2023 CBFNC Annual Gathering Program Book

Annual Gathering

March 23 – March 24, 2023

Ardmore Baptist Church, Winston-Salem

Living Together

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! – Psalm 133:1

FACILITY Map

CAMPUS OVERVIEW

LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2

KEY

REGISTRATION (Narthex)

WORSHIP & BUSINESS SESSIONS (Sanctuary)

LEADERSHIP FORUM & LUNCH (Fellowship Hall)

EXHIBIT HALL (Narthex, Lobby)

WORKSHOPS (Rooms Letter E)

WORKSHOPS (Rooms Letter F)

LOLLEY DISPLAY (Ardmore Room)

FOR YOUR Information

LUNCH

Our lunch break will take place from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday in the Fellowship Hall. If you pre-ordered lunch when you registered, you may pick it up in the Fellowship Hall. We do not have boxed lunches for sale on-site. If you didn’t order lunch, please check out a nearby restaurant!

Lunch is provided by Delicious, a nonprofit employing immigrant and refugee women from the Middle East & beyond who have relocated to the Triad region of North Carolina. Founded by Shereen Gomaa, a native of Egypt with a heart for encouraging women, the organization’s mission is to empower the refugee community by using their cooking skills to support their families and affirm their dignity through work. Like most of us, refugees find comfort in the taste of their homeland. What began as a delicious food swap evolved into an idea: that these women could support their families with dignity while sharing their culture through the gift of cooking. Enjoy Delicious food that is prepared with love while celebrating the wonders of diversity!

Learn more & support Delicious at: deliciousbyshereen.com.

CONNECT WITH US!

WIFI

Network: ABCWiFi

wewelcomeyou! @CBFNC @cbfnc cbfnorthcarolina

HOW TO USE THIS DIGITAL PROGRAM BOOK

Move between this program book and the Annual Gathering events easily!

For our desktop users at home : 1) All icons in circles are hyperlinked to the Annual Gathering website; and 2) all logos, websites, email addresses and social media logos are hyperlinked. For mobile device users : While these links are not available on your mobile device, please take advantage of the icons in the table of contents and at the bottom of each section’s opening page to make jumping back and forth easier!

Table of Contents

FINANCIAL GROUP

Simplicity Group Company

At Guardian Financial Group we want you to feel SECURE about retirement. You want certainty around your retirement plans. The problem can be a lack of knowledge to put a proper plan in place, which makes you feel anxious.

We believe ministers who spend their lives serving others deserve a secure retirement. We understand the unique challenges ministers face when it comes to saving and planning for retirement. This is why we have been able to help ministers all over the country utilize unique tax advantages, create sustainable retirement income, and limit market risk.

Housing Allowance for Ministers

Learn how to preserve your housing allowance with IRS code 107. Understand the tax implications of your allowance so you can make informed decisions on how to put it to use.

Tax Issues for Ministers

The IRS has specific tax codes for ministers and churches. We will help you to become familiar with these unique rules to see which may benefit you. This information is designed to provide education and clarity to often confusing tax rules.

Retirement Planning

No matter where you are in life, we can provide you the guidance, tools and services to help prepare for retirement on your terms.

Investment Strategies

Investing is about proper planning to achieve your financial goals: retirement, paying college, or just providing for your family.

Social Security Optimization

We can help you understand your Social Security benefits and educate you on how you can maximize those retirement benefits based on your expectations.

Money Management

One of the keys to a reliable financial strategy is spending less than you take in, and then finding a way to put your excess to work.

Annuities

Are you in or near retirement? Learn how annuities can help generate a reliable stream of income or increase your current savings.

SCHEDULE OF Events

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Leadership Forum | Fellowship Hall Which Jesus Do We Follow?

3:00 p.m.

Annual Gathering Registration & Exhibit Hall Open | Narthex/Lobby

3:30 – 4:45 p.m. General Session 1/Worship | Sanctuary

5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Affinity Group Fellowship | Assigned Rooms on p. 18

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

Registration & Exhibit Hall Open | Narthex/Lobby

–

–

–

–

1:15 – 2:30 p.m.

2:45 – 4:00 p.m.

Coffee Fellowship | Fellowship Hall

Morning Gathering | Sanctuary

Workshop Session 1 | Assigned Rooms on pp. 22–24

Lunch | Fellowship Hall | (Partner Luncheon Rm. F-224/F-226)

Workshop Session 2 | Assigned Rooms on pp. 28–30

Annual Business Meeting & General Session 2/Worship | Sanctuary

Table of Contents

Move between this program book and the Annual Gathering events easily! All icons in circles are hyperlinked to their respective program book pages or web pages.

CBF OF NORTH CAROLINA

Council Leadership

COORDINATING COUNCIL

This is the official board of directors of the non-profit corporation known as “CBF of North Carolina.” Their purpose is to strengthen the bonds that tie us together in fellowship and ministry through communications, gatherings, partner relationships, personnel, finances and other resources.

Jeff Harris, Moderator

Stacy Nowell, Moderator-elect

Becky Keesler, Past Moderator

Gina Brock, Recorder

Jason Cogdill, Treasurer

CBF OF NORTH CAROLINA WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE to the staff, volunteers and entire congregation of Ardmore Baptist Church for opening your space to host the 2023 Annual Gathering. We are grateful for your hospitality and spirit of welcome!

WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A BIG “THANK YOU” to our Annual Gathering planning team, comprised of ministers and lay leaders from within the life of our Fellowship: Gina Brock, Linda Denney, Carlos Mir, Jeremy Poplin, Tyler Tankersley, Christa Warise and Lance Williams. These volunteers have given of their time and talents to help prepare for this gathering. The staff of CBFNC would not be able to make Annual Gathering happen without this group of people. We are extremely thankful for you and your leadership in planning our 2023 Annual Gathering!

