December 2005 / January 2006
Volume 10, Issue 10
Christmas in the Bayou A Hurricane Relief Christmas Ministry of CBFNC Many churches have participated in assembling “Bayou Boxes” to delivered to St. Tammany Parish, Lousiana in early December. Watch our website and the February 2006 edition of The Gathering for a report on this exciting project.
Missions Resource Plan Almost 18 months ago, at the North Carolina meeting held at the national CBF General Assembly in Birmingham, the CBFNC Coordinating Council announced that a Missions Resource Plan had been developed that would enable a church or individual to fund CBFNC, CBF and cherished NC Baptist ministries by writing one check to CBFNC. Though this option has been communicated primarily by word of mouth so far, dozens of churches have requested a copy of the plan for study and consideration. Any church or individual CBFNC contributor wishing to obtain a copy of the plan may do so by contacting the CBFNC office. an an an an an
2005 CBFNC General Assembly March 17 - 18 Ardmore Baptist Church 501 Miller Street Winston-Salem, NC • Make plans now to attend • See Page 3 for details •
Fall Fellowship Dinner Over 320 CBFers gathered at the Bridger Field House in Winston-Salem on November 15 for good food and fellowship. Ruby Fulbright, Executive Director of Womans Missionary Union of North Carolina provided the keynote address. Ninety persons who were present requested copies of the CBFNC Missions Resource Plan.
CBF Global Missions works with churches and others to provide the bread of life – spiritual, emotional, medical, educational and economic – in partnership with the most neglected, those with the greatest needs and the fewest resources. Financial gifts to the Offering for Global Missions go directly to the missions field, supporting the work of 162 CBF Global Missions field personnel around the world. This year’s Offering goal is $6.32 million, and every dollar counts, so that these field personnel can continue their efforts to provide the bread of life and the love of Christ. North Carolina Baptists gave $1,121,061 to the 2004-2005 Global Missions Offering, $67,123 above the prior year. Your support of missions is evident in many ways but none more than your contributions to the Global Missions Offering.
December 2005 / January 2006
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CBFNC UPCOMING EVENTS November 28 - December 4, 2005 Christmas in the Bayou drop-off See collection sites and details at www.cbfnc.org. January 19, 2006, 9:30 a.m. All-Council Meeting (Coordinating & Ministry Councils) Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem January 20-22, 2006 Youth Ski Retreat Boone, NC For details, contact Cliff Christian with CTI Group Adventures at 800-285-7273 or cliff@skicti.com. January 28, 2006 Children’s Choir Festival First Baptist, High Point Visit www.cbfnc.org/youth.htm for registration form and repertoire. February 20-23, 2006 Youth Ministers’ Retreat North Myrtle Beach, SC with Retreat Leader: John Hendrix For a brochure/registration form, visit www.cbfnc.org/comingevents.htm. or call (888) 822-1944. March 10-12, 2006 and March 24-26, 2006 Spring Youth Retreats The Vineyard Camp, Westfield, NC For a brochure and registration form, visit www.cbfnc.org/youth.htm March 17-18, 2006 General Assembly Ardmore Baptist Church Winston-Salem, NC March 31 - April 1, 2006 Youth Choir Festival First Baptist Church, Greensboro, NC For information and registration form, visit www.cbfnc.org/youth.htm or call 888-822-1944. April 28 - 29, 2006 Making Your Good Marriage Better Hickory, NC For information and registration form, see www.cbfnc.org/comingevents.htm June 21-24, 2006 CBF General Assembly Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA. For pre-registration and hotel reservations, see www.thefellowship.info.
