The Gathering CBFNC Newsletter - September–October 2015

The Gathering of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina

September/October 2015 • Vol. 20 Issue 5 Bringing Baptists of North Carolina Together for Christ-Centered Ministry

the community we share see story on page 8

a special breed

by Larry Hovis, CBFNC Executive Coordinator

Randall Lolley, former president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, pastor of several NC churches including the First Baptists of Winston-Salem, Raleigh, and Greensboro, and early leader in CBF, stated, “There is a Christian way to be human.

There is a Baptist way to be Christian. There is a CBF way to be Baptist. And there is a North Carolina way to be CBF.” Elements of CBFNC Identity Each of these markers – human, Christian, Baptist, CBF, and North Carolina – shape our shared identity as CBF of North Carolina. Individually and congregationally, we have other identity markers as well. But when it comes to the body we call CBFNC, these are the ones we hold in common, and make us unique: We are Christians. We are Baptists. We are Cooperative Baptists.

And of course, we are North Carolinians. But what does this mean in relationship to our Fellowship’s identity? Does it mean that we eat a different (superior) kind of barbeque from South Carolinians with their mustard-based sauce, or Texans with their brisket? Does it mean that we are the only people in the world who know the correct pronunciation of “Appalachian”? Does it mean, as stated by Mary Oates Spratt Van Landingham in a speech given in 1900, that we are “a vale of humility between two mountains of conceit”? Just what makes CBFNC unique in the CBF community?

To begin with, our churches are unique. They are unique individually and collectively. Seth Hix, Wake Forest Divinity student and CBFNC intern, has been conducting phone interviews with church leaders. In reporting on these interviews, Seth commented on two characteristics of partner churches.

First, they are diverse. We have small churches and large churches; rural churches and city churches and suburban churches; white collar and blue collar and no-collar churches; moderately conservative churches and moderately progressive churches.

Second, we are dominated by “First” churches. Our current list of partner churches includes 137 churches (over one-third of the total) that are “First Baptist” or its equivalent (e.g. Zebulon Baptist).

Having served churches in three other states before moving to North Carolina, Seth says we are probably the only state in CBF with that many churches of this type. The preponderance of First-type churches shapes who we are and how we do ministry together.

Another characteristic of CBFNC is our devotion to agencies and institutions. The larger CBF community believes strongly in partnership. No other CBF entity supports and engages with partners like CBFNC. Our cooperative funding mechanism, the Mission Resource Plan, funds twenty-two historic North Carolina Baptist agencies and institutions, plus several outside of our state. Our operating budget funds several of these, plus five others.

We have a standing committee charged with growing and 2 • The Gathering – September/October 2015

strengthening our relationships with these partners. They hold annual meetings with partner representatives that are well attended. Our partners participate faithfully in our state General Assembly and other ministries.

North Carolina Cooperative Baptists have a special love for educational partners. Our support of theological education rivals that of national CBF. We have close partnerships with all historic North Carolina Baptist universities. No other state or regional CBF organization has such relationships.

We are also unique among state and regional CBF organizations in that we are members of two key Baptist umbrella organizations, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and the North American Baptist Fellowship. Daniel Glaze, pastor of First, Ahoskie, represents CBFNC on the BJC board of directors, and I sit on NABF’s denominational executive leadership group.

In a very real sense, CBFNC carries forth the long-standing North Carolina Baptist legacy of support for agencies and institutions in North Carolina and beyond. We share qualities of other state and regional CBF bodies, but we also exhibit qualities of state conventions. Suzii Paynter has coined the phrase, “denomi-network,” to describe CBF. Perhaps we should think of CBFNC as a “state conventi-network.”

The most important characteristic of CBFNC is our people.

We are blessed with amazing leaders— laity as well as clergy. We strongly affirm both laity and women. Most partner churches have women deacons and have, or would accept, women as associate ministers. Numerous churches are now calling women as pastors.

Demographically, we are younger than many other religious groups, even other CBF bodies. This is due, in part, to the four theological schools in our state, and I’m grateful the youth movement in NC is spreading to other states and regions.

We are slowly becoming more racially diverse. Our growing Hispanic network and other language-mission efforts facilitate this positive change. We are learning how to develop closer relationships with historic African-American churches. Let us pray and work to move forward with this critical element of our identity.

These are only a few of the characteristics that distinguish us from others. I haven’t even mentioned the breadth and depth of our ministries. For a wonderful snapshot of CBFNC ministries, see our annual report at www.CBFNC.org/MMU. Ministers from around the country (and sometimes other countries) approach us weekly desiring to serve in NC. Like other Baptists and Christ-followers around the world, especially the western world, we have significant challenges. Yet we face these challenges together, with shared faith in Christ and love and respect for one another, both those who have been with us for many years, and those who have come to us only recently.

Regardless of the tenure, we are all North Carolina Cooperative Baptists. And that’s something special.

refilling the glass

by Alicia Davis Porterfield, Interim Pastor at First, Carolina Beach

Recently, I saw a meme on social media that says something like, “Asking if the glass is half full or half empty misses the point.

The glass is refillable.”

