March/April 2010 • Vol. 15 Issue 2 Bringing Baptists of North Carolina Together for Christ-Centered Ministry
In This Edition Page 2
Haiti Response
Page 3
Whose Mission Is It Anyway? by Larry Hovis
Page 8
Glimpses of Missional Faithfulness in Our Youth by Katherine Asis
Page 9
Advice to Ministers about Housing Allowance by Jim Hylton
Page 10
Save the Dates for 2010
Pages 4-5 CBFNC General Assembly Information
The Gathering of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina
Page 6
Ministers Model Racial Reconciliation by Steve DeVane
Page 7
CBF National General Assembly Info
Dr. Steve James, right, and volunteer Roy Durgin treat a Haitian man for injuries sustained in the January 12 earthquake. Read more inside about what you can do to help! Photo courtesy of Nancy and Steve James.
March/April 2010
The Gathering of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina
phone: 336.759.3456 • phone: 888.822.1944 • fax: 336.759.3459 • cbfnc@cbfnc.org • www.cbfnc.org
Larry Hovis........... Executive Coordinator LHovis@cbfnc.org Rick Jordan.......... Church Resources Coordinator RJordan@cbfnc.org Linda Jones.......... Missions Coordinator LJones@cbfnc.org Jim Hylton..... Business Administration Coordinator JHylton@cbfnc.org
Jack Causey....Ministerial Resources Coordinator JCausey@cbfnc.org Wanda Kidd....College Ministry Consultant WKidd@cbfnc.org Eddie Hammett...Church and Clergy Coach EHammett@cbfnc.org
Nancy Parks..... Programs Manager NParks@cbfnc.org Natalie Aho..... Communications Manager NAho@cbfnc.org Laura Barclay....... Ministry Support Manager LBarclay@cbfnc.org Gail McAlister...... Financial Assistant GMcalister@cbfnc.org
Coordinating Council Greg Rogers, Greenville, Moderator Gail Coulter, Hendersonville, Past-Moderator Steve Little, Marion, Moderator-Elect Glenda Currin, Wilmington, Recorder Donna Bissette, Winston-Salem, Treasurer Ray Ammons, Gastonia Tommy Bratton, Asheville Don Gordon, Durham Gary Knight, Winston-Salem Martha McDowell, Laurinburg Glenn Phillips, Goldsboro Bert Young, Bladenboro Janice Young, Whiteville
Faith Development Ministry Council John Vestal, Raleigh, Chair Allen Winters, Hillsborough, Chair-Elect Todd Blake, Fayetteville Gay Gulick, Winston-Salem Beth Heffner, Rutherfordton Garin Hill, Shelby Rebecca Husband Maynard, Elkin Kathy Naish, Hickory Katie Fam Roscoe, Southern Pines Tony Spencer, Forest City
Missions Ministry Council Kenny Davis, Wise, Chair Kent Cranford, Gastonia, Chair-Elect George Fuller, Raleigh Christopher Ingram, Smithfield Andrea Jones, Raleigh Len Keever, Dunn Alicia Porterfield, Wilmington Susie Reeder, Fayetteville Jose Villasenor, Durham Linda Winslow, Jamestown
Leadership Development Ministry Council Mark Ashworth, Kernersville, Chair Scott Hovey, Durham, Chair-Elect Joseph Alexander, Winston-Salem Ed Beddingfield, Fayetteville Larry Glover-Wetherington, Richlands Rendell Hipps, Hickory Tommy James, Sylva Shane Nixon, Burlington LeAnne Spruill, Durham Mari Wiles, Murfreesboro
CBF National Council Members from NC Paul Baxley, Henderson Lee Canipe, Murfreesboro Jack Glasgow, Zebulon, CBF Past-Moderator Betsy Newton Herman, Raleigh Don Horton, Zebulon Beth McConnell, Charlotte Jim McCoy, Weaverville Robin Roberts, Raleigh
Endowment Management Board Scott Hudgins, Winston-Salem, Chair Jack Buchanan, Shelby A. G. Bullard, Raleigh Joe Harris, Mocksville John Hewett, Charlotte
Financial Report:
November 2009 Contributions Undesignated - $61,355 Designated - $105,710 December 2009 Contributions Undesignated - $132,594 Designated - $256,989 April 2009 - March 2010 Monthly Undesignated Goal: $98,798
CBFNC churches, individuals, and friends all want to know how to help those devastated by the earthquake in Haiti. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is adopting a “both/and” approach as we respond to Haiti. We will be both engaging in short-term relief efforts (medical teams, specialized recovery groups, etc.) and developing long-term incremental relief and rebuilding efforts (home construction/ medical clinic/orphanage work, water development). Each level of our response will be based on our ongoing desire to be transformational, holistic and sustainable. In the coming weeks, we will lay out all of the details of this multi-year strategy. CBF field personnel Nancy and Steve James are leading the Fellowship’s earthquake response in Haiti, where the Jameses have served for years as medical professionals. Here’s how to help now: • You can pray: see prayer requests at www.thefellowship.info/Pray. • You can give: by phone 1-800-352-8741; online at www.thefellowship.info/Give; or by mail: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, P.O. Box 101699, Atlanta, GA., 30392 (to designate your gift, indicate the account in the memo line). • You can volunteer: apply to serve at www.thefellowship.info/Disaster-Response-Application. • You can stay connected: read updates on the CBF blog and connect through CBF’s Haiti ministry network’s Ning site. Visit www. thefellowship.info to find these links. • What you and your church can do: download/print a color bulletin insert about needed medical supplies, and also use Haiti response worship resources (www.thefellowship.info). You can also bring supplies to the CBFNC General Assembly (see page 5).