A PASSION FOR THE GREAT COMMISSION - DON HORTON, MODERATOR Take a few minutes and write down what you consider your life’s ten greatest passions. Your list probably includes such worthwhile things as family, career and education. It may even include church, prayer, helping the poor, including those whose lives have been ravaged by recent natural disasters, and even hands-on missions. As you review your list, does it include the Great Commission of Jesus Christ? The Great Commission, like the weather, is often talked about, but is not so often carried out. Many people today gauge the popularity of a subject by searching for that subject on the internet. “The Great Commission” typed in the Google search engine produces 78,700 hits in 0.05 seconds. The hits include organizations, books, ministries, churches, study courses, and the list goes on. When you read the descriptions for each hit, you begin to ponder how many of them represent commercialization of the phrase and how many actually represent a passion for carrying out the Great Commission. The fourth hit includes the following statement: “Following the Great Commission, we offer Prayer, Bible Studies, Books & Humor. In addition we are authorized to offer Ministerial Credentials and . . . .” Does this raise any questions in your mind? Why should we have a passion for the Great Commission? First, it is a command given by Jesus. Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB) reads, “. . . All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Shorter versions are included in Mark 16:15 and Luke 24:47. Second, to carry out the Great Commission passionately allows us to embrace the two greatest commandments, as rated by Jesus, in Mark 12:29-31. “. . . The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your
strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Third, as disciples of Christ, we are supposed to be “like Christ.” As we read the scriptures and endeavor to interpret them for our lives, it becomes evident that Jesus’ life was about calling others to Himself, healing their afflictions, feeding them, teaching them and sending them out to do likewise in His name. Christians are still being called out to carry out the work of Christ wherever we find ourselves traveling through life. Because Christ first loved us, we should have a passion to carry out his Great Commission. We should be passionate about making disciples of all nations. We should be passionate about bringing them into the baptismal water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We should be passionate about teaching them to observe the commandants of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We should love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and in so doing, we should be passionate about sharing the joy of knowing Jesus. The Great Commission was given to Christians. If we as Christians do not passionately carry out the tasks assigned to us by Jesus, who will teach, baptize and make disciples of the people of the world? Most rational human beings are driven to aid and assist their fellow man with the material things of life in a time of dire need. These are good and honorable actions, but only Christians are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ. After some soul searching, are you passionate about the mission God has for your life? If your answer is yes, reexamine your priorities and determine if the Great Commission rates where it should in that list. If your answer is no, it is my prayer that you will earnestly seek His will for your life.
FINANCIAL REPORT OCTOBER 2005 CONTRIBUTIONS CBFNC Budget — $49,767 Other — $27,037
2005-2006 MONTHLY BUDGET GOAL: $55,455
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2006 CBFNC General Assembly March 17 - 18, 2006 Ardmore Baptist Church Winston-Salem, NC Visit www.cbfnc.org for updates. Reservations for free childcare (grades 6 and under) due February 15. Reservations for Friday dinner due March 1st. Friday, March 17 12:00 noon ....................... Registration opens / Exhibits open 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. ............... Ministry Workshop I 2:45 - 3:45 p.m. ............... Ministry Workshop II 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. ............... Ministry Workshop III 5:15 - 6:30 p.m. ............... Dinner Serving Line Open 7:00 p.m. .......................... Worship (Daniel Vestal preaching) 8:30 p.m. .......................... Fellowship Time Saturday, March 18 9:00 a.m. .......................... Simultaneous Services including: * Multicultural Worship with the Winston-Salem Chinese Church * Contemplative Worship with a Labyrinth * Emerging Worship 10:15 - 10:45 a.m. ........... Business Session 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon .. Worship and Communion (Larry Hovis preaching)
Discounted Hotel Rooms When making reservations at the following hotels in WinstonSalem, inform them that you will be attending the CBF of North Carolina General Assembly. Discounts expire in early March for most hotels. Tax will be added to all prices shown. Comfort Inn Cloverdale 110 Miller Street. 336-721-0220 Rate = $75 0.48 miles from Ardmore
Holiday Inn Hanes Mall 2008 S. Hawthorne Road 336-765-6670 Rate = $72 1.78 miles from Ardmore
Comfort Suites 200 Capitol Lodging Court 336-774-0805 Rate = $69 3.13 miles from Ardmore