CBF OF NORTH CAROLINA Staff & Leadership

2022–2023

CBF OF NORTH CAROLINA STAFF

Larry Hovis Executive Coordinator

Andy Hale Associate Executive Coordinator

Mary Kaylor Associate Coordinator

Jim Hylton Business Administration Coordinator

Scott Hudgins Director of Helping Pastors Thrive

David Stone Campus Ministries Director and Western Area Campus Minister

Jamie Rorrer Director of Communications

Santiago Reales Director of Red Latina

Amy Cook Communications Specialist

Andy Jung Ministry Specialist

Kim & Marc Wyatt Welcome House Community Network Coordinators

Kathryn Ashworth Ministry Support Manager

CBSF CAMPUS MINISTERS

Tierney Boss, Appalachian State University

Adrian Bullock, Triangle Area Campuses

Chris Cherry, UNC Greensboro

Caitie Jackson, Charlotte Area Campuses

Charity Roberson, East Carolina University

David Stone, Western Area Campuses

Chris Towles, Wake Forest University

2023 ANNUAL GATHERING PLANNING TEAM

Gina Brock

Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem

Linda Denney

Knollwood Baptist, Winston-Salem

Carlos Mir

First Baptist, Winston-Salem

Jeremy Poplin Clemmons First Baptist, Clemmons

Tyler Tankersley

Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem

Christa Warise West Side Baptist, Winston-Salem

Lance Williams Peace Haven Baptist, Winston-Salem

LIVING TOGETHER

Coffee Fellowship Featuring Delicious Local Pastries

Friday 8:30-9:30 am | Fellowship Hall

BAPTIST WOMEN IN MINISTRY OF NORTH CAROLINA

Telling Stories, Opening Doors, Building Community with Baptist Women in Ministry. bwimnc.org

CENTER FOR HEALTHY CHURCHES

Thoughtful and wise coaching for clergy and congregations navigating the challenges of today and opportunities of the future chchurches.org

ANNUAL GATHERING Sponsors

PRIME EVENT SPONSOR

COMMUNITY PARTNER SPONSORS

PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSORS

GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS

SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS

ANNUAL GATHERING Exhibitors

Visit the in-person exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall at Ardmore Baptist. Visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall here.

All exhibitors’ names are hyperlinked to their respective websites.

A Model Ministry

Anna & LaCount Anderson, CBF Field Personnel

Baptist Children’s Homes of NC

Baptist History and Heritage

Baptist Retirement Homes Foundation

Baptist Women in Ministry

Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina

C3 Christians Caring for Creation (virtual only)

Campbell University Divinity School

CBF Church Benefits Board

CBF Foundation

Center for Congregational Health

Center for Healthy Churches

Chowan University

Crossnore Communities for Children

Duke Divinity School Baptist House of Studies

Edward Jones

Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity

Good Faith Media

Guardian Financial

McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University

Missional Business Services, LLC

NC Baptist Aging Ministry

Passport Camps

Pastors for NC Children

Southern Energy Management

Threads by Nomad/The Off Ramp (Two Separate Links)

Together for Hope

North Carolina Council of Churches (virtual only)

North Carolina Council of Churches: Partners in Health and Wholeness (virtual only)

God Is Here (Book by Sarah Blackwell) (virtual only)

Welcome House

WMU of NC

Table of Contents

D EFINITE LY Baptist, D ISTI N CTIVE LY Duke

As a theological and spiritual home for Baptist women and men at Duke Divinity School, Baptist House of Studies anchors students in their Baptist identity and connects them with one another and the larger Baptist world. Students pursuing their theological education at Duke Divinity join a community that embraces a love for learning and a desire for God, where hearts and minds are open to the whole of God’s truth and formed in the evangelical witness of the gospel.

• 7 Graduate degree programs, including a new hybrid Master of Divinity, and 3 dual degree options

• 100% of Baptist Students Receive Scholarship Aid

• 17 Baptist Faculty (9 Regular Rank, 1 Adjunct, 7 Consulting Faculty)

• 4 Baptist Support Staff

TO LEARN MORE about Baptist House, visit us online at divinity.duke.edu/formation/houses-of-study/baptist-house or contact Dr. Curtis Freeman, Director of Baptist House of Studies, at cfreeman@div.duke.edu or 919.660.3599.

Celebrating another year as a CBF partner school!

Clergy & Church Transitions: CBFNC is Here to Help!

From our earliest days, CBFNC has assisted clergy and churches in transition. While the system has changed over the years, our commitment to helping pastors find churches and churches find pastors remains central to our work of “bringing Baptists together.”

CLERGY & CHURCHES:

CLERGY TRANSITIONS

Discerning a change in calling is complicated, often filled with mixed emotions that requires steps of faith. You are not simply another resumé to send but a unique individual with passions, giftedness, strengths and experiences that we want to recognize and connect with the corresponding needs of a congregation.

Our team will be here for you, providing a highly confidential, collaboratively-crafted process amid CBFNC’s well-connected network of churches and partners.

Discerning a new call?

We invite you to fill out a First Steps: Clergy form to begin the process with CBFNC.

CHURCH TRANSITIONS

Churches often find themselves in a time of transition upon the retirement, resignation, promotion or creation of a ministerial role.

Regardless of the reason for the ministerial shift, this time of change is critically important for the church and the minister. Ministerial transitions are a normal—even healthy—part of congregational life. Many opportunities for renewal and reformation arise amid a ministerial change within a church.

We are here to walk with your congregation through this time of transition, offering guidance and help along the way.

Searching for a new pastor?

We invite a representative from your church to fill out a First Steps: Church form to begin the process with CBFNC.

Let's imagine the possibilities TOGETHER!

GENERAL SESSION 1

Thursday, March 23, 2023 3:30 p.m.

Click on the icon below to watch the live stream

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

– Psalm 133:1

GATHERING MUSIC*

GENERAL SESSION 1/Worship

Thursday, March 23, 3:30 p.m.

David

Fitzgerald

Minister of Worship, Music & Arts

Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem

CALL TO WORSHIP

We Are Called to Be God’s People

AUSTRIAN HYMN (Hymn #477, Verse 1)

WELCOME Larry Hovis Executive Coordinator CBFNC

GREETING & OPENING PRAYER

ANNUAL GATHERING OVERVIEW

Tyler Tankersley Planning Team Member & Pastor

Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem

Linda Denney Planning Team Member & Laity

Knollwood Baptist, Winston-Salem

SPECIAL MUSIC

INTRODUCTION OF PREACHER

Give

Curtis Freeman

LITANY

Colossians 3:12–17

Curtis Freeman

Leader: Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.

People: Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Leader: Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

People: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

GENERAL SESSION 1/Worship

SCRIPTURE READING 1 Corinthians 13:4–13

SERMON Compelling Cooperation

Gina Brock

Planning Team Member & Associate Pastor Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem

Paul Baxley Executive Coordinator CBF

PRAYING FOR OUR FELLOWSHIP

Mary Kaylor Associate Coordinator CBFNC

CALL TO PRAYER The Church’s One Foundation

AURELIA (Hymn #246, Verse 1)

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN

OFFERTORY

MUSICAL RESPONSE

UPDATE FROM FIELD PERSONNEL

BENEDICTION

DENNIS (Hymn #267, Verse 1)

Blest Be the Tie

Kevin McDaniel Pastor to Students Hominy Baptist, Candler

Wake Forest University Gospel Choir & Spiritual Melody

Freedom Song

Gennady & Mina Podgaisky Kyiv, Ukraine

Caitie Jackson

CBSF Campus Minister Charlotte Area Campuses

*Instrumental music by Jeanell Brown, piano, and Marina Zimmerman, violin, Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem.

