Gathering
The
of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina Winter 2020
Vol. 25 Issue 5
ENGAGING
cbfnc.org
YOUNG BAPTISTS
The Gathering is a seasonal publication of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina. 2640 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106.
Gathering
The
3 Reflections: Opportunities Abound for Engaging Young Baptists
Larry Hovis
Executive Coordinator
Jamie Rorrer
The Gathering Editor Director of Communications
4 The Changing State of Youth Ministry
Amy Cook
The Gathering Graphic Designer Communications Specialist
5 Pool Noodles in a Pandemic
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6 College Ministry Works to Break Down Racial Barriers 8 Collegiate Ministry Paves the Way for Future Baptist Ministers 10 Celebrating the Gifts of Friendship
More Than ENOUGH
Embrace
Enhance
CBFNC ANNUAL GATHERING
2021
Equipping Churches for Ministry in our Time
CBFNC Annual Gathering: More Than Enough MARCH 18–19, 2021 | VIRTUAL
“God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others.” – 2 Cor. 9:8 2 | The Gathering
Winter 2020
Our Annual Gathering will be a little different. Out of an abundance of concern for the safety of everyone, our 2021 Annual Gathering will be an online event. Spread over the course of two days, you will still be able to join with friends from across North Carolina for worship, plenary speakers and timely workshops. The online event will include a mix of pre-recorded sessions and interactive workshop discussions. We hope you will plan to join us from the comfort of your own home or office. FIND MORE INFORMATION AT CBFNC.ORG.
by Larry Hovis CBFNC Executive Coordinator
Opportunities Abound for Engaging Young Baptists
B
aptist faith was birthed on the idea of a “regenerate church membership.” In a time when people were considered to be members of the church by virtue of being born into a particular earthly kingdom, Baptists rejected this idea. They argued instead that one only becomes a member of the true church by being “born again” (John 3:3) into the Kingdom of God. The symbol of this “new birth” was believers’ baptism. As soon as those first Baptist believers had children, they were confronted with a Biblical tension: • How do we make disciples of our children from the earliest age? (“Start children off on the way they should go and when they are old they will not turn from it” – Proverbs 22:6); • While not abandoning our conviction that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (– Romans 3:23); • And therefore it is necessary for each person to profess faith in Jesus for him or herself (“Who do you say that I am?” – Matthew 16:15). After struggling with this tension for four centuries, almost all Baptists have come down squarely on the side of investing significant resources of both time and money in ministries of Christian education, faith formation and discipleship development. That is certainly true for churches that are affiliated with CBFNC. And since our beginning, CBFNC has devoted a large share of our cooperative ministry efforts to this area. In 2016, during a discernment process to operationalize the 20th Anniversary Vision Commitments, the Coordinating Council adopted as a major ministry initiative, “Engaging Students and Young Adults,” which is described in this way: CBFNC engages emerging generations of Cooperative Baptists for discipleship and leadership in congregations and our Fellowship.
THE QUESTION IS:
How, specifically, do we do that? • Youth and children’s ministries – CBFNC hosts gatherings for children and youth groups (retreats, mission days, choir festivals, etc.) that support the work of ministry leaders in churches to develop faith in young people. CBFNC also offers opportunities for shared learning among these leaders. • Collegiate ministries – CBFNC offers support for churches that engage in ministries with students—those raised in their church as well as those on campuses near them. And CBFNC has an extensive campus ministry network, with paid campus ministers, who serve campuses and regions from Cullowhee in the west to Greenville in the east. We also partner with historically Baptist colleges and universities to nurture spiritual life in those settings. In partnership with CBF Global, we offer summer and semester ministry opportunities in churches, mission settings, and with Baptist organizations • Growing Young – In partnership with Fuller Youth Institute, CBFNC is offering training to congregations on how to reach, engage and incorporate young people into their churches, not as an add-on program, but recognizing them as full-fledged members of the body of Christ. • Theological education – As disciples (young and not-soyoung) feel a call to vocational ministry, CBFNC partners with theological schools to provide financial and other resources to equip them to serve in churches and God’s mission beyond the local church. Baptists of my generation and earlier sometimes lament that the old Baptist “system” of youth and campus ministries left us and now is but a shadow of its former self. They lament that the old structures and programs are not available to young Baptists today. But they fail to realize that the CBF community (especially CBFNC) has developed a new faith formation and leadership development system that is better suited to current times than the old system could ever have been.
