Lehman in honor of First Baptist Black Mountain Charles Recktenwald in honor of Daniel and Lindsay Recktenwald Nancy Register in honor of the staff of Greystone Baptist Church
Phyllis Hewitt in memory of Rev. Dr. Gerald N. Hewitt Libby Johnson in memory of Kenny Johnson Sandra Lowe in memory of Carroll D. Lowe, Jr. Dixie Porter in memory of Jack Porter Patrick Simpson in memory of Betsy Purcell Jamie and Brad Smith in memory of Sarah Beddingfield Phillip Tillman in memory of Carolyn Tillman John Vestal in memory of Cindy Vestal Sharyn and Harold West in memory of Edna Frances Dawkins
Spring 2022 | 15
Bringing Baptists of North Carolina Together for Christ-Centered Ministry
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A Look Ahead . . .
2022
MARCH
CBFNC Annual Gathering Trinity Baptist–Raleigh March 17–18
APRIL
Ministry Design: A Conference for Churches Hayes Barton Baptist Church–Raleigh April 30
MAY
Spiritual Formation Ministry Team Webinar Virtual May 5
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