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2016THIRD QUARTER VISIONS
INSIDE... 2 • Events & Updates 7 • State Mission Offering 11
• CBF General Assembly Hilites12 • From Our Leadership 15 •
Financial Report 16 • On the Calendar 2 3
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
the pastor’s Sounding Board
Here is the thirty-first in a series of articles called The
Pastor’s Sounding Board. This series gives you a chance to hear
from senior pastors of CBF/GA. Keithen Tucker, senior pastor at
First Baptist Church, Eatonton, is the writer for this issue.
A sounding board is a structure over a pulpit or rostrum to give
distinctness to a speaker’s voice. In these articles, we expect to
hear about some of the “best practices” occurring in our churches,
and we hope to hear some of the “best thoughts” that our lead
pastors have. We hope these words will challenge you and your
church to open new vistas of ministry in Georgia and around the
world.
Charting a Course for Congregational Mission Involvement
KEITHEN TUCKER [email protected]
In 2011, I came to First Baptist Church of Eatonton, Georgia, to
serve as interim pastor. Frank Broome, Coordinator of Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship, assisted in making the connection, for which I
will forever be grateful. I accepted the position joyfully,
assuming, of course, that this would be
a temporary position and would introduce me to a new community.
As we ministers all know, an interim position brings challenges of
its own, but not as many as those that are set upon the Pastor
Search commit-tee itself. And so the process for me as interim and
for the search committee began. This temporary interim situation
evolved and fifteen months later developed into my accepting the
call as full-time senior pastor of First Baptist Church in
Eatonton, and thus the journey continued. It has been a wonderful
experience serving a dedicated congregation and being reminded that
we operate on a higher calling.
One of the things that I have enjoyed during my thirty-five-year
ministry and counting has been volun-teer missions. I have been
able to lead and train teams to do hands-on ministry about which
they had only read, studied or dreamed. Several years ago, after
confer-ring once again with Frank Broome, our church met and
decided to partner with CBF missionaries Matt and Michelle Norman
of North Carolina, now serving in Spain. Little did I know at the
time that Matt’s mother and father were former missionaries and
dear friends in ministry who now pastor in North Carolina.
First Baptist Church continued to be interested in missions as I
shared my love and experiences of volunteer missions. The church
made a commitment to help Matt and Michelle spiritually and
finan-cially, but we also wanted to take this promise a step
further by creating a short- and long-term plan of experiencing
foreign missions first hand. In 2014, the first steps of our plan
unfolded as I traveled to Barcelona, Spain, and spent a week with
the Normans. The plan was to see the country, meet the people, and
get a feel for lodging, food, and travel options. The next step
would involve making travel arrangements so that the mission team
could be formed. I wanted our people to experience missions beyond
financial support and prayer.
In April 2016, I was joined by three of our members as we began
our journey to a small city called Cerdanyola, Spain. Even though
our visit consisted only of six days and five nights, what we
experienced was exhilarating and life-changing for the
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Poster inside 8
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2 | Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS
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Events & Updates
Now Serving: Atlanta - use Logo and add photos – how many?
February 3-4, 2017
Mercer University - Atlanta Campus
Cost person: $20 Visit www.nowserving.org or contact Martha Kate
Hall at [email protected] for more information.
Now Serving: Atlanta
March Mission
Madness..........................................................................................................................................
February 3-4, 2017Mercer University - Atlanta CampusCost per
person: $20
Now Serving: Atlanta, is a collegiate service and mission event
co-sponsored by CBF/GA and McAfee School of Theology of Mercer
University.
Visit www.nowserving.org or contact Martha Kate Hall at
478-742-1191, ext. 2, or email [email protected] for more
information.
March 3-5, 2017 @ First Baptist Church, RoswellMarch 10-12, 2017
@ First Baptist Church of Christ, MaconCost per person: $100
March Mission Madness is a weekend retreat for church youth
groups. Held in two cities throughout the state of Georgia,
CBF/GA’s March Mission Madness gives students opportunities for
fellowship, worship, and mission work.
Visit www.marchmissionmadness.org or contact Martha Kate Hall at
[email protected] for more information.
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Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS | 3
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events & updates
Thursday, October 27, 2016Heritage Baptist Church in
Cartersville
Clarissa Strickland will be the speaker, and Celtic music will
be provided by Scarlet Wool.
Thursday, November 10, 2016First Baptist Church, Eatonton
Charles Smith will be the speaker, and the FBC Eatonton Quartet
will provide entertainment.
Cost per person: $15 to cover cost of lunchTheme: “Reminiscing
about the Future”
Time: Registration opens at 9:30 each day (coffee available);
worship begins at 10:30, followed by lunch and entertainment. We
will finish by 2 p.m. each day.
*Note the move to fall and to Thursdays!
About the Speakers:
Clarissa Strickland is a member of Smoke Rise Baptist Church.
She has spent a great portion of her life in Baptist institutions,
beginning with her birth at Georgia Baptist Hospital. She grew up
swinging her legs off Baptist church pews. Clarissa graduated from
Samford University, supported a husband through a Baptist seminary,
and was a Baptist pastor’s wife for 32 years. For 23 years, she
worked for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and was their
longest-tenured employee until her recent retirement. Clarissa
describes herself as “Baptist-born and Baptist-bred, and confident
that when she dies, she will be Baptist-dead.”
