By Elket Rodríguez People of faith must speak up for immigrants before next Wednesday, Sept. 30, when President Donald Trump will set U.S. refugee quotas for the next fiscal year, CBF leaders urged. The current U.S. refugee admissions ceiling is 18,000—the lowest number of refugees resettled in a single year since Congress established the refugee … Continue reading
By Harold Tessendorf As the United States enters the final stages of the 2020 presidential election and as the summer of protests and counter-protests continue in cities and communities across the country, the following questions keep recurring to me: Is it possible for protestors and counter-protestors alike to express their political views in a non-violent and … Continue reading
By Elket Rodríguez A “call from heaven” enabled Pastor Eleuterio González to help a desperately sick child in Matamoros, Mexico. Supported by Fellowship Southwest, González and his church, Iglesia Valle de Beraca, feed and protect more than 1,600 immigrants living in the Alberca Chavez shelter, across the U.S.-Mexico border from Brownsville, Texas. They also minister … Continue reading
Because of you, the Emmanuel McCall Racial Equity Fund tops the initial fundraising goal before August 20 deadline! Since the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the CBF Foundation launched a fund on Juneteenth to support the current and long-term racial justice and inclusion work of the Fellowship, you have given or committed more than $126,000 in support of … Continue reading
By Andy Hale Since George Floyd’s death in May, dozens of Confederate monuments and statues have been removed across the South. Despite the momentum to have these visages banished, nearly 44% of Americans believe that they should remain in place (Morning Consult/Politico). I’m sure you have had or witnessed a lively debate with someone who … Continue reading
By Marv Knox On the tails of Hurricane Hanna’s punishing winds, the gentle breeze of God’s Spirit breathed new life into a Rio Grande Valley family. Thanks in part to financial support from Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Disaster Response, CBF Texas has started helping two families rebuild their homes in colonias—poor unincorporated villages—near the U.S.-Mexico border, … Continue reading
September 16, 2020 By Aaron Weaver DECATUR, Ga. — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is inviting volunteer teams to Lake Charles, La., to begin long-term recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. CBF Disaster Response and state/regional leaders gathered in Lake Charles on September 4 to assess the damage resulting from Hurricane Laura and made … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed For many pastors September is the month when they begin looking toward Advent. The program year is underway, the stewardship team has begun its work, and the music director is requesting seasonal themes in order to select appropriate pieces and prepare the choir to sing them. That means there’s space and impetus … Continue reading
By Andy Hale Socialism—is there a word in American politics that can divide a conversation quicker? “For many Americans, the very mention of socialism evokes dystopian visions of totalitarian rule and endless breadlines—whether in the old USSR or contemporary Venezuela,” Princeton historian Heath Carter told me on the latest episode of the CBF Podcast. Carter … Continue reading
By Marv Knox When the COVID-19 pandemic forced many nonprofits in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley to shut down, Hearts4Kids rallied volunteers to take up the slack. And thanks to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship donors, the CBF Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund fueled the effort for almost a month. “H4K’s mission is to stay committed and focused to … Continue reading