Haiti
2 • The Gathering – March/April 2010
Whose Mission Is It Anyway? by Larry Hovis, Executive Coordinator, CBFNC Do you remember a television show of a few years ago called, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” It started in Great Britian and then came to America. It adopted the format of a game show and the host, Drew Carey, awarded random points, but it was not really a competition. Each episode involved four “contestants,” all comedians, entertainers or performers of some sort, who created characters, scenes and songs on the spot. I found the show to be hilariously funny because the entertainers were tremendously talented, and you never knew what kind of craziness they would come up with next! Lately, as I’ve pondered the situation of the church in our time, I’ve found myself confronted with a variation of the question posed by the title of this comedy show: “Whose mission is it, anyway?” Traditionally, we have thought that organizations, including the church, have a mission, or purpose. We even adopt mission statements that help those inside and outside the organization or church understand the organization’s purpose, or mission. For example, the mission statement for the National CBF movement is “Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.” The assumption here, to which I’ve always ascribed, is that every church (sharing a larger purpose as all other churches - to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ) is called to fulfill its mission in ways unique to its context and giftedness. The greatest expression of that mission, for Baptists and many other Christians, has been “missions,” usually interpreted as going to another place or culture
and carrying the Gospel to those who are different from us, geographically or culturally. As a result, we have tended to divide the church into various programs (i.e. worship, education, fellowship, pastoral care, administration) of which missions is one. A church’s missions program typically has included praying for missionaries, giving money to support missionaries, and participating in missions, either locally (i.e. Operation Inasmuch) or elsewhere (taking mission trips to other parts of one’s state, nation or world). In recent years, there has been much discussion of a change in language – from “the mission of the church,” to “the missional church.” This language shift, which is certainly much bigger than the Fellowship Movement, has nonetheless been dominant in our tribe. However, even though we’ve changed our language, we haven’t really changed our thinking. For many in
“It is not the church of God that has a mission in the world, but the God of mission that has a church in the world...” CBF (and in other Christian bodies who are having this same conversation), when we hear the term, “missional church,” we tend to think of a church that is really, really strong in missions, that not only gives a lot of money to missions, but whose people engage in a high level of mission action, both locally and globally. For most of us, “missional” is a synonym for “missions,” or at least is a way of describing traditional missions “on steroids.” In CBF of North Carolina, I’m afraid we’ve reinforced this way of thinking. In our organizational structure, we’ve assigned the responsibility for “missional church” and “missional ministries” to our Missions Council and our Missions Coordinator. Other ministry areas (Faith Development, Leadership Development, Fellowship Development or Building Community) have pretty much been left out of the missional conversation. I now realize that was a huge mistake. We’ve said that “missional” involves more
than “missions.” However, we’ve acted as if they are the same. Our language and our action have failed to match up. This was brought home to me in the clearest way yet in a statement made by a Church of England leader (quoted in The Missional Church and Denominations, edited by Craig Van Gelder): It is not the church of God that has a mission in the world, but the God of mission that has a church in the world. . . . God is on the move and the church is always catching up with him. We join his mission. Our traditional way of thinking puts us human beings (individuals and churches) at the center. Yes, we’re serving God, we believe, but we use ourselves as the starting point. Therefore we can relegate “missions” (which focuses on others) to a corner of our lives, and the rest of the time feel perfectly justified in seeing the church as existing to meet our needs. True missional theology turns that thought process upside down. We begin not with ourselves, but with God. We don’t have a mission – God has a mission! God’s mission is to reconcile the world to himself through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19). God has a church for his mission, not viceversa. The church exists to serve, to be an expression, of God’s mission. Our purpose is not to see some part of what we do, but who we are, our essence, as an expression of God’s mission in the world. When we fail to participate in God’s mission in the world (and where we live is part of the world), to be agents of God’s effort of reconciliation, we fail to be the church. Continued on page 8. The Gathering – March/April 2010 • 3
