The Gathering CBFNC Newsletter - November–December 2017

gathering the

of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina

November/December 2017 • Vol. 22 Issue 6 Bringing Baptists of North Carolina Together for Christ-Centered Ministry

Life-Giving Innovations Temple’s Table at Temple, Raleigh

PAGE 8

tradition and innovation My wife, Kim, and our daughter, Lauren (especially Lauren) have taught me to appreciate, and even enjoy, theater – particularly musical theater. We like newer shows as well as the classics. A favorite is Fiddler on the Roof, set in Russia in 1905. It is the story of Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his effort to maintain his Jewish religious and cultural traditions as a changing world envelopes their lives. He describes this struggle in the show’s opening number: Tradition, tradition! Tradition!

Tradition, tradition! Tradition!

Who, day and night, must scramble for a living, Feed a wife and children, say his daily prayers?

And who has the right, as master of the house, To have the final word at home?

The Papa, the Papa! Tradition!

The Papa, the Papa! Tradition!

Though Tevye was a Jew, he might as well have been a Baptist! Baptists, who were birthed out of a reaction to what we perceived to be empty traditions, now four hundred years later are as devoted to our traditions as any other group.

Is tradition a bad thing? Absolutely not. As 2 Thessalonians 2:15 charges, “So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.”

It’s important to distinguish between “tradition” and “traditionalism.” In “The Vindication of Tradition,” Jaroslav Pelikan notes, “Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.”

Does that mean we should never make any changes?

Absolutely not. I know of few churches that eschew the Internet as a ministry tool, much less shun electricity in their meetinghouse. The history of the church is one of innovation.

The challenge is for us to discern the core of our identity and mission (Big T Tradition) and innovate the ways we live out of that core.

Greg Jones, Senior fellow of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity (and former dean of the Duke Divinity School), has coined a term that gets to the heart of this tension: “traditioned innovation.” Jones explains, In our thinking as well as our living, we are oriented toward our end, our telos: bearing witness to the reign of God. That is what compels innovation. But our end is also our beginning, because we are called to bear witness to the redemptive work of Christ who is the Word that created the world. We are the carriers of that which has gone before us so we can bear witness faithfully to the future” (in “Traditioned Innovation,” www.FaithandLeadership.com).

2 • The Gathering – November/December 2017

by Larry Hovis, CBFNC Executive Coordinator

Baptists are well suited to practice traditioned innovation. We are very clear about our core principles: the Lordship of Jesus Christ; the authority of the Scriptures; the priesthood of all believers; the freedom of the local church; religious freedom for all people; cooperation in pursuing God’s mission in the world.

As free churches, we voluntarily submit to the God who gives these principles, yet we are free from the stale traditionalism of any earthly organization or institution.

This year, CBFNC is exploring the various dimensions of church health. Surely innovation rooted in tradition is one of those dimensions. What might that look like today?

Examples are legion, but let me provide one. First, Ahoskie, has a long tradition of educated, capable, devoted, professional pastors. For many years, the shape of that kind of pastoral ministry has been full-time and living in the church community.

First, Ahoskie, recently called Trey Gilliam as their pastor.

Trey is also a professor at Chowan University in Murfreesboro.

Though his class load has been reduced, Trey has not given up teaching in order to assume the pastorate, nor will he move his family from Murfreesboro to Ahoskie. First, Ahoskie, for decades one of the leading churches in our state, is being served by a part-time pastor who does not live in Ahoskie.

To me, this is a great example of traditioned innovation.

First’s tradition is to be served by an educated, capable, devoted, professional pastor. They are getting that kind of pastor in Trey.

But he will also serve God in the world as a university professor.

There are some church tasks he will not be able to fulfill, but they can be performed by other staff and laity, illustrating another core value – the priesthood of all believers. As a professor who regularly interfaces with both young people and other scholars, he will bring to his pastoral ministry an array of perspectives and experiences that will enrich his congregation in ways not available to a “traditional” full-time pastor.

We often joke that the seven last words of the church are, “We’ve never done it that way before.” Maybe we should replace those seven words with these thirteen: “We’ve done that before but we are learning new ways to do it.” Tevye would have been well served by that shift in thinking. So will North Carolina Cooperative Baptists.