“How will church leaders encourage young people to take advantage of the many opportunities made available by CBFNC?”
See “Opportunities Abound” on page 4. Winter 2020
The Gathering | 3
Opportunities Abound, continued from page 3. The experience of our daughter, Lauren, is illustrative: • In the churches she was a part of during her first 18 years of life, she received wonderful spiritual nurture through Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, and missional engagement opportunities. • She attended CBFNC youth retreats and choir festivals with church groups. • In the summers, she attended Passport camps, including a life-changing Passport experience in Kenya. She also served for a summer on the Passport staff. • In college, she participated in a Cooperative Baptist Student Fellowship (CBSF) group, where she grew a deeper, more thoughtful faith and honed leadership skills. She also participated in student summer missions through CBF’s Student.Go program (in Kenya and Washington, DC) as well as an internship with the Baptist Joint Committee.
The
Changing
• As a young adult layperson, she was invited to serve on CBF’s Missions Council. I share these things, not to brag on my daughter (OK, I’ll be honest, I am a proud father!) but to show how our CBF community offers a multitude of opportunities to assist churches in developing disciples of all ages—especially young people. We have faithfully lived into the centuries-old Baptist tension of how to nurture our children as followers of Jesus while also challenging them ultimately to claim their own faith in him. The question is not, “What does CBFNC offer for young people?” The question is, “How will church leaders encourage young people to take advantage of the many opportunities made available by CBFNC?”
State
Youth Ministry of
Reflections of Two Youth Ministers
Finding the “Be” Mindset in Youth Ministry by Kep Pate | Minister for Youth, Forest Hills, Raleigh
“
Y
outh Ministry is changing” may be the most overused phrase in ministry. But despite all of the blogs, books, and countless podcasts, the only thing that seems to change is the music and bad hairstyles. For decades, youth ministry has been stuck in what author Eric Fromm refers to as the “Have” mindset from his book, To Have or To Be? The “Have” mindset is based on the idea that success is measured by the accumulation of resources (members) and making them available, accessible, and attainable. In his book, Faith Formation in a Secular Age: Responding to the Church’s Obsession with Youthfulness, Andrew Root 4 | The Gathering
Winter 2020
argues that churches stuck in the “Have” mindset measure faith through institutional participation. He explains, “The youth with faith are those conforming to the youth group through affiliation. If a young person chooses church youth group over other activities, we hold this as a sign of vital or robust faith.” The “Have” mindset as a ministry model focuses on numbers and influence; it operates not for the sake of the person but for the benefit of the institution. The tension of presenting faith simply as affiliation, assimilation, and affirmation to benefit the institution and not the individual has long been lamented by congregations and clergy alike. It is no secret that this tension in youth ministry has been bubbling underneath the surface for some time now. However, our desire to “grow” has left us incapable of change. See “Finding the ‘Be’ Mindset” on page 5.
Finding the “Be” Mindset, continued from page 4. But this year, youth ministry is actually changing, and the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to view what we do through a different lens. In a season of digital Sunday school, mask mandates, and social distancing, it has become impossible to measure ministry by “Have” or participation. Stuck wandering in the wilderness as a congregation, Fromm offers an alternative. He argues that the “Have” mindset ignores our human desire to experience union with others; that, “In order to not feel utterly isolated—which would, in fact, condemn us to insanity—we need to find a new unity: with our fellow beings and with nature.” Instead of institutionally focusing on what we “Have,” Fromm proposes that the Church should focus on what we can “Be.” The “Be” mindset focuses on our need to share, to give, to sacrifice, and to overcome isolation through community. In a season that has forced us to ignore our corporate desires of institutional growth and metrics, maybe youth ministry can finally change and become a place to come connect with a community of love, mercy, and compassion. During this season of change our youth ministry has been equipping our students to be the body of Christ outside the building. By equipping our oldest students as mentors and ministers, we have been able to bypass the traditional needs of programs and facilities in creating community. As we continue to navigate ministry in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, I challenge you to push your student leaders to intentionally and relationally love others in a way that reflects Jesus Christ. Their investment in the lives of their peers will create experiences where their faith will be stretched, fears overcome, and relationship with Jesus taken to new depths. Because when students love students, the Church becomes a community that allows teenagers to “Be” who God created them to be.