Almost twenty years ago, when I graduated from Divinity school without a job prospect in sight, I would have told you the glass was definitely half empty. So would a ministry colleague who had been part of the formation of Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) and Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina (BWIMNC) in 1983. She thought we’d be farther along, with more women serving and leading in all aspects of ministry.

At the same time, several male mentors kept telling me the glass was half full. I should be glad for the opportunities women were receiving, they told me. Things were so much better than they used to be!

Two decades later, I realize that the good news is that God is refilling the glass all the time. Yes, women are serving in more and more churches, pulpits, Divinity schools, chaplaincy roles, and all ministry settings. And, yes, there is plenty of room for improvement and the playing field is not yet level. Both things are true.

But the real point is that God keeps calling women to serve, and women keep answering, “Here am I; send me.” God keeps refilling the glass. There is no finite amount of Living Water.

Our generous God uses multiple ways to keep filling the glass. Numerous churches have called women to serve as staff pastors, serving with children, youth, and senior adults, as well as in missions, education, and music ministries. CBFNC and CBF have intentionally included women in all levels of organizational leadership, providing scholarships and placement support.

BWIMNC offers Divinity School scholarships to women in our state, and celebrates the gifts and graces of women through communication and networking efforts, as well as an annual Convocation. On a national level, BWIM advocates for women in ministry, provides support for the many practical aspects of

ministry, and assists with mentoring partnerships and groups.

Over time, all of these ways of filling the glass have helped create what Pam Durso, Executive Director of BWIM, calls a “tectonic shift” for women in ministry. This shift has been especially evident here in North Carolina as more churches call women as senior pastor — the last frontier for women in ministry. Recently, the Old North State has welcomed Dorisanne Cooper to Watts Street, Durham; Stacy Nowell Cochran to First, Huntersville; and Emily Hull McGee to First, Winston-Salem, as senior pastors.

These gifted women join long-serving North Carolina pastors Barbara Bell at Goshen, Leland; Tonya Vickery at Cullowhee, Cullowhee; Amy Jacks Dean at Park Road, Charlotte; Andrea Dellinger Jones at Millbrook, Raleigh; Julie Merritt Lee at Providence, Hendersonville; and Susan A. Joyce at Antioch, Enfield, to name a few. Alongside these women are countless church staff pastors, healthcare, prison and military chaplains, pastoral counselors, non-profit ministers, and missionaries. And then there are the NC women who have gone on to serve in other states, in all sorts of roles, wherever God has opened the door.

Cooperative Baptists, especially the kind we grow in North Carolina, are distinctive in their willingness to let God be God. God does the calling; we humans respond. We affirm the calling we see in others. We keep raising up girls who believe what they used to tell us in GAs: pray, listen, and go do what God calls you to do. We honor the gifts for ministry that women bring to the table, and we do not ask them to hide under a bushel the light Jesus has given them. We trust that Jesus has plans for that light, and celebrate that we get to be a part of those wondrous plans.

And God just keeps filling the glass. Alleluia!

Alicia Davis Porterfield is currently Interim Pastor at First, Carolina Beach. A writer, blog moderator, and mother, she has twice served as Convener for BWIMNC.

The Gathering – September/October 2015

•

3

Summary of individual

contributors

January 2014-December 2014 While the bulk of financial support for CBFNC ministries comes from church budgets, individual gifts are an important and growing source of mission and ministry funding. Undesignated individual gifts are applied to the CBFNC Mission and Ministry Offering, one hundred percent of which funds our diverse ministries.

CBFNC is grateful for all gifts, regardless of size, donor, or designation. May God continue to entrust to us God’s mission and provide the support necessary to carry it out.

Would you like to give to CBFNC as an individual, honoring/in memory of someone important in your life, or in support of a particular ministry or project? You will find information on our website, www.cbfnc.org/MMU. Name..........................................City/State Bonnie Adams.............................. Charlotte Ben & Bridgette Alford.............. Middlesex Cathy Alford...................................Zebulon Charlotte-Anne Allen....................... Ronda April & David Alston..................... Raleigh Diane Amidon................................ Raleigh Keith Ashe..................................... Cashiers JD & Margaret Baldree....................Shelby Greenville & Martha Banks....... Greenville Paula & Greg Batts.................. Dalton, GA Debbie & Dean Baughn....... Rutherfordton Warner & Roberta Baumgardner................ .................................................. Wadesboro Kathryn Beach-Verhey.............Wilmington Richard Beck..................................Zebulon Ed & Sarah Beddingfield........ Buies Creek Amy Beddingfield..........................Zebulon Margaret Bell........................... Greensboro David & Mavis Bissette......Winston Salem Jimmy & Becky Blackley..............Zebulon Christopher Blanton.........................Shelby Ken Boaz.................................. Yadkinville Betty Boyte.................................... Candler Tommy & Laura Bratton..............Asheville John & Roxanne Bridges... Kings Mountain Ann Brooks....................................Zebulon Carol Brown............................... Greenville Tom & Martha Bryson................. Charlotte Buck & Betsy Buchanan.............Rolesville Charles & Grace Bullard............. Asheboro Linden & Alice Burch........ Lake Junaluska Morgan Burnett....................... Waynesville Karen Burnette...................................Sylva Judy & Yonnie Butler..................... Mebane Mary & James Byrd................. Mount Airy Joyce & Jim Camp..................... Lexington T.S. Carter......................................Wendell Jack & Mary Lib Causey........... Statesville Kenny & Trishia Chapman........Cullowhee Ka’thy & Russell Chappell...Winston-Salem Ying-Ren & Jennie Chen...............Zebulon Jeanette & Cliff Christian............Asheville James & Elizabeth Clark.....Hendersonville Buddy & Frances Corbin.........Weaverville Rose & Richard Cotton....................Angier Gail & Dutch Coulter..........Hendersonville Barbara Dallas.....................................Eden 4 • The Gathering – September/October 2015