AFFINITY GROUP FELLOWSHIP ROOM ASSIGNMENTS

Please choose a group and meet in the assigned room for fellowship and conversation. Groups are encouraged to dine together around Winston-Salem at the conclusion of this session.

Chaplains/Pastoral Counselors (F-104)

Children’s Ministry (E-202)

Collegiate/Young Adult Ministry (F-204)

Laity (F-102)

Leadership Forum (F-221) Missions (E-206)

Music Ministry (F-202)

Pastors (Fellowship Hall)

Red Latina (F-206)

Theological Students (F-200)

Youth Ministry (E-204)

MORNING GATHERING

Friday, March 24, 2023 9:30 a.m.

GATHERING MUSIC* Jeremy Poplin Planning Team Member & Minister of Music Clemmons First Baptist, Clemmons

WELCOME Andy Hale Associate Executive Coordinator CBFNC

DEVOTION Christa Warise Planning Team Member & Pastor West Side Baptist, Winston-Salem

CENTERING PRAYER Eric Porterfield Pastor Oakmont Baptist, Greenville

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN We Are Travelers on a Journey BEACH SPRING (Hymn #278)

SENDING OUT Taylor Long Lolley Scholar & Student Campbell University Divinity School

*Musical direction by Keeley Tarkington, Minister of Music, First Baptist, Clayton

SESSION 1

WORKSHOPS

Friday, March 24, 2023 10:15 a.m.

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

– Psalm 133:1

CARRIE VEAL

Executive Minister

Myers Park Baptist, Charlotte

SESSION 1 Workshops

10:15 a.m.

Children’s Ministry After A Global Pandemic: Where Do We Go From Here?

BETH ROBERTS

Executive Vice President/COO

Church Benefits Board

JENNY CLORE

Director of Benefits

Church Benefits Board

DAVE HAWES

Pastor

Godwin Heights Baptist, Lumberton

ROOM E-202

Volunteers are slim; families are exhausted; budgets are being cut… is there any good news where children’s ministry is concerned? In this session we will talk about the major paradigm shifts that have and are occurring and how everyone in a church from the newest member to the longest-serving staff member and everyone in between can work together for the good of the ministry and the families, as well as the overall benefit of the Church.

Church Benefits Board: Your Benefits are our Ministry!

Learn how Church Benefits Board, partnering with Empower, prepares you to be equipped financially before and during retirement. Let us introduce you to practical tools and resources available to you as participants and churches.

ROOM F-221

ROOM F-206 Table

Everything You Want to Know about Disaster Response

Disasters happen every day. The best thing we can do is to be better prepared for local disaster events and to be ready to assist with recovery efforts elsewhere. Join this session to learn everything you need to know to be prepared when the next disaster strikes.

SESSION 1 Workshops

10:15 a.m.

AMY GALLAHER

Minister of Missional Engagement

Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem

LINDA M. JONES

Triad Manager

Welcome House Community Network

KIM WYATT

CBF Field Personnel & Co-Founder

Welcome House Community Network

CURTIS FREEMAN

Director

Baptist House of Studies

Duke Divinity School

Let’s Talk Housing and Hospitality

Welcome House has become a growing movement of housing and hospitality ministries in North Carolina. You are invited to dialogue with three premiere practitioners in the field. Get the latest on what is happening from Founder, Rev. Kim Wyatt. Hear from Dr. Linda Jones, Welcome House Triad Manager to learn about local church housing and hospitality ministries in the Triad. And meet Rev. Amy Gallaher, Minister of Missional Engagement with Ardmore Baptist Church to hear first hand how her church started the most recent Welcome House in Winston-Salem.

Making Christians: Instruction in the Basic Teaching of Christ

The second century church leader, Tertullian of Carthage argued that Christians “are made, not born.” This workshop will equip lay and ordained church leaders to prepare candidates for baptism through instruction in “the basic teaching of Christ” (Heb 6:1-2). Participants will learn how for centuries Christians passed on the basic teaching of Christ, and explore how retrieving the practice of catechesis might equip the church to be more faithful and effective in following the call to make disciples.

AMANDA TYLER

Executive Director

BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)

Reclaiming Religious Freedom

Advocacy for religious freedom for all people has been a hallmark of the Baptist movement since its beginning. But the topic of religious freedom has become contentious, contested, and often misunderstood. In this workshop, you can learn how the language of “religious freedom” is used to mask Christian nationalism, hear about implications of recent Supreme Court decisions, and get tools for the best ways to advocate from our unique Baptist perspective for an expansive liberty that includes people of all faiths and people of no faith.

ROOM F-202

ROOM F-102

ROOM F-204

SANTIAGO

Director

SESSION 1 Workshops

REALES

Red Latina CBFNC

CAMILA PULGAR

Therapist

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

ROOM E-204

*This session will offer one hour of continuing education credit for endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors.

ANDY HALE

Associate Executive Coordinator

CBFNC

ROOM E-206

Including a Panel of Presenters:

SARAH BLACKWELL

Writer

Word&Way

BECKY BRYANT

Lay Leader

Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem

BROOKE NUGENT

Lay Leader

First Baptist, Clayton

STEPHANIE PARKER

Pastor of Children and Families

First Baptist, Clayton

DENEAL FOWLER

Minister of Invitation and Hospitality

Ardmore Baptist, Winston-Salem

DANE JACKSON

Minister with Students and Their Families

Providence Baptist, Charlotte

SUZANNE MILLER

Executive Director

Pastors for NC Children

10:15 a.m.

Trauma Care in the Church/Atención al trauma en la iglesia

This workshop will help people to increase awareness of their experiences of trauma and their effects in the congregation.

Why Investing in Healthy Congregational Relationships = Flourishing

Relational dynamics are critical for the health of a church community. Unfortunately, the recent pandemic, combined with the very real and felt social and political tension within churches, has strained our capacity to connect with one another. Join a panel conversation on how CBFNC congregations are finding creative and authentic ways to reconnect with one another, leading to thriving.

ROOM F-104

Why Is Our Mission Work and Charity STILL Needed?

In this workshop, participants will name the mission work and charity their congregations participate in and explore how this work connects to larger issues in our communities. We will discuss ways congregations and groups can add advocacy to their existing work to amplify their love of their neighbors and bring about transformation in their communities. Participants will leave with practical next steps and resources to put their prayers into action.

SESSION 2 WORKSHOPS

Friday, March 24, 2023 1:15 p.m.

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

– Psalm 133:1

JESSICA HEARNE

SESSION 2 Workshops

1:15 p.m.

Beyond Recycling: How Churches Can Truly Care for Creation

A panel of CBF Environmental Stewardship Network members will offer practical ideas that pastors and churches can use as they seek to be better stewards of creation in their local communities. Topics of discussion will include advanced recycling and composting, community gardens, solar panels and other energy projects, advocacy, building resilient communities, creation-centered worship, and care for our water and soil.