POOL NOODLES in a Pandemic
Rev. Kaylee Godfrey | Minister of Youth and Outreach, Clemmons First
W
hen I walked back into my office after working from home for nearly five months, one of the hardest things to do was take down all the calendars, notes and plans from my bulletin board. Months of lesson plans, the brochure for PASSPORT, and the dates for our lock-in mission trip all served as memories of what could’ve been. I mourned the lost time spent with my youth, the chance to really make my first full summer as their youth minister the best it could be, and the spiritual growth opportunities missed. We have been meeting virtually twice a week since the pandemic began, but it didn’t fill the void. I am continually thankful for the engagement on my weekly Instagram live Bible studies and the way it has reached students that don’t normally attend. Instagram allows me to record a Bible study while streaming it live, so students can comment along with me or watch it later when it is convenient. I can’t imagine what youth ministry would’ve looked like in a time before technology, and I do not take our resources for granted! But what I really missed was being together. And so, with church and parental support, we devised a plan. Typically the week before school resumes in August, there is a week-long nightly event called “Youth VBS.” It involves meals, games, fun outings, and Bible studies. I knew that this year would have to be different—if it were able to happen at all! I decided that instead of spending four hours together every night for a week, youth VBS would be hosted over a series of Friday nights, with pre-packaged meals and socially distant activities, still holding onto the spirit of VBS while making it safe and fitting for the times. Boxed dinners from popular sandwich and chicken places fueled us, and the joy was palpable—everyone was happy to be together no matter the circumstances. We are fortunate in our facilities to have a large gym and a small youth group, so we were able to spread out indoors. Three of the best things I purchased for this event series were pool noodles (for a socially distanced game of tag), “Space Jam” on DVD (for a movie night), and a regulation BINGO set with great prizes for the winners. I will admit that the pool noodles often ended in the way you can expect with teenagers—with a lot of bopping each other on the head—but the laughter was worth it! I never expected that within my first full year of ministry, I would encounter something so life-altering as these past six months have been. But then again, no one in any season of ministry would! I offer a deep gratitude for the students, their guardians, and our many volunteers for their willingness to keep showing up, even when it’s weird. Winter 2020
The Gathering | 5
Works to
Break
Down
FROM THE BEGINNING, IT HAS BEEN THE HOPE OF THE CBFNC MINISTRY TO COLLEGE STUDENTS THAT WE BUILD A NETWORK THAT INCLUDED HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS) ALONG WITH THE OTHER STATE SCHOOLS WE SERVE. Fortunately, for 20 years, I worked alongside Rev. Michael Page, who has served in a variety of roles with campus ministry at North Carolina Central University. Through that time, we continued to forge a relationship that would allow other ministries from across the state to join us. It was a slow process, developing trust or even proposing a need for us to share ministry opportunities. One of the creative outcomes of the events this summer was the space created for conversations about the issues that have been laid open for the whole world to see. The pain and injustice that forced the entire nation into an awareness of issues that have been hidden in plain view was a clarion call for all of us. It was also a moment for us in collegiate ministry to reach across the barriers that separated us and offer tangible resources for our students to hear from each other. The collegiate ministry team had already been talking about how we could partner with other HBCUs to promote ways for our students to have authentic and open conversations 6 | The Gathering
Winter 2020
By Wanda Kidd CBFNC Collegiate Engagement Coordinator