John & Melinda Daniels................... Clyde Joy & Leary Davis.................. Buies Creek Nicole Davis............................... Greenville James & Lillie Debnam.................Zebulon Peggy Debnam...............................Zebulon Brian & Dannelle Dickens.............Whittier Matthew & Lisa Dinkins................ Monroe Kathy Driver.................................. Raleigh Michael & Patricia Dutcher...........Zebulon Leon Edmonds...............................Zebulon David & Linda Ellington...............Zebulon Jerry Ellington............................Henderson Susan & Matt Ellington.................Zebulon John Ellis.............................Winston Salem Robin Ellis.................................. Pfafftown Jane & Richard Eskew........Winston Salem Johnnie Evans........................... Morrisville Janet Falls........................... Winston-Salem Todd & Wendy Faulkner................Zebulon Sue Fitzgerald.....................Winston Salem Joe & Patricia Fore.......................Asheville Susan Fouts........................................Sylva Woodrow Freeze............................ Bullock Hubert & Marguerite Garner......... Sanford Ruby & Jack Gentry...................Clemmons Roger & Deidra Gilbert........... Mount Airy Jack & Barbara Glasgow...............Zebulon Joe & Sue Green............................Zebulon Kay Greene....................................... Tryon Virginia Griffin............................... Monroe Ebony Grisom................................Durham Shannon & David Hall................... Mebane Virginia Hardee......................Hillsborough Tommy & Pat Hardin.................... Spindale Matthew Hargrove.........................Zebulon Susan Harrington......................... Fairmont Katee & John Harris.....................Rose Hill Suzanne Harris & Alton Chewning............. ................................................. Chapel Hill Cathy & Bill Hartsell................... Charlotte Barbara Hedin......................................Vass Scott & Chandra Henson................Maiden Dennis & Betsy Herman................ Raleigh Sheri Hester....................................Zebulon Wayne Higgins.........................Weaverville Janice & Alan Hill.....................Winterville Brenda Hipp............................ Thomasville

Trey Hocutt....................................Zebulon Sandi & David Hood......................Hickory Don & Jo Ann Horton....................Zebulon Marion & Donald Horton.......... Knightdale Larry & Kim Hovis..................... Pfafftown Barry & Amanda Howard........... Pensacola Scott Hudgins & Mary Foskett................... ........................................... Winston-Salem Barbara L. Huggins........................ Raleigh Doris Hughes.................................Edenton Greg Hughes................................Asheville Jesse & Lindsay Hunt...................... Boone John Hunt...........................Boiling Springs Rebecca & Mark Maynard................. Elkin Vicki & Gerry Hutchinson........... Culpeper Nancy & Franklin Ivey.............. Statesville Bob & Elaine Jeffcoat....................Durham Robert Jenkins................................Zebulon Scott Job.........................................Durham Linda & Joseph Jones................Clemmons Marcia Jordan.................................Hickory Rick & Susan Jordan.................. Lewisville Fred Kelly...............................Wilmington Julie Kennington..................... Harrellsville Wanda & Dan Kidd....................Cullowhee Drag & Carolyn Kimrey........... Laurinburg Cathy Kiser........................ Winston-Salem Lou Kline....................................... Raleigh Joseph & Meade Lamb........ Elizabeth City Bob & Rhea Lamb...........................Shelby Sara & Stuart Lamkin.................Louisburg Mable Laney.............................Burlington John Lawrence.............................. Raleigh Aileen & Jay Lawrimore..............Asheville Bill & Crystal Leathers...... Winston-Salem Julie Merritt Lee & Michael Lee................ ............................................Hendersonville Charlene Letchworth................. Knightdale Dianne & Van Lewis................... Farmville Margaret Lillard............................... Lenoir Rick & Carolyn Matthews...Winston-Salem Gail & Larry McAlister..... Winston-Salem Judy & William McCall...........Mooresville H. J. McCracken.......................... Oak City Jerry McGee...................................Wingate Marcia McQueen................................Eden Geneva Metzger....................... Greensboro