Sleep Inn Hanes Mall 1985 Hampton Inn Court 336-774-8020 Rate = $61 3.56 miles from Ardmore
Days Inn Hanes Mall 3330 Silas Creek Parkway 336-760-4770 Rate = $59 2.16 miles from Ardmore
Please complete and return with payment by March 1, 2006, to: CBFNC, 8025 North Point Blvd., Suite 205, Winston-Salem, NC 27106 Questions? Call us at (888) 822-1944. Name: ________________________________________________________
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December 2005 / January 2006
NORTH CAROLINIANS ON MISSION First Baptist Church, Mount Olive. FBC’s Hurricane Katrina Relief Team spent September 21-23 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We hooked two trailers full of relief supplies to two pickup trucks, drove to Hattiesburg, and delivered the supplies to Grace Temple Baptist church in Gulfport where we cleaned debris from the building and removed trees off of two houses. Our plans were to work with Pastor Rossie Francis in Gulfport for three days, but then along came Rita. On Thursday night, Rita was still a category five and there seemed to be a gathering frenzy over fuel shortages so our team had to adjust our plans. We were able to deliver some supplies and have a full day of work. It was disappointing that we were not able to work for three days, but God is providing a wave of volunteer relief workers from all over the country. The destruction is vast along the Gulf, and there will certainly be much work to do for many years to come. It is encouraging in the midst of such disasters to see the compassionate response in action by so many Baptist and Christian groups. First Baptist Church, Sylva, and Tuckaseegee Baptist Church. Nineteen members of these two churches combined to rebuild the Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church that had been flooded during Hurricane Katrina in the D’iberville section of Biloxi, Mississippi, about 3 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. When the hurricane hit, the storm surge caused waters of the Tchoutacabouffa River adjacent to the church to rise 16 feet. For the first time in its 70-year history, water entered the church and rose to two feet in the sanctuary, fellowship hall, office, and classrooms. The small church did not have funds or manpower to do the work necessary to make the church useable again. The mission team removed the soaked carpet and pad from the sanctuary, and replaced the buckled flooring. All sheetrock and paneling up to a height of 4 feet was removed from the entire church. The wall studs were pressure washed and treated with Clorox and a fungicide. After the studs dried, over 70 sheets of sheetrock were installed and mudded. Other repairs accomplished were repair of the steel roof, replacement of missing siding, cleaning of all cabinets, straightening the church sign, removal of debris from the yard, and repair, painting, and reinstallation of the steeple. The baptistry that had floated out of its position and was resting against the side wall of the sanctuary was moved back into position. While in Biloxi, the mission team visited other areas of the Mississippi Gulf Coast that were hard hit by the hurricane. In the Biloxi beach area and in Gulfport the damage was unimaginable. The description that came to mind most often was that a huge bomb had gone off and leveled the entire area. Rubble was everywhere, and survivors were living
in tents and FEMA trailers, while still sifting through debris trying to find family photos and artifacts. Another mission trip to the Gulf Coast is being planned for the week following Christmas. an an an The Summit, Sylva, and Cullowhee Baptist Church. CBFNC has the answer for smaller churches that have ever asked the question “How can we go about helping so many in need?” The Summit is a church start that sought to bring relief to lives changed by Hurricane Katrina. Pastor Jim Dean’s first call was to The Summit’s parent church, Cullowhee Baptist, and its pastors Jeffrey and Tonya Vickery who were already planning a trip to Alabama. They had contacted John Mitchell at CBF Alabama who had developed a partnership with Volunteers of America. The Summit was able to partner with these groups by making one call. CBF also assisted the groups by helping set up housing and insurance and identifying work projects before the team arrived. Two weeks later, the assembled team arrived in Bayou La Batre. The assigned home’s interior had been gutted by another crew, and the team’s task was to repair the roof and install new shingles. They accomplished the task and left knowing that the work would continue with a new crew coming the next week. Can a new church start repair all of the damage in the Gulf region caused by Hurricane Katrina? No, but they did their part to change the lives of a few of the victims. Thanks, CBF, for helping us make a difference. Note: The Summit is a new church start supported in part by CBFNC. Ardmore Baptist Church, Winston-Salem. In September a nine-member team traveled to the Village of Hope in North Africa, Ardmore’s third trip to the area. The church participates in CBF’s Adopt-APeople Group program, adopting the Berber people in 2000. The Ardmore team did maintenance work, taught sewing (fleece blankets, hats, and mittens) and crocheting (hats), and visited an area school, bringing gifts of toiletries and crayons to the children.