about racial disparity. We were putting together a list of books that would be good ways to promote understanding, but we were struggling with how to connect the students and access ways of connecting the schools. It is in times of crisis and opportunity that you realize that the time spent in building relationships is never wasted. It is during those pivotal moments that so much can be accomplished in the exploration process when people have already built trust and faithfulness. So was the case this summer. This is the second year that Campbell Divinity student Adrian Bullock has been Rev. Page’s intern at NCCU, and he has proven himself to be completely engaged in the CBFNC college ministry, both on his campus and within the whole CBFNC collegiate community. I called Adrian during the summer and asked him, as a young African-American man, if he would be willing to help us think about how to process the outpouring of pain in our country’s streets and in the lives of students who personally live the reality of racial inequity. He graciously agreed to lead out in that discussion with the CBFNC campus ministers, campus ministers on historically Baptist campuses, people he and Rev. Page knew at other HBCUs in North Carolina and other colleagues he thought would be interested. Through Adrian’s leadership, representatives from each of these groups developed the idea of sponsoring a monthly town hall meeting platform to talk about pressing issues and provide space through Zoom breakout rooms to talk further about the topics covered in the public arena. The initiative is called: Growing Stronger: Understanding Race and the Christian Call Today. Each event begins with students leading in scripture, prayer and a
calling for understanding as Christians. There are guidelines on why and how to have a respectful conversation before we gather in smaller groups to discuss the topic of the evening. We have had three Growing Stronger events so far and will have more on the first Thursday of every month throughout the school year. The first Adrian Bullock event featured Dr. LaMont Johnson, professor at Shaw University, and Rev. Hershey Mallette-Stephens, the dean of the chapel at St. Augustine University. They provided background, guidelines and language to help us engage in this complex conversation.
The October event speaker was Rev. Erica Williams who works with Dr. William Barber in the Poor People’s Campaign. She spoke about how to constructively utilize the anger that is stirred by so many of the national and local events. Among other suggestions, she strongly supported a non-partisan need for students to vote in the November election. The November meeting helped the students process this election season as a pastor spoke about his faith and his decision to run for office. This season of unknowns has produced many new ways of communicating and reaching beyond our institutional walls. When people are in flux, they need a place to talk, learn and process. It is our hope that these events will help forge new friendships and understanding along the way.
COLLEGE MINISTRY
During a Pandemic
CBFNC Campus Ministers find new ways to connect and engage with college students on campuses across North Carolina in the midst of the COVID-19 upheaval.
Collegiate Ministry
Paves the Way
Spotlights
on three current CBFNC Collegiate Ministry interns
for Future Baptist Ministers BETHANY “MICKEY” MCCABE IS THE COOPERATIVE BAPTIST STUDENT FELLOWSHIP (CBSF) INTERN FOR APPALACHIAN STATE. As a campus minister that is relatively new to CBSF North Carolina, I’m grateful to have an intern that, in many ways, grew up within this program. Mickey started attending CBSF at Western Carolina when she was a freshman. She was involved in the student group for all four of her college years, serving as president her senior year. When she was accepted into the graduate music department at Appalachian State University, it only made sense for her to continue serving in a new—but familiar—leadership role. CBSF has provided Mickey a place to serve in worship, conferences, and Student.Church. At Western Carolina University, she found herself being pushed up onto the stage or placed behind a podium; and as an intern, she’s already finding ways to encourage our App students to occupy similar spaces. She knows what to expect as a CBSF intern because, in the last several years, she’s had the opportunity to get to know and serve alongside many other interns. She has learned from experience the kind of questions that students entering a denominationally Baptist student organization tend to be concerned with and is equipped to approach them head on. She credits her experience with CBSF for her learning to think critically about the faith she inherited, and she wants to continue encouraging students to engage their faith in a formational way. As a recent seminary graduate, I am consistently impressed with the maturity of Mickey’s theology. She has been molded and shaped by her campus ministry’s holistic approach to a life well-lived with Jesus, and App State is all the better for having her with us. 8 | The Gathering
Winter 2020
BETHANY “MICKEY” MCCABE
Appalachian State Ministry Intern
By Tierney Boss CBFNC Appalachian State Campus Minister
JIQUAN DAVIS
Western NC Campuses Intern By David Stone CBFNC Western-Area Campus Minister
