By Chris Hughes Elkin, North Carolina, is a town not known for its civil rights activism. The tiny textile town tucked into the Piedmont foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is more famous for the many vineyards that dot the gentle slopes between Winston-Salem and Boone. With a population of around 4,000 people, it is … Continue reading
By Paul Baxley In a single day, we saw the death of two giants. Today, all of us who follow Jesus should offer prayers of gratitude for the Rev. C.T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis and their extraordinary lives of faith. We should certainly surround their families in prayer and rejoice in the promise of … Continue reading
By Andy Hale These are unsettling times. Such times demands that one has to figure out where one hits on the emotional register: afraid, disgusted, angry, apathetic, embarrassed, sad, indifferent… If I’m honest, which you know I always will be, I’m angry. And, if I have to explain to you why it’s just not worth … Continue reading
June 25, 2020 By Carrie Harris and Aaron Weaver DECATUR, Ga.—The journey toward bold faithfulness demands more of ourselves and more of the church in this current cultural moment marked by racial injustice and the sins of white supremacy, CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley preached during the Thursday evening worship service of the 2020 virtual … Continue reading
June 25, 2020 By Aaron Weaver and Carrie Harris DECATUR, Ga. — “We are all God’s representatives. We are God’s ambassadors.” Rev. Dr. Emmanuel McCall shared this truth with attendees to the first-ever virtual General Assembly of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Thursday morning during the opening plenary session. McCall, a widely-respect Baptist statesman and retired … Continue reading
What is going on right now? Where do we go from here? The United States is in a moment of chaos. Communities are divided along racial lines, and there is disagreement and division everywhere. Protests against racially targeted arrests and killings, police brutality, and racist public policy are rapidly increasing across the nation. Many are … Continue reading
By Elket Rodríguez The voice speaking through my phone carried me to the side of a brother in the faith. He is Cuban, black and seeking U.S. citizenship. He called to ask a sad question that reflects our times: “How can I protect myself from police intervention?” His question provoked tears as I reflected on … Continue reading
By Carrie Jarrell Tuning First, in the event that this article may one day be read by anyone who has lost loved ones at the hands of police brutality and or racist bullies of “thugocracy,” I would like to offer my sincere condolences for your loss. My heart is grieving at the struggle for justice … Continue reading
The Governing Board of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship unanimously adopted the following statement on racial justice in a meeting held today. The Governing Board of the Cooperative Baptist FellowshipStatement on Racial Justice June 4, 2020 We, the members of the CBF Governing Board, express our grief at the heinous killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor … Continue reading
By John Mark Boes I wish all those Black and Brown bodies would not have been destroyed by slavery, Jim Crow, white nationalism or police brutality. I wish I knew why people are so scared by those who are Black and Brown. I wish I could help every person in the world understand why racism … Continue reading