EILEEN CAMPBELL-REED

Collaboration for Clergy and Lay Leaders in a New Era of Ministry

Since March of 2020 ministry in every situation changed dramatically. The #PandemicPastoring Report offers findings from research with over 100 clergy and lay leaders in 20+ denominations. It reveals that ministers and churches are facing a new era, characterized by: a great renegotiation of jobs and shifting part-time and full-time roles, different needs and expectations for volunteers, new hybrid and digital modes of connection, overwhelming yet often unnamed grief, and much needed discernment about the purpose of church. What do we most urgently need in response to these changes? The “Collaboration” workshop will explore three ways clergy and lay leaders can work together to 1) deepen understandings of shared ministry and including similarities and differences between volunteer/lay and paid/clergy ministers, opening the way for better collaboration; 2) creating shared rituals for personal and collective grief; and 3) expanding hope and imagination to craft “future stories” that meet the new era of ministry with love, sustainability, and grace. All participants receive the 30-page #PandemicPastoring Report download and a study guide to use with their churches.

DON GORDON CEO

C3-Christians Caring for Creation

SAM HARRELL Executive Director Africa Exchange

CBF Field Personnel Grace and Main Fellowship, Danville, VA

CHRISTIAN MCIVOR

Minister of Worship, Music, and the Arts Greystone Baptist, Raleigh

KATHERINE SMITH

Executive Director Baptist Creation Care Initiative

ROOM E-202

Visiting Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Care Union Theological Seminary, New York City

ROOM F-104

SESSION 2 Workshops

1:15 p.m.

SARA ROBB-SCOTT

Bereavement Program Coordinator

WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Raleigh

Fellow Pilgrims on the Road

*This session will offer one hour of continuing education credit for endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors.

Grief is an ongoing journey of learning and relearning a life in the wake of loss: death of a loved one, diagnosis of a critical illness, a life upended by COVID-19. How can churches, pastoral leaders, and pastoral counselors help those hurting in their midst to faithfully tend to their grief? This session will offer a discussion about the spiritual practices of lament and gratitude, and offer suggestions for how to be faithful companions on the journey to people who are grieving.

CALEB FOUST

Associate Pastor

Emerywood Baptist

High Point

TYLER ROACH

Associate Pastor: Minister of Families, Formation, and Community Engagement

The Memorial Baptist, Greenville

Future of Youth Ministry Think Tank

Let’s state the obvious: youth ministry has changed. What worked in the past isn’t working now. So, where is the future of ministry with young people headed? What will it take to help young people become devoted followers of Jesus? No one really knows where it is headed but there are some signs that might help us head in the right direction. Let’s brainstorm together where we should head so our young people can thrive in their faith journey.

RICKEY LETSON

Congregational Stewardship Officer

CBF

Re-Imagining Your Church Facility As An Asset & Source of Revenue

For much of the week, many church buildings sit empty. These same facilities account for almost 25% of operating expenses in the average church. The good news is that a growing number of churches are finding creative ways to use their buildings while also generating needed revenue. During our session, we will learn from a panel of NC church leaders working to better steward and monetizing their facilities. We will also preview a new resource on the topic called Sacred Spaces, Innovative Places.

ROOM F-206

ROOM F-202

ROOM E-204

SESSION 2 Workshops

Regional Vice President

Together for Hope Black Belt

President

Together for Hope

1:15 p.m.

Together for Hope: Transforming Rural America

Since its inception in 2001, Together for Hope has gone from serving the 20 poorest counties in America to a service area consisting of the 339 counties of persistent rural poverty in the U.S., nine of which are in NC. Generational poverty in rural counties is expanding instead of decreasing. Come learn about what Together for Hope is doing to support rural communities and how you and your church can play a role in transforming rural America.

JUAN CARLOS CEVALLOS

Pastor

Iglesia Bautista Internacional Greenville

Translations of the Bible into Spanish: Process, Confusion or Blessing?

In recent years there has been a proliferation of Bible translations in Spanish in the Protestant world. A brief history of the transmission of the biblical text will be shared, as the different kinds of Bible translations and a comparison between them; and how to use these translations in pastoral work.

En los últimos años ha habido una proliferación de traducciones de la Biblia al español en el mundo protestante. En este taller se compartirá una breve historia de la transmisión del texto bíblico, así como los diferentes tipos de traducciones de la Biblia y una comparación entre ellas; y cómo usar estas traducciones en el trabajo pastoral.

RACHEL GUNTER SHAPARD

JASON COKER

ROOM F-204

ROOM F-221

*This session will be in Spanish.

BRUCE T. GOURLEY Managing Editor of Publications Good Faith Media

SESSION 2 Workshops 1:15 p.m.

ROOM F-102

Understanding and Responding to Christian Nationalism

White Christian Nationalism, in modern times evidenced most vividly during the January 6 Capitol insurrection, is a little understood but existentially dangerous ideology and movement that threatens to tear apart American Christianity and democracy alike.

Christian Nationalism is not “Christian” in the sense of adhering to Jesus’ inclusive life and teachings. Rather it is a political-oriented quest for dominion over “others” in the name of “God” that actively encourages division, violence and even terrorism in service of an authoritarian “Kingdom of God” on earth.

This breakout session will provide a basic understanding of Christian Nationalism — including historical context — examine the current state of the movement and ideology, and suggest responses on the part of churches, clergy, laity and citizens.

Table of Contents

GENERAL SESSION 2 /WORSHIP

Friday, March 24, 2023 2:45 p.m.

Click on the icon below to watch the live stream

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

– Psalm 133:1

GENERAL SESSION 2/ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

Friday, March 24, 2:45 p.m.

GATHERING MUSIC Worship Band

WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER Jeff Harris

Moderator & Pastor First Baptist, Tryon

PRAYER Marion Horton

Coordinating Council & Laity Zebulon Baptist, Zebulon

MODERATOR REPORT

Jeff Harris

2023–2024 BUDGET Jason Cogdill

PRESENTATION Coordinating Council Treasurer Winston-Salem

Worship

BYLAW AMENDMENT Kendell Cameron

Nominating Team & Pastor First Baptist, Albemarle

NOMINATING REPORT

Lou Ann Gilliam

Chair, Nominating Team & Laity First Baptist, Ahoskie

OTHER BUSINESS

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

Larry Hovis Executive Coordinator CBFNC

CALL TO WORSHIP Open the Eyes of My Heart Worship Band

INTRODUCTION OF PREACHER

SCRIPTURE READING

Psalm 133:1 & Ephesians 4:1-16

Mike Queen Pastor, retired First Baptist, Wilmington

Miriam Phillips-Stephens Pan African Koinonia Field Ministry Coordinator CBF

SERMON That We Might See Jesus

PRAYING FOR OUR FELLOWSHIP

OFFERTORY

Jayne Davis

Associate Pastor Discipleship First Baptist, Wilmington

Carlos Mir Planning Team Member & Laity First Baptist, Winston-Salem

Dave Hawes

Volunteer Disaster Response Coordinator & Pastor Godwin Heights Baptist, Lumberton

OFFERTORY HYMN We Are One in the Spirit Worship Band

BENEDICTION

Stacy Nowell

Moderator-Elect & Pastor First Baptist, Huntersville

CBFNC PROPOSED Mission & Ministry Funding Plan

2023–2024

CBFNC is grateful for the faithful, generous support of our Fellowship. Though we still live in the shadow of a global pandemic that is now three years old, CBFNC, partner churches and ministry partners have resumed a full schedule of ministries.