Since August 2011, Charles R. Smith has served as pastor of
Madison Baptist Church. A native of College Park, Charles graduated
with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of
Georgia; Master of Divinity in Christian Education from The
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Doctor of Ministry from
Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. He is married to
Jennifer, who is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and
ordained Baptist minister. They have two children: Ally, a UGA
graduate who resides in Athens, and Samuel, who is a junior at the
University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. Charles is an avid fan of
the Georgia Bulldogs and the Boston Red Sox. He has served churches
in College Park, Danielsville, and Lithonia GA; Paoli, IN; and
Kenbridge and Hampton, VA.
For more information, contact Renée Bennett at
[email protected], 478-742-1191, ext. 3, or register online at
www.cbfga.org.
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Senior Celebrations
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April 30-May 2, 2017St. Simons Island, GA (hosted by FBC St.
Simons Island)Theme: “Honor the Past, Imagine the Future”Matt
Marston, Pastor, First Baptist, Moultrie, GA will be the worship
leader.
Details and registration information will be available by late
fall.
Contact Renée Bennett at [email protected] for more info.
2nd Annual Senior Adult Retreat
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4 | Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS
events & updates
Atlanta has always been a city of neighborhoods, and in recent
years, houses and streets once abandoned as folks moved to the
ever-expanding suburbs are being restored and reclaimed by highly
educated professional folks. This phe-nomenon commonly known as
gentrification
is revitalizing historic neighborhoods, communities and even
churches. Most conversations about urban revitaliza-tion fail,
however, to discuss the plight of those who were unable to move out
during the urban exodus of previous decades—people trapped in
cycles of generational poverty.
When Jen and I began serving as CBF Field Personnel in 2011, we
partnered with Park Avenue Baptist Church in the Grant Park
neighborhood of Atlanta. Physically, the church building sits at
the corners of Sydney Street and Park Avenue, but socially, we find
ourselves at the intersection of gentrification and generational
poverty. Our first question was how to find good-neighbor,
asset-based, transformational approaches for working and living
alongside people living in generational poverty.
Research from the Brookings Institution shows that if children
growing up in generational poverty graduate from high school, wait
until they are out of high school to have their first child and
make sure there is one other adult in their household when they
have the child, then there is a 96% chance they will break the
cycle of generational poverty. In the year 2009, our nearby high
school had a drop-out rate of 78%. Why was the dropout rate so
high? It turns out most students could not read at grade level.
Other research on the “summer slide” showed us that in the
classroom, household incomes had absolutely no bearing on learning
potential. In the summer, however, the opportunities that come with
higher incomes—trips to museums or the zoo, vacations, movies and
camps,
visits with grandparents—allow students in higher income
families to maintain reading levels and even improve by a month or
so. Children growing up in poverty, by contrast, don't have the
same opportunities, and without books and other materials readily
available, they actually lose about a month’s worth of instruction
over the summer. If you started tracking two kindergarteners—one
middle class and one in poverty — on day one of first grade, they
are already 4-5 months apart on reading level. Every summer this
multiplies, meaning that by the end of fifth grade, the student
growing up in poverty—who has the EXACT same mental capacity for
learning—is 2.5 years behind on basic reading level. And that's
just before going into middle school!
While these realities are on display in every community, they
are particularly acute in our area, so a number of years ago we
began hosting a Summer Literacy Camp. Over the last five years,
we’ve gone from one week of camp serving 15 students to six weeks
of camp serving 50 students a week and reaching a total of 85
different students. Reading assessments at the beginning and end of
camp show an average increase of 4-6 months in each student, with
some students advancing as much as 1.5 years in six weeks of camp!
Like Maya, for example, who was a reluctant reader, often getting
angry and refusing to do reading assignments at school and at
Literacy Camp. During the Reading Tools rotation—with age-specific
curriculum created and donated by educators earning their literacy
specialist degrees from Mercer University— we realized Maya had
never really understood vowel teams—two O’s make an “oooo” sound,
for example. We focused three days of Maya’s group on vowel teams
and worked with her one-on-one. She grew to love the Fancy Nancy
series and this summer completed all of the books in the series in
our library—28 books!
MISSIONS: Park Avenue Baptist Summer CampsTREY LYON,
[email protected]
In Ephesians, Paul suggests that God is able to do “exceeding,
abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think...according to the
power already at work within us.” God’s power is already at work
within us
individually, within our churches, and within CBF/GA.
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Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS | 5
We believe this is the work of Jesus as children grow and learn
in a safe and fun environment, rooted in trying to live out the way
of Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors. And here’s the
best part—you are ALREADY a part of this vital work! While we try
to be as frugal as possible, educat-ing and feeding 85 kids for six
weeks is no small task. This year we were fortunate to have a
number of CBF/GA churches that donated generously to help fund our
summer literacy camps, including Wieuca Road Baptist Church, First
Baptist Griffin, and First Baptist Morrow. But just a few weeks
before camp, we were not sure we would be able to meet our funding
goal. When we contacted CBF/GA, the response was immediate and
above and beyond all that we could have expected. It enabled us to
have our strongest summer yet and to prepare and equip our students
for a bright future.
In Ephesians, Paul suggests that God is able to do “exceeding,
abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think.” I imagine the
boy who shared his lunch with Jesus and the disciples felt that way
as his loaves and fishes fed masses. I feel that way at this point
nearly every summer, and yet each spring I find myself saying,
“God, I don’t know how we’re going to do it this year.” I am
learning that I don’t have to know how God will do it, but I can be
confident that God’s provision is constant. The second half of that
verse from Ephesians 3 says “according to the power already at work
within us.” God’s power is already at work within us individually,
within our churches, and within CBF/GA. We bear witness to your
generosity and the generosity of CBF/GA that is changing
decades-old systems of poverty and oppression in Southeast Atlanta.