Mission and Ministry Offering Envelopes Offering envelopes are inserted in this edition of The Gathering to receive CBFNC’s annual Mission and Ministry Offering.

Please give generously. Additional envelopes may be ordered by calling (888) 822-1944.

reinventing transitions

by Seth Hix, CBFNC Minister and Church Relations Coordinator

Transition is a way of life. In fact, we all live in the midst of change whether we recognize it or not! Some changes are obvious, like the pictures we take of our children on their first day of each school year. As we get older we tend to define personal transitions in terms of life events such as birthdays, graduations, marriages, jobs, etc. Some changes are not as obvious, such as shifts in ideological or theological perspective stemming from maturity, education, or unexpected life experiences. Changes such as these are just as significant, yet more difficult to quantify than our yearly physical growth.

Churches and the ministers who are called to lead them also undergo significant change all the time. Yet, congregational transformation is not always readily apparent on the surface since collective direction is greatly influenced by the individual change experienced by the people in our pews. In church circles, we often think of congregational development in terms of membership: growth, plateau, or decline. While this terminology still holds value for many congregations, other churches are finding it more difficult to identify metrics that adequately capture the nature of transformation within their congregational life. Transition is not always about numbers. It is often more thoroughly expressed through shifts in identity, mission, and ministry.

CBFNC churches across our state are also undergoing a wide variety of changes. Some are more apparent than others.

Tangible indicators such as church staffing, budgets, and worship/Bible study attendance are easily traced. Internal conflict, wrestling with societal concerns, and reforming ministry programs are not always immediately visible on the surface.

It is clear that as congregations undergo significant change, so too do those who have been called to lead them. Shifting congregational priorities and resources has a direct effect on the everyday lives of those who are called to vocational leadership within the church. In 2017, Baptist ministers across our state are in the midst of a variety of substantial changes.

Altered job descriptions, added responsibilities, modifications to compensation packages, and breathing new life into long-

standing ministries are just some of the pressures ministers face.

This is the context in which CBFNC wants to partner with local congregations. We want to assist congregations and ministers during their unique times of transition. To do this well, we too must continue to adapt our approach to best reflect the realities of congregational life. Over the past couple of years, CBFNC Ministerial Transitions has also been in the midst of transition. Here are a few ways in which we are adapting our work with local congregations and ministers. n W e

have moved from a one-person approach (with the incomparable Jack Causey!) to a more collaborative approach which includes multiple people across our state.

n W e continue to adjust the ways in which we train

and prepare local ministerial search teams to do their work. The logistics of committee work often incorporates new technologies, quicker timelines, and more thorough assessing. n B ecause

we also recognize the direct connection between ministerial development and ministerial transitions, we offer access to reduced cost (sometimes free) coaching for new ministers.

n W e

have developed new materials (printed and digital) to provide committees with guidance and resources for every step of the process.

n W e

have changed our online submission forms as we partner with CBF Global to share the LeaderConnect database. Access to these (more extensive) forms is available on our website under the “Careers & Calling” tab.

Amidst all of these changes, we want to retain the handson approach to Ministerial Transitions that has become synonymous with CBFNC. These unique opportunities for collaboration help us live more fully into our partnership with local congregations and ministers. It is our prayer that through this work we will strengthen our relationship with local congregations and ministers. As we walk together with each committee and candidate, we hope to facilitate the revelation of God’s plan for Baptists in North Carolina.

A transition period is a period between two transition periods.

George Stigler

The Gathering – November/December 2017 • 3

Scholarships 2017-2018 CBFNC Theological Education Scholarship Recipients Listings include scholar name, hometown, current church membership, ministry goal, and school. Visit www.cbfnc.org/give to donate.

Thanks to you ...

CBFNC has provided a tremendous level of support for theological education in our state and beyond.

27 students have received direct scholarship aid. These students are enrolled in divinity schools and seminaries in North Carolina and other parts of our country.