The 2023-2024 proposed Mission and Ministry Funding Plan (MMFP) is noteworthy for several reasons:

ƒ Five Years – The MMFP, which combined CBFNC’s Operating Budget and Mission Resource Plan, was started in 2019-2020. 2023-2024 will be the 5th year of this approach to budgeting. This approach has brought more uniformity and clarity to CBFNC’s financial operations. As we reach the five-year mark, the Coordinating Council will conduct an assessment of this structure to ensure its effectiveness for the future.

ƒ Prudent Management – The proposed 2023-2024 MMFP is 3% less than the previous year. Though our nation has experienced significant price inflation for two years, CBFNC continues, through prudent management, to provide effective ministry in a challenging financial environment.

ƒ Sources of Income – Churches still supply a significant majority of CBFNC’s income. The impact of the pandemic, as well as other factors, has caused some churches to reduce giving to CBFNC. CBFNC has been successful at growing other sources of income, including individuals, grants, investment earnings, sponsorships and fees. As we celebrate CBFNC’s 30th Anniversary in 2024, we will need to diversify sources of income even more in order to thrive as a Fellowship in the future.

ƒ Partners – CBFNC is the largest single funder of partners in the entire CBF network. If the 20232024 MMFP is fully funded, over $1,000,000, or approximately 40% of the total, will support ministry partners.

ƒ Personnel – CBFNC staff costs, which are primarily ministry expenses, are only 30% of the total budget.

The Coordinating Council unanimously recommends the 2023–2024 Mission and Ministry Funding Plan for adoption during the Annual Business Meeting of the Annual Gathering.

CBFNC PROPOSED Mission & Ministry Funding Plan 2023–2024

EMBRACE NEIGHBORS THROUGH MISSIONS

EQUIP MINISTERS AND CHURCHES

ENGAGE STUDENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

ENHANCE OUR FELLOWSHIP

LEADING AND SUPPORTING OUR MINISTRIES

NOMINATING TEAM Report

COORDINATING COUNCIL

Stacy Nowell, Moderator | First, Huntersville

Marion Horton, Moderator-Elect | Zebulon, Zebulon

Jeff Harris, Past Moderator | First, Tryon

Gina Brock, Recorder | Ardmore, Winston-Salem

David Hailey, Treasurer | Hayes Barton, Raleigh

Kenneth Rust, 2024 | First, Lumberton

Anita Thompson, 2024 | First, Ahoskie

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

Kheresa Harmon, Chair | St. Johns, Charlotte

Will Raybon, Chair-Elect | Benson, Benson

Tori Freeman | First, Mount Holly

Christi Hollifeld | First, Waynesville

Amy Starr Russell | First, Greensboro

Shannon Speller | Zebulon, Zebulon

Danny Steis | Yates, Durham

Sarah Davis, 2025 | First, Sylva

Carolyn Dickens, 2025 | First, Raleigh

Kendell Cameron, 2026 | First, Albemarle

John Roberson, 2026 | Westwood, Cary

Lauren Alford, 2027 | First, Smithfield

Jeff Spargo, 2027 | First, Burnsville

COLLEGIATE MINISTRY

Kevin Moore, Chair | Lafayette, Fayetteville

Amy Andrews, Chair-Elect | Cedarbridge, Greenville

Chris Cherry | First, Greensboro

Beth Cockman-Wood | First, Raleigh

Court Greene | Canton First, Canton

John Vestal | Greystone, Raleigh

HELPING PASTORS THRIVE

Rachel Hill, Chair | First, Forest City

Tim Moore, Chair-Elect | First, Wadesboro

Nelson Granade, Past Chair | First, Statesville

Kiki Barnes | Union, Durham

Ed Beddingfield | Memorial, Buies Creek

Dan Day | First, Raleigh

David Hughes | First on Fifth, Winston-Salem

Andrea Dellinger Jones | Millbrook, Raleigh

Reeves McGlohon | First, Mount Holly

Robert Prince | First, Waynesville

Richard Seagle | First, New Bern

NOMINATING TEAM Report

MISSION ENGAGEMENT

Kevin McDaniel, Chair | Hominy, Candler

Coleman Long, Chair-Elect | First, Wilmington

Leah Reed, Past Chair | First, Raleigh

Darlene Berry | First, Kernersville

Randy Carter | Temple, Durham

Jesse Chapman | First, Asheville

Roy Dobyns | First, Boone

Dave Hawes | Godwin Heights, Lumberton

Regina Johnson | First, Weaverville

Amy Grizzle Kane | First, Greensboro

MUSIC MINISTRY

Christian McIvor, Chair | Greystone, Raleigh

Jeremy Poplin, Chair-Elect | Clemmons First, Clemmons

Giles Blakenship | Snyder Memorial, Fayetteville

Shannon Hall | Mount Carmel, Chapel Hill

Timothy Hill | Providence, Charlotte

Bruce Myers | First, Albemarle

Aaron Rice | First, Lenoir

Andrew Roby | The Memorial, Greenville

Teresa Byrum Watson | Edenton, Edenton

NOMINATING

Kendell Cameron, Chair | First, Albemarle

Gwen Bell | First, Elizabeth City

Jamie Burns | First, Ahoskie

Sarah Davis | First, Sylva

Carolyn Dickens | First, Raleigh

Aileen Lawrimore | Ecclesia, Asheville

Randy McKinney | Longview, Raleigh

Laura Roach | The Memorial, Greenville

Christopher Ingram | Yates, Durham

PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Lee Canipe, Chair | Providence, Charlotte

