Below is a brief blog update about the gathering this week of the CBF Governing Board along with a few photos (see Flickr album here). The Governing Board met Jan. 23-24 in Decatur, Ga., to hear committee updates and discuss the goals and work of the organization.

The two-day meeting began Thursday, Jan. 23, with a presentation from theologian John Franke of Yellowstone Theological Institute. Franke spoke to the group about the “plurality of truth” — a talk based on Franke’s popular book “Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth.”

CBF Moderator Bill McConnell opened the meeting with remarks on the state of the work of CBF staff over the past six months.

(L to R): Keith Herron, Kasey Jones, Bill McConnell, Suzii Paynter

“As I look at the progress of the Fellowship from last September until today, here in January, I have to say that we are in a good place. It is reassuring to see the new people that are on staff, the quality of people that are on staff,” McConnell said. “To see the work that the communications department is doing…to see the work that Stephen Reeves is starting to do with advocacy, I am encouraged.”

CBF Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter gave a report that focused on the identity, ministries, state and regional relationships of the Fellowship. Paynter also highlighted CBF’s church engagement efforts and missions enterprise.

“I am guided by our 2012 Task Force and the priorities that have been adopted there,” Paynter said. “The first question for me is how to clarify our identity. What is the clearest way to articulate the identity of CBF as we look to the future?”

“We expected identity [in the past] to be a byproduct of what we did. …Creating identity is not something that should be incidental, but should be something that is intentional.”

The group also heard an update from CBF Finance Director Larry Hurst  as well as reports submitted to the board from the Nominating Committee, Ministries Council and Missions Council. Sub-committees of the Governing Board convened Thursday afternoon and gave their reports to to the entire Board on Friday.

Read additional coverage of the Governing Board meeting via CBF-partner Associated Baptist Press.

The Governing Board gathered Jan. 23-24 to hear reports and updates from officers, councils and sub-committees on CBF missions and ministries.

Members of the 2013-2014 Governing Board include:

OFFICERS

• Bill McConnell – Moderator
  -Partner, Rogers & Morgan Inc., Knoxville, Tenn.
• Kasey Jones – Moderator-Elect
  – Senior Pastor, National Baptist Memorial Church, Washington D.C.
• Keith Herron – Past Moderator
  -Pastor, Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo.
• Jason Coker – Recorder
  -Pastor, Wilton Baptist Church, Wilton, Conn.

MEMBERS

• Paul Baxley
  -Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Athens, Ga.
• Daniel Carro
  -Professor of Divinity, John Leland Center for Theological Studies, Falls Church, Va.
• Matt Cook
  -Pastor, First Baptist Church, Wilmington, N.C.
• Gary Dollar
  -President & CEO, United Way of Greater St. Louis, Edwardsville, Ill.
• Doug Dortch
  -Senior Minister, Mountain Brook Baptist Church. Birmingham, Ala.
• Susan Fendley
  -Attorney (retired), Knoxville, Tenn.
• Wayne Patterson
  -Professor Emeritus, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.
• Camille Allen Snyder
  -Recruiting Director, Allen Financial Group, Jackson, Miss.
• Steve Wells
  -Pastor, South Main Baptist Church, Houston, Texas
• Jean Willingham
  -Realtor, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Patricia Wilson
  -Professor of Law, Baylor University, Waco, Texas
• Joy Yee
  -Pastor, Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church, San Francisco, Calif.