fellowship!
CBF
Cooperative baptist fellowship | www.thefellowship.info
November/December 2007
Fellowship Baptists welcome refugees
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s Christmas approaches, the stories of Jesus’ birth and childhood will be read in homes and congregations. The book of Matthew
features one of these stories, telling of how Mary, Joseph and a young Jesus fled King Herod’s reign and sought safety in Egypt. This is just one of the many accounts of people in the Bible seeking refuge — Moses and the Israelites escaped from slavery, Noah survived destructive
These biblical figures, like refugees today, feared for their lives, and as they left their homes behind, they faced feelings of loss, isolation and uncertainty. The U.S. Committee for Refugees estimates that currently 21 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes. For those who have been uprooted, their physical needs are basic — shelter, food, clothing, but often they must navigate unfamiliar systems in a foreign language
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and new land. “We have seen hundreds of people arrive with what they have from their life in one suitcase — everything else was left,” said Marc Wyatt, one of CBF’s field personnel who facilitates refugee ministries with churches and partners. “When refugees receive simple donated items — a table, chair or picture frame — and those items become theirs, there is a sense of restoration. To be part of that process is a gift from God, and you become their family.”
CBF photo
floods, Daniel searched for a safe place.
In Central Asia, millions of people have been forced to leave their homelands because of violence and seek safety in other countries.
CBF field personnel, churches and partners are involved in ministries to refugees around the world. They are helping to meet not only the physical needs, but also the emotional and spiritual needs, as refugees search for a sense of safety and place of belonging. From Africa to Canada to Asia and in the
hen they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2:13-15
United States, Fellowship Baptists are welcoming those who have fled the violence, persecution or devastation of their homelands. This issue of fellowship! highlights some of these ministries and tells the stories of refugees who have been welcomed by Fellowship Baptists. This issue also includes ideas for reaching out to refugees in local communities and connecting with the Fellowship network. “Refugees are some of the most neglected people,” said Shelah Acker, one of CBF’s field personnel who has ministered to refugees in
Africa. “During their time of need, Christians can reach out and demonstrate the love of Christ by assisting them. In their new country, new situation, and with new found friends, refugees can hear a clear presentation of God’s love through believers’ actions and words. Imagine how amazing it would be if the first people to reach out to refugees when they arrived in a new land were Christians demonstrating the love of Christ.” By Patricia Heys, CBF Communications
Church Benefits Board to enhance retirement, health benefits
T
he Church Benefits Board of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will dramatically increase services available to churches and individuals through new strategic partnerships. Through a new agreement signed in October, the Church Benefits Board (CBB) will begin offering retirement benefits and health insurance options through nationally-recognized providers. After seven years of working with the Ministers and Missionaries Benefits Board of the American Baptist Churches USA, CBB is now able to offer expanded
inside
this issue...
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benefits to customers. “The partnership with MMBB allowed us to serve church staff members at a time when the Fellowship movement was new and Gary Skeen developing,” said Gary Skeen, CBB president. “We are grateful to American Baptists for that partnership. Now that we are able to stand on our own, we are excited to be
— Jack Snell
leaves legacy of service
able to offer more flexible and competitive benefits to those in the CBF family.” The new agreements take effect Jan. 1, 2008, and will offer the following advantages: • More flexibility in retirement or medical benefits or both without having to participate in CBB retirement in order to purchase health insurance.
• Pages 6-7
— Ideas for
ministering to refugees
• Wider array of health insurance options with multiple choices as well as customized solutions. • Continued relationship with CBB staff and outstanding customer service. • CBB will have its own retirement plan and have input into the design of its own group solutions rather than a third party partner. To take advantage of these new offerings, existing as well as potential customers are encouraged to contact the Church Benefits Board by Dec. 1. For more on the specifics of the new plans, log on to
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— 2008
General Assembly info
www.churchbenefits.org, call CBB at (800) 352-8741 or e-mail contact@churchbenefits.org. “We are humbled that so many CBF churches have entrusted the management of their benefits to CBB,” Skeen said. “We hope we’ve earned that trust. This step is simply our attempt to be good stewards of that trust on your behalf. We believe we have put together better options for CBF churches that will pay dividends for years to come.” By Lance Wallace, CBF Communications
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— Open House
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