Florida Fellowship NewsFlorida Fellowship NewsFlorida Fellowship News The Global Missions IssueThe Global Missions IssueThe Global Missions Issue A publication of The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of FloridaA publication of The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of FloridaA publication of The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida

4th Quarter Vol. 20 No. 44th Quarter Vol. 20 No. 44th Quarter Vol. 20 No. 4

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Offering for Global

Missions has entered its peak season for receiving gifts

toward the 2010-2011 goal of $5.5 million dollars.

Although the Offering is collected year round, Advent and

Christmas seasons have traditionally seen the greatest

percentage of gifts.

The Offering provides financial support for CBF field

personnel around the world, including personnel who are

serving in the United States. In fact, the Offering for Global

Missions is the primary funding source for more than 150

of CBF’s field personnel.

Each year, CBF focuses attention on work in two parts of

the world, one in North America and the other beyond its

shores. This year, the international focus is upon the work

of Dianne and Shane McNary. The McNarys live in Košice,

Slovakia, where they work among the Roma people,

commonly referred to as the Gypsies.

For more than 600 years the Roma people have been the

subjects of intense, sometimes violent, oppression in

Slovakia. As a people, the Roma are one of the world’s

“most marginalized”

populations.

The North American focus

is upon Ronnie Adams.

Ronnie has lived and worked

in New York City since 1995.

He ministers to a large HIV/

AIDS community. He also

serves with two CBF

congregations in New York

City: the Metro Baptist

Church in Hell’s Kitchen

(Manhattan), and the

Greater Restoration Baptist

Church in Crown Heights

(Brooklyn).

Ronnie recalls the story of

Cresenki, a young woman

diagnosed with AIDS who

passed the disease on to her newborn daughter. Cresenki

became a Christian a few years after her diagnosis and she

began sharing her faith and hope with other HIV/AIDS

patients. Although she eventually succumbed to the

illness, Cresenki “became a beautiful story of the hope of

Christ and what God’s love in someone’s life can do,” says

Adams, who was asked to preach at her funeral.

When churches and individuals give to CBF’s Offering for

Global Missions, they link their own passion for God’s

kingdom together with the passion of amazing field

personnel in order to partner with God in the Creator’s

mission to redeem the world.

For more information on CBF field personnel, the

Offering for Global Missions, or to donate to the Offering,

visit the CBF website at www.thefellowship.info/OGM.

CBF’s Offering for Global Missions: Connecting Our Passion with God’s Mission

Ronnie Adams (left) shares a laugh

with pastor Ken Bogan of Greater Res-

toration Baptist Church in Brooklyn.

When Dianne McNary, who spent much of her life working as a

nurse, learned that many Roma children didn’t have access to

healthcare, she created a program where basic health infor-

mation is shared in a local Roma school.

Page 2 www.floridacbf.org Florida Fellowship News

North Stuart’s Mike and Brenda Harwood Commissioned to Serve in Haiti

Mike and Brenda Harwood were commissioned at their home church, North Stuart Baptist Church, on October 31 to serve as CBF field coordi-nators for mission teams and individuals working in Haiti. The service marked a significant place in the couple’s Christian pilgrimage.

Mike and Brenda came to North Stuart by way of England, their home country, but in March Mike found himself unemployed.

“Redundancy and some blind alleyways during the first part of 2010 had us both concerned with our future,” said Mike. “But God was always there guiding us. We learned to rely on prayer and our church family, who were supportive and helpful. It was their suggestion that we go to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of

Florida Celebration in April.” It was at that meeting that three things came together to direct Mike and Brenda

to full-time service in Haiti as CBF field personnel. First, Mike shared with the as-sembly on Friday evening concerning his trip to Haiti with a mission team from North Stuart. Second, they heard Rob Nash, CBF’s coordinator for global missions, preach. Third, they took time to express their desire to Nash in their words, “to do something, in missions, somewhere.”

For a while after that they heard nothing. Then Mike explains, “Things exploded. By early June Brenda and I had committed to a three month assignment to Haiti as the Coordinators for the CBF response to the Haitian earthquake. In late Septem-ber, we made our long-term commitment to Haiti.”

The Harwoods are now based out of Grand Goâve, southwest of the Haitian capi-tal of Port-au-Prince. They work alongside Tori Wentz and Jenny Jenkins, two nurs-es who have established monthly clinics in several nearby communities. Mike, a former business analyst, and Brenda, a nurse, coordinate not only medical ministry teams, but teams that assist with construction projects (rebuilding a local school and houses), and teams that assist in developing sustainable, clean water supplies.

Your gifts to CBF’s Offering for Global Missions help underwrite the Harwoods’ ministry, as well as the work of other CBF field personnel in Haiti. For more information on the Harwoods and CBF’s Offering for Global Missions, see the October/November 2010 issue of CBF Fellowship! or go online to http://issuu.com/fellowship/docs/2010october.november.

A Threefold Cord not easily Broken CBF Florida partners to respond to Caribbean disaster

Cooperative Baptists in Florida were called upon to assist a sister Baptist congregation on the tiny Caribbean island of St. Lucia, following the island-wide destruction caused by Hurricane Tomas during the last weekend of October. The storm, which left at least 14 dead, devastated large portions of the island. By Friday, Nov. 5, CBF FL had sent $2,000 to Rev. Benedict Jn Baptiste, known by his congregation as Pastor Ben, to assist his congregation, Redemption Ministries, in the purchase and distribution of water and other emergency supplies that had to be obtained from Grenada.

Three members of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship community partnered together to respond to the crisis in St. Lucia. Rev. Preston Cooper, pastor of St. Cleveland Baptist Church (a new CBF FL church) in Freetown, Grand Bahama, called Ray Johnson early during the week of Nov. 1 to alert the Lakeland office to the need in St. Lucia. Tommy Deal, the Disaster Response coordinator for CBF FL, immediately contacted David Harding, CBF national’s international disas-ter response coordinator, to determine the best ways to respond.

After contacting Rev. Baptiste in St. Lucia, Deal worked with Harding to secure and send the $2,000, which com-prised $1,500 from CBF national and $500 from CBF Florida’s disaster response fund. Rev. Baptiste responded after receiving the gift that the support “helped eased the challenge of our plight . . . and a measure of relief has come our way because of you. . . . Rest assured your efforts