WE ARE THANKFUL TO HAVE JIQUAN DAVIS WORKING AS OUR NEW INTERN WITH CBFNC THIS YEAR, ministering to students on the cam-
puses of Western Carolina University, UNC-Asheville and Mars Hill University. For the past four years, Jiquan has been on the leadership team at Western Carolina’s Baptist Student Fellowship in such roles as cook team leader, vice president, and president. He is a member of First Baptist Church, Black Mountain and has interned for two summers with Student.Church, serving at FBC, Black Mountain and Knightdale Baptist Church in Knightdale. Jiquan graduated in May 2020 from Western Carolina with a B.A. in religion and philosophy and is currently enrolled at the Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity. Getting to know Jiquan as a student has been one of the many joys of campus ministry for me. Like Mickey McCabe, our previous vice president and current intern at Appalachian State, his servant attitude and team-player spirit was a great asset to building community and growth at WCU these past four years. When asked what he thought about his campus ministry experience, Jiquan said, “CBFNC college ministry has given me a group of friends that have pushed me in my faith. It has helped prepare me for CBFNC ministry to be able to connect with the students coming to the groups.” We are truly excited to have him continuing his journey of ministry with us here in Western North Carolina.
JUSTIN LOCKAMY
JUSTIN LOCKAMY IS THE NEW INTERN FOR THE COOPERATIVE BAPTIST STUDENT FELLOWSHIP (CBSF) IN THE RALEIGH AREA,
Raleigh-Area Campuses Intern By Liz Britt CBFNC Raleigh-Area Campus Minister
serving students from NC State, Meredith College and Wake Tech. Justin is also serving as the director of youth and children ministries at St. John’s Baptist Church in Raleigh. He is also in his first year at Campbell University Divinity School, working towards a Master of Divinity. Justin fills the role of intern at CBSF Raleigh after four years of faithful participation as a student, including as a leadership team member. I have known Justin for many years through CBSF. When I started as an intern in 2016, Justin was one of our core students as we began this ministry. He remained a present and committed student throughout the entirety of his time at NC State. As a staff member, having students like Justin was always so helpful for us because he wanted to do anything in his power to help our group as a whole. He was a fun and uplifting presence every week and was always good for a laugh as well! To be honest, as I think back on Justin and his time as a CBSF student, I cannot think of a single event that we held for which he was not present. He makes people feel welcome, and I am thankful that he is continuing to do that now as an intern. He knows this group better than most, and to have him serving alongside me is truly a blessing! Winter 2020
The Gathering | 9
BACK IN THE SUMMER, THE ESTATE OF LENWOOD AND DORIS AMMONS PROVIDED CBFNC’S LOLLEY FUND FOR THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION WITH A
By Scott Hudgins CBFNC Director of Helping Pastors Thrive
GENEROUS GIFT OF $100,000. HERE IS THEIR STORY OF FRIENDSHIP AND LASTING LEGACY OF
Ammons joined several friends for a reunion lunch with Randall and Lou Lolley in a downtown Winston-Salem restaurant. The Lolleys were back in Winston-Salem to share the news of CBFNC’s new scholarship fund named in their honor and their dreams for supporting men and women preparing for ministry. Over lunch, Lenwood and Doris spoke of their decades-old friendship with Lou and Randall—hundreds of meals eaten together, shared vacations and travel, and time spent in each other’s homes simply sharing stories and everyday experiences of life. With a look of pride on his face and a tear in his eye, Lenwood proclaimed, “Randall was our pastor.” And after a short pause, he concluded, “and their love and friendship over the years has changed our lives. I wish everyone could experience a pastor like Randall. We need more Randall and Lou Lolleys, but I am afraid they are one of a kind.” Following the lunch, the Ammons decided to contribute to the scholarship fund with a legacy gift from their estate. In honoring their friends, they chose to support future church leaders in their theological education. When Lenwood passed from this life earlier PLEASE REMEMBER in the year at the age of 102, their gift became a reality, creating a lasting tribute and perpetual support for seminarians through the scholarship. The Ammons gift is a testimony to how faithfulness and commitment can continue to bless the lives of others Contact Jim Hylton beyond our own lives. In 2022, a future at 336.759.3456 pastor will benefit from their gift. or jhylton@cbfnc.org to
f
ON A FALL AFTERNOON IN 2008, Doris and Lenwood
e
so
CHURCH LEADERS. . .