CBFNC General Assembly First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem March 19-20, 2010 Some Titles and Leaders of Our Over 60 Ministry Workshop Sessions One Faith Spirituality Track - Finding Balance in an Unbalanced World by Michael Blackwell; Holy Longing: Non-Negotiables of a Healthy Spirituality by Tommy Bratton; The Empty Tomb: Why the Resurrection Matters by Scott Ryan; Teaching Theology Through the Arts by LeAnne Spruill; How Long O Lord? Reflections on Selected Psalms of Lament by Gerald Keown Learning about CBFNC and Baptists Track - 8 Simple Rules for Responding to CBF’s Critics by Ben McDade; When Women Were Preachers: Baptist Prophetesses in the 17th Century by Curtis Freeman; Can Moderate Baptists Be Confessional? CBFNC Foundations Task Force Panel; From Funding and Governance to Missional Collaboration by Larry Hovis and Paul Baxley Local Church/Special Interest Track - Before We Lay on Hands: Taking Ordination Seriously by Bill Leonard; Leading Change in Congregations by Prince Rivers; Connecting with Your Thumbs: Using Social Media as a Church by Thomas and Trinity Whitley; Warts and All: Leadership Lessons from King David by Tony Cartledge; Easy Preparation for Creative Teaching with Adults by Bo Prosser; Healthy Ministers, Healthy Churches by Steve Graham and Layne Smith
One Family Generations Track - Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60 by Eddie Hammett; Working with Multiple Generations in the Church by Bo Prosser; Intergenerational Ministries Panel by Erin Walker Lysse, Katie Fam Roscoe, and Linza Layman Coffee; Adult Children Caring for Aging Parents by Thomas Vaughn; A Baptist Bar Mitzvah by Tommy Justus Social Justice Track - What You Get for Being White by Kelly Carpenter, Nathan Parrish, Willard Bass; Human Trafficking: A Christian Response by Pam Strickland; Religious Liberty and Local Political Involvement by Ryan Eller; Using Coupons to Stock Church Pantries by Dawn Larkins; Serving Together: Red and Yellow, Black and White by Mari Wiles Hispanic Track - The Stewardship of a Leader by Javier Benitez in Spanish
Many Journeys Missional Ministries Track - Kid’s Hope by Chuck McGathy and Drew Pierce; Do You Want to Ransack the Community with God’s Love? by Andy Hale; Fields of Hope: Community Farming in Mars Hill by A.C. and Susie Honeycutt; When Missional Gets Personal by David Crocker; Women in Islam: Increasing Understanding of Muslim Women’s Worldview by Nell Green Mission Journeys Track - The Suffering of the Innocents: The Global Recession and the Poor by Rob Nash; Different Voices in Missions with Darryl Aaron, Anthony Jones, David Goatley, Rob Nash, Paula Newsome, Maria Edmonds, Mike Bradshaw, Ben Newell and others; Specific Workshops from Cecelia Beck, Ned Walsh, Bill Mason, Brenda Hipp, LaCount Anderson, Fran Graham, Bob Lamb, and John and Michelle Norman Chaplaincy Track - Forgiveness by Mark Jensen
Vocational & Affinity Network Groups Meeting on Saturday morning following the continental breakfast fellowship, these informal gatherings will be for persons sharing a common ground of ministry experiences including Retired Ministers, Youth Ministry Leaders, Children’s Ministry Leaders, Current Divinity School Students, Ministers’ Spouses, and CBFNC Advocates. 4 • The Gathering – March/April 2010
See page 11 for Auxiliary Events like the Baptist Women in Ministry Convocation and the Elevating Preaching Conference.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Psalm 90:1
Keynote Speakers Friday Night ~ Dr. Cecil Sherman, Visiting Professor of Pastoral Ministry, BTSR and Founding Coordinator, CBF Saturday Morning ~ Rev. Craig A. Janney, Assistant Dean of Strategic Communications, Athletic Chaplain and Instructor in Religion and Rev. Jennifer C. Janney, Associate Minister to the University and Instructor in Religion, both at Chowan University
Friday, March 19 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 - 5:00 - 4:45 - 6:15 - 6:45 - 8:15 - 8:15 p.m. -
General Assembly Offering Welcome and Orientation Ministry Workshop Sessions - I, II, & III (one hour each) Fellowship Dinner (pre-registration required*) Evening Worship: Dr. Cecil Sherman Fellowship Reception
Saturday, March 20 8:30 a.m. - Continental Breakfast Fellowship (Provided by The Center for Congregational Health) 9:00 - 10:00 - Vocational & Affinity Network Groups and Ministry Workshop Session IV 10:00 - 11:00 - Ministry Celebration (including Business Session) 11:15 - 12:30 - Morning Worship: Revs. Craig and Jennifer Janney
The Offering taken during the worship services will go to CBF’s program Student.Go. For undergraduate and graduate students, Student.Go is a summer or semester mission work opportunity (in the US and around the world). They work with our CBF Field Personnel to love, serve and learn in the name of Christ. Learn more at www.studentdotgo.org and give!
