When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Wayne Patterson wanted to make a difference. Call it what you will—a calling, an obligation, a duty. No matter the term, Patterson felt the need to help. And Patterson wasn’t the only one. An entire team of eight to twelve near-retirees from his home church of … Continue reading
Over the next weeks and months, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will be sharing reflections from our CBF field personnel serving around the world. These are stories of impact and outreach, Gospel-sharing and relationship building, long-term presence and abundant love. The following is a reflection from CBF field personnel Rick Sample, who serves with internationals in … Continue reading
By Olivia Haynes Ansari Hello! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Olivia. I’m a Virginia girl who has been living in Austria for over 2 years working with a Baptist church. This fall, I was given an internship in advocacy for Freedom of Religion and Belief for refugees in Austria through Student.Go. This isn’t … Continue reading
By CBF Communications “God has sent so many people into my life. That’s how I’ve experienced God’s love.” These are the words of Rosalie, a refugee from Zaire who now lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Nearly 25 years ago, when 9-year-old Rosalie and her family fled violence in Zaire in 1996, God sent United Nations workers … Continue reading
By Jennifer Colosimo A story’s most profound message most often comes from the people who lived it. So, in the case of the first Relay of Kindness, hearing it called “a story of collaboration,” transfers the focus of the story from numbers to people, from statistics to hearts and hands. Those words come from Mark … Continue reading
By Blake Tommey In recent years, immigration has become a central and often divisive issue in American public life. Central American migrants, weary of violence and coercion in their home countries, have brought this pressing issue to our nation’s doorstep. To confront this challenge, people of faith across the United States, including Cooperative Baptists, have traveled hundreds … Continue reading
By Rick Burnette During the second week of December, I boarded the ferry in Ft. Lauderdale bound for Freeport, Grand Bahama. Upon arrival I was met by Pedyson Baillou, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church located on Sweetings Cay (pronounced key), an island just off the eastern end of Grand Bahama. Headed towards Sweetings, the effects … Continue reading
By Blake Tommey At the time Minos Saint Amand met Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Jenny Jenkins, he was living on a dirt floor under poorly woven cloth supported by a few sturdy branches. Even so, he welcomed her to his plot in Petit Paradis, Haiti, with a radiant smile and began to recount his … Continue reading
By Greg Warner A cow is a cow is a cow…unless it’s more than a cow. At Aya Farm in rural Macedonia, a cow is never just a cow. Sometimes a cow is a life-changing opportunity. Or a way out of poverty. Sometimes it’s a community’s future. Or a celebration of God’s creation and our role in sustaining … Continue reading
By Greg Warner In her mind, she can hear the words: “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the Yo-Yo Ma of Uganda.” Jamilah’s ambition is as simple as it is audacious: “I want to be the Yo-Yo Ma of Uganda!” She delivers the pronouncement with her big cheery smile, with only a hint that she … Continue reading