Robbie Milke..................... Winston-Salem Gene & Jean Millsaps..............Mooresville Jane Mitchell..................................Zebulon Sarah Mitchell.................... Winston-Salem Mallory Monroe...............................Shelby Margaret Moore.................................. King South Moore............................ Chapel Hill James & Margaret Morgan.Winston Salem Doug & Candace Murray.................Wilson Mary Nance................................ Greenville Elizabeth Oldham............... Winston-Salem Stacy & Sam Pardue...................... Raleigh Esther & Tim Parker...................... Raleigh Ed & Phyllis Parkerson............ Greensboro Percy & Peggy Parrish...................Zebulon Ray Pegram................................... Spindale Stella & John Perrin.................Taylorsville Bill Perry.................................... Smithfield Jason Perry...................................Dillsboro Lance Perry..............................Washington Allyson & Glenn Phillips........... Goldsboro Dixie Porter.................................... Raleigh Bo & Gail Prosser............................Tucker L.F. Pye.................................... Dalton, GA Mike & Bobbie Queen.............Wilmington Donnie & Ann Ramsey............Weaverville Kim & Robby Ray....................... Charlotte Paul & Anne Raybon.................... Candler Chuck & Leslie Rice...............Wake Forest Wayne & Norma Riley................... Raleigh Carolyn Ripley......................... Greensboro Greg & Megan Robertson...........Reidsville Paul Rogers................................Tabor City Greg & Leslie Rogers................ Greenville Jerrie Rogers.............................Winterville Macie Ross................................ Wadesboro

Lisa & Kenneth Rust................. Lumberton Katrina Salter & Patrick Wood................... .................................... Warner Robins, GA Carroll & Carmen Sasser... Winston-Salem Martha & Fred Senter................. Hallsboro Paula Settle.............................. Stanton, KY Milton & Joan Sewell.............. Mount Airy Shirley Shelburne........................Lillington Michael & Sandra Simmons... Buies Creek Martha Simmons.......................... Charlotte Ann Smith..................................Burlington Bobbye Smith.......................... Yadkinville Charlotte & Roy Smith...... Winston-Salem Christine Smith.............................. Clayton Delores Smith.................................Hickory Tom & Jackie Smith................... Greenville Karen & Wilburn Sparrow.............Zebulon Brian & Tammy Staples.................Wendell Doris Stocks.............................. High Point Benny & Patsy Stone.................Clemmons David Stone................................. Mars Hill Iva Stowe.................................. Wadesboro Christy Strickland..................... Lumberton Jim & Marion Summerville..... Chapel Hill Charles & Ellen Tabor........ Winston-Salem Robert & Ima Tart.............................. Dunn Ray & Laura Tatum.................. Macon, GA Susan Taylor............................. Chapel Hill Virginia & Ralph Taylor........... Chapel Hill Anita D. Thompson........................Ahoskie Jerry & Audry Thompson........ Greensboro Shirley & D.C. Thompson....... Greensboro Kat Tinsley..................................Lillington Doris Truesdale............................... Marion Joe & Lalia Turlington...................Wendell Bernard & Naomi Vick.............. Greenville

investment

of a different kind

by Wanda Kidd, CBFNC Collegiate Ministry Coordinator While students are already in classes, and all of the early trauma of move-in, multiple calls and texts, and readjusting family and student schedules has gone through the initial stages, collegiate engagement has really just begun.

Collegiate engagement means that CBFNC is in for the long haul of ministry to and with students, and we take it very seriously. There may be situations when a student, parent or local minister wish they had someone nearby who could help a student process the situation. For many, there will be relationship issues, homesickness and, at times, theological questions about information they are learning in class. That is when they need a person of faith to sit with them, let them know that they are not alone, and reassure them that they are far from the first person who has confronted these challenges ... and they will not only survive but thrive.

There are six state campuses and seven historically Baptist

Andy & Olivia Wakefield....... Buies Creek David & Sharon Walker.................Zebulon Ann Wall........................................ Raleigh Johnnie Wallace........................... Charlotte Carey & Fern Washburn................ Kinston Lloyd M. Webb..............................Durham Sara & Gerald White............ Elizabeth City Steven Wicks.......................... Mount Olive Alan & Blanche Williams..............Durham Jean & Kelley Williams................. Jackson Larry & Zelma Williams.............Louisburg Russell Williams............................ Antioch Tim & Lynda Willis...............Clemson, SC Jane & Ernest Willoughby......... Greenville Candy & Dick Wilson................ Columbus Creely Wilson................................ Franklin David & Ann Wilson...........Maryville, TN Bill & Kathy Wilson..................Clemmons Linda Winslow.......................... Jamestown Ray & Melba Wyche.................. Whiteville Richard & Betty Wynne................. Raleigh Wagner Agape Foundation.......................... ....................................... McLeansville, VA Western NC Baptist Network.......Asheville WNC Baptist Collegiate Ministries............ .................................................Weaverville NC Baptist Foundation Endowment Fund: Blanche Wall & William A. Brown Mary W. Brown Hannah & Frank D. Hills H. Manly Hocutt Lynn Camp Odom Elizabeth Simmons

campuses that have a person denoted as a CBFNC partner collegiate ministry. Beyond those positions, there is a CBFNC partner church that would love to engage your student within walking distance or easy driving distance to every campus.