Where will God show up next? Perhaps in your church, your
community, or through a strategic missional partnership. If you are
interested in hosting a Literacy Camp in your community, please
contact us at [email protected]! May the God
that is able to do exceed-ing, abundantly beyond all that we could
ask or think lead us all to wonder at the works God has done, is
doing and will continue to do in our midst!
—Trey Lyon is a pastor, writer, and activist, and serves as CBF
Field Personnel in Atlanta, GA.
events & updates
“Catch the Spirit of Pentecost” a SUCCESS!
Some 215 CBF/GA and New Era Missionary Baptists gathered to
work, wor-ship, and fellowship at the New Era Missionary Baptist
Center near Griffin on Saturday, May 14.
Near-perfect weather and enthusiastic volunteers combined for an
especially fruitful day of partner-ship, and several significant
tasks were completed.
Future events and plans for this partnership will be announced
soon. Watch for details in Re-Visions and in email updates.
Our thanks go to the New Era Missionary Baptist Convention of
Georgia leaders
and members and the planning committee for hosting the work day,
and to the
West Neighborhood of CBF/GA for taking initiative and helping
bring
this day from idea to reality....
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6 | Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS
events & updates
Katie Faison has served as minister to Children at Central
Baptist, Newnan, since 2013. She has lived in Newnan most of her
life, except for college and her first seven years of marriage,
which were spent in eastern North Carolina. In 2012, she and her
hus-band moved back to Newnan to be closer to family. Katie was
ordained to ministry in 2013.
Katie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from
East Carolina University and began her professional career as a
teacher at W.A. Pattillo Elementary School in Tarboro, NC, where
she taught fourth grade for seven years. She is cur-rently enrolled
at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology where she is
working on a Masters of Arts in Christian Ministry degree.
Katie is married to John Faison, science department chair and AP
biol-ogy teacher at Woodward Academy in College Park, GA. They have
two young daughters. In her spare time, Katie loves spending time
with family. She also enjoys sewing, especially to make clothes for
her girls. For the past four years, she has enjoyed teaching a
Mommy and Me dance class.
Rory Naeve served as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church
of Claxton, Georgia, for three years and has recently become
pas-tor of First Baptist Church, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Prior to his
calling to Claxton, Rory served as Minister to Youth at FBC, St.
Simons Island. He has been in ministry for the past fifteen years
and can’t imagine doing anything other than congregational
ministry. Rory has served on the Coordinating Council of the CBF/GA
and is in the Doctor of Ministry program at the McAfee School of
Theology at Mercer University, where he previously earned an M.Div.
His current studies focus on the craft of preaching. He thoroughly
enjoys the challenge and discipline of the studies.
Rory met his wife and life-long partner in ministry, Gigi, at
McAfee. They have been married for 9 years, which Rory considers
the greatest miracle to have happened to him. Their family includes
two daughters and one very patient and increasingly lazy dog.
Rory’s family is his anchor, the most constant source of good
sermon illustrations, and the place where he finds the deepest
sense of wonder about the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Kep Pate was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and currently
serves as Youth Pastor at Johns Creek Baptist Church. He is a
student at McAfee School of Theology. He and his sister were
“children of the church” under the love and leadership of their
parents, Shan and Kirby Pate. He graduated from Clemson University
in 2013 with a Bachelor of Visual Arts degree. At Clemson, Kep
served as an Assistant Minister with the campus BCM and
participated in multiple trips as a summer mission-ary. Clemson was
also the common ground where he met Sara Bailey Stocks, his fiancé.
Kep has also served as the FCA Huddle leader for Lakeside High
School and as a member of the Summer Youth Celebration team at a
Baptist summer camp in Alberta, Canada.
Kep says, “When I was a young teen God placed an undeniable call
on my heart to serve and love teenag-ers and young adults. My
journey into ministry has been a slow and scattered adventure that
has taken me through summer camps, mission trips, and places I
thought I would never go. Over the past several years God has begun
to affirm the call of youth ministry on my heart.” n
2016/2017 CBF/GA Scholarship Recipients
The Nominating Committee invites nominations from churches and
individuals for coordinating council members. The Committee will
pres-ent final nominations to the Spring General Assembly gathered
at Vineville Baptist Church in Macon on March 24, 2017. Council
members are asked to serve 3-year terms and represent a balance of
CBF of Georgia's wider family—male/female, pastor/staff/layperson,
age, and each of our 8 neighborhoods.
Nominations are open through September 30, 2016, and may be sent
to Renée Bennett at [email protected]. Please include church
membership and contact informa-tion for your nominee(s). Members of
the nominating committee are Sarah Murray (Chair and Past
Moderator), Jake Hall, Joy Huddlestun, Steve Davis, Timothy Clagg,
along with ex officio members Henry Tyson (Moderator), Julie Long
(Moderator-Elect), Frank Broome, Martha Kate Hall, and Renée
Bennett. n
Call for Nominations for CBF/GA Coordinating
Council..........................................................................................................................................
Time toNominate!
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Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS | 7
events & updates
Dear CBF/GA family,
During the fall of each year, we emphasize the CBF/GA State
Mission Offering. The amount given to the 2015/2016 State Mission
Offering totaled $20,303.31. When your congregation takes up an
annual state mission offering, or when individual members want to
give to something extra, we hope you will consider supporting the
CBF/GA State Mission Offering.