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CBF COORDINATING COUNCIL APPROVES NEW CONSTITUTIONAL PREAMBLE - LANCE WALLCE, CBF COMMUNICATIONS ATLANTA – The CBF Coordinating Council unanimously approved a new preamble for its constitution and bylaws at its fall meeting on Friday, sending the amendment to the General Assembly, which will meet in Atlanta June 22-23, 2006. During the most recent General Assembly, June 30-July 1, in Grapevine, Texas, the participants approved an amended constitution and bylaws, which included a new purpose statement that reflected the wording of the Fellowship’s mission statement. However, during the Assembly and the weeks following, Fellowship churches and individual CBF members raised concerns that the language omitted specific references to Jesus Christ and the Great Commission. In response, newly-elected Moderator Joy Yee, senior pastor of Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church in San Francisco, Calif., appointed a special task force in July to address the changes in wording. Headed by Council member Jack Glasgow (pictured), pastor of Zebulon Baptist Church in Zebulon, N.C., the task force presented a recommendation for a preamble to be added to the constitution and bylaws. The wording is as follows: “As a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches, we celebrate our faith in the One Triune God. We gladly declare our allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord and to His gospel as we seek to be the continuing presence of Christ in this world. Our passion is to obey the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:34-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) of our Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit, and to uphold Baptist principles of faith and practice as we partner with one another and other Christians.” The Council unanimously adopted the preamble, in effect recommending adoption of the proposed amendment to the full General Assembly.
CORRECTION: The following churches were inadvertently omitted from the list of partnering churches in the Nov. 2005 issue of The Gathering: Shamrock Drive ...........Charlotte First .............................Tryon
WE WELCOME THESE NEW (OR RETURNING) CBFNC PARTNERING CHURCHES First .............................Biscoe Macedonia ...................Raleigh Calvary ........................Reidsville Double Shoals .............Shelby The Summit ..................Sylva Grace Haven ...............Youngsville CBF ANNOUNCES NEWLY ENDORSED CHAPLAINS FROM NORTH CAROLINA Cyrus Bush, Winston-Salem, NC, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Frances McKown, Burnsville, NC, Hospice of Yancey County Beth Riddick, Winston-Salem, NC, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Joshua Witt, Shelby, NC, U.S. Army
“This is a fresh start to make a positive statement about who we are as Fellowship Baptists . . . . We have a chance to say clearly that the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is not reticent at all to stand up and say we are committed to the lordship of Jesus Christ,” said Glasgow. Glasgow said the Fellowship had three main audiences that responded to the wording changes Lance Wallace photo made this summer – individuals and churches affiliated with the Fellowship, the general public and “unrelenting and unloving critics.” “I believe there is nothing we can do to make them stand up and applaud us,” Glasgow said. “But I care very deeply about those within the Fellowship and those in the general public who want to know who we are and what we’re about.” The task force included Glasgow, CBF National Coordinator Daniel Vestal, current moderator Joy Yee and former moderator John Tyler, who also served on the Council committee that drafted the amendments to the constitution and bylaws that were approved this summer. The Council had little discussion on the preamble, but no dissent was voiced. “I like that it includes a larger breadth of understanding of the Great Commission in light of the Great Commandment,” said Brian Harfst, council member from Spotsylvania, Va. “Thank you for adding that language.”
2005 CBFNC ADVISORY GROUP REPORT On October 11, seventy-seven folks gathered in the fellowship hall of First Baptist Church, Mebane, for the annual Advisory Group meeting. Charlotte and Roy Smith served as co-chairs of the Advisory Group and were gracious hosts to the gathering. First Baptist Church (Terry Farmer, pastor and Steve Zimmerman, associate) extended a gracious ministry of hospitality and was the ideal location for this meeting. David Odom, president of the Center for Congregational Health, was contracted to serve as facilitator of the meeting. He guided the discussion through small groups of 6-8 persons by asking questions about the strengths and weaknesses of our churches and CBFNC, and needs for the future. Larry Hovis, CBFNC Coordinator, spoke to the group on the topic, Getting There From Here: CBFNC in Ministry and Mission. The facilitated process produced a large volume of “raw data” that will be used by the Coordinating and Ministry Councils as we plan for the future. We appreciate everyone who participated this year.