Another Opportunity to Give: Haiti Medical Supplies The following list of needed medical supplies has been reviewed and approved by nurse Nancy James, wife of Steven James, M.D., CBF’s medical missionaries in Haiti. Items will be collected at the General Assembly. Medications (Available over the counter): aspirin; children’s and adult multi-vitamins; Benadryl; Neosporin or triple antibiotic; HydroCortisone ointment; oral re-hydration salts; cough medications; Acetaminophen (generic); Ibuprofen (generic) Medical Supplies (Available over the counter): Ace bandages; alcohol pads; band-aids; Betadine wipes and sticks; drapes; gauzes any size; gloves all sizes, sterile/non-sterile; gowns - surgical and patient (head and shoe covers, goggles, masks); pediatric supplies; tape all types; thermometers Other: antibiotics; Zantac; Prevacid; hypertension medications; Type two-Diabetes medication; blades – sterile only; needles – butterfly, angio catheter; compression stockings; dressings – sterile and un-sterile (Coban, Tegaderm, Steri-Strip, Surgilast); IV supplies – tubing in sterile packages only; scalpels; sponges – surgical only (includes X-ray detectable); surgical towels – cloth/paper; sutures; syringes; tongue depressors; cotton tipped applicators
The General Assembly is free and open the public; however, please pre-register. *Friday night dinner: early bird price is $10 (by March 1); regular cost is $12 (due March 12). Free childcare is available with advanced reservation by March 1. More ministry workshop titles, details, discounted hotel options and registration are available at www.cbfnc.org. The Gathering – March/April 2010
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Ministers Model Racial Reconciliation by Steve DeVane, Freelance Writer and Former Managing Editor of the Biblical Recorder
Willard Bass, left, director of the Institute for Dismantling Racism, participates in a panel discussion with Hal T. Ley Hayek, former rector at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Greensboro. Photo by Steve DeVane.
The friendship of six ministers — three black and three white — served as visible evidence of racial reconciliation at a workshop on the subject this past summer. Four of the ministers spoke at the meeting at Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina’s Racial Reconciliation Task Force sponsored the workshop. The group of ministers began with Willard Bass, director of the Institute for Dismantling Racism and an assistant pastor at Green Street United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, and Nathan Parrish, pastor of Peace Haven Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. After taking a spiritual foundations course, Bass was convicted about the need to share the spiritual journey with someone. For about a year, he and another African American minister met together. When the other minister moved, Bass thought about who else might fit that role. Parrish came to mind. “I didn’t limit myself to African American ministers,” Bass said. Bass and Parrish set aside time each week to have prayer and discuss scripture and other issues. They met together for a few years before two others and later two more joined them. Bass said he looks forward to the group’s two-hour meetings each Wednesday. “I’ve seen the scripture opened up in ways I had never thought about,” he said. Parrish said he realized when he became pastor of Peace Haven about seven years ago that he was racially isolated and that needed to change. He joined The Minister’s Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity, a historically African American group. Parrish said he now sees issues in a new way. Students at substandard schools are now children of his friends. “It changes the way you see your community,” he said. 6 • The Gathering – March/April 2010
“I’ve had to learn to be accountable to people of color.” Parrish said churches need to do the hard work of racial reconciliation. “We need to learn a new way,” he said. Racism goes beyond individual attitudes to institutional systems, Parrish said. That means the issue must be addressed in deeper ways, he said. Parrish said he once thought of racism as an individual and personal issue involving the use of racial epithets or hostility. While not minimizing those attitudes, he now believes that patterns of racism are an “embedded reality” to the point they are “almost baked into the DNA of the social structure.” Tim Monroe, director of the Forsyth County Department of Public Health, said health care reflects institutional racism. In an average year, an African American is 30 percent more likely than a white person to die in his county, he said. African American infants in the United States are three times more likely to die before their first birthday than white infants, Monroe said. The overall infant mortality rate has improved since 1972, but the gap between the races hasn’t changed, he said. Monroe showed maps from the 1960 census showing an inverse relationship between wealth and the percentage of black population. Then he showed a map from the 2000 census indicating little difference. Suggestions about how to remedy the situation are often called “social engineering” or “socialism,” Monroe said. “Let’s set aside the labels and have the debate about what’s best for our community,” he said. Those attending the workshop saw other evidence that racism still exists. They watched a video of an
