Birmingham played host to the 14th General Assembly of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) June 23–26. During the event held at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, new partnerships and a fiscal year-end in the black captured much of the attention.
CBF members also approved a $16 million operating budget for 2004–2005.
More than 300 Alabama Baptists from 17 registered churches were among the 2,295 registered attenders as of 3 p.m. June 25.
The CBF is set to end its fiscal year in the black for the first time in two years, reported Philip Wise, pastor of First Baptist Church, Lubbock, Texas. Wise, who chairs the finance committee, said although the revenue to date is $552,162 under the $14,711,232 projected revenue, CBF expenditures have been less, resulting in a current gain of $749,838.
For the past two years, Wise said, the CBF has had to consider dipping into reserves to meet expenses.
“The controls that have been put into place over the last two years have worked,” Wise said. “We are optimistic we will reach our (revenue) goal by the end of the fiscal year.” CBF’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
Daniel Vestal, CBF national coordinator, added that the 2004–2005 budget includes a $40,000 gift to Baptist World Alliance (BWA). This doubles CBF’s prior commitment of $20,000. The 2,800 people attending the opening session of the General Assembly also collected $33,494.70 in a special offering for BWA.
“BWA made a significant and bold step in accepting [CBF’s] application for membership,” Vestal said. “We are thankful for that and so we want to be good members.
“I believe that it is important for us to show our love and affection and commitment to our partnership with BWA,” he said. “I do believe that what is going to happen in the next few months and years is BWA is going to find a new vision and life.
“This is an opportunity for the world Baptist family to rediscover its vision and unity.”
During its two-day meeting, the CBF Coordinating Council adopted a “do not exceed” budget of $16,470,000 for fiscal year 2005–2006, a 2.9 percent increase over the 2003–2004 budget. The “do not exceed” budget ensures that the CBF does not have to make budget adjustments throughout the year, Wise said.
On the missions front, Barbara Baldridge, co-coordinator of CBF Global Missions, announced that more missionaries would be sent to the field thanks to two anonymous gifts totaling $6.8 million.
Baldridge said the money, which is being spent during a three-year span, is also supporting field personnel projects, the Global Missions strategic plan, community development and HIV-AIDS related ministries.
Vestal said his commitment to HIV/AIDS work was strengthened during a February trip to Africa. He said 28 million people in Sub-Sahara Africa are infected with HIV. “CBF must address this problem in greater significance,” he said. “It is a moral problem, a medical problem, a political problem. It is our problem.”
While there, he signed a formal partnership with the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, pledging to increase CBF involvement.
As far as other new partnerships, CBF will become a founding member of a new ecumenical body.
Made up of denominations from five faith families — mainline Protestant, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic and Orthodox — the group Christian Churches Together is “a new opportunity for Christians from many different faith traditions to come together,” Vestal explained. “God is bringing together in new convergences new allies, and I’m glad to be a part of them.”
CBF also signed partnerships with the Baptist Medical Dental Fellowship and the Historic Protestant Hour, which is syndicated to 250 radio stations nationwide. Vestal said CBF is considering a partnership with Call to Renewal, a nonpartisan advocacy group that mobilizes Christian churches to fight poverty.
Alabamians participate
Throughout the four-day meeting, Alabama Baptists helped coordinate programs, lead congregational worship and support the resource fair.
Three missionaries from Alabama were also appointed — Amy Armstrong of Remlap and Jade and Shelah Acker of Alabaster. Armstrong will serve through the Global Service Corps in Los Angeles. The Ackers will serve as career missionaries in Senegal.
Also highlighted was Alabama CBF’s missions emphasis in Perry County, Sowing Seeds of Hope. During the opening session, Sowing Seeds was featured as an example of a partnership that has proven economically and spiritually successful.
The opening session also featured a mass choir and orchestra, a youth drama team and Nashville singer and songwriter Kyle Matthews.
John Kinney, dean of the school of theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond, preached from Luke 24:31–34. Kinney drew parallels between the demoralized disciples of Jesus immediately after the crucifixion and Christians today who cede power to people who have no power and forget Jesus is alive.
In other business:
The Coordinating Council discussed ways to be a more effective board by streamlining and formalizing procedures. “We have become a denomination, or whatever you want to call it, so we need specific organizational forms,” said Wise.
It was announced that CBF now has 414 chaplains with the June 23 endorsement of 35 chaplains.
Robert B. Setzer Jr., pastor of First Baptist Church of Christ in Macon, Ga., became moderator.
Joy Yee, senior pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church of San Francisco, Calif., was elected moderator-elect. (TAB, CBF)
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