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December 2005 / January 2006
HOW WE SAY IT AROUND HERE
- RICK JORDAN, CHURCH RESOURCES COORDINATOR
Ahoskie. Chalybeate Springs. FuquayVarina. Mayodan. Uwharrie. Say these words out loud. What do they have in common? They are difficult to know how to pronounce, unless you already know how to pronounce them. These are five communities among many others that are featured on a website called “Talk Like a Tar Heel” (http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/ ref/resources/tlth.html). The site was designed with outsiders in mind, like radio DJs or television weathermen who have moved into the area and need to know how to pronounce the name of the community that got five inches of snow last night. If you don’t know how to pronounce the name of that community, the locals are going to know for sure that “he ain’t from here.” That’s an instant loss of credibility. If you can’t say our name right, how can we trust other things you might say? On the website there is a map of North Carolina and a list of community and county names. Click on the name and it is pronounced for you. There is also a phonetic pronunciation guide (uhHAHS-kee, ka-LIB-e-ate, etc.) Now, there’s no excuse for calling it a-HOE-sky or cha-li-BATE –e. Of course, there is another way,
11 ON 11 DAY OF SERVICE
and that is to ask the locals. I heard about a couple driving from the mountains arguing about how to pronounce the name of the upcoming town, Lenoir. He decided it must be LIN-or and she argued that it probably had a French pronunciation, len-WAR. To settle it, they stopped at the next fast food restaurant to ask a local. He said to the girl at the counter, “My wife and I are disagreeing on how you pronounce the name of this place. Could you tell us how you pronounce it?” The clerk said slowly and deliberately, “bur-ger king.” Knowing the local community is essential for growing into a missional church. Viewmont Baptist Church is in a community with a baseball farm team, the Hickory Crawdads. Young men with very few resources move into the community from around the U.S., Puerto Rico, Venezuela and other parts of the world. They don’t know a soul, don’t know the community – some don’t even know the language. This church has taken upon itself the ministry of hospitality. They help the players get moved in, provide furniture for their apartments and have special mealtimes with them. It is a unique ministry for that church in that community. First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem is situated in the Arts District of that community. The building has often been a magnet for the NC School of the Arts as they learn how to make movies in a beautiful sanctuary. Now, the church is making intentional efforts to build bridges with the arts community through outreach efforts like art exhibitions and facilitated discussions based on current movies. Being missional means knowing the local community flavor and responding to the local community’s needs.
Each year current, CBF’s young leaders network, sponsors a day of simultaneous missions projects in several states on the Saturday closest to September 11th, striving to do “something constructive on a day that is remembered as destructive.” On September 10, 2005, North Carolina’s young Baptists gathered in Chatham County to work on a Habitat House. The next current event is their annual retreat, described below.
ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES FROM CBFNC FRIENDS Streams – A multi-track retreat with networking, education and renewal Sponsored by current, a network of CBF connecting young Baptists Atlanta, GA February 8 - 11, 2006 Featuring five ministry “streams”: Congregational Ministry, Bible Study, Youth Ministry, Collegiate Ministry, and Children’s Ministry. Additional breakout topics include: Finding a Ministerial Position, Video Production, & Marriage Enrichment. For information, visit www.thefellowship.info/current.
Oakmont Baptist Church of Greenville, NC, sponsors their Ninth Annual Spirituality Retreat with Retreat Leader Rev. Dennis Adams Caraway Conference Center, Asheboro, NC February 17 - 19, 2006 Limited space is available for non-Oakmont participants who would like to experience a weekend spirituality retreat built around six worship experiences, structured times of silence and solitude, small group sharing of your spiritual journey, and teaching on prayer and listening to God. To register contact Dr. Greg Rogers, Pastor (greg@oakmontchurch.com) or Rev. Beth Thompson, Associate Pastor (beth@oakmontchurch.com) or call the church at 252-756-1245.
SC/NC CBF Clergy and Women of the Church Conference
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March 2-5, 2006
Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach Speaker: Eileen Campbell-Reed Clergy: March 2-3 Topic: “What is Sabbath When You Work Every Sunday?” Laity: March 3-5 Topic: “Keeping the Sabbath: Honoring God and Self” For more information, email Amanda Atkin at atkin@gfbccary.org.