ABC News segment that included a white man and a black man with similar backgrounds and abilities. The two men interacted separately with employees at stores, car lots, an apartment complex and an employment agency. In every instance, the white man received preferential treatment. Later at the workshop, Parrish read a passage from Mark 4 that told about Jesus calming a storm while he and the disciples were crossing a lake. He asked those in attendance to talk about impediments to racial reconciliation. “What is it that we are feeling and facing that we have to confess and get out at some point to get to the other side?” he said. One participant mentioned the belief that since he wasn’t as racist as his parents that he was OK. Another talked about how some people refer to “my church” rather than God’s church. Otto Gaither, a black minister who is in the group of six ministers, pointed out that Jesus left some people behind when they got in the boat. The disciples were on board and were prepared to face the storm. Those attending the workshop are similarly prepared to face the issue of racism. “That’s why you’re here today,” he said. Gaither, an associate minister at Dellabrook Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem said white ministers should become friends with black ministers in their community. “That one relationship with one person can grow to be more,” he said. “In this case, the change will have to start at the top because you have the power. Your people need to see you in different circumstances than they did yesterday.” Continued on page 9.
2010 Assembly theme: “And so we are ...” (1 John 3:1)
This summer, the Fellowship comes to you. 20th annual General Assembly June 23-26, 2010 | Charlotte, N.C.
Bill Leonard Thursday evening speaker
Lauren Winner Friday evening speaker
T
his year’s Assembly is 20 years in the making; and you’ll want to be part of this historic event. This year’s highlights include: • Bill Leonard and Lauren Winner preaching in evening worship. • The Essentials Conference, a new Assembly event for church leadership. With 14 topics led by experienced practitioners, this is an event that your deacons, teachers and emerging young leaders can’t afford to miss! Register before March 1 for only $20 per person. • Discover your Passion, a special missions emphasis. • Leadership Institute with internationallyrecognized speaker Alan Roxburgh. • Global Missions Commissioning Service of new CBF field personnel. • Loving Your Muslim Neighbor, a seminar for Christians to explore and respond to a call to minister among Muslims. • Plus, enjoy the worship, fellowship, the opportunity to connect with missions field personnel, new resources and more!
Pre-registration is free and can be completed at www.thefellowship.info/assembly Pre-register by April 15 and you’ll be entered in a raffle to win a free two-night stay in the host hotel at CBF’s 2011 General Assembly in Tampa, Fla. (Raffle drawing will be held during the Assembly. Must be present to win.)
Charlotte Sessions: Special General Assembly Event for College Students The Charlotte Sessions is a don’t-miss event for college students. From June 21-26, college students experience engaging conversation, meaningful service and leadership opportunities, the opportunity to participate in the CBF General Assembly and much more. Cost of $110 includes many meals and lodging at Providence Baptist Church’s Missions House. Register online at www.thefellowship.info/assembly/college. The Gathering – March/April 2010 • 7
Glimpses of Missional Faithfulness in Our Youth by Katherine Asis, Music/Youth Minister, Loray Baptist Church, Gastonia Each year a sand sculpture contest is conducted at the CBFNC Fall Youth Retreat in Myrtle Beach. Youth groups are given awards for several categories including funniest, wave stopping-est, and best theme interpretation. One sculpture is named the Best Overall, which has a monetary award that is to be used for a mission project. Here is one church’s report on how they used that award: Our youth from Loray Baptist Church in Gastonia took the money they won in the sand castle competition at the youth retreat at Myrtle Beach in September 2008 and used it for a mission initiative project involving a local nursing home in our area. The youth took the $100 and made 10 care baskets for 10 residents of Courtland Terrace, a nursing home and rehabilitation center connected with Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gaston County. When we contacted Courtland, we asked for 10 names of residents who might be in need of a friendly visit or cheering up. The baskets that were delivered included a small teddy bear, a book of word searches, a pen and pencil, a small composition notebook, Kleenex, lotion, and a card signed by all the youth members. The residents that we visited were all very appreciative of our visit and the fact that we took the time to think of them. One resident mentioned as we entered the room that she wasn’t feeling the best that day, but as we told her why we had come and the youth presented her the basket that had been made, tears began to swell in her eyes, and it was apparent that our visit had made a difference, no matter how small, in her day. Another woman was so appreciative of the different items that she saw in her basket, and talked for several minutes about how useful each of the items were. Our youth enjoyed being able to put a smile on the faces of the residents they visited and to see how happy this simple visit made them. It was encouraging to see some of the younger youth members step up to speak to the residents or present their own baskets to them. We enjoyed sharing the love of Christ with some of the residents at Courtland Terrace, and we are very thankful to CBF of North Carolina for giving us the opportunity to do missions in our local community. The next youth service retreat will be “The Big GAME” (General Assembly Mission Event) March 19-21 in Winston-Salem, NC. The next beach retreat will be September 24-26 in Myrtle Beach, SC. More information is on the cbfnc.org website. We hope you’ll join with us as we seek to make our events more missionally engaging for our youth!