4 in-state partner divinity schools have received significant support to aid specific scholars and to underwrite additional costs of delivering quality theological education. $342,850 has been provided by congregations and individuals through the CBFNC Mission Resource Plan to support theological education.

Thank you for your partnership in preparing leadership for Christian ministry.

Scholars from North Carolina who attend Out-of-State or Non-Partner Schools Katelyn Joy DeVane

Lillington Memorial, Buies Creek Sports Ministry Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, Waco, TX

Ronald Paul Hayes

High Point First, High Point Ministry of Education Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, VA

Ashley Hinkleman

Raleigh Trinity, Raleigh Overseas Missions Fuller Theological Seminary, Sacramento, CA

Justin Claude McDowell

Shelby First, Shelby Religious Governance & Worship Leadership Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, Waco, TX

“Michele” Millicent Johnson Shadden Winston-Salem Peace Haven, Winston-Salem Hospital Chaplaincy Hood Theological Seminary, Salisbury

4 • The Gathering – November/December 2017

CBFNC Hispanic Network left column:

Thomas Alexander Alvardo

Sanford Southwest, San Antonio, TX Music Ministry Logsdon Seminary, San Antonio, TX right column:

Jonathan Juarez Hurtado

Marion Primera Iglesia Ebenezer, Marion Congregational Ministry/Youth Pastorate Baptist University of the Americas, San Antonio, TX

Laura Sofia Ortega Marin

Sanford Iglesia Bautista Nuevo Comienzo, Sanford and Life Church, Converse, TX Music Ministry Baptist University of the Americas, San Antonio, TX

GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY

M. Christopher White School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb Wake Forest University School of Divinity left column:

Sarah DiVito

Marlton, NJ Ross Grove, Shelby Young Adult Christian Education

Daniel Ray Godfrey

Monroe First, Jamestown Youth & Rural Community Ministry middle column: left column:

Sarah Blosser Blackwell Jefferson City, MO Providence, Charlotte Christian Education

Christi Stewart Hollifield

Marion First, Marion Spiritual Formation with Pastoral Care

Kaylee Godfrey

High Point Emerywood, High Point Congregational Ministry & Local Missions

Cynthia Gamble Nordskog

Winston-Salem Ardmore, Winston-Salem Spiritual Formation & Pastoral Counseling re: Domestic Violence right column:

right column:

Kelly Tobias Settlemyre Sumter, SC Spencer, Spindale Congregational Ministry

Sarah Parker

Middlesboro, KY First, Greensboro Pastor

Saluting Scholars from North Carolina who are CBF Global Scholars Jenna Sullivan, Wake Forest School of Divinity, Vestal Scholar Campbell School of Divinity: Christian Davis, Cameron Hunt, Tyler Ingram, Muriel Lasater, Anna Moxley Duke Divinity, Baptist House of Studies: Christopher Adams, Summer Caniglia, Leigh Curl, Summer Hyche, Sarah Seibert, Baylee Thurman Gardner-Webb School of Divinity: Jaime Fitzgerald, Katie Hambrick, Regiani Pereira, Will Raybon McAfee School of Theology: Zeke Stephenson Wake Forest School of Divinity: Justin Cox, Holly Cunningham, Christian McIvor The Gathering – November/December 2017 • 5

Campbell University Divinity School left column:

Carter Benge

Fayetteville Snyder Memorial, Fayetteville Youth Ministry

Elizabeth Britt

Baptist House of Studies at Duke Divinity School

Raleigh New Hope, Raleigh Youth & Campus Ministry right column:

Michael Furr

Matthew Greg

Albemarle First, Boone Youth Ministry & Christian Education

Darien, IL The Gathering, Chapel Hill Pastor

Michael Sizemore

Lynn R. Holmes

Fuquay-Varina Hayes Barton, Raleigh Campus Ministry

Raleigh First, Raleigh Christian Education

Sarah Wilson

Oxford First, Wilson Congregational Ministry

The Lolley Scholars Rebekah Yates Gordon Campbell Divinity School Yates, Durham Community Ministry

Alan Clark Newcomb

Gardner-Webb School of Divinity Boiling Springs, Boiling Springs Youth/Congregational Ministry

Emma Tilley

Baptist House of Studies at Duke Divinity School First, Richmond, VA Congregational Ministry

6 • The Gathering – November/December 2017

In our churches and in our communities, we find ourselves drawn to the idea of “problemsolving.” Something is wrong and we need to figure it out and do things differently. That type of thought comes from a sense of abundance. We seem to think that we have limitless possibilities. Just give us a problem and we believe if we try hard enough, we can make it better. We can change the building, the service, or how we market our congregation.