PRAYER CALENDAR December 3 3 4 8 9 9 12 17 17 20 21 1 2 2 3 8 9 10 13 16 17 21 21 25 25 25 30 31
Shane McNary, work with Romany people, Slovakia Gennady Podgaisky, urban work, Kiev, Ukraine Elizabeth Richards, work with Bedouin people, Jordan Stephanie Glenn, work with internationals, Los Angeles _______, work with internationals, North Africa Jason Edwards, Global Service Corps, France Diana Early, Affiliate, China Joshua Smith, Global Service Corps, South Africa Kathy Smith, Albanian/Balkan peoples, Macedonia Monica Rich, Partners in Hope Field Coord., Rio Grande Valley Lynn Hutchinson, work with internationals, Paris, France
January
Sam Bandela, unevangelized people groups of N. India Tammy Stocks, work with Romany people, Hungary Paul Thibodeaux, Urban Ministry Coordinator, Georgia Karen Barnes, Affiliate, China Ellen Burnette, work with Palaung people, Thailand Bill Cayard, representative to China Melody Harrell, urban work, Nairobi, Kenya Dianne McNary, work with Romany people, Slovakia Fran Graham, Affiliate, Asheville, NC Latha Bandela, unevangelized people groups of N. India Laura Barton, Affiliate, China Jack Snell, Associate Coordinator for Field Ministries Scott Houser, urban work, Southern Africa _______, Affiliate, Middle East _______, unevanglized people group Jonnie Hill, representative to China Penny Mann, Global Service Corps, Pecs, Hungary
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December 2005 / January 2006
IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS For many people, “the most wonderful time of the year,” the Christmas season, is filled with questions: What gifts will I give to my family and friends? How much should I spend? How can I juggle my schedule to fit in all the special activities? Which family do we spend Christmas Eve with, and which family do we visit on Christmas Day? The Biblical account of the first Christmas also contains some important questions. When the angel Gabriel informed Mary that she would be the mother of the Messiah, she asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). And though Matthew does not record it, it is logical to assume that Joseph had a few questions when he was informed in a dream of what was about to happen. After Jesus was born, the wise men from the East who sought the new-born king asked in Jerusalem, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage” (Matthew 2:2). The older I get, the more I am convinced that the questions we ask are more important than the answers we think we know. If we are certain that we have everything figured out, we have no motivation to grow and move beyond where we currently find ourselves. Good questions, on the other hand, can help us move beyond the status quo and into a new, emerging future. At the recent CBFNC Advisory Group meeting on October 11 at First Baptist Church of Mebane, I was given the opportunity to address the gathering on the topic, “Getting There From Here: CBFNC in Ministry and Mission.” Early in that address, I stated: “My assignment is to lay out where CBFNC is right now, in ministry and mission, as I see it after one year as your coordinator, to provide a context for the discussion that will follow, in which together, we seek to discern the needs of our churches so that we can move into the future God has created for us. As I describe the present, I will also offer some key questions that I believe we must answer in order to discover and move into that future.” These six questions, are, I believe, critically important for us to grapple with as we seek to move forward as a fellowship. Space won’t allow me to flesh them out in this column, as I did in Mebane, but I offer them to the larger CBFNC family with the appeal that you join with others in asking, seeking and knocking so that the door of our common future will be opened to us. Question 1: How can CBFNC better serve as the face of CBF in North Carolina? Though we are autonomous organizationally, financially and programmatically from CBF, we are part of a larger movement. CBFNC needs CBF and CBF needs CBFNC. We are not only CBF of North Carolina; we are also CBF in North Carolina. Question 2: How can we best provide a “home” for Fellowship-style Baptists in North Carolina? As many North Carolina Baptists have felt their autonomy being threatened, we have at times retreated toward isolationism. We are not Independent Baptists. Cooperation is a deeply held value. We need one another and CBFNC provides a safe place for us to come together where we feel welcomed and affirmed. Question 3: How can our state fellowship of churches and individuals within the larger Fellowship movement be the best
- LARRY HOVIS, COORDINATOR stewards of our resources in reaching our communities, our state, and our world with the Gospel of Christ? This is the “missions” question. Historically, missions has been the primary reason Baptist congregations have cooperated with each other. This is still true today. When it comes to missions, we want to do everything, but as a state body we have our limits. I’m especially concerned that this fellowship takes seriously the North Carolina mission field and the mission fields around our churches. Question 4: How can CBFNC best foster the development of existing and next-generation leaders, both lay and clergy, especially in cooperation with our divinity school partners? Healthy churches require healthy leaders, both clergy and laity. We are blessed with four divinity schools in our state that are producing good leaders and we need to work even more closely with them to discover and meet the leadership needs of our churches and Christ’s Kingdom. Question 5: How can CBFNC effectively serve as a “broker” to connect people and churches to assist one another in fostering faith development in healthy congregational life? CBFNC is being called on more to resource congregations. The greatest congregational resources are not in some denominational office, but in congregations themselves. Networking, mobilizing and empowering, a CBF strategy, is needed now more than ever. Question 6: How can CBFNC best assist churches in supporting the ministries of cherished North Carolina Baptist institutions and agencies? The churches of our fellowship historically have been strong supporters of NC Baptist institutions and agencies. Given that a core value of CBF is that we don’t own or control institutions, we still want to honor and support the ministries of these institutions as their partner. As the Christmas season unfolds and you find yourself bombarded with all kinds of questions, and as you begin the New Year making plans for the future, I invite you to give thoughtful, prayerful attention to these important questions regarding the future of our fellowship. As we do so, I’m grateful to be your fellow seeker.