Paul Gilliam, Chair-Elect | First, Ahoskie

Kristen Muse, Past Chair | Hayes Barton, Raleigh

Andrew Barnhill | First, Wilmington

Tommy Bratton | First, Asheville

Scott Hagaman | First, Marion

Garin Hill | First, Forest City

Amy McClure | First on Fifth, Winston-Salem

Stephanie Parker | First, Clayton

Jeff Roberts | Trinity, Raleigh

Brad Smith | The Memorial, Greenville

Rob Tennant | Hillside, Chapel Hill

RACIAL EQUITY & JUSTICE

Mari Wiles, Chair | First, Ahoskie

LaTonya McIver Penny, Chair-Elect New Mount Zion, Roxboro

Bill Baxley, Past Chair | Greystone, Raleigh

Thomas Allen | Angier, Angier

Paul Anderson | The Fountain of Raleigh Fellowship, Raleigh

Adrian Bullock | West Durham, Durham

Dane Martin | Ardmore, Winston-Salem

Dwight Moody | Providence, Hendersonville

Daynette Snead Perez | First, New Bern

Matthew Rouse | Piney Grove East Missionary Baptist, Marshville

Olivia Wakefield | Baptist Fellowship, Angier

NOMINATING TEAM Report

RED LATINA

Daniel Sostaita, Chair | Iglesia Cristiana Sin Fronteras, Winston-Salem

Rafael Hernandez, Chair-Elect | First, Huntersville

Juan Carlos Cevallos | The Memorial, Greenville

Verónica Martínez-Gallegos | La Voz de la Esperanza, Charlotte

Fortino Ocampo | Centro Familiar Cristiano, Siler City

Elaine Correa Reales | First, Mount Airy

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

Lydia Hoyle, Chair | Greenwood Forest, Cary

Derek Hogan, Chair-Elect | Memorial, Buies Creek

Paul Raybon, Past Chair | Hominy, Candler

Sarah Blackwell | Providence, Charlotte

Mark Edwards | Lakeside, Rocky Mount

Stuart Lamkin | First, Weaverville

Angel Lee | Jubilee, Chapel Hill

David Oakley | Wingate, Wingate

Matt Riggsbee | First, Hillsborough

WELCOME HOUSE

Mike Currin, Chair | Zebulon, Zebulon

Renee Bridges, Chair-Elect | Westwood, Cary

Susie Reeder, Past Chair | Snyder Memorial, Fayetteville

Anna Anderson | First, Raleigh

Kent Cranford | Loray, Gastonia

Patt Dunn | Immanuel, Greenville

Bella Ocampo | Centro Familiar Cristiano, Siler City

Janet Pittman | Boiling Springs, Boiling Springs

Lydia Tatum | Trinity, Raleigh

YOUTH MINISTRY

Patricia Turner, Chair | First, West Jefferson

Tyler Roach, Chair-Elect | The Memorial, Greenville

Elizabeth Edwards, Past Chair | Lakeside, Rocky Mount

Caleb Foust | Emerywood, High Point

Leah Harlow | Wake Forest, Wake Forest

Brian Lockamy | Woodhaven, Apex

Matthew Roberts | First, Marion

Jeremy Slagle | First, New Bern

Rebecca Stempniak | First, Albemarle

ANNUAL GATHERING Offering

Though CBFNC is not a “first responder,” we are committed to care for those who suffer from disaster in our state and beyond. Our disaster response takes place in two ways: direct ministry and donating to partners on the front lines.

In recent years, our direct ministry has served in flooded regions of eastern North Carolina and western North Carolina. Our partner donations have made an impact in Florida, Kentucky, Ukraine, Syria and Turkey, to name a few. Though we have been generous in our support for disaster response in the past, our funds are running low. We need to replenish those funds so we can be prepared for a prompt response to the next disaster.

You may give online at the website below:

cbfnc.networkforgood.com

You may give by check or cash during either General Session at Ardmore Baptist by placing your gift in the collection plates located in the back of the sanctuary. We also invite you to fill out a pledge envelope (located at the end of the pews) to make your gift a recurring gift to CBFNC.

You may mail your donation to:

CBFNC, 2640 Reynolda Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27106

Each year at Annual Gathering, we collect an offering.

This year’s offering is dedicated to CBFNC’s Disaster Response ministry.

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

– Psalm 133:1

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & WORKSHOP Leaders

PAUL BAXLEY was unanimously elected as the fourth executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in January 2019. He frequently preaches and teaches across the 30-year-old Fellowship as he leads this diverse community that includes nearly 1,400 congregations, thousands of individuals, 19 state and regional organizations, 800-plus chaplains and pastoral counselors, dozens of theological education and ministry partners, and 60-plus field personnel serving in 20 countries.

General Session 1/Worship Leader

Thursday | 3:30 p.m.

BROOKE BEASLEY has been a member of First Baptist Church in Clayton for over 30 years. She has a passion for building relationships both in her career in IT sales and as a Mission Friends leader in her church. She believes that change happens through connection. Connection to our God, connection to each other, connection through shared experiences. She and her husband Ryan are proud parents to their 3 rescue pups and 9 month old baby boy, Ciarán.

Workshop – Why Investing in Healthy Congregational Relationships = Flourishing

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

SARAH BLACKWELL is a contributing writer for Word&Way and a 2020 graduate of the Gardner-Webb School of Divinity. She teaches in the religion department at Wingate University and is an active member at Providence Baptist, Charlotte. She is the author of God is Here, a new illustrated spiritual formation book for children based on encountering God in nature.

Workshop – Why Investing in Healthy Congregational Relationships = Flourishing

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

BECKY BRYANT is a retired high school biology teacher. She and her husband have been members at Ardmore Baptist Church for over 30 years where she enjoys singing in the choir, leading in Sunday Bible study, serving on various committees and leading an All Together Ardmore walking group.

Workshop – Why Investing in Healthy Congregational Relationships = Flourishing

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

EILEEN CAMPBELL-REED (she/hers) is visiting associate professor of pastoral theology and care at Union Theological Seminary, New York City. She is co-director of the Learning Pastoral Imagination Project (a national, ecumenical, longitudinal study of ministry), founder and host of Three-Minute Ministry Mentor (weekly video, blog and podcast), and author of Pastoral Imagination (2021) and the #PandemicPastoring Report (2022).

Workshop – Collaboration for Clergy and Lay Leaders in a New Era of Ministry

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & WORKSHOP Leaders

JUAN CARLOS CEVALLOS was born in Ecuador. He graduated with a masters and a doctorate in theology, and he has with 47 years of pastoral experience in Venezuela, Ecuador, and USA. He is currently the pastor of the Iglesia Bautista Internacional en Greenville, North Carolina. He is the author of several books in the biblical field, the last being Interlineal Académico del Nuevo Testamento Griego-español [Academic Interlinear of the Greek-Spanish New Testament]. Juan is the former rector of the Seminario Bautista del Ecuador and professor of several seminaries/universities in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, and USA. Juan is a member of the translation teams of the Nueva Version Internacional, Biblia Textual, and Reina Valera Actualizada 2015. He is also the editor of academic books at Casa Bautista de Publicaciones. Juan is married to Maria Luisam, and they have four children (Juan Carlos Jr. and Courtney, Esteban and Danielle) and five grandchildren.

