By Aaron Weaver/CBF Communications
GREENSBORO, N.C. — “Rather than building thicker walls or buying stronger locks to protect ourselves from our enemies, real or perceived, we are invited to find a new and better way forward,” said Rev. Kristin Adkins Whitesides, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Winchester, Va., preaching in the closing worship service of the 2024 CBF General Assembly in Greensboro, N.C.
“We are invited to become better neighbors, to invest in our communities, pray for the people next door and to work for the wellbeing of all.”
Her sermon focused on Jeremiah 29, where God instructed the Israelite exiles in Babylon to build houses, plant gardens, marry and start families, and seek the welfare of the city.
In the current context, Whitesides said it’s not hard to imagine the feeling of exile, of being surrounded by enemies and to turn inward to ensure survival.
“Despite the fact that we have not all experienced exile, maybe we can understand this sort of desperate desire to protect ourselves or those we love,” she said. “After all, over the past few decades, we have watched with concern as increasingly polarized rhetoric has laid siege to many of the landmarks of our faith and life. Together, the fabric of vibrant communities has begun to fray, and we have found it harder and harder to find common ground.”
“Jeremiah invites his people to see the possibility and promise that is present, even in a place they would’ve never chosen for themselves because God is there too,” she said. “This continues, my friends, to be our work. Jeremiah reminds us that any attempt at ensuring our own safety that keeps us separated from others will ultimately end up harming all of us. The more we try to withdraw from one another, the worse off we will all be.”
Instead of turning inward, Whitesides invited worshippers to become “screened-porch Christians.” She borrowed the image from her childhood home, where her family spent much time together on the screened-in porch—a place where she felt safe while interacting and engaging with the world around her.
“When I was a little girl, the screened porch was this magical place where I learned how to be a part of a community…on the screened porch we were connected not only to our own home and our own family, but to the wider life of the neighborhood around us. I wonder what it would look like if we could live our lives of faith in the same way.
“Living in a world that is both beautiful and broken, surrounded by people who have the potential to hurt us, but also have the potential to help us grow as screened-porch Christians. We could learn how to move through the world and see the world in new ways,” she continued. “I think our CBF chaplains and our field personnel can show us how to do that well. And, if following their lead, maybe our churches can also become less constrained by four solid walls and more open to the movement of God’s Spirit flowing around and through us.”
“Maybe on the screened porch we could learn how to see our lives through God’s eyes,” said Whitesides. “We could look for the beautiful and then point it out to others. We could look for the truth and then live our lives with honesty and integrity. We could focus on the good and then bless others with goodness until slowly our lives began to be shaped by our hopes instead of our fears, our joy instead of our pain. Until the people who once seemed like strangers or enemies began to look more like neighbors or even friends, until even places that once felt uncertain or scary began finally to feel a lot like home.”
The Friday worship service included hymns and songs led by Rev. Christian McIvor, minister of worship, music and the arts at Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C. McIvor along with a band led worshippers in singing the hymn written specially for the 2024 General Assembly, “re:imagine.” The service also featured a volunteer choir performing “Holy Imagination,” and the final sending song, “Go Out in Joy.”
Global Missions Blessings
Those serving in the United States and around the world through CBF Global Missions received a blessing as part of the closing worship service. Young adults participating in mission internships through CBF’s Student Serve were prayed over with a multi-lingual blessing.
Global Impact Volunteers (GIVers) also received a blessing from several CBF field personnel. These volunteers serve alongside field personnel, CBF Global Missions staff as well as Engagement Partners. Five GIVers were recognized: Linda Jones, Cindy Hood, Barbara Best, Sue Bullock and Shirley High.
CBF Global Missions staff leaders offered a blessing to CBF field personnel serving in new locations or beginning new ministries, including Mina and Gennady Podgaisky who recently relocated from Ukraine to Poland; Tina Boyles Bailey, formerly based in Bali, Indonesia, and now serving in Austria; and Lynn Hutchinson, who transitioned from Togo to Portugal. Attendees also blessed Brittany and Casey Ramirez, forced to leave China due to the pandemic, served for two years on the CBF Global, and are now continuing their long-term Chinese ministry in Baguio, Philippines.
“These field personnel remain steadfast in their commitment to the Gospel, and their willingness to go where they are needed most is a testament to their unwavering faith,” said Javier Perez, director of Global Missions Programs and Impact.
Two field personnel were also recognized for their new roles. Dianne McNary, former Slovakia-based CBF field personnel now leads strategies and efforts to increase missions giving as the Offering for Global Missions Advocate and is celebrating 20 years of service. Elket Rodriguez, who has been serving at the U.S.-Mexico border since 2022, now serves as CBF’s Global Migration Advocate
Commissioning of Chaplains and Pastoral Counselors
The 2024 General Assembly concluded with a service of commissioning for 22 newly-endorsed CBF chaplains and pastoral counselors.
“Daily, our CBF-endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors offer hope, peace and strength in spaces and places where others are unable to go,” said CBF Endorser Renee Owen. “They represent us—the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship—and more importantly, they represent God’s divine, holy and loving presence to all people during some of the most critical times of their lives.
Since 1998, CBF has endorsed more than 1,200 chaplains and pastoral counselors, with 900 actively serving today. CBF endorsement gives chaplains and pastoral counselors the faith credentialing necessary to serve in specialized settings like healthcare, the military, higher education, businesses, law enforcement, long-term care communities and counseling centers.
“What an honor it has been to journey with our Council on Endorsement this past year to endorse 22 ordained and clinically trained clergy, welcoming them into the CBF Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Ministries family,” Owen shared.
Along with the 22 new CBF-endorsed clergy, the commissioning was open to any chaplains and pastoral counselors who were endorsed during previous years but did not have the chance to participate in commissioning.
“We commission you to go forth, living out your call to this sacred ministry in specialized settings. We are moved by your calling and commitment to journey alongside others with skill, compassion and love,” Owen said.
Watch the Friday worship and commissioning service below:
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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.