Youth Ministers’ Retreat for Rest & Renewal February 20-23, 2006 Beach Cove Resort, North Myrtle Beach, SC Worship Leader: John Hendrix For a brochure and more information, visit www.cbfnc.org/comingevents.htm or call (888) 822-1944.
Marriage Enrichment Retreat “Making Your Good Marriage Better” April 28 - 29, 2006 Hickory, NC Retreat Leaders: Bill & Crystal Leathers For a brochure and more information, visit www.cbfnc.org/comingevents.htm or call (888) 822-1944.
CBF NORTH CAROLINA 8025 NORTH POINT BLVD., SUITE 205 WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27106
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
CBF North Carolina December 2005 / January 2006 Phone: (888) 822-1944 • (336) 759-3456 Fax: (336) 759-3459 cbfnc@cbfnc.org • www.cbfnc.org Coordinating Council Don Horton, Zebulon Greg Rogers, Greenville Moderator Recorder Tonya Vickery, Cullowhee Roger Gilbert, Mount Airy Moderator-Elect Past-Moderator Boyce Wilson, Winston-Salem Treasurer Glenda Currin, Wrightsville Beach Larry Harper, Raleigh Carolyn Dickens, Raleigh David Hood, Hickory Katie Ethridge, Beaufort Steve Little, Marion Kathryn Hamrick, Shelby Roy Smith, Raleigh
Faith Development Ministry Council Jennifer Baxley, Henderson Bruce Hartgrove, High Point Crystal Leathers, Hickory Karen Metcalf, Raleigh Kristen Muse, Raleigh
Mickie Norman, Leland Jeff Pethel, Rolesville Anita Sayles, Asheville Blythe Taylor, Charlotte Tim Wilson, Hickory
Leadership Development Ministry Council Kitty Amos, Winston-Salem Ron Glover, Monroe Kheresa Harman, Erwin Burke Holland, Belhaven Randall Lolley, Raleigh
Ken Massey, Greensboro Pam Riley, Durham Wayne Wike, Matthews Larry Williams, Louisburg Steve Zimmerman, Mebane
Missions Development Ministry Council Cecelia Beck, Forest City Kendell Cameron, Whiteville Ron Cava, Clinton Raymond Earp, Beaufort David Hailey, Raleigh
Carolyn Hopkins, Cary Bill Jones, Newland Shirley Kool, Sylva Judy LeCroy, Lexington Layne Smith, Hickory
CBF Council Members From NC Sheri Adams, Boiling Springs Gail Coulter, Hendersonville Mary Anne Croom, Ahoskie Irma Duke, Fuquay-Varina
Jack Glasgow, Zebulon Bill Ireland, Winston-Salem Guy Sayles, Asheville
Staff
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID WINSTON-SALEM, NC PERMIT NO. 162
Larry Hovis ....................... Coordinator Rick Jordan ....................... Church Resources Coordinator Nancy Parks ...................... Office Manager Gail McAlister .................. Financial Assistant Beth McGinley .................. Office Assistant