Workshop – Translations of the Bible into Spanish: Process, Confusion or Blessing?

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

JENNY CLORE is the director of benefits at CBF Church Benefits Board (CBB). Jenny brings decades of administrative, marketing, finance, and development experience to the CBF Church Benefits Board. Jenny is no stranger to CBB or the CBF family. Jenny served as Administrator & Associate Coordinator with CBF Virginia from 2010 to 2016. She is a trusted leader with a strong network of relationships throughout the Fellowship.

Workshop – Church Benefits Board – Your Benefits are our Ministry!

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

JASON COKER has been a dynamic leader in the religious and nonprofit sector for over 20 years. Best known as an engaging speaker, thought leader and social entrepreneur, Dr. Coker has committed the best part of his professional life to alleviating persistent rural poverty in America. He serves as the president of Together for Hope (hope.cbf.net), a rural development coalition headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi. He holds a Master of Arts in religion from Yale University Divinity School and a PhD from Drew University Theological School. Dr. Coker’s passion for fighting poverty comes from growing up in the grinding poverty of the Mississippi Delta.

Workshop – Together for Hope: Transforming Rural America

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

JAYNE DAVIS is the associate pastor of discipleship at First Baptist, Wilmington. Before joining the FBC staff in 2001, Jayne was the executive director for the New Hanover County Partnership for Children (Smart Start), Good Shepherd House administrative director and Coalition for the Homeless (NYC) assistant director.

General Session 2/Worship Leader

Friday | 2:45 p.m.

KRISTIN KOBES DU MEZ is a New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University. She holds a PhD from the University of Notre Dame and her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Religion News Service, and Christianity Today, and has been interviewed on NPR, CBS, and the BBC, among other outlets. Her most recent book is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.

Leadership Forum Keynote Speaker

Thursday | 10:00 a.m.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & WORKSHOP Leaders

CALEB FOUST has been on staff at Emerywood Baptist Church in High Point for the past 7 years where he currently serves as the associate pastor. He worked in student ministry for 18 years throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, and North Carolina before transitioning to his current role in 2022. He and his wife Mary Beth have two daughters Ava (8) and Eleanor (4) and enjoy, binge watching, reading, competitive fort building and exploring all the North Carolina nature they can take in.

Workshop – Future of Youth Ministry Think Tank

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

DENEAL FOWLER joined the Ardmore Baptist Church staff as Minister of Invitation and Hospitality in 2017. She is a native North Carolinian who spent her early years in Statesville, college days in Boone and later came to call Winston-Salem home. She delights in hearing people’s stories and seeing all the ways God uses the “ministry of the ordinary” to connect folks in sacred ways to one another and to the good news of God’s love.

Workshop – Why Investing in Healthy Congregational Relationships = Flourishing

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

CURTIS FREEMAN is research professor of theology and Baptist studies and director of the Baptist House of Studies. His newest book, Pilgrim Journey: Instruction in the Mystery of the Gospel, is set for publication in fall 2023. He is editor of the American Baptist Quarterly and serves on the Baptist World Alliance Commission on Doctrine and Christian Unity.

Workshop – Making Christians: Instruction in the Basic Teaching of Christ

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

AMY GALLAHER serves as the minister of missional engagement at Ardmore Baptist Church. She has also grown up as a missionary kid (MK) on the field in Hungary as her parents ministered to the Roma peoples in Eastern Europe with CBF.

Workshop – Let’s Talk Housing and Hospitality

Friday | 10:15 p.m.

DON GORDON is the founder and CEO of C3-Christians Caring for Creation and a Baptist pastor who has served in congregational ministry in North Carolina and Virginia for over 30 years. He is the father to 3 daughters and now has added 3 sons-in-law and 3 grandchildren.

Workshop – Beyond Recycling: How Churches Can Truly Care for Creation

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

BRUCE GOURLEY of Bozeman, Montana is an American historian and author and is managing editor of publications, Good Faith Media.

Workshop – Understanding and Responding to Christian Nationalism

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & WORKSHOP Leaders

ANDY HALE is the associate executive coordinator of CBF of North Carolina. His responsibilities include collaborating with the executive coordinator for the thriving of CBFNC churches and clergy, developing innovative ministry with young adults and college students, and starting new faith communities and partnering with CBFNC ministry staff.

Workshop – Why Investing in Healthy Congregational Relationships = Flourishing

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

SAM HARRELL is the executive director of Africa Exchange, an organization he and his wife Melody founded to create partnerships with rural communities in Kenya to enhance local capacity, protect vulnerable children and preserve fragile environments. Sam has lived most of his life in Kenya and works with a Kenyan staff to expand the work, now in 15 communities across the country. Africa Exchange is an engagement partner of CBF.

Workshop – Beyond Recycling: How Churches Can Truly Care for Creation

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

DAVE HAWES has served as pastor of Godwin Heights Baptist in Lumberton where his involvement with disaster response began following hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

Workshop – Everything You Want to Know about Disaster Response

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

JESSICA HEARNE is currently serving as Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Field Personnel with Grace and Main Fellowship in Danville, VA. Jessica manages Grace and Main’s Urban Farm and Tool Library, which provides fresh food, gardening education, and free access to tools for people living in their neighborhoods.

Workshop – Beyond Recycling: How Churches Can Truly Care for Creation

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

DANE JACKSON is the minister to students & their families at Providence Baptist, Charlotte. Dane is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Youth, Family, and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Dane enjoys baseball, legos, and tacos.

Workshop – Why Investing in Healthy Congregational Relationships = Flourishing

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

LINDA JONES, retired missions coordinator for CBFNC for 13 years, now is Triad manager for Welcome House Community Network. Linda has worked with refugee families for 42 years.

Workshop – Let’s Talk Housing and Hospitality

Friday | 10:15 p.m.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & WORKSHOP Leaders

RICKEY LETSON is the congregational stewardship officer for CBF. In his role, Rickey supports congregations in all areas of financial health and well-being, including operating budgets, capital needs, endowments and stewardship education. Prior to coming to CBF, Rickey served CBF partner congregations for over 20 years. He is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and Samford University.

Workshop – Re-Imagining Your Church Facility As An Asset & Source of Revenue

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

CHRISTIAN MCIVOR serves as the minister of worship, music, and the arts at Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh. He is also a member of the steering committees of the CBF Environmental Stewardship Network and the Alliance of Baptists Creation Justice Community, a member of the C3-Christians Caring for Creation board of directors, a member of the Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle’s Advocacy Team, and he has served as a panelist and worship leader for Creation Justice Ministries.