If you are a student, youth minister, or parent, it is not too late to make a connection. Contact Wanda Kidd (wkidd@cbfnc.org) or one of the campus ministers to connect a student to one of our ministries or contact with a local congregation.

Our CBFNC-partnering campus ministers are: Curtis Privette (ASU), Curtisdprivette@gmail.com Lawrence Powers (ECU), Lpowers@cbfnc.org David Stone (UNC-A and WCU), Dstone@unca.edu Ashley Mangrum (UNC-CH), Amangrum@cbfnc.org Adam Horton (UNC-G), Ahorton@cbfnc.org There are also chaplains who partner with CBNFC who will engage your students at Campbell University, Chowan University, Gardner-Webb University, Mars Hill University, Meredith College, Wake Forest University, and Wingate University.

Engaging with college students and their families is very important to CBFNC because it is important to our churches and those with whom we serve.

The Gathering – September/October 2015

•

5

21st century missions education

I was reared in a North Carolina Baptist church, and participated in all of the traditional Baptist programs – Sunday School, Training Union, graded choirs, and, because I was a boy, Royal Ambassadors (RAs). Our church strongly supported home and foreign missions. I learned that I had three main responsibilities when it came to missions: pray for missionaries, give to missionaries, and learn about missionaries. Missions education for me happened primarily on Wednesday nights when RAs met.

In the 1970s, some churches were learning another missions practice in addition to praying, giving and learning. They were doing missions, primarily through the new invention of the mission trip. My wife took her first mission trip in 1975 to Guatemala with her youth group from Trinity, Raleigh. Most Baptists, though, didn’t start taking mission trips until the 1980s, and the “short-term volunteer mission” phenomena started to gain traction in the 1990s. It’s estimated that since the early 2000s, more than 2 million Americans per year have participated in short-term mission trips.

In recent years, both missions leaders and congregational leaders have been led to similar conclusions. On the one hand, these trips are often transformative for participants and can make a significant contribution to their discipleship. On the other hand, we sometimes unknowingly do harm (to those we purport to serve) even in the midst of trying to do good, and we usually don’t engage in sufficient preparation before (and 6 • The Gathering – September/October 2015

by Larry Hovis, CBFNC Executive Coordinator reflection during and after) these trips.

To address this challenge, CBFNC has partnered with Matt and Michelle Norman, CBF global missions field personnel in Cerdanyola, a suburb of Barcelona, Spain, to develop a model for transforming mission trips into faith-formation experiences that will enable them to apply what they learned in their church and community back home. We call it the Mission Learning Lab (MLL). In May 2015, I had the opportunity to participate in the MLL along with CBFNC moderator Lisa Rust and her husband, Kenneth; Marc and Kim Wyatt; and my wife, Kim.

phase 1: preparation

Our group began working through the MLL curriculum in February, even though our trip wasn’t scheduled until the latter part of May. We had weekly reading assignments in the book, When Helping Hurts, as well as other articles and videos on global missions, theology, spiritual formation, and CBF’s approach to missions. Each lesson was guided by a theme Scripture and a prayer focus.

The process involved working through the assignments individually, discussing the material as couples, posting reflections to a group Facebook page, and having group meetings via Skype, some of which included the Normans. By the time we departed for Spain, we felt more prepared than with other mission trips.

phase 2: one week in the field Whereas many mission trips involve construction, medical work, teaching VBS or similar activities, the “action” phase of the MLL is more about relationships: with the missionary hosts; with local Christians and leaders; with people in the community; and with one another. This experience was less about doing and more about listening and learning.

Each day had a different focus, again with guiding Scriptures and prayer prompts. We attended a local Spanish Baptist church on Sunday and Wednesday night; participated in a food pantry distribution; went on a scavenger hunt to find items in two languages (without smart phones); attended a youth soccer game to understand how locals congregate and relate; participated in intentional listening sessions with young adults; spent an evening with Pastor Daniel and his family; and created an asset map of a community. Through all these exercises, we were able to see more clearly ways that our own churches were both faithful to God’s call to reach our communities and were also stuck in patterns that were no longer effective.

Church van used in food bank ministry.

phase 3: bringing it home For our team, this phase is still a work in progress. We are processing our learning on two levels: our local churches and CBF of North Carolina. While this phase is probably the most important of all, it is also the most challenging. We found that when we got back home, life was moving at full speed and it has been difficult to maintain “MLL mode.” Plus, because we are not from the same church, we have neither the same support nor accountability that a church group would have. Still we are pressing on, both as couples, and meeting via Skype as a group, realizing this phase is essential to our future.

Pastor Daniel and family.

where do we go from here?

First, we want to encourage other teams from North Carolina to participate in the MLL. We believe that, ideally, these teams would be groups from the same church, though we think there is merit for other groups, such as divinity students, youth ministers, and missions ministers, to participate together. The Normans are prepared to host up to three teams in 2016. Contact Linda Jones to connect with the Normans (LJones@cbfnc.org).

Second, we are working to expand the MLL beyond Barcelona. The Wyatts are thinking about how to include elements of the MLL in their work in the Research Triangle. CBFNC is exploring how to incorporate MLL practices and experiences into other mission engagement opportunities, with other mission partners and field personnel.