Ce l
SUPPORT FOR FUTURE
t g h n eG i t a ift br
CBFNC IN YOUR WILL OR ESTATE.
learn more.
Randall Lolley and Lenwood Ammons in 2019
COORDINATORS’ VISITS August – October 2020
Donate to CBFNC today! www.cbfnc.org/give
Littleton, Littleton
First, Elkin
First, Rutherfordton
College Park, Winston-Salem
First, Clayton First, Black Mountain
CBFNC
HONORARY & MEMORIAL GIFTS
First, Wadesboro First, Jamestown
First, Jamestown Hope Valley, Durham Crabtree Valley, Raleigh
Benson, Benson
August – September 2020 Kathy Driver in honor of Alice Goode, Joyce and H.L. Warren, and Sylvia and Louis Pierce whose ministries support and sustain the Beloved Community. The Fullerton Foundation in honor of Rev. Jack Causey. Kenneth and Lisa Rust in honor of Kim and Marc Wyatt. Todd Lee in honor of Larry Hovis’ Welcome Ride. Don and Deborah Cherry in honor of Larry Hovis and family.
MINISTERS ON THE MOVE Our encouragement and support go to the following ministers who have recently moved: Doug Hankins to First, Shelby as Pastor Rebecca Hewitt-Newson to Emmaus Way, Durham as Pastor Michael Lasater-Sizemore to Mosaic, Clayton as Associate Pastor
Bill and Mary Ann Howell in memory of Kirby Brown.
Christian McIver to Greystone, Raleigh as Associate Minister, Worship, Music and the Arts
Connie Fowler in honor of Beth Baker and Elizabeth Smith.
Amy McPherson to Enfield, Enfield as Pastor
Ann Bickley in celebration of Beth Baker and Elizabeth Smith.
Kevin Moore to Lafayette, Fayetteville as Pastor
Beth Swartz in celebration of Beth Baker and Elizabeth Smith.
Micayla Neill to Westwood, Cary as Associate Pastor for Family Ministries
Janet Gruchacz in honor of Beth Baker and Elizabeth Smith.
Jay Robison to Cornerstone, Valdese as Pastor
Phillip Hoffman in celebration of Beth Baker and Elizabeth Smith.
When you make a move or know of someone who has changed places of ministry, please send us an email: seth.hix@cbfnc.org.
Lise Sherlin in honor of Beth Baker.
For assistance to search committees and ministers seeking vocational discernment, visit the Equip Ministers and Churches page on our website at cbfnc.org or call us at 336.759.3456 or 888.822.1944.
Robert Sizemore in honor of CBSF Raleigh. Deborah Mikeal in memory of Jean Finch.
Winter 2020
The Gathering | 11
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Save the Date! More Than ENOUGH
MARCH 2021 CBFNC Annual Gathering March 18–19 Virtual
CBFNC ANNUAL GATHERING
2021
“. . .you will always have more than enough. . .” – 2 Cor. 9:8
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Being called to ministry can happen in one special moment. Preparing to be a successful minister takes time and training.
Make a gift TODAY ! CONTINUE THE LEGACY OF JACK AND MARY LIB to help ministers fulfill their callings. Your generosity will impact congregations and their leaders for years to come.
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We pray your Christmas and New Year will be filled with good health, peace and JOY.
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