As we approach the 25th anniversary of CBF/GA, we invite you to
IMAGINE what can happen if we fully support our State Mission
Offering! CBF/GA State Mission Offering funds will be used to
continue support for two main areas of ministry—young leadership
development, and neighborhood mission and outreach efforts. With a
goal of $35,000 the 2016/17 CBF/GA State Mission Offering will make
these specific projects and initiatives possible:
• Increased funding for seminary student scholarships, allowing
for expansion to include doctoral students• Additional funding for
Student.Church interns in CBF/GA churches• Work at the New Era
Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia Center near Griffin•
Neighborhood Mission Projects
Detailed information about each of these ministries, along with
samples of material available for promoting the State Mission
Offering in your church, is available. We offer the following items
to assist you in support-ing the State Mission Offering:
• A CBF/GA Event Calendar• How to Give to the State Mission
Offering• Frequently Asked Questions about the State Mission
Offering• State Mission Offering envelopes (regular and pew
versions)• A bulletin insert for use in worship services• A poster
to promote your church’s goal for this year’s State Mission
Offering
NEW this year, we have created a short video to use in promoting
the State Mission Offering in your own congregation. This video as
well as additional information and support material may be
downloaded from our webpage,
www.cbfga.org/55/State-Mission-Offering. For additional materials,
please contact Renée Bennett at 478-742-1191, ext. 3, or
[email protected].
Thank you for your generosity and partnership in being the
presence of Christ to our state and to our world.
The 2016/17 State Mission Offering theme in this 25th
anniversary year is “Imagine Immeasurably More.” The CBF/GA goal
for the year is $35,000. A portion of the funds received through
this offering will support neighborhood group mission efforts and
will continue to support our work in partnership with New Era
Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia.In the past year, we have
worked to strengthen our relationship with the New Era Missionary
Baptist Convention of Georgia. On May 4, over 200 individuals from
CBF/GA and New Era gathered to spend a day working, worshipping,
and fellow-shipping together at the New Era Missionary Baptist
Center near Griffin. The State Mission Offering has provided
additional resources needed to continue to improve this center. The
West Neighborhood of CBF/GA took the lead in helping organize the
workday. It is the hope of the Coordinating Council that each of
our eight neighborhood groups around the state will organize itself
in ways that best suit the local situation, choosing a facilitator
and determining the types of ministries, programs, or fellowship
events that will take place. State Mission Offering funds will be
available to help support mission efforts undertaken by our
neighborhoods just as the offering is helping to support the work
with New Era.
2016/2017 cbf/gastate mission offering
To learn more about the State Mission Offering, visit
www.cbfga.org/55/State-Mission-Offering.
2016/2017 Seminary Scholarship Recipients
Thanks to last year’s state mission offering, we were able to
increase our scholarships for three seminary students for the
2016/2107 school year. We have also expanded this program in the
last two years to offer scholarships to doctoral students serving
in CBF/GA churches.
This summer CBF/GA has provided funding to five CBF/GA churches
to supplement their internship programs through the Student.Church
program. This initiative has a great impact on the churches as well
as on the students who are involved. We hope that Student.Church
can continue to grow and expand in the coming year.
Katie Faison Rory Naeve Kep Pate
“ I am currently a student at the Duke Divinity School in
Durham, NC. During the past school year, I was honored and blessed
to receive one of the CBF/GA seminary scholarships, easing the
financial burden associated with con-tinuing education at the
doctorate level. The scholarship enables me to focus on studies
rather than on cumbersome debt.
This scholarship helps me better understand the heart of the
CBF/GA and makes my ties to the CBF/GA run even deeper. Just as
importantly, the scholars become part of a wonderful state
organization dedicated to help-ing reach out and connect moderate
Baptist churches to bring about the work of God locally and
globally. I am humbled and honored to serve as one of the
recipients. My plan and hope is to use the funds to make a
contribution to the CBF/GA for years to come!” —Jonathan Barlow is
a Duke Divinity School D.Min. student and a 2015/2016 CBF/GA
Scholarship Recipient. He is Pastor of Royston Baptist Church,
Royston, Georgia.
“If we are to take seriously the words and actions of Jesus and
commit to follow in The Way, then we, the missioners, will do the
work of Matthew 25 as we are going and living.”
—Henry Tyson, Moderator, CBF/GA
Your State Mission Offering giving will help expand and enhance
our outreach to young Baptist leaders in our state. Investing in
our students and helping them to see the value of CBF/GA is vital
to our future!
To learn more about the State Mission Offering, visit
www.cbfga.org/55/State-
Mission-Offering.
CBF/GA • P.O. Box 4343, Macon, GA 31208-4343 • phone
478-742-1191 • www.cbfga.org
CBF/GA Goal: $35,000Church Goal: __________
“[God] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or
imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...”
Ephesians 3:20
Martha Kate Hall, Associate Coordinator Frank Broome,
Coordinator
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8 | Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS
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Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS | 9
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10 | Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS
2016/2017 cbf/ga state mission offering
The 2016/17 State Mission Offering theme in this 25th
anniversary year is “Imagine Immeasurably More.” The CBF/GA goal
for the year is $35,000. A portion of the funds received through
this offering will support neighborhood group mission efforts and
will continue to support our work in partnership with New Era
Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia.
In the past year, we have worked to strengthen our relationship
with the
New Era Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia. On May 4, over
200 individuals from CBF/GA and New Era gathered to spend a day
working, wor-shipping, and fellowshipping together at the New Era
Missionary Baptist Center near Griffin. The State Mission Offer-ing
has provided additional resources needed to continue to improve
this center. The West Neighborhood of CBF/GA took the lead in
helping organize the workday. It is the hope of the Coordi-
nating Council that each of our eight neighborhood groups around
the state will organize itself in ways that best suit the local
situation, choosing a facilitator and determining the types of
ministries, programs, or fellowship events that will take place.
State Mission Offering funds will be available to help support
mission efforts undertaken by our neighborhoods just as the
offering is helping to support the work with New Era.