Any of our team would be willing to come to your church to talk about the MLL, and explore ways to incorporate this approach into your church’s short-term mission engagement ministries. Like just about everything else in church life these days, missions education is more complicated than it used to be. It can’t be done in an hour a week in a classroom on the church campus. But neither can it be done only on a trip for a week in the summer. It requires study and action, individually and communally, with congregations and missionaries, with intentionality and as a lifestyle.

Matt preaching on Sunday at Cerdanyola Baptist Church.

The Gathering – September/October 2015

•

7

the community we

share

As a pastor, Jesus’ ability to lead such a diverse group of disciples has always inspired me. From blue-collared fishermen to tax-collectors, Jesus invited a wide range of seekers to follow him.

Throughout their relational and often improvisational ministry, Jesus and his eclectic band of followers crossed paths with Jews, Romans, Samaritans, and a particular Syrophoenician woman.

They shared the kingdom of God with wealthy politicians and poor beggars, inquisitive pharisees, and prostitutes, many times comparing said kingdom with the latter. Following his life, the people’s movement that became Jesus’ gospel very quickly gathered together those across the known world, uniting them as one, whatever their background may have been.

When I think about the community we share through CBFNC, our own identity and covenant commitments to one another, I find it is the great diversity of Jesus’ modern-day disciples within our own fellowship which shapes us most. We partner with churches from every nook and cranny across the state.

Our congregations vary in size from large city churches to smaller faith communities in rural areas. We take pride in our established pulpits as well as our creative new-church starts. We welcome a variety of theological and cultural perspectives while honoring the fact that such variety is present even in the pews of most of our churches. Not too unlike those first followers of Jesus, we have all found ourselves gathered together as one unique witness to God’s beloved community, formed in diversity yet united in our common partnerships to build God’s kingdom. CBFNC is a local narrative, stretching towards the universal horizon that is the work of the gospel in our world.

It is precisely this kind of “big tent” approach to ministry that has made CBFNC such a natural partner for our congregation at Hester. Ours is a small, historic congregation located a few miles outside of Oxford. While much of the life experience within our church reflects that typical of a small-town life, we are experiencing a dramatic shift as our area becomes more influenced by the Raleigh-Durham area. Our membership spans four generations with thriving seniors, vibrant young adults, and hopeful children. On any given Sunday I preach to those on the 8 • The Gathering – September/October 2015

by Alex Gallimore, Hester Baptist Church, Oxford

left and right of every theological and political issue.

Like most churches today, we have the challenge of discerning how we are to be the body of Christ in a world where religious trends and cultural norms seem to be in a perpetual state of change. Furthermore, many Baptist churches just like ours have the added difficulty of becoming a consistent witness in such a world from a tradition where consistency has often been non-existent. How might we minister to so many

different perspectives and convictions across many generations while at the same time lead them to embrace the same identity and unite under the same covenant?

Time and time again, I find myself returning to the Jesus model of collaboration and partnership across various lines which might typically divide. For example, we as a church have tried to be intentional about integrating the experiences of different generations in our membership. Earlier this year, a group of young women chose to begin working with our last remaining WMU missionary circle.

Inspired by the passionate work and leadership of those courageous women, a new circle was created, merging the missional awareness and fundraising of the original circle with a new hands-on approach to missions in our own community. A lively new ministry was born out of a system many felt was obsolete, simply because two groups from different generations and mentalities chose to work together. Not only did this expand our impact for God’s kingdom, but it also increased involvement among both age groups.

Similar success has been seen when we have embraced differences outside the congregation. In 2013, Hester became a founding member of the Granville-Vance Faith Initiative for Community Action, a church-based organizing effort seeking to improve our community in the areas of health, education, and economic development. Together we work alongside faith communities from different traditions and across racial lines to host exercise classes, promote healthy living, and provide quality one-on-one tutoring. We have found the body of Christ to be stronger when working together despite our differences, just as it did in the beginning.

When I see our church involved in such work, I can’t help but think of the Pentecost story which reminds us the pouring out of the Holy Spirit did not occur until Jesus’ disciples “were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). Celebrating and owning differences yet together in one place, united in the Spirit. Such is the Covenant leading to life.

a heart for missions

by Jim Hylton, CBFNC Business Administration Coordinator

“Knowing Hilda Wilson was a blessing to me. She was a reliable confidant, a progressive thinker, a willing servant, a faithful seeker. Her work in the church and community are well known. She was a tireless servant who had high standards and an ample supply of grace when we did not meet them. She worked hard to make us all better. Hilda enjoyed it when her students excelled. She was an encourager, a teacher, a trusted friend.” These are the words of Len Keever, pastor at First, Dunn. Len had the pleasure of working with Hilda at her home church in Dunn … and in the mission field.