Some of those changes are appropriate if they come from assets within your congregation, but be aware that successful approaches for other churches may not be as effective if they do not take advantage of your congregation’s strengths. If that approach is not in keeping with the gifts that your church has to offer, it could squander limited resources. Problem-solving based on gimmicks or an inauthentic reflection of who your church is will make it easy for someone to see that it is not really who you are. They will not invest energy into connecting and strengthening the congregation.

If you are willing to take the time to evaluate the assets you have in your community, it will guide what will be genuinely life-giving to your congregation. For instance, if you look beyond your church walls and acknowledge that your neighborhood has changed ethnically or economically, try viewing this as an opportunity instead of as a problem. While the Bible only references the poor 30+ times in the New Testament, most of the 70+ references to the rich challenge the listener to be careful how they use their power and money. Realistically assessing your community may open you up to ministry opportunities that are beyond your previously defined mission field.

Another way of inventorying your assets is to see if your neighborhood is transitioning generationally.

by Wanda Kidd, CBFNC Collegiate Engagement Coordinator Think of ways you can be a good neighbor to all generations. Because my role with CBFNC is in collegiate engagement, my focus leans toward the young adult population, so I will use them in this example. Some ideas attractive to young adults could include providing a plot of land for a neighborhood garden or space for people who need a place to park for work. I have often thought it would be a great ministry to purposefully give them permission to park rather than threaten them with removal. If you post a list of welcoming church activities in the parking area, those same people might join in.

By developing relationships with people in the neighborhood, we are better able to discern where ministries will be most impactful. We can find the intersection of our world’s great needs and our congregational giftedness. Talk to neighbors. Ask what the church can offer that would be helpful to them and which would align with the strength of the church members. Be creative with your strengths but also be comfortable with the knowledge that we cannot be all things to all people.

For us to reach our communities, we must be honest about who we are, what we have to offer, and match our strengths with people’s needs. Offering someone a handout is different from offering someone a hand-up through our relationship with Jesus. Gimmicks may work in the short term, but authentic ministry forges long-term connections.

living into strengths

Ideas for living into congregational strength:

Bible Study Parenting Classes House Repairs/Workshop Exercise/Yoga

Marriage Mentoring Cooking Classes Sewing/Crafts Basic Car Maintenance

The Gathering – November/December 2017 • 7

Tables of Mercy began as an idea that emerged in response to dwindling attendance for Wednesday night dinners and programs at Temple, Durham.

We realized our approach to Wednesday night programming had a very inward focus to it, even though the dinner table is a great place to get to know people. We decided to try having one meal a month where our sole purpose was to invite our community to come join around the dinner table.

There would be no other programming or activity – the focus would be on encouraging people to get to know one another.

Temple, Raleigh, has a feeding ministry called Temple’s Table. We do this on the first and third Sunday of each month. The ministry primarily focuses on those who receive Meals on Wheels during the week but do not get services on the weekends. We also serve meals to the homeless at Moore’s Square in downtown Raleigh and also to The Church in the Woods, a homeless ministry in the city. Temple’s Table serves more than 400 meals each weekend we serve.