Whose Mission Is It Anyway? Continued from page 3. Over the next twelve months, CBFNC will be expanding the missional conversation in two important ways. First, we will explore, in this publication and others, how to apply missional thinking not only to activities we have thought of traditionally as missions (missionary support, mission trips, church planting, ethnic ministries, local missions), but to other ministry areas (Christian education, spiritual formation, worship, leadership, age-graded ministries, etc.). Second, we will seek to develop tools that will enable church leaders to evaluate their church from a missional perspective, in order to discern ways to develop and strengthen themselves as a missional 8 • The Gathering – March/April 2010
congregation, whose self-understanding compels them always to be catching up to what God is doing in the world. As church leaders discover and communicate their missional needs, CBFNC will strive to discover and develop resources to help them move forward in their missional journey. Collaborating with North Carolina Fellowship Baptists to strengthen and develop missional community in these rapidly changing times will be CBFNC’s focus. We’ll start the process this year, but it will take many years to fulfill this God-sized vision. And we’ll call on our ministry partners, beginning with CBF National, to help us with our dream. Whose mission is it anyway? It’s God’s mission, of course. Thankfully, God invites us to join him. In fact, God created and saved us, through Jesus Christ, for that very purpose.
Advice to Ministers about Housing Allowance by Jim Hylton, CBFNC Business Administration Coordinator As our thoughts turn to spring, and a slower, more peaceful time, there is one unpleasant business task that still remains… paying our taxes! Although I am not a tax expert, I want to offer a few suggestions to both new and seasoned ministers on the sometimes vague topic of housing allowance. First, some steps in the housing allowance process: 1) Estimate amounts expected to be spent for the coming year and present them to your personnel or finance committee. Over-estimate! The amounts can be amended at any time. 2) Your church then makes a written designation based on the submitted estimate. This can be done by simply including the amount as a budget line item or within committee minutes. 3) At the end of the year, compare actual expenses with the designated amount. You will probably have to consult with the church treasurer on this. 4) On your W-2, you can only exclude the lesser of: the amount designated, actual expenses, or fair rental value plus utilities. Now, on a brighter note, here are housing allowance expenses that should be included when computing your housing allowance exclusion: • Down payment on a home • Mortgage payments on a loan to purchase or improve your home (include both interest and principal) • Real estate taxes • Property insurance • Utilities (electricity, gas, water, trash pick-up, local telephone charges) • Furnishings and appliances (purchase and repair) • Structural repairs and remodeling • Yard maintenance and improvements • Maintenance items (light bulbs, household cleansers, pest control, etc.) • Homeowner’s association dues That’s enough about taxes for now. I hope this helps as you work on this year’s taxes and plan next year’s housing allowance. If you have any questions about this or business administration issues, I hope you will think of CBFNC and contact us as needed (JHylton@ cbfnc.org or 888-822-1944).
