The following post is from CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal, who published this “Words from the Coordinator” column on Nov. 3.
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Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices
Who wondrous things hath done
In whom his world rejoices
With heart and hands and voices
Who wondrous things hath done
In whom his world rejoices
This 17th century hymn text was written by a pastor during the Thirty Years’ War. He lived in a Saxon town that served as a haven for refugees and suffered great pestilence. He conducted 4,500 burial services – sometimes as many as 40 or 50 a day. Yet in the midst of these horrific circumstances he wrote a beloved doxology.*
The challenge is always to “be surprised by joy” rather than “be surprised by suffering.” How easy it is for us to see only what’s wrong with the world and the church instead of being grateful for what we have been given. Our inclination is to be a cynic or critic rather than a glad and joyful disciple. In reflecting on this year in Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, I invite you to join me in the refrain.
Now thank we all our God
Our fiscal year ended Sept. 30. We received $11,988,594 for budget including the CBF Offering for Global Missions, $18,716 for endowment, $3,674,173 for unbudgeted mission projects and ministries and $884,439 for partner ministries for a grand total of $16,565,922. I am deeply grateful for the generosity from Baptist Christians and churches. We commissioned 16 new field personnel in Charlotte, which brings our total to 131. There are now 618 CBF endorsed chaplains/pastoral counselors/ministers in specialized settings serving around the world.
Now thank we all our God
This year (and next) a number of partnering ministries are celebrating their 20th anniversary:
- ASSOCIATED BAPTIST PRESS is the leading source of news, features and commentary for the global community of Baptists and other Christians.
- PROJECT RUTH is an exemplary and effective ministry to Gypsy children and their families in Bucharest, Romania.
- THE RAUSCHENBUSH METRO MINISRIES serves the social/spiritual needs of the residents in the “Hell’s Kitchen” district of New York.
- BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF RICHMOND was formed in 1991 in celebration of historic Baptist principles and is preparing congregational leaders.
- PASSPORT is a premier camping experience empowering students, embracing the world and extending grace for almost 20 years.
Now thank we all our God
In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti we have received $1,412,795 in contributions for disaster response and long term development. We have facilitated 283 short term volunteers and have invested in significant partnerships with Haitian Baptists, American Baptists, British Baptists, Australian Baptists, Texas Baptists, Baptist World Alliance, Conscience International, Mercer University, Fuller Center for Housing and others.
Now thank we all our God
Our continuing commitment to discovering, developing and nurturing congregational leaders was evidenced in many ways this past year. More than 1,600 students are preparing for ministry in the consortium of CBF-related seminaries. We sponsored 97 college students as summer congregational interns and 52 students as Student.Go missionaries. At the end of the summer we convened a conference, Selah Vie for inspiration and networking. We are now funding 70 CBF scholars, and there are more than 600 ministers engaged in peer learning networks.
Now thank we all our God
This year 482 churches participated in the Bible listening program You’ve Got the Time: A Journey of Biblical Faithfulness, and more churches are planning to participate. From those churches $240,000 was contributed to Faith Comes by Hearing to produce new audio translations of Scripture. Because of this offering, many of the Roma people in Eastern Europe, Kambaata in Ethiopia, and Saudis in the Middle East will hear God’s Word in their own language, some for the very first time.
Now thank we all our God
We marked a milestone at the 2010 General Assembly in Charlotte by beginning our 20th anniversary celebration. More than 3,000 Fellowship Baptists celebrated around the biblical text, “See what love God has for us that we should be called the children of God … and so we are.” We connected our God- given passions with God’s mission around mission communities. We learned in workshops and a first ever Essentials Conference. We looked to the future with the appointment of a 2012 Task Force commissioned to bring us recommendations that will align our organizational structure with our vision, mission and core values.
Now thank we all our God
Daniel Vestal is executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, serving since 1996.
*”Hymns of our Faith” William J. Reynolds