Katie Faison Rory Naeve Kep Pate
2016/2017 Seminary Scholarship Recipients
Your State Mission Offering giving will help expand and enhance
our outreach to young Baptist leaders in our state. Investing in
our students
and helping them to see the value of CBF/GA is vital to our
future!
Thanks to last year’s state mission offering, we were able to
increase our scholarships for three seminary students for the
2016/2107 school year. We have also expanded this program in the
last two years to offer scholarships to doctoral students serving
in CBF/GA churches.
This summer CBF/GA has provided funding to five CBF/GA churches
to supplement their internship programs through the Student.Church
program. This initiative has a great impact on the churches as well
as on the students who are involved. We hope that Student.Church
can continue to grow and expand in the coming year.
“If we are to take seriously the words and actions of Jesus and
commit to follow in The Way, then we, the missioners, will do the
work of Matthew 25
as we are going and living.” —Henry Tyson, Moderator, CBF/GA
CBF/GA Goal: $35,000 To learn more about the State Mission
Offering, visit
www.cbfga.org/55/State-Mission-Offering. Order a resource kit
for your church by contacting Renée Bennett at
[email protected].
“ I am currently a student at the Duke Divinity School in
Durham, NC. During the past school year, I was honored and blessed
to receive one of the CBF/GA seminary scholarships, easing the
financial burden associated with con-tinuing education at the
doctorate level. The scholarship enables me to focus on studies
rather than on cumbersome debt.
This scholarship helps me better understand the heart of the
CBF/GA and makes my ties to the CBF/GA run even deeper. Just as
importantly, the scholars become part of a wonderful state
organization dedicated to help-ing reach out and connect moderate
Baptist churches to bring about the work of God locally and
globally. I am humbled and honored to serve as one of the
recipients. My plan and hope is to use the funds to make a
contribution to the CBF/GA for years to come!”
—Jonathan Barlow is a Duke Divinity School D.Min. student and a
2015/2016
CBF/GA Scholarship Recipient. He is Pastor of Royston Baptist
Church,
Royston, Georgia.
events & updates
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Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS | 11
events & updates
REGISTER NOW
HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS:Free parkingNewly remodeled accomodationsOnsite
and nearby restaurants
SHERATON HOTELFRIDAY EVENING
On Friday, we will bless and commission CBF-endorsed chaplains
and pastoral counselors, as well as our largest-ever group of
church starters. We will be led in worship by two field personnel
units, and we will celebrate the future of CBF Global Missions as
all of our field personnel will be re-commissioned to continue
their good work around the world.
Our final service and gathering of this year’s General Assembly
will conclude with the laying on of hands on all being sent back
out into our world to serve, as well as a meaningful time of Holy
Communion.
AGE ASSEMBLIESAssembly has activities for the entire family with
age-specific programming and personalized care from trained
childcare providers.
Preschool, Children’s and Youth Assemblies are offered Thursday
and Friday only. Child care is available for Wednesday night
activities.
Learn more and register at www.cbf.net/assembly
THURSDAY EVENINGOn Thursday evening, we will be encouraged by
the voice of scholar and author Diana Butler Bass on how CBF is
uniquely positioned on the religious landscape for the future. CBF
Moderator Matt Cook will help us reflect on Diana’s work as we
consider our future together in light of our first 25 years.
Throughout our time in Greensboro we will be led in worship
through the music of our General Assembly Artist-in-Residence,
Singer/Songwriter Pat Terry, as well as other ensembles and
musicians.
WEDNESDAY EVENINGOn Wednesday evening, we will kick off our 25th
year and celebrate how Christ’s love compels us to gather as a
Fellowship, each bringing our diverse passions and gifts to a table
set for all.
As we reflect on 25 years of being CBF together, our keynote
speaker will be Dr. Tom Long, Bandy Professor Emeritus of Preaching
and Director of the Early Career Pastoral Leadership Program at
Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.
WORSHIP
2016 CBF General Assembly Photos and Recollections
Georgia and CBF/GA were well-represented in Greensboro, NC, the
week of June 20-24 as CBF Global celebrated its 25th anniversary.
More than two hundred Georgians were registered at General
Assembly. Warm fellowship, meaningful worship, and challenging and
helpful breakouts contributed to a memorable
experience.
Approximately one hundred of us gathered for the Georgia state
meeting on Thursday afternoon. Dr. Jeffrey G. Willetts, the new
dean of Mercer University’s James and Carolyn McAfee School of
Theology, spoke to the group. Two church starts in Georgia were
announced: Christ Church Cairo, under the leadership of Ron
McCaskill, and Innovation Park Church in Lawrenceville, led by
Kennard Weever. A prayer for CBF/GA was brought by Candace Young of
CBF Global. The rest of our time together was spent sharing
“mission moments” from CBF/GA congregations.
The 2017 CBF Global General Assembly, which will wrap up the
25th anniversary celebration year, is set for June 26-30
at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.
“ Our unity exists because
we have agreed not to
agree on everything, but
to cooperate instead. Our
unity is that way of coop-
erating with each other
without necessarily calling
for unanimity.”
– Suzii Paynter, CBF Executive Coordinator
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12 | December / January / February 2016 VISIONS12 | Third
Quarter 2016 VISIONS
Several years ago, dear friends of ours, Rhonda and Al Wright in
Fitzgerald, knowing our interest in sailing, gave me a little book
entitled First You Have to Row a Little Boat, by Richard Bode. I
was intrigued by the cover, which included a review quote by
another favorite author, M. Scott Peck: “Elegant as a clipper and
practical as a tug, this brilliantly written elegy gently teaches
the fundamental principles of life and how to navigate its shoals.”