Len also wrote: “When she was 71-years-old, Hilda eagerly joined our mission team going to Kiev, Ukraine, to help build a facility for foster children. She was filled with energy, excited that she was going to get to do what for so many years she’d prayed to do. I won’t forget how she painted row-afterrow of fence, or helped stack pile-after-pile of bricks. But mostly, I will never forget the day when she visited the children at the Village of Hope. Hilda sat with Katia, a little orphaned girl who had lost her hair from stressful neglect. Katia spoke no English and Hilda spoke no Russian.

They colored and played for hours with gifts we had brought from home. I’ll never forget the way the social worker explained that Katia didn’t usually interact with strangers – but Hilda was no stranger; she was the embodiment of Christ’s love. I remember feeling that we were standing on holy ground. As I watched her play with Katia I couldn’t help but see that Jesus had the prettiest blue eyes.”

Several months ago, with no prior notice, CBFNC received a package from Edward Jones Trust Company. Upon opening the package we discovered that Hilda Wilson had included CBFNC as a substantial beneficiary along with First, Dunn, and family members. Hilda’s instruction to us was simply to use the assets “in accordance with your mission and charitable works.” To be honest, at the time we received this bequest, no one at the CBFNC office knew who Hilda Wilson was. But after a little research we found that she was a member of First, Dunn, and had passed away in September 2014. After contacting Len at the church, we were made aware of the life and work of this amazing woman. She was a school teacher in the Harnett County Public Schools and also A former student of Hilda Wilson at Fayetteville Tech. Len also informed us that Hilda loved the church, the mission and work of CBFNC, lived missionally, and believed in Baptist principles.

Hilda is a wonderful example that few things bring more joy to philanthropic people of faith than making meaningful contributions to their favorite charitable organizations. All of us can relate to the satisfaction that comes from knowing our support makes a difference for causes important to us. Like Hilda, many have discovered the added pleasure of knowing they can continue to support our mission beyond their lifetimes by arranging their affairs to make gifts to CBFNC in their estate plans. It is our hope at CBFNC that more and more of our supporters will find the same joy that Hilda found in this selfless act of charity.

Her soft-spoken, graceful manner has remained an example for me in both my personal and professional life. She possessed a beauty – inside and out, grace, and integrity.

The Gathering – September/October 2015

•

9

CBFNC Financial Report:

June 2015 Contributions Undesignated - $116,498 Designated - $179,456 July 2015 Contributions Undesignated - $111,792 Designated - $159,629 April 2015 - March 2016 Monthly Undesignated Goal: $117,447

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

Choose a particular ministry, our Mission & Ministry Offering, or undesignated.

Ministers on the Move

Compiled by Jack Causey, Ministerial Resources Coordinator

Our encouragement and support go to the following ministers who have recently moved: Brian Miller has been called to serve at Southeast Baptist Church in Greensboro as Minister to Families Lacey Davis has been called as Minister to Students for First Baptist Church of Laurinburg Elizabeth Ray Beale has been called as Minister of Outreach at Woodhaven Baptist Church in Apex Millbrook Baptist Church of Raleigh has called Rebecca Hewitt-Newsom as Minister to Children and Families Wise Baptist Church of Wise has called Jonathan Shattuck as Pastor

Take a look at CBFNC’s blog,

Thoughts from across our state ... at cbfnc.wordpress.com.

Would you like to contribute?

E-mail smitchell@cbfnc.org.

CBFNC Honorary and Memorial Gifts Weathers/Knight WMU Circle (Knightdale Baptist Church) In honor of Gene Anthony The Lolley Scholarship Fund In memory of Dr. Malcolm Tolbert and Evelyn Carter

by The Yellow Ribbon Group (Lolley SEBTS professors and staff)

First Baptist Church of Clayton has called David With as Associate Pastor and Youth Minister Daniel Ray has been called as Assistant Youth Minister for First Baptist Church of Raleigh Patrick Broadus is now serving Antioch Baptist Church of Mamers as Pastor Bland Campbell has been called as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Mebane Beaver Dam Baptist Church in Shelby has called Tim Hardin as Pastor First Baptist Church of Greensboro has called Christina McCord as Minister to Children and Families Steve Clarke has been called as Minister of Music and Worship for First Baptist Church of Hickory Amy McClure is serving First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem as Minister of Congregational Care John Daniels has been called as Minister of Administration for First Baptist Church of Wilmington

Coordinator Visits June - July 2015

Ardmore, Winston-Salem

Hester, Oxford

Erin Cuellar is now serving Masonboro Baptist Church in Wilmington as traditional worship leader

Calvary, Asheville

Iglesia Bautista LaRoca, Raleigh

Molly Brummett Wudel will be serving Emmaus Way in Durham as Co-Pastor

Calvary, Durham First, Gastonia First, Greensboro

Murfreesboro, Murfreesboro

First, Huntersville

Northwest, Winston-Salem

First, Kannapolis

Pfafftown, Pfafftown

First, Winston-Salem

Roxboro, Roxboro

Grace, Asheville

Viewmont, Hickory

CBFNC ministry coordinators are available to visit your church to speak, preach, teach, consult, lead and minister in ways appropriate to your context. Contact the CBFNC office for more information.

10 • The Gathering – September/October 2015

Roxboro Baptist Church has called Bekah Worley as Minister of Congregational Life First Baptist Church of Mount Airy has called Jay Meadows 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.

