January 18, 2024

By Aaron Weaver

DECATUR, Ga. – The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship announced today the appointment of Rev. Colin Kroll as the Young Adult Ministries Manager, a new strategic position aimed at fostering connections among CBF congregations, young adults and partner organizations.

In this role, Kroll will lead initiatives to address the long-term needs of young adults in CBF churches, develop research-based strategies and resources to enhance congregational understanding and engagement with young adults, and establish and guide a mentoring program.

Kroll currently holds several roles with Campbell University, where he serves as Director of Vocation and Leadership. In this capacity, he leads coaching initiatives with students, faculty and staff around themes of vocation, leadership and innovative community engagement, as well as provides leadership for the Rural Clergy Fellowship (Thriving in Ministry initiative). Additionally, he serves as Associate Campus Minister and directs the Campbell Youth Theological Institute, developing programming for high school students to explore purpose and vocation.

Prior to joining the Campbell University staff in 2018, Kroll was a youth minister at Four Oaks United Methodist Church in Four Oaks, N.C. He was ordained to the gospel ministry at Cane Creek Baptist Church in Hillsborough, N.C., in 2021.

Kroll received his Master of Divinity from Campbell University Divinity School in 2019 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry from Campbell University in 2015. He is also a graduate of the Duke Foundations of Christian Leadership 2020-2021 cohort.

Brian Foreman, Coordinator of Congregational Ministries for CBF, highlighted the significance of the newly-created Young Adult Ministries Manager role and Kroll’s ministry background equipping him for this work.

“The Young Adult Ministries Manager is the next step in the important work of better serving young adults and congregations in CBF,” Foreman said. “A holistic approach to faith, service and vocation is the foundation for inviting young Baptists and congregations to fully utilize the giftedness God has provided.”

“Colin has developed this work with high school, college and graduate students as well as clergy in his role as campus minister and executive director of multiple programs focused on young people and congregational investment in them,” he continued. “Colin will focus on young adults in the congregational context and those gathering in non-traditional ways. I am excited that he will be sharing and expanding this scope of work with the Fellowship as we seek to build an even stronger Young Baptist Ecosystem.”

Kroll expressed his excitement to join the CBF staff in this new role.

“Each step in my journey so far has been informed by a profound sense of gratitude for who the church is and an earnest sense of hope for who we can be,” he said. “As a young Baptist who wholeheartedly affirms the beauty and the impact of local churches, I also love to see congregations affirming the beauty and impact of the young adults in their communities who are living into their callings. Stepping into this role, I am excited to explore opportunities to invite, resource and engage young adults as participants in Christ’s work in the communities we serve and love.”

Kroll begins his work with CBF on January 22.

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CBF is a Christian network that helps people put their faith into 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.