By Jeff Huett
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the first time since it began formal advocacy efforts in 2013, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has an office in Washington, D.C., to serve as a base for its advocacy work in the nation’s capital.
The new office space is in collaboration with Bread for the World, a CBF partner and Christian advocacy organization that equips people to advocate for policies and programs that can help end hunger in the U.S. and around the world.
CBF’s advocacy work is led by the Rev. Jennifer Hawks and is rooted in the same spirit and call that motivates CBF’s work in Global Missions. Cooperative Baptists demonstrate the love of Christ by advocating alongside our most neglected and marginalized neighbors.
Hawks said a permanent DC presence is an exciting expansion for CBF Advocacy.
“We are looking forward to forging strong partnerships with the policy offices from other denominations as we work together to care for the least of these,” Hawks said. “For more than 30 years, CBF churches, chaplains and field personnel have been carrying the stories of those impacted by federal laws. By adding a DC office focused on public policy, we can further this work by connecting policy makers to the stories of those impacted by policies.”
For example, Hawks said, more than 60 percent of CBF congregations are engaged in the ministry of feeding hungry people in their communities. CBF extends the impact of these hunger ministries by joining Bread for the World and other coalition partners to advocate for family-friendly policies that will break cycles of poverty.
“Jeremiah calls us to seek the welfare of the city where we’ve been placed,” Hawks said. “CBF Advocacy lives out this command by directly engaging government officials in DC and equipping our churches and states and regions with the tools to engage their local and state officials.”
CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley expressed appreciation for the partnership with Bread for the World.
“We are grateful for our partnership with Bread for the World that allows CBF to have an office in Washington, D.C., Baxley said. “Our presence here will allow us to more compellingly support congregations, field personnel and chaplains as they seek transformation of their communities.
“This location provides us a compelling place to which we can invite new generations of faith leaders to explore the vital intersections of faith and public life. Jesus calls us to love God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls and all our strength, and this surely includes using our voices to seek the transformation of our communities and our nation.”
CBF Advocacy helps congregations, pastors and lay members enhance their missions and ministries through advocacy. It strives to exercise responsible Christian citizenship by modeling an inclusive public witness for the Church that amplifies the voices of marginalized, neglected and forgotten groups. It promotes opportunities for effective and impactful advocacy and offers strategic advice and counsel to advocates within CBF life, creates a place for CBF advocates to share experiences and best practices, encourages CBF advocates to participate in policy conversations at the local, state and national levels, and connects CBF advocates to experts – both individuals and trusted organizations.
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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.