By Jeff Huett
Decatur, GA. –Kasey Jones, who joined the staff in 2017 and has led CBF’s outreach and growth work since the Toward Bold Faithfulness restructuring in the fall of 2020, has been promoted to Coordinator of Outreach and Growth by a unanimous vote of CBF’s Governing Board.
Jones launched this work from scratch at CBF almost five years ago.
Kasey engages with churches and individuals to invite partnership with CBF. She also works with congregations to engage in diversity, equity, inclusion and racial justice ministry efforts.
Prior to joining the CBF staff, Kasey served as a senior pastor in Washington, D.C. for 12 years, and she has worked as a community organizer. She earned a M Div. from Wesley Theological Seminary and Bachelors of Arts degree from Howard University.
In her CBF role, she combines her ministry and community organizing experiences, as she engages partners on behalf of CBF and building relationships that are resources for partner churches.
Jones said the promotion is an honor.
“It’s been a blessing to lead a new body of work with the extremely talented and committed CBF leaders Rubén Ortiz, Grace Martino-Suprice, Sean Roberds and now Lynn Brinkley,” Jones said. “It’s exciting to witness how the collaboration of Outreach and Growth with the rest of CBF staff has expanded our reach and our capacity to integrate new voices and perspectives alongside longtime CBF members and partners. I can’t wait to see what else the Lord has in store.”
Emmanuel McCall, a trailblazer who has spent much of his life working for racial justice – as a student, denominational leader, pastor, author and scholar, said he has enjoyed working with Jones, both in CBF life but also at First Baptist Church in East Point, Ga., where he was pastor, and in work for Baptist World Alliance.
“She has consistently brought creativity, dedication and commitment to all she does,” McCall said. “I look to a continued bright future for CBF and to whatever she puts her hand and heart to.
“One of my great joys was having Kasey join the First Baptist Church, East Point while I was still pastor there,” McCall said. “She shared the preaching responsibilities with me. When I announced my plans to retire, the church was anxious for her to become the next pastor. I had a hard time convincing some that her ministry through CBF was special, was needed and should not be sacrificed. I am so glad to see this move. She and CBF have my continued prayer and support.”
Paul Baxley, CBF’s executive coordinator, said Jones has provided remarkable and visionary leadership to the Fellowship since she joined the staff, and even before as a leader in CBF’s Governing Board.
“In the summer of 2020, she accepted my invitation to begin building a new body of work and a new team in CBF’s staff to focus on outreach and growth,” Baxley said. “She is helping us foster new habits to invite new congregations to join the CBF community, establishing dynamic collaborations with CBF regional bodies, while also offering innovative guidance to the establishment and growth of fAMILIA, PAK and the McCall Initiative.
“This promotion is a clear recognition of the reach of her leadership and the importance of the work she and her team are doing,” Baxley said. I’m grateful to the Governing Board for their enthusiastic support.”
Ruben Ortiz, CBF’s Latino Field Ministries Coordinator, has served on the staff with Jones as a member of the outreach and growth team.
“We have been brought together by various projects and collaborations, so much so that we consider the PAK Network, which Kasey has helped to birth, and the fAMILIA Latino Network, which has been part of my work, as twin sisters in the same house.
“Kasey is an assertive leader who inspires and motivates us to do our best while caring for our hearts,” Ortiz said. “She is pastoral yet firm and decisive in decision-making but can notice and respect different backgrounds and perspectives. This has broadened the inclusiveness and collaboration of our entire team. We almost always end our weekly meetings with the phrase, “God is doing new and beautiful things in our midst.”
He said that under Kasey’s guidance, “we are discovering that diversity is not only an aspiration but it is becoming a reality.”
David Hull is the current CBF moderator and has worked with Jones going back to CBF’s 2012 Task Force. He called her contributions extremely significant.
“I especially remember how she was always thinking about the new people in our Fellowship and the groups of people who had not yet even found CBF” Hull said. “This was her own personal story, and she broadened our understanding of including new individuals and churches under the tent of CBF. For several years now I have watched as she has lived out this expansive approach of inviting and welcoming new groups of people in her work on the CBF staff. Her promotion to Coordinator of Outreach and Growth is just the right move for us to continue to grow our beloved community.
Trisha Manarin, with whom Kasey worked closely while serving as pastor in Washington, D.C., and since while Manarin held the role of the coordinator of CBF Mid-Atlantic, said Kasey is a passionate leader who draws others into community.”
“She speaks truth with a pastor’s heart which fosters open dialogue and exploration. Kasey’s presence and ministry with CBF has stretched and bettered the Fellowship’s understanding and living into diversity. Rev. Jones’ promotion is well deserved and past time for a woman who is creating new streams of flowing justice within and beyond CBF.”
–30–
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.