Workshop – Beyond Recycling: How Churches Can Truly Care for Creation

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

STEPHANIE PARKER is the pastor of children and families at First Baptist Church of Clayton, where she has served for five years. Ministry is a second career for Stephanie, who worked in higher education as a speechwriter after completing her undergraduate degree in communication and Master of Arts in public administration at NC State University. Currently, she is in the Master of Arts in Christian ministry program at Campbell University. Stephanie believes in the redemptive, community-building, presence-of-Christ-revealing potential of the church. She and her husband of 16 years, Jake, enjoy beach trips, running, and nachos every Friday with their beautiful daughters, Belle (10) and Annie (8).

Workshop – Why Investing in Healthy Congregational Relationships = Flourishing

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

SUZANNE PARKER MILLER is a Moravian minister who lives in Raleigh with her spouse and two elementary-aged children. She serves as executive director and founder of Pastors for NC Children, an ecumenical ministry that mobilizes faith communities to advocate for public education. She grew up in Winston-Salem before graduating from Meredith College. She attended Duke Divinity School and graduated from Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, PA, with her Masters of Divinity. Prior to her work at Pastors for NC Children, Suzanne served as associate pastor at Raleigh Moravian Church. Suzanne earned a Certificate in Justice Ministry Education through Auburn Seminary in 2019. Her research about public education justice and advocacy served as the foundation for Pastors for NC Children.

Workshop – Why Is Our Mission Work and Charity STILL Needed?

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

CAMILA PULGAR is a native of Chile and is a licensed therapist in NC and works with Latinx adults and families. She received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a research faculty member in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr. Pulgar is trauma-informed trained and helped pioneer the Trauma Informed Care Task Force (TIC) at the Medical Center.

Workshop – Trauma Care in the Church/Atención al trauma en la iglesia

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & WORKSHOP Leaders

SANTIAGO REALES is the director of Red Latina CBFNC (“Red Latina” means Latino network in English). Santiago’s passion comes from the need to serve and enrich the lives of Latino ministers and their congregations in the areas of pastoral care, congregational leadership and identity, coaching, and spiritual direction. Currently, Rev. Reales works as a hospice chaplain in Winston-Salem, is a certified coach through the Center for Congregational Health and a member of First Baptist in Mt. Airy.

Workshop – Trauma Care in the Church/Atención al trauma en la iglesia

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

TYLER ROACH is the associate pastor to families, formation, and community engagement at The Memorial in Greenville. His greatest joy in ministry is seeing people use their calling as they discover God in the world around them. He loves cars, riding bikes, and being outdoors.

Workshop – Future of Youth Ministry Think Tank

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

SARA ROBB-SCOTT serves as bereavement program coordinator at WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh. She holds a Master of Divinity from Mercer University and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree from Mercer University. Sara regularly offers didactics to clinical pastoral education students, on spiritual care for people living with dementia, as well as best practices for bereavement care inside and outside of the hospital. In her free time, Sara loves to cook Mexican food, bake bread, and spend time with her husband, Andrew. Sara and Andrew share their home with their cat, Reesee, and Guinea pig, Hilary. Sara blogs at sararobb-scott. substack.com

Workshop – Fellow Pilgrims on the Road

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

BETH ROBERTS will celebrate her two-year anniversary serving as executive vice president/COO of CBB in April. Beth has over two decades of church plan expertise and has dedicated her career to investing in the financial well-being of those called to serve the Church. She is committed to improved service for our participants and employers.

Workshop – Church Benefits Board – Your Benefits are our Ministry!

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

RACHEL GUNTER SHAPARD is the regional vice president for Together for Hope Black Belt. She is also a cofounder of Pastors for Florida Children, a public education advocacy group in the Sunshine State that was formed in 2019. Previously, she served as the associate coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida from June 2012 – March 2020. Rachel holds a B.A. in music (voice) from Florida State University and an M.Div with an emphasis in Christian Education from McAfee School of Theology. Rachel lives in Jacksonville, FL with her husband Tommy Shapard (minister of music & worship at Hendricks Avenue Baptist) and their three children: Drew, Kate & Mac.

Workshop – Together for Hope: Transforming Rural America

Friday | 1:15 p.m.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & WORKSHOP Leaders

KATHERINE SMITH is the executive director of Baptist Creation Care Initiative and an adjunct professor of ecotheology at Wayland Baptist Theological Seminary. Her academic studies, combined with time spent living and working as a missionary in a developing country, has left her with a profound sense of responsibility for the poor and the marginalized, especially those who are adversely affected by climate disruption and environmental degradation.

Workshop – Beyond Recycling: How Churches Can Truly Care for Creation

Friday | 1:15 p.m

AMANDA TYLER is executive director of BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty), lead organizer of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign and co-host of the Respecting Religion podcast. Leading BJC as it upholds the historic Baptist principle of faith freedom for all, Tyler’s constitutional law analysis and advocacy for religious freedom have been featured by major news outlets, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, CBS News, ABC News, CNN, and MSNBC. A member of the Texas and U.S. Supreme Court Bar, she has experience working in Congress, in a private legal practice and serving as a law clerk for a federal judge.

Workshop – Reclaiming Religious Freedom

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

CARRIE VEAL has served in children’s ministry for twenty years. Currently the Executive Minister at Myers Park Baptist in Charlotte, Carrie has observed almost every trend that has been in ministry. She and her husband have one dog, Hannah, a rescue who is a marvelous mutt. Carrie loves cooking and baking and reading; she is an avid exerciser and is certified with the Enneagram Approach. She loves using the Enneagram with adults and particularly with church staff teams and laity.

Workshop –Children’s Ministry After A Global Pandemic: Where Do We Go From Here?

Friday | 10:15 a.m.

KIM WYATT and her husband, Marc, are CBF field personnel and the founders of Welcome House Raleigh. This ministry and others like it across the state seek to welcome vulnerable people through hospitality, housing, and friendship. Through these relational connections the love of God is expressed and experienced.

Workshop – Let’s Talk Housing and Hospitality

Friday | 10:15 p.m.

APRIL

Upcoming Events

RETIRO DE MUJERES RED LATINA /RED LATINA WOMEN’S RETREAT

Camp Caraway, Sophia

March 31–April 1

HOSPITALITY AND HOUSING SUMMIT

Trinity Baptist, Raleigh

Saturday, April 29

Financial Wellness for Pastors Retreat-West

Lake Junaluska Retreat Center

April 30–May 2

MAY

ENCUENTRO DE COMPAÑERSMO PASTORAL Y LIDERAZGO. ASADO ARGENTINO/ PASTORAL COMPANIONSHIP AND LEADERSHIP MEETING. ARGENTINIAN BARBECUE

Iglesia Cristiana Sin Fronteras en Winston-Salem

May 6

JUNE

CBF GLOBAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Atlanta, GA

June 29–30

YOUTH BEACH RETREAT

Fort Caswell

October 13–15

Visit

March 14–16, 2024

First Baptist, Greensboro