Ministers Model Racial Reconciliation Continued from page 6. As the workshop was winding down, Parrish asked participants what gives them hope. A teenage girl at the workshop said she was glad to see older people there who were concerned about racism. Another participant mentioned evidence of races coming together in schools. Jack Glasgow, pastor of Zebulon Baptist Church, told about an eightyear partnership between his mostly
white congregation and the predominantly black Zebulon First Baptist Church. The two churches collaborate each year on Operation Inasmuch, a one-day community missions blitz. The workshop included assurance from the leaders that all discussion was confidential. After the meeting Glasgow agreed to talk generally about the partnership. “There has been incredibly open and honest dialogue, especially after about three years, that brought trust to a new level,” he said. Reprinted with permission from the Biblical Recorder
July 16 edition. Join us this summer at Sardis Baptist Church in Charlotte on Tuesday, July 13th and First Baptist Church of Wilmington on Thursday, July 29th for this year’s Racial Reconciliation Workshops. Look for more details about these workshops and CBFNC’s Racial Reconciliation Task Force at www.cbfnc.org. The Gathering – March/April 2010
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Save the Dates! Upcoming Events for CBFNC Adults/Fellowship
Music
March 19-20 - CBFNC General Assembly
February 20 - Children’s Choir Festival
April 9-11 - Spiritual Formation Retreat
March 5-6 - Youth Choir Festival
First, Winston-Salem, NC Caraway, Asheboro, NC
April 17 - Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60 Providence BC, Hendersonville, NC
May 17-21 - Festival of Homiletics Nashville, TN
June 24-26 - CBF General Assembly Charlotte, NC
July 13 - Racial Reconciliation Workshop Sardis BC, Charlotte, NC
July 29 - Racial Reconciliation Workshop FBC, Wilmington, NC
August 19-21 - New Church Start Academy (Rescheduled) Village Inn, Clemmons, NC
October - Fellowship on the Move Dates and Locations TBD
October 22-24 - “Hopeful Imagination” Church Leadership Conference FBC, Wilmington, NC
November 8-9 - Christian Coaching Certificate Training with Eddie Hammett Raleigh, NC
March 25-26, 2011 - CBFNC General Assembly FBC, Asheville, NC
Staff Ministers
February 22-25 - CBF Church Works Retreat Nashville, TN
March 1-4 - Staff Ministers’ Retreat North Myrtle Beach, SC
September 13-15 - CBF Youth Ministers Retreat Lake Junaluska, NC
Youth
March 19-21 - The Big G.A.M.E. Winston-Salem, NC
July 29 - Youth Day at Emerald Pointe Waterpark Greensboro, NC
September 4-6 - White Water Rafting Retreat
FBC, High Point, NC
FBC, Greensboro, NC
Missions
April 23-25 - NC Missions Initiative Henderson Area
April 30-May 2 - NC Missions Initiative Murfreesboro Area
Fall - NC Missions Initiatives
Regional events across our state, dates and locations TBD
College
April 10-11 - Winter Retreat Rescheduled May 23 -26 - Congregational Internships Institutes June 21-26 - Charlotte Sessions
Children
November - Children’s Missions Days
Eastern and Western locations and dates TBD
Hispanic
March 5-6 - Women’s Retreat Mundo Vista, NC
May 14-15 - Men’s Retreat Mundo Vista, NC
June 4-5 - Family Retreat Sanford, NC
July 30-31 - Children’s Retreat Caswell, NC
August 6-8 - Youth Retreat Caswell, NC
Council Meetings
April 15-16 - All Councils Retreat Caraway, Asheboro, NC
June 3 - All Councils Meeting Winston-Salem, NC
September 23 - All Councils Meeting
Asheville, NC
September 24-26 - Fall Retreat Myrtle Beach, SC
Visit www.cbfnc.org for registration and more details on any of these events. 10 • The Gathering – March/April 2010
CBFNC General Assembly Auxiliary Events The “Elevating Preaching” Conference ~ “Is There Any Word from the Lord...Next Generation” held during the CBFNC General Assembly March 19-20, Winston-Salem
Featured will be five outstanding preachers from our state: • Doug Dickens, W. Randall Lolley Professor of Pastoral Studies, the Christopher M. White School of Divinity, Gardner-Webb University • James Dunn, Retired Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Washington, DC & Resident Professor of Christianity and Public Policy at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity • Matt Johnson, Third year MDiv student, Wake Forest University School of Divinity; winner of the 2009 Next Generation Voices Competition and preacher at the 2009 Southeast Regional New Baptist Covenant meeting • Robert Moses, Second year ThD student in Greek New Testament at Duke Divinity School; originally from Ghana, West Africa • Nancy Hastings Sehested, Chaplain, Marion Correctional Institution; Co-Pastor of the Circle of Mercy Congregation in Asheville and pastoral leader of Shekinah Gathering, an ecumenical house church in Boone
For more information, visit www.elevatingpreaching.com.