Julie and Eric Maas, CBF field personnel from Greenville, describe their lives as one of pilgrimage; they are serving a loving God in deep relationship with others. Two mission trips to Nicaragua and reading about the needs of the world led them to praying, “Lord, whatever you have for us.” Julie shared, “We were supposed to do something, and were ready to do it full-time.”

At a CBFNC General Assembly workshop, Greg Rogers, Pastor of Oakmont in Greenville, introduced them to CBF, and their eyes were opened to a new ministry opportunity in Belize. Ray Howell from First, Lexington, and Scott Hagaman from First, Marion, played a key part as God fit all the pieces together using Eric’s professional background in construction and Julie’s as a registered nurse. A life of networking and partnering in deep relationship with others has happened as a result.

Since 2008, Eric and Julie Maas have

by Linda Jones, CBFNC Missions Coordinator ministered in Belize, partnering with several local

the way we do

missions

ministries through financial support, providing resources, and personal involvement with local schools, churches, high-risk youth, anti-trafficking affiliates, an orphanage, and Rotary International. In addition to involvement with local Bible studies, a weekly men’s group, and working with mission teams, they direct the Baptist Training Center in Camalote. They have served as board members at Marla’s House of Hope Orphanage and as volunteers at the Child Development Foundation, an anti-trafficking organization building Gomer House, the first rescue home for girls in Belize. Oakmont, and First, Marion, have sent multiple mission construction teams to this rescue and rehabilitation center for exploited girls. (Visit www.cdfbelize.com for more information.)

Eric and Julie look for ministry that has eternal kingdom value and long-tem relationships with teams. “We’re all the body of Christ coming from different denominations. It’s about looking for where God is already at work. Where is the greatest need? Do they even need our help? What are their assets?” It’s all about relationship ministry with those they minister to in Belize and the teams with whom they partner. “They have to see you, your heart, the way you live.” Julie and Eric believe that mission teams need to view their trip as a pilgrimage – a place to encounter God, to really see God, to be uncomfortable – and come away from the experience having grown in understanding with a deeper faith.

Much has been accomplished in the seven years in Belize including the three-year process of adopting Zac. Ciera is entering eighth grade; Josiah, fourth grade; and Zac, first grade. They ask for prayer for their future concerning their continued work in Belize. They are committed to staying in Belize until “God moves the cloud.” Construction teams and financial support are especially needed for the Gomer House. “It’s a spiritual warfare issue.” They ask for prayer for their “marriage to be strengthened, for their children to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, and that God would direct their steps.” Let us join them in prayer.

Eric and Julie can be reached at jam@seekservesave@gmail.com.

TOP: Eric, Josiah, Ciera, Zac, and Julie Maas.

BOTTOM: Construction at the Gomer House.

The Gathering – September/October 2015

•

11

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina 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

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID WINSTON-SALEM PERMIT NO. 162

Return Service Requested

Upcoming Events ~ SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER EDITION Youth Whitewater Rafting Retreat September 5-7, 2015 Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain Triangle North Regional Gathering September 20, 2015 First, Butner WNCBF Ministers’ Fall Retreat September 22, 2015 Lutheridge Conference Center, Arden Hispanic Network Mother and Daughter Retreat September 26, 2015 Practical Practices for Children’s Ministry October 1, 2015 Wake Forest, Wake Forest Youth Beach Retreat October 2-4, 2015 Caswell 2015 Minister’s Retreat October 5-7, 2015 St. Francis Springs Retreat Center, Stoneville Regional Impacting Tomorrow Eastern NC Teaching Congregation October 10, 2015 Oakmont, Greenville

Practical Practices for Children’s Ministry October 13, 2015 First, Morganton Western North Carolina Baptist Fellowship Fall Gathering October 18, 2015 First, Black Mountain Congregational Coach Certification October 19-20, 2015 Christmount Conference Center, Black Mountain Welcome Event for New Ministers October 22, 2015 CBFNC Offices, Winston-Salem Children’s Missions Day November 14, Zion Baptist, Shelby November 14, Zebulon Baptist, Zebulon November 21, O akmont Baptist, Greenville Regional Impacting Tomorrow Central NC Teaching Congregation January 16, 2016 Neill’s Creek, Angier Building Blocks of Christian Coaching (501) January 25-26, 2016 CBFNC offices, Winston-Salem

Stewardship Conference January 28, 2016 First, Shelby Youth Ski Retreat January 29-31, 2016 Winterplace Ski Resort, WV Regional Impacting Tomorrow Churches Teaching Churches February 6, 2016 First, Mocksville Youth Choir Festival March 4-5, 2016 Knollwood, Winston-Salem Children’s Choir Festival March 12, 2016 First, Southern Pines CBFNC 2016 Gathering March 18, 2016 Hayes Barton, Raleigh Establishing a Dynamic Coaching Relationship (502) April 4-5, 2016 CBFNC offices, Winston-Salem Regional Impacting Tomorrow Western NC Teaching Congregation April 16, 2016 First, Waynesville