The ministry began when Bo We make it our goal to provide as many of these Bodenstein came to Temple looking meals at no cost to those attending as possible. for a place to do a feeding ministry. It We try to partner with local restaurants to cater needs to be noted that Bo is not Baptist, the meals, and have found several business owners but Catholic. We had a commercial kitchen who appreciate what we are trying to do and work that was not being used that often, so we with us on the joined in a partnership price. We get word with Bo. The ministry out using signage of Temple’s Table began in front of the as a ministry where church, invitations we invited homeless on doors of persons to come into surrounding the building to eat. Now, homes, invitations the ministry brings meals on Nextdoor.com, to the people and places and one in need.

by Rick Jordan, CBFNC Church Resources Coordinator neighborhoodHow has this impacted wide mailout. us? It gives us a window So far, we have into our community. hosted 10 of these meals, and they have become something both our Both people from our congregation and North Raleigh church and our community look forward to. Between 80 and 110 Community Church, the group that shares space with us, people have attended each month, and over half of that number are go into our community’s housing complexes. We carry a individuals or families not connected to our church. We are learning meal, but we provide even more. We offer to pray with more about our neighbors and how we can partner with them to bring those that we serve and to aid them in areas where they God’s peace and healing to our community. may have need. Our people are touched each time they deliver meals. They experience being a blessing to others Many of our dreams center around being an intergenerational and also know they are being blessed by the relationships church that lives and serves in peace and joy. Every Tables of Mercy they are building. dinner has embodied that dream. If you try this ministry, finances Mike Parnell, Pastor, Temple, Raleigh will probably not be the hardest part. The hardest part will be overcoming We partner with other churches and communities of faith. Last fall, our congregation our tendency to sit with was invited to celebrate Purim with the Jewish congregation in town. In turn, they celebrated our the same people and Sunrise Service on Easter with us. By forming a partnership with the Jewish congregation, we’re not risk sitting across from a only celebrating our shared heritage, but helping one community of faith learn about another. This stranger, getting to know allows us to have better, more loving conversations surrounding our similarities and differences. them, and letting them We have planned more events with not only our Jewish neighbors, but also our neighbors of different get to know you. denominations. We worship together a couple of times a year as an inter-denominational community.

If you are willing to take This practice reminds our congregations that our faith tradition is older than the Baptist church that risk, you will find joy! or even the Christian church. We’re reminded that just because worship looks or sounds different than ours doesn’t make it wrong or bad. It gives us something to celebrate. I think it also gives us

Mark Mofield, permission to try new things within a worship service or try a new kind of worship that we may not Pastor, Temple, Durham have previously considered.

“What life-giving, innovative practices are giving life to your congregation?”

Stephanie Bohannon, Associate Minister, First, Fayetteville 8 • The Gathering – November/December 2017

fit church 2018 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of NC’s Annual Gathering

nurturing healthy congregations March 15-17, 2018 Knollwood Baptist Church Winston-Salem, NC

Leadership Institute Thursday, March 15, 2018 1-5pm $25

Matt Bloom is an Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame where he leads the Wellbeing at Work Program. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University. Before becoming a professor, he was a consultant for Arthur Young and a financial advisor for Shearson Lehman Brothers. He has seen firsthand the negative consequences of unhappiness at work, and is committed to finding real solutions to make the workplace a positive, vibrant experience. Matt lives in South Bend with his wife, Kim.

“Tunes & Tales” with David Holt and Josh Goforth Thursday, March 15, 2018 7:30-9:30pm $25

Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt and rising acoustic music star and Grammy nominee Josh Goforth join together to bring to life the joy and spirit of old time mountain music and stories. They combine the virtuosic sounds of guitar, banjo, fiddle, slide guitar, mandolin, and a world of exciting rhythm instruments from hambone (body slapping) rhythms to spoons, stump-fiddle, rhythm bones, jaw harp, and even paper bag.

It is a program of songs, stories and amazing musicianship that will appeal to all ages.

Annual Gathering Friday, March 16, 2018 free

The Reverend Richard Joyner will serve as the keynote speaker for the Friday morning session. Rev. Joyner is pastor of Conetoe Chapel Missionary Baptist Church and executive director of the Conetoe Family Life Center. He also serves as director of pastoral care of Nash UNC Healthcare. He was named a CNN Hero in 2015, among other awards, and his ministry has been featured in NC and national publications.

Rev. Joyner is leading the church to make a transformative difference in the community by addressing poverty, health, unemployment, and youth leadership issues.