I was hooked, and I frequently return to it as a reference.
We, as Baptist Christian pilgrims who are making passage—an act
of traveling on The Way—in this move-ment we have named the
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia, are approaching the 25th
anniversary marker buoy in 2017. How important it is to consider
those vectoring forces which support the momentum of the movement
that have “brought us safe thus far” and which will sustain us
while we are en route!
Vector One: The life and ministry of our Lord Jesus
Christ—giving us those Two Great Commandments, show-ing us The Way,
emptying himself for us (KENOSIS), and “saving and redeeming me”
(from Prayers of Kierkegaard, by Samuel Barber).
Vector Two: Our family heritage as descendants of free and
faithful Baptist Christians. We give thanks for the threads of
faith woven into the fabric of our individual families and our
diverse Christian families across these many centuries. We
gratefully acknowledge those who have made and are making
unimaginable sacrifices in spreading the Gospel, advocating for
religious freedom, and promoting peace and justice, just to name a
few areas. The vision and passion to move forward inspire us as we
are going.
Vector Three: Living in community with family, church family,
neighbors, friends, strangers and the diverse family of humankind.
Among our Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
of Georgia family, I say a prayer of thanksgiving every day for
the next gen-eration of young leaders and followers of Jesus who
are equal partners in the movement. We are mutually built up as we
learn from each other and grow together in our service to our Lord.
In community, we open our hearts and minds to the adventure that is
before us, that of being reconciled to one another and effecting a
ministry of reconciliation.
Vector Four: A daily commitment to the spiritual disci-plines. I
will surely date myself in acknowledging the work of Richard Foster
in Celebration of Discipline; however, I know of no substitute for
the cumulative effect of the exercises of what Foster calls “The
Inward Disciplines” (Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, Study/Reading),
“The Outward Disciplines” (Simplicity, Solitude, Submission,
Service), and “The Corporate Disciplines” (Confession, Worship,
Guidance, Celebration). These are among the fundamental efforts we
must sustain to be whole individu-als, families, churches and
movements.
Vector Five: Giving sacrificially. Throughout this move-ment, a
spirit of sacrificial giving has been demonstrated by all who have
been passionate about the calling. May we renew our commitment to
be good stewards of the financial resources with which we have been
blessed in our families, our churches and our businesses, and may
we give generously to support our local, state and global mis-sion
endeavors. We can do so without “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” There
is enough wealth and generosity to more than sustain the three
areas of mission endeavors. May we live our lives with thankful
hearts.
Vector Six: The wind of the Spirit. The very breath of God is
upon us, about us, within us, before us, behind us, beside us,
above us, and beneath us. Constant and ever-present … on the
journey as we go.
Surely, one can name other vectoring forces which may bear upon
our passage, and as we move forward together, let us share those in
conversation and in our doing.
To borrow again from Richard Bode, “the physical principle
governing inertia is a two-edged sword. It states that a body in
motion tends to stay in motion—and a body at rest tends to stay at
rest.” From my perspective, CBF of Georgia has a remarkable
momentum and propulsion whereby we are defined as a body in motion
tending to stay in motion … a movement that is so very much alive
and at work … living out the Gospel. May these vectoring forces be
strengthened: “Tis grace hath brought us safe thus far, and grace
will lead us”… onward, outward and upward. n
from our leadership
Momentum HENRY D. TYSON, JR., Moderator, CBF/GA,
[email protected]
“ In sailing, as in life, momentum is a valued commodity, the
secondary source of power that keeps us going long after the
original source has disappeared.”
—Richard Bode
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December / January / February 2016 VISIONS | 13Third Quarter
2016 VISIONS | 13
from our leadership
FRANKLY SPEAKING:
Gratitude for the Past, Hope for the FutureFRANK BROOME,
Executive Coordinator, [email protected]
In 2001, I wrote the letter in the following paragraphs that was
published in the preface of our ten-year history, A Decade of
Freedom and Faithfulness: The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of
Georgia 1992-2002.
We are now on the eve of celebrating our twenty-fifth
anniversary. That celebration will take place at our Spring General
Assembly at Vineville Baptist Church in Macon on March 24-25, 2017.
The letter I
wrote in 2001 expressed gratitude for the past and hope for the
future. I hope you will join us in Macon next spring as we once
again reflect on our journey, giving thanks for what has been and
imagining what might be.
“In June of 2001, the national Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
celebrated its tenth anniversary. We gathered at the World Congress
Center under the theme “A Decade of Prom-ise.” This has been a
decade of promise, indeed. The promise is, above all, a promise of
grace. The story in Scripture is a story of God’s grace poured out
for us. Such has been done for us. We stood up to fundamentalism in
much the same way Jesus did in the first century. And when things
seemed darkest, God brought forth grace. This grace took the form
of a renewal move-ment within our Baptist life. It enabled us to
reclaim much of what we had taken for granted. Such concepts as the
priesthood of the believer, the autonomy of the local church, the
centrality of Jesus, the importance of both clergy and laity, a
thoughtful respect for Scripture, and the freedom to respond to
God’s call by both male and female became even more precious to us.
With-out God’s grace, these concepts would have been pushed
aside.
This decade brought the promise of a fellowship. It was to be a
fellowship based not on theological conformity or insti-tutional
programs but on trust. We trusted God to provide a way for us to
continue to serve, and we trusted one another as we traveled along
the way. At the center of this trust was a com-mon commitment to
Jesus as Lord. We were not sure where we were going, but we had no
doubt whom we were following.
Along with grace and fel-lowship came the promise of freedom.
The best kind of freedom. Freedom in Christ. Such freedom has let
us affirm women as they follow God’s call. We are free to
acknowledge the gifts that God has bestowed on individuals. We are
also free to relate to other Christians. Baptists are one part of
God’s family. We are not the only part.
As this movement of grace matures, we have before us the
promises of new ways of being Baptist and doing missions. Old
structures are passing away
and new ones are being born – from centralized to
decentral-ized, from program-driven to mission-driven, from
one-size-fits-all to a multitude of other approaches. God is at
work weaving a new creation. How will we label the next decade?
Perhaps a decade of fulfilment, maybe a decade of maturity,
hopefully a decade of growth. No one knows, save God alone. What we
do know is this. God will be as faithful in the future as in the
past. The only question is, will we? Let us answer with an
unmistakable YES.”
—E. Frank Broome, Foreword to A Decade of Freedom
and Faithfulness: The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia
1992-2002
It has been fifteen years since these words were written. I
believe they still ring true. We have changed, adapted, innovated,
and matured. To the surprise of some, we are still kicking. They
did not understand the power of saying YES to the call of God to
create something new, and they did not understand the power of
saying YES to each other.
“ God is at work weaving a new creation. How will we label the
next decade? Perhaps a decade of fulfilment, maybe a decade of
maturity, hopefully a decade of growth. No one knows, save God
alone. What we do know is this. God will be as faithful in the
future as in the past. The only question is, will we? Let us answer
with an unmistakable YES.” —Frank Broome, 2001
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14 | December / January / February 2016 VISIONS14 | Third
Quarter 2016 VISIONS
entire team. Not only did we meet the people, visit in their
homes, and worship in their churches and tour their city, but more
importantly we developed relationships that are lifelong. Not only
did we connect with the local people but also with the Normans and
their children. Unexpectedly, we spent meaningful time with
American families who also live in Cerdanyola, who are members of
the church that Matt and Michelle have started in their home.
I could go on and on about our work and experience, but what
thrilled me the most was the way God worked in the lives of three
volun-teers who shared their time, hearts,
and energy. They now have a story to tell of foreign nations and
the amaz-ing opportunities to be missionaries, even if for only
short periods of time. What better voice for missions can I have
than three members who give their testimonies of what has happened
to them through their experience?
We are in the process of the next step of our long-term goal and
will begin setting aside funds to finance the next trip. Guess what
— the list has grown for those who want to make the trip! You don’t
have to go overseas in order to do missions, but it is a good place
to start and build enthusiasm. It is working for us
and we encourage other congrega-tions to open their eyes to
mission opportunities.
—Keithen Tucker is pastor of First Baptist, Eatonton. In his
free time, Keithen loves to hunt, fish, ride his motorcycle, and
officiate high school basketball games.
from our leadership
..........................................................................................................................................
We are in full planning mode in the CBF/GA office, as summer is
winding down and we are gearing up for the activities of fall and
winter. The dates and locations of our upcoming events have been
set, and now it is time to work out the details. This is one of my
favorite aspects of my job, as each year new locations and host
churches provide new possibilities for our events. Through Now
Serving: Atlanta and March Mission Madness (MMM), we strive to be
intentional in the ways that we provide impactful experiences for
students throughout Georgia. This year I
hope to put even more into the planning of these events.
Now Serving: Atlanta, in early February, is an event unique to
CBF/GA, a 24-hour mis-sion and worship experience for college
students. Sadly, we have seen declining participation in the last
few years, and so this year I am renewing efforts to involve more
students and churches. Please consider bringing a group of college
students, however small, to Now Serving this year. This group could
include students who are away attend-ing college but consider your
church to be their “home church,” students who are attending your
church while they are in school locally, or even students who
attend a specific program affiliated with your church in some way.
Not only are groups welcome to attend but individuals can attend as
well. The participation fee is only $20 per person, and we have
funds available to help with trans-portation expenses if needed. A
long-standing partnership with McAfee School of Theology for
hosting this event
allows us a wonderful place to gather on the Mercer Atlanta
campus.
This year MMM will be part of a larger CBF Global initiative
called the Youth Mission Tour. Eleven CBF state and regional groups
will be participating in this “mis-sion tour” with various events
for students throughout the year. For CBF/GA, both MMM events will
be a part of this tour. The events will share a common purpose,
common theme, common logo, and similar worship elements. As CBF
state and regional leadership, we have come to realize that shared
ideas and resources are assets for each of us. I believe that this
collaborative Mission Tour will help make MMM and other youth
events even more meaningful and effective.
While much work is being done behind the scenes, little
outwardly will change about the CBF/GA MMM experience. The
schedule, mission projects,
worship and other elements will be similar to those of recent
years. More details will be available soon, so be sure to check the
CBF/GA website (www.cbfga.org) for more information and for
registration information for these events. n
It’s Planning TimeMARTHA KATE HALL, Associate Coordinator for
Congregational Life, [email protected]
Congregational Mission Involvement (continued from page 1)
…we strive to be intentional
in the ways that we provide
impactful experiences for
students throughout Georgia.
