By Laura Stephens-Reed During the pandemic, when church committees could not gather in person and were forced to find other ways to discuss and decide, many of us realized that we had long been attending some meetings that could have been emails. It does not require a two-hour negotiation to choose a Sunday school curriculum, … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed A few years ago, I was a regular guest preacher at a church in the city where I lived after the minister there had submitted his resignation and as the church awaited the arrival of an interim. On the first of those Sundays, a woman stood up during the announcement time and … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed The Enneagram is an ancient tool that gives us a framework for understanding ourselves and others. It helps us identify the unhelpful stories we tell ourselves about who we are and about how we interact with those around us. Out of that understanding, we can name and lean into narratives that draw … Continue reading
By Caleb Mynatt It was in March of 2018 when Ch. Dr. Maj Christina Pittman decided it was time to try something different. As a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-endorsed chaplain at the McEntire Joint National Guard Base in South Carolina, Pittman is no stranger to ministering to others struggling with grief. But following the loss of … Continue reading
By Grayson Hester Leah Botona Boling woke up the week of June 21, 2021, to discover something she’d never experienced before: In her country of origin, the Philippines, she was trending on social media. From one Pacific Island, Hawaii, to another, Boling was making headlines. As well she should. Three days before – on Juneteenth, … Continue reading
By Brent Raitz 0600 – Rounded in pre-surgery area and offered prayer for nine out of 11 patients that I met before they went in for heart, vascular or thoracic surgery. Provided support to nurse who was vaccinated but got COVID-19 anyway. Today is her first day back after being off for 10 days. 0700 … Continue reading
By Chris O’Rear The work of CBF-Endorsed Pastoral Counselors is rarely the headline of CBF communications, as the work of the pastoral counselor is confidential and usually occurs behind closed doors. We are not able to share much about our clients and their stories and we do not share photos of us doing our work. … Continue reading
By Veronica Martinez-Gallegos As a CBF-endorsed chaplain and Clinical Pastoral Education (“CPE”) Educator, CBF has impacted my ministry in ways I never imagined. After two decades in congregational ministry, my horizons expanded since I completed my CPE internship. After a few days through the hospital corridors, my focus changed and I found myself on a … Continue reading
By David Smelser My call to ministry in 1979 was to be a Chaplain. I started seminary two years later and was endorsed by the Chaplain’s Commission of the Home Mission Board to be an Air Force Chaplain Candidate in 1983. After graduation and being ordained to serve a church, I applied to the HMB … Continue reading
By Chris Towles Out of the blue a young Muslim wanted to know if we could meet. I had been the faculty advisor for the Interfaith Council, an associate chaplain at Wake Forest University, and I had started working with Baptist students. I had worked with students of different faiths (or no faith) having deep conversations … Continue reading
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