The Reverend Prince Raney Rivers, our Friday night speaker, is the Senior Pastor of Union Baptist Church in Durham, and former pastor of United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. Pastor Rivers is passionate about equipping Christians to grow spiritually, Christian leadership, preaching God’s Word, and mentoring ministers. He joyfully shares his life and ministry with his wife, Dr. Monica Corbitt Rivers.

More information available soon at www.cbfnc.org.

The Gathering – November/December 2017 • 9

CBFNC Honorary and Memorial Gifts Youth Ministry by Donald Cherry, Raleigh

in honor of Doug Murray Collegiate Ministry by Jaime Fitzgerald, Shelby

in memory of Amy Hardee Collegiate Ministry by Barbara Huggins, Raleigh

in memory of Kay Huggins Collegiate Ministry by Marc and Kim Wyatt, Raleigh

in memory of Amy Hardee CBFNC by Marc and Kim Wyatt

in honor of Kenneth and Lisa Rust

Check out our blog!

cbfnc.wordpress.com.

To contribute, e-mail smitchell@cbfnc.org.

CBFNC Financial Report August 2017 Contributions Undesignated: $98,512 Designated: $162,519

Donate to CBFNC today! www.cbfnc.org/give

September 2017 Contributions Undesignated: $93,387 Designated: $171,161

Ministers on the Move

April 2017 - March 2018 Monthly Undesignated Goal: $110,269

Our encouragement and support go to the following ministers who have recently moved: Lane Bass to Murfreesboro, Murfreesboro, as Pastor Brittany Caldwell to Nobles Chapel, Sims, as Co-Pastor Chase Caldwell to Nobles Chapel, Sims, as Co-Pastor

Coordinators’ Visits August - September 2017

Boiling Springs, Boiling Springs Cornerstone, Valdese

JD Granade to Roxboro, Roxboro, as Associate Minister with Youth and Congregational Life

Emerywood, High Point First, Asheville

Lamont Hemminger to First, Tarboro, as Pastor Chris West to Hope Valley, Durham, as Minister of Youth

First, Bryson City First, Kannapolis First, Marion

Scott Wilson to First, Marshville, as Pastor When you make a move or know of someone who has changed places of ministry, let us know by e-mailing us at cbfnc@cbfnc.org.

For assistance to search committees and ministers seeking vocational discernment, visit our reference and referral page on our website at www.cbfnc.org or call (336) 759-3456 or (888) 822-1944.

10 • The Gathering – November/December 2017

HillSong, Chapel Hill Southeast, Greensboro Woodhaven, Apex CBFNC ministry coordinators are available to visit your church to speak, preach, teach, consult, lead, and minister.

Contact the CBFNC office for more information.

Churches continue to find CBFNC’s racial reconciliation curriculum, The Body of Christ, to be helpful. This is a fiveweek curriculum written by team members who were diverse in their ethnicity but united in their desire to promote conversations about this challenging subject.

Trinity, Raleigh, tailored the curriculum for their location and congregation during the winter and spring of 2017. Karen Eickhoff, Associate Pastor, Education & Families, says, “We believe this is a very sensitive topic but one that is raising its ugly head once again. Several on the discipleship team feel we need to revisit issues that may have never been dealt with and get a biblical perspective.

Turns out it was very timely to our nation. We were intentional to be very ‘Baptist’ about it so as not to be political. The Baptist element helped us to own our heritage and created good discussion.”

Although the CBFNC curriculum has five lessons, Trinity held seven hour-long sessions on Sunday evenings. Here is a summary of their study.

Session 1:

Dr. Randy McKinney, currently the senior pastor of Longview, Raleigh, shared about his role on the CBFNC Racial Reconciliation Task Force and his story of the fire on Saturday, January 13, 2007, that destroyed the sanctuary of The Memorial, Greenville, where he pastored. In an article for the CBFNC webpage, McKinney states, “Later that Sunday morning, the congregation gathered near the picnic shelter on the property. As we were ending our time together, I began to notice some unfamiliar faces. People were joining us in our time of crisis. Not only did they come by our side, they embraced us, cried with us, prayed with us, and encouraged us. I soon discovered that a congregation from our city had ended their time of worship in order to join us in our time of need.

