October 1, 2019

Contact: Scott Hudgins (336) 759-3456; shudgins@cbfnc.org

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina is honoring the legacy of Jack and Mary Lib Causey of Statesville by creating a new fund to support the strengthening of congregational leadership.

The Jack and Mary Elizabeth Causey Fund for Congregational Leadership will be utilized for formal theological education scholarships, continuing education for clergy and laity, and for special programs that strengthen congregational leadership. The purpose of the fund reflects the Causeys long commitment to mentoring church leaders for effective, faithful ministry and service.

Natives of Mississippi, the Causeys first met in the youth group at the First Baptist Church of Meridian. Following marriage and seminary, Jack served First Baptist Churches in Greensboro, North Carolina and Gaffney, South Carolina, and the Pendleton Street Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina. In 1986, the Causeys moved to Statesville, North Carolina where Jack served as pastor of the First Baptist Church until his retirement in 2000. Mary Lib, known for her gracious hospitality and welcoming presence, was active in the church’s music ministry, and in the community serving the Fifth Street Ministries and Hospice of Iredell County. Following his retirement, Jack continued to assist congregations and mentor pastors through his work as Ministerial Resources Coordinator at CBF of North Carolina, a role he held for several years. Mary Lib passed away in May.

“I can’t think of any clergy couple who have had a greater impact on North Carolina Cooperative Baptists—clergy and laity—than Jack and Mary Lib Causey,” says Larry Hovis, Executive Coordinator of CBF of North Carolina. “They served our fellowship and its churches with faithfulness and effectiveness in ways both simple and profound. This fund will honor their significant legacy and continue the Gospel ministry to which they have given their lives.”

A dinner celebrating the Causey family and announcing the fund will be held at the First Baptist Church of Statesville on Thursday, November 21, 2019. More information concerning reservations and program will be forthcoming.

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina is a fellowship of individuals and more than 300 congregations sharing a commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, preserving historic Baptist freedoms, and calling out God’s gifts in Christians and churches to engage in Christ-centered ministry in our state and around the world.