By Rev. Laura-Stephens Reed When your pastor leaves your church, it is normal find yourself dealing with confusion and anxiety. Among the many questions you might ask is, “Who will lead our congregation while we look for a long-term leader?” It can feel personally and collectively de-stabilizing not to have a steady presence in the … Continue reading
By Kate Anderson Albuquerque, New Mexico is home to the studios of entertainment giant, Netflix. Just across the street is a small community of Baptist believers who meet on the campus of the University of New Mexico. They pride themselves on the freedom of the soul, the autonomy of the local church, grace and a … Continue reading
By Jennifer Colosimo In 1999, Ruth Cuellar received a call from Central Baptist Church in Newnan, Georgia, asking her to come to Newnan to start a Hispano-Latino ministry in the city. She was living in Gwinnett County at the time, about two hours away, so she committed to visiting on the weekends. With Rainbow of … Continue reading
By Laura Ellis The life of any church is affirmed on the faith-filled hope that came from those who paved the way, and that others will follow to carry the torch. The congregation at First Baptist Church on Fifth in Winston-Salem, NC, recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, believing that they are participating in part of … Continue reading
By Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed Back in the 1990s, when I was a teenager, youth ministry was relatively straightforward. My peers and I met for junior high and high school Sunday school and then attended worship. We came back on Sunday evenings for a less formal worship service and youth group (which often involved outings such … Continue reading
Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed One of the primary laments I hear from pastors and laity in this pre-post-pandemic time is that many former stalwarts have not yet returned to church. Maybe these folks continue to be Covid-cautious. (After all, most of us have someone we love who is medically fragile. We might even be that immuno-compromised … Continue reading
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper and not to harm, plans to give you hope and a future,’” Jeremiah 29:11 By Laura Ellis In today’s climate of upheaval and uncertainty when many Christians are discussing how to ensure the future survival of the Church, one CBF … Continue reading
By Rev. Michelle Carroll, Associate Pastor of Missions, First Baptist Church on St. Clair, Frankfort, KY Over the next few weeks, officials from 197 nations around the world are gathering in Egypt for COP27. This is the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), founded in … Continue reading
By Maggie Kennedy In 2021 I moved to a new city to begin my divinity school education. As I was shopping to furnish my first apartment, I wanted to get my kitchen table just right. Something big enough that I could have people over but small enough not to crowd the shoe box I am … 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
CBFblog 