By Blake Tommey ATLANTA — “If we want a plan of action for reintroducing the way of Christ in America, we must start by provoking a reconsideration of what Christianity is supposed to be, and that’s a very Baptist thing to do,” Brian McLaren at a June 29 workshop during the 2017 CBF General Assembly … Continue reading
Category Archives: Assembly 2017
Lutheran pastor shares about Matthew 25 movement on behalf of vulnerable immigrants during Assembly workshop
July 6, 2017 By Blake Tommey ATLANTA — “When the church moves, the church can make a difference,” Alexia Salvatierra, a representative of the Matthew 25 Movement to protect and defend vulnerable immigrants, told Cooperative Baptists June 30 at the CBF General Assembly in Atlanta. Salvatierra, a Lutheran pastor with more than 35 years of … Continue reading
General Assembly concludes with commissioning service of new field personnel, call to support Offering for Global Missions
June 30, 2017 By Aaron Weaver and Carrie McGuffin ATLANTA — The 2017 General Assembly of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship concluded Friday evening with a service of commissioning and blessing for new field personnel, chaplains, pastoral counselors and church starters, and a celebration of communion. Four individuals were commissioned to serve as CBF field personnel … Continue reading
Encouragement for Encourager Churches at General Assembly
By Ryan Clark The slides Mayor Ted Terry used look like any mission trip slide show you have ever seen: smiling white guy with internationals, people in native dress dancing, exotic food on the table, white guy being schooled at basketball. The only difference is that Mayor Ted isn’t off in some other country serving … Continue reading
Kirby Godsey honored with Crumpler Leadership Award during General Assembly
June 30, 2017 By Carrie McGuffin ATLANTA — Dr. R. Kirby Godsey was honored Friday evening during the 2017 CBF General Assembly with the Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler Leadership Alumni Award. Kirby Godsey has served as chancellor of Mercer University in Macon, Ga., since 2006. Prior to his tenure at Mercer, Godsey as the president of … Continue reading
Vocation and calling…beyond a pulpit
By Rhody Mastin As someone who has worked with youth in the middle of determining next steps —college, trade school, the job market—I’ve been asked, as one youth put it, “How does ‘calling’ work?” I answered him honestly: I’m not sure. I was the first to admit that I did not always have a sufficient … Continue reading
New documentary on courageous missionaries amid Nigerian genocide highlighted at General Assembly
June 30, 2017 By Blake Tommey ATLANTA — The Disturbances, a documentary of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-partner Baptist Center for Ethics highlighting the courageous work of Christian missionaries amid the 1966 genocide in Nigeria was the center of discussion at a June 29 panel discussion held at the 2017 General Assembly in Atlanta. Cliff Vaughn, co-producer … Continue reading
Forgiveness: A General Assembly workshop reflection
By Keila Blake “Forgiveness is a response you can make when someone hurts you.” Fisher Humphreys statement statically hung in the air as the last of the participants came flooding in to fill up the remainder of the seats. Forgiveness is something we all endure on both ends of the spectrum in our lifetime. Without … Continue reading
Visio Divina and The Saint John’s Bible: A General Assembly Reflection
By Mary Jo Dailey My son said, “So, somebody copied the Bible and drew pictures. Big deal.” Big deal indeed. The Bible In 1988, Saint John’s Abbey and University commissioned Donald Jackson, calligrapher to Queen Elizabeth II, to produce a hand-written, hand-illuminated Bible. This work of art unites an ancient Benedictine tradition with the technology … Continue reading
The future of the Fellowship
By Adam Gray The future of the Fellowship is diverse, and it fills me with hope. The CBF Church Starts Initiative Workshop, “Broadening and Strengthening the Diversity of the Fellowship,” showed the Fellowship’s bright future through showcasing this year’s new church starters, who will be commissioned Friday night in worship. The conversation, led by Andy … Continue reading