As tears began to flow down my face, Pastor Sidney Locks wrapped his arms around me and spoke words that reached deep inside my soul. Through the love of these sisters and brothers in Christ from Cornerstone Baptist Church, we became keenly aware of the presence of God.

Session 2:

Kathy Driver, CBFNC Capital Region Coordinator, led the first lesson from The Body of Christ on the image of God. This session begins with the creation story from Genesis 1 and states, “If each human is created in God’s image, that means all are beloved and equal before God.” The group dealt with questions such as, “Have there been times that you were made to feel less than the image of God? Have you ever seen others treated as less than the image of God?”

Session 3:

Attendees watched Beneath the Skin: Baptists and Racism. This award-winning documentary, produced by the Baptist Center for Ethics, is described on their website: “From the trans-Atlantic slave trade to the current immigration debate, Beneath the Skin peels back prejudices and confronts them with biblical mandates. Interviewees come from nearly a dozen states and represent the best in Baptist life.” Discussion followed the screening.

Session 4:

Dr. Clay Warf, Executive Director of the NC Baptist Foundation, led the second lesson from The Body of Christ, titled “A History of Stigmatizing Race in Scripture.” Beginning with “The Curse of Ham,” the curriculum asks, “In what ways did interpretations of these biblical texts contribute to the racial hierarchy in the early Unites States? How do these negative Biblical interpretations contribute to the racialized contemporary world?”

Session 5:

Apryl Bullock led the third lesson from the The Body of Christ curriculum, titled “No Longer ‘Black’ nor ‘White’: New Identity in Christ.” According to the curriculum, “Galatians 3:22-29 demonstrates the invalidity of race as a brand of human differentiation and presents the ideal of reconciliation in the Christian community.”

racial reconciliation and inclusivity

by Rick Jordan, CBFNC Church Resources Coordinator

Later that afternoon, The Memorial assembled for a time of worship in a local house of worship. During the sermon, a truth needed to be proclaimed: ‘Had the shoes been on the other feet, we would not have done what Cornerstone Baptist Church had done for us this morning.’ You see, Cornerstone is a predominately black congregation and The Memorial is predominately white. Sometimes the truth hurts. However, sometimes a declaration of the truth can begin a journey of healing and reconciliation.”

Session 6:

This session included the fourth lesson from the CBF curriculum along with a presentation

by CBF Field Personnel Marc and Kim Wyatt on reaching out to the least of these. They described the Welcome Houses and ways of ministering to refuges.

Session 7:

This was a panel discussion with various nonwhite couples and interracial couples in the church.

Karen Metcalf Eickhoff states, “This study seemed very encouraging for our members. Several people have expressed a desire for more follow-up or additional study. I believe other churches could benefit from such a study. We adapted the curriculum and made it customized to the area of NC that we live in and utilized the personalities we know well. Racial Reconciliation and Inclusivity are definitely topics churches need to consider focusing on as our culture continues to change.”

The Gathering – November/December 2017 • 11

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina Bringing Baptists of North Carolina Together for Christ-Centered Ministry 2640 Reynolda Road Winston-Salem, NC 27106

888-822-1944 www.cbfnc.org

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Upcoming Events An Evening of Music and Stories with Kyle Matthews November 5, 2017 HillSong, Chapel Hill WNCBF Fall Gathering November 5, 2017 First, Asheville Youth Ski Retreat January 26-28, 2018 Winterplace Collegiate Mid-Winter Retreat January 27-28, 2018 Camp Mundo Vista, Sophia 2018 Children’s Choir Festival March 3, 2018 First, Greensboro Christian Coaching Exploration Conference Call - free March 6, 2018

2018 Youth Choir Festival March 9-10, 2018 Wingate University 2018 CBFNC Annual Gathering March 15-17, 2018 Knollwood, Winston-Salem Foundations of Christian Coaching (501) April 9-10, 2018 Christmount Conference Center, Black Mountain Establishing a Dynamic Coaching Relationship (502) June 11-12, 2018 Christmount Conference Center, Black Mountain

CBFNC has a new home!

Be sure to update our address: 2640 Reynolda Road Winston-Salem, NC 27106 (336) 759-3456