By Grayson Hester How can the Church be the light of the world if churches have no light? Brooke and Mike, in their ministry in Southeast Asia, face this question every day. Far from a hypothetical thought exercise, the absence or presence of light can spell the difference between robust community and shadowed separation. The … Continue reading
Belmont Baptist Church creates long-term change in Charlottesville, Va., with CBF grant By Rickey Letson In 2006, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship launched a program called It’sTime. The eight-week study challenged churches to embrace a more missional perspective in their congregational life focused on purpose and passion, particularly as it related to their calling to meet … Continue reading
By David Deulofeu-Antunez When we think of poverty and hunger, what images come to mind? For many years, this question evoked images of absolute poverty and starvation. It reminded me of images of global south countries, like Haïti after the 2010 earthquake, or of my own native Cuba during the period especial, a euphemism the … Continue reading
By Grayson Hester It’s difficult to know what to make of Jesus’ words to the disciples in Matthew 28:20. He who said, “And, remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” was also he who, not too long before, had died and was buried. We could forgive the disciples a bit … Continue reading
By Jason Coker Human compassion does not know nation or border—it cannot discriminate. To do so would not be human compassion. Determining who deserves help and who does not deserve help is not compassion at all. Sometimes we are forced to make these terrible decisions—prioritizing help. This is the nature of the deeply religious notion … Continue reading
By Jason Coker The word “pandemic” comes from the Greek “pan” meaning all and “demos” meaning people. It literally means “all people.” The term has been used specifically to describe a disease—a disease that affects all people. Today we are in a pandemic. Some say that we have been in a pandemic for over two … Continue reading
April 30, 2020 By Aaron Weaver DECATUR, Ga. — CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley recently joined a diverse coalition of Christian leaders called the Circle of Protection to urge members of the United States Congress to pass a fourth COVID response bill that “addresses the needs of our country’s struggling households” and “gives priority to … Continue reading
By Jason Coker COVID-19 has dramatically impacted our lives as human beings on planet Earth. Even the United States economy has been brought to its knees—arguably the most powerful entity in the world. The chaos of this moment begs a deeply human question: Who are we? And maybe as important: What really matters? Our most … Continue reading
By Chris Hughes On Friday mornings, volunteers set up six-foot folding tables and chairs in the narthex of a church in the south end of Louisville. The church bears the familiar markings of a post-World War II Baptist church, from the plain stained-glass windows to the wood paneling on the walls and ceiling. But the … Continue reading
This post is from Cindy Ruble, CBF field personnel serving in Malaysia and Indonesia. In the last month, I have handled seven trafficking cases and consulted on one migrant worker rape case. It has been a heavy load, both in terms of the intensity of the workload and the depth of emotion in the life stories I … Continue reading