madnesmarch missions
Youth Mission Tour:
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Third Quarter 2016 VISIONS | 15
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia
P.O. Box 4343, Macon, GA 31208-4343
phone 478-742-1191 • fax 478-742-6150
www.cbfga.org
CBF/GA Staff
executive coordinator E. Frank Broome
[email protected]
associate coordinator for congregational life Martha Kate
Hall
[email protected]
assistant to the coordinator for networking Renée Bennett
[email protected]
assistant to the coordinator for finance Dawn Williams
[email protected]
assistant to the coordinator for communications and resources
Melissa Kremer
[email protected]
administrative assistant Rachel Greco
[email protected]
CBF/GA Coordinating Council
moderator • Henry Tyson, Carrolltonmoderator-elect • Julie Long,
Macon
past-moderator • Sarah Holik Murray, Griffinclerk • Glenda
Kessler, St. Simons Island
finance chair • Ron McClung, Haddocktreasurer • Neil Heath,
Macon
Steve Ayers, Lyons Louis Barton, Rome
Don Brewer, GainesvilleGeraldine Bridges, Commerce
Charles Brown, SnellvilleNancy Bryson, St. Simons Island
Timothy Clagg, AlpharettaGwen Cottrell, Decatur
Lisa Smith Daughtrey, TiftonSteve Davis, CarrolltonScott
Dickison, Macon
Kay Green, MoultrieJake Hall, Macon
Amanda Wilson Harper, MilledgevilleColin Harris, Stone
Mountain
Joy Huddlestun, JasperDavid Keel, AugustaKen Russell, DaltonMatt
Sapp, Canton
Eric Spivey, CorneliaSteve Stokes, Thomson
David Tew, MorrowMichael Tutterow, Cartersville
Ryan Wilson, Atlanta
Student RepresentativeZak Lauersdorf, McAfee School of
Theology
Kristen Pope, McAfee School of Theology
VISIONS is published six times a year by CBF/GA. All questions
and comments may be directed to
Melissa Kremer at the CBF/GA office at 478-742-1191, ext. 4.
0 20K 40K 60K 80K 100K 200K 300K 400K 500K
Year to Date 2016/2017 Budget Receipts: $29,409.99
Year to Date 2016/2017 Budget Requirement: $47,783.03
FINANCIAL UPDATE | BUDGET RECEIPTS AS OF 7/31/2016 (fiscal year
begins in July)
2015/2016 Budget Receipts: $528,171.68
2015/2016 Budget Requirement: $600,896.28
Over $1818.09
Under ($4,261.15)
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2015/2016 Expenses: $526,353.59
Year to Date 2016/2017 Expenses: $33,671.44
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2015-2016 END OF FISCAL YEAR SUMMARY (July 1, 2015 - June 30,
2016)
CBF/GA Support for Louisiana Flood VictimsCBF/GA joins our
brothers and sisters across CBF in calling for help for southern
Louisiana in response to recent unprecedented flooding. Frank
Broome, Executive Coordinator, encourages Georgians to support
relief efforts in several ways. CBF/GA, with support from
Coordinating Council members, has made a commitment to CBF of
Louisiana to provide funds for administrative support as they work
on cleanup and rebuilding of homes and lives. Nearly 40,000 homes
have been destroyed or damaged by this storm. To give to this
effort through CBF/GA, please give online at www.cbfga.org or mail
a check marked for disaster relief to CBF/GA, P.O. Box 4343, Macon,
GA 31208. Funds will be channeled to CBF of Louisiana.
Recovery will be a difficult long-term process, according to
Mike Massar, Executive Coordinator of CBF of Louisiana, who says,
“Dealing with this is as staggering in some ways as dealing with
Katrina. Currently, we don’t need supplies as much as we need
teams, funding and prayers.” If your church can send a team to
work, please contact Bobby Rayborn at Broadmoor Baptist
(225-927-5454) or Rick Wright at University Baptist (225-776-9474),
both in Baton Rouge, who can assist with arrangements and
preparations for your visit. Mike Massar of CBF LA is also
available at 903-520-9002 to assist churches wanting to help with
relief.
Contributions may also be made through CBF Global by sending
checks marked Acct. 17006 to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, P.O.
Box 102972, Atlanta, GA 30368-2972, or by giving online at
www.cbf.net. CBF U.S. Disaster Response Director Alan Williams may
be reached at [email protected] or 404-270-0772 for more
information. n
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P.O. Box 4343Macon GA 31208-4343 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE
PAID ATHENS GA PERMIT #11
On the Calendar
..........................................................................................................................................
t2016 ......................................September 9-10,
2016BWIM of Georgia RetreatCalvin Center, Hampton, GA
September 25-27, 2016Preaching ConsultationChattanooga, TN
October 27, 2016Senior CelebrationHeritage Baptist Church,
Cartersville
November 10, 2016Senior CelebrationFirst Baptist Church,
Eatonton
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
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t2017 .......................................
Come Celebrate CBF of Georgia's 25th Birthday!
Mark your calendars and save March 24-25 for the 25th
Anniversary Celebration of CBF/GA!
We will return to Macon, where CBF/GA was formally begun,
meeting
at Vineville Baptist Church at the corner of Vineville and
Pierce Avenues.
“Reminiscing about the Future”Thursday, October 27, 2016
Heritage Baptist Church, Cartersville Clarissa Strickland
speaking
Thursday, November 10, 2016 First Baptist Church, Eatonton
Charles Smith speaking
January 19-31, 2017Young Pastors’ Gathering First Baptist Church
of Christ, Macon
February 3-4, 2017Now Serving: Atlanta
February 20-22, 2017Churchworks Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church,
Jacksonville, FL
March 3-5, 2017Youth Mission Tour: March Mission Madness First
Baptist Church, Roswell
March 10-12, 2017Youth Mission Tour: March Mission Madness First
Baptist Church of Christ, Macon
March 24-25, 2017Spring General Assembly Vineville Baptist
Church, Macon
April 30-May 2, 2017Senior Adult Retreat First Baptist Church,
St. Simons Island
Keep up to date with events ... www.cbfga.org/events
