What is the future of the CBF movement?  It’s a question that over 100 Fellowship Baptists considered this morning at the ChurchWorks conference in Nashville.  It was a refreshing and challenging question to ask around the table with CBF pastors and young leaders from around the country that too seldom have the opportunity to consider these questions together outside the context of our local congregations.

But facilitator Dave Odom also asked us to go beyond just this question.   He asked us to consider, “what is at stake in that question?  For whom?  And what does this question look like now and how might it look like a generation from now?”   These are questions that all of us need to consider as we take part in this movement together.  It’s not a question that we confront out of fear for the future, but out of excitement for what the future holds.  As a movement, we are always working to be challenged, and transformed -shaped by our tradition but not captive to it.  What I’ve learned today in our discussions is that these are conversations that we need to be having.  I often hear murmurs wishing that we talked about these issues.  So let’s feel free to do it.  When you find yourself with other Fellowship Baptists, ask the question.  What is the future of our movement?  What does the Lord require of us?  And what is God calling us to do together?