June 2, 2016

By Carrie McGuffin

DECATUR, Ga. — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has appointed Linda Jones to serve as an advocate for broadening diversity within the Fellowship and to deepen organizational relationships with diverse partners and networks.

Jones has served with CBFNC as missions coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina since 2006. She will continue to serve CBFNC in this capacity as she also joins the CBF staff. Jones, a registered nurse, previously served for 10 years as associate pastor of missions and outreach at Winter Park Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C. She has also served as a church starter and was involved in missions in Connecticut prior to relocating to North Carolina.

In her work with CBFNC, Jones focuses on connecting with congregations, organizations and communities to share God’s love by providing help, hope and friendship through refugee ministry, new church starts, Hispanic networking, as well as advocacy in the areas of racial justice and immigration reform.

With this expertise, Jones will give leadership as part of the CBF staff to forming and developing a national Hispanic network, broadening diversity within the Fellowship and deepening relationships with cross-cultural church leaders across CBF life. Additionally, she will work alongside the CBF New Church Starts team to enlist and support diverse church starters and recruit diverse church leaders to take part in Dawnings, CBF’s congregational renewal initiative, as well as other CBF leadership development experiences.

Jones shared her excitement to join the CBF staff and extend her partnership with the larger Fellowship.

“I have loved working with CBF for the past 20 years, and I am excited to partner in these new endeavors,” Jones said. “Advocating for, empowering and loving our brothers and sisters in Christ from different cultures enriches our Fellowship. Just days ago, the CBF Latino Network was birthed and is organizing for the future. I look forward to deeper relationships and more diversity in the life of CBF as we work together to transform our lives, churches and culture to live as Christ loved.”

Jones will join Bo Prosser, CBF’s coordinator of organizational relationships, in these efforts. Prosser praised Jones, noting the experience she brings to the CBF staff.

“We are thrilled to benefit from Linda’s extensive expertise,” Prosser said. “She brings a depth of relationships that will help us deepen the ministries of the Fellowship. She is a builder and an implementer. We are grateful to CBFNC for allowing her to share her gifts beyond North Carolina.”

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CBF is a Christian Network that helps people put their faith to practice through ministry eff­orts, global missions and a broad community of support.The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.