By Chris Hughes For Rev. Mark Mofield, it was a pregnant moment full of possibilities for faith and politics to collide right in the middle of his church, and for things to get messy. As senior pastor of Temple Baptist Church, a CBF-affiliated congregation in Durham, N.C., he and the church’s deacon team had just … Continue reading
By Elket Rodríguez The pastors on the front lines of Fellowship Southwest’s Immigrant Relief Ministry do not labor alone. Their strongest allies—their spouses—support, encourage and fortify them as they fight hunger, deprivation, exploitation, injustice and vulnerability all along the U.S.-Mexico border. These women’s tenacity, commitment and passion is unparalleled. They willingly sacrifice most of their … Continue reading
By Ashleigh Bugg The COVID-19 crisis has affected Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel around the world. Greg and Sue Smith, who run LUCHA Ministries, Inc., in Fredericksburg, Virginia, say the crisis has caused them to reestablish their original goals. “This has brought us back to the grassroots needs of people,” Sue said. “In more recent … 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 Elket Rodríguez Care packages brightened the day for 90 refugees living at Albergue Juventud 2000, a youth shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, early this week. Pastor Juvenal González handed out the little boxes containing high-demand hygiene products that are hard to get in Mexican immigrant shelters. “We gave them boxes with shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, wet wipes, … Continue reading
By John Mark Boes Allow me to say something that should go unsaid: The COVID-19 pandemic that is currently gripping our country is scary. We are at the hands of a silent, invisible plague that seems unshakable. Where is the Gospel hope we so boldly proclaim in the most challenging of times? Now, imagine you … Continue reading
By Ashleigh Bugg In Texas, quarantine measures due to COVID-19 have strained government groups as well as small businesses who have been forced to fire employees and cancel events. Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Nell Green and expert tailors Hayder Alnajafi and Munir Masih want to offer solutions by creating face masks for organizations and individuals. These face masks … Continue reading
By Greg Smith Out of the blue I received a call from a true neighbor. “I know that immigrants are losing their jobs from the coronavirus [COVID-19] and many won’t be receiving government help.” Sadly, I had to agree. “So I want to help. I want to send a contribution to your ministry so you … Continue reading
The global COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted virtually every community in the United States. Of course, some communities are far more vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19 than others. The immigrant community on the southern border of the United States is certainly one of these communities that is vulnerable to the public health and societal impacts … Continue reading
By Marv Knox NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO—Lorenzo Ortiz, a Texas pastor who operates three immigrant shelters in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, stayed behind when the U.S. and Mexican governments closed the border to all “nonessential” travel at midnight Saturday, March 21. Mutual concern about the transmission of COVID-19 led U.S. and Mexican policymakers to shut down border … Continue reading