Baptist Women in Ministry of NC ANNUAL CONVOCATION
March 19, 2010 Knollwood Baptist, Winston-Salem “Remembering the Past, Moving Forward” Fellowship: 9:30 am Business: 10:15 am Worship: 10:30 am With proclaimers Veronice Miles, LeAnne Spruill, and Wanda Kidd Lunch to follow, at which BWIM will present The Anne Thomas Neil Award & The Church Award (To reserve your lunch, email borwick@wfu.edu)
Also featuring book signings by Sheri Adams and Sue Todd
Visit www.bwimnc.org for more.
New Contributing CBFNC Partner Churches (As of January 31, 2010) First, Biscoe (formerly CBF only) First, Butner (New MRP* contributor; formerly CBF only) Rowan, Clinton (formerly CBF only) Fremont Missionary, Fremont New Hope, Gastonia (formerly CBF only) Ranlo, Gastonia (formerly CBF only) Oak Ridge, Kittrell First, Mt. Holly Trinity, Newton (New MRP* contributor) Pittsboro, Pittsboro (formerly CBF only) Trinity, Raleigh (New MRP* contributor) Bethel, Robbinsville First, Stanfield (New MRP* contributor) *Mission Resource Plan - visit www.cbfnc.org
Ministers on the Move
Compiled by Jack Causey, Ministerial Resources Coordinator Our encouragement and support go to the following ministers who have recently moved: Perry Comer has been called as Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Stoneville. Lauren Deen is serving now as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Children for First Baptist Church, Wallace. Hunter Duncan is now serving as the Interim Youth Minister for Calvary Baptist Church, Mt. Airy. Jamye Duncan has been called to serve as Minister to Children for First Baptist Church, Statesville. Alex Gallimore is now serving as Youth minister of Piney Grove Baptist Church, Mt. Airy. Glenn Graves has been called as the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Mars Hill. When you make a move or know of someone who has changed places of ministry, let us know at jcausey@cbfnc.org. For vocational placement or search committee requests, visit our vocations page on our website at www.cbfnc. org or call 336-759-3456 or 888-822-1944. The Gathering – March/April 2010 • 11
Bringing Baptists of North Carolina Together for Christ-Centered Ministry 8025 North Point Blvd., Suite 205 Winston-Salem, NC 27106
888-822-1944 www.cbfnc.org
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Upcoming Events ~ March/April Edition Staff Ministers Retreat March 1-4, 2010 Myrtle Beach, SC
All Councils Retreat April 15-16, 2010 Caraway Conference Center, Asheboro
Youth Choir Festival March 5-6, 2010 First Baptist Church, Greensboro
Missions Initiative April 23-25, 2010 Halifax, Warren and Vance Counties April 30-May 2, 2010 Murfreesboro Area Registration and details at www.cbfnc.org.
Hispanic Retreats Women - March 5-6, 2010 Men - May 14-15, 2010 Family - June 4-5, 2010 Children - July 30-31, 2010 Youth - August 6-8, 2010 Contact Linda Jones at LJones@cbfnc.org for more details. CBFNC General Assembly March 19-20, 2010 First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem See pages 4-5. Registration and details at www.cbfnc.org. General Assembly Missions Event March 19-21, 2010 Winston-Salem Adult Spiritual Formation Retreat April 9-11, 2010 Caraway Conference Center, Asheboro Details at www.cbfnc.org.
All Councils Meeting June 3, 2010 CBFNC Offices, Winston-Salem CBF General Assembly June 24-25, 2010 Charlotte, NC See page 7. Registration and details at www.thefellowship.info/assembly. College Charlotte Sessions June 21-26, 2010 Charlotte, NC See page 7. Registration and details at www.thefellowship.info/assembly.
Racial Reconciliation Workshops July 13, 2010 - Charlotte July 29, 2010 - Wilmington See page 6. Registration and details at www.cbfnc.org. Youth Emerald Pointe Waterpark July 29, 2010 Greensboro Follow www.cbfnc.org for more. New Church Start Academy Rescheduled August 19-21, 2010 Village Inn, Clemmons, NC Follow www.cbfnc.org for more. Youth White Water Rafting Retreat September 4-6, 2010 Asheville Follow www.cbfnc.org for more. Youth Fall Retreat September 24-26, 2010 Myrtle Beach, SC Follow www.cbfnc.org for more. Hopeful Imagination: Church Leadership Conference October 21-24, 2010 First Baptist, Wilmington Follow www.cbfnc.org for more.
The Gathering is published six times a year. All questions may be directed to Natalie Aho, 888-822-1944 or naho@cbfnc.org. For story submissions, contact Natalie Aho for requirements and newsletter deadlines.