By Blake Tommey Unlike the tropical flowers he sold on the roadside in Lomé, Togo, Bruno was withering away. His father, who owned the horticulture business that employed him, mistreated Bruno and refused to pay him a living wage. As a result, Bruno, his wife, Fafa, and their newborn son, Romerick, would frequently go hungry. … Continue reading
By Liz Andrasi Deere Pastors today face a multitude of challenges. They navigate a changing world while remaining faithful to proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. They care for congregants and their neighborhoods and the concerns of the globe in glad times and in times full of grief. They manage day-to-day issues that arise and somewhere in the … Continue reading
By Blake Tommey Twin brothers Assou and Sevi first met Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Mike Hutchinson on the day of their father’s funeral, just outside Lomé, Togo. Following the service, Mike visited the boys’ mother, who was overcome with grief. Life seemed anything but abundant. How would she support her family? What would happen to … Continue reading
By Blake Tommey When Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Lynn and Mike Hutchinson moved to Togo in West Africa, they invited the women of their small fishing village to gather for a conversation. “How can your community have life more abundantly?” they asked. Without hesitation, the 16 women in attendance reached a consensus: “Our children … Continue reading
By Blake Tommey When thousands of Central American migrants flooded into Tijuana in November 2018, a team of leaders from across Fellowship Southwest hit the ground with them, including Jorge Zapata, associate coordinator of Missions and Hispanic Ministries for CBF Texas. Zapata and his team—Marv Knox, coordinator of Fellowship Southwest; Rubén Ortiz, CBF Latino field … Continue reading
By Liz Andrasi Deere This year, Wendy Joyner Peacock is celebrating her 24th anniversary as pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Americus, Ga. Wendy likens her role as pastor to that of a symphony director. She describes it as, “helping the congregation to make beautiful music…valuing the gifts that each part of the symphony has … Continue reading
By Fellowship Southwest Greg Long wants to save Navajo language and culture—one Hebrew word at a time. As a child, Long heard all about Navajo folklore from his paternal grandmother. That’s how he learned to say he’s “of the Deer Water People, born for the Yucca Fruit People,” the traditional Navajo introduction by way of … Continue reading
By Suzii Paynter Recently, a church consultant in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship constellation critiqued our Fellowship, writing that a “large-scale missions model based on career missionaries has proven to be too expensive and too difficult to maintain.” Since this consultant explicitly named CBF Global Missions, I have to reply, “Friend, you are flat wrong!” First, … Continue reading
By Fellowship Southwest Conversations about education begin and end with justice—the right of every child to learn in order to live a productive life, insisted Charles Foster Johnson, executive director of Pastors for Texas Children, a partner of Fellowship Southwest. “Education belongs to every child,” Johnson said. “We have a public trust to educate all … Continue reading
By Martha Perusek “What do you want for Christmas?” Henry Foster’s mother asked him. Foster, a sophomore in high school, said he couldn’t think of anything he wanted. “Just give it to Lottie Moon [mission offering],” he replied. The pastor at First Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas, where Foster and his mother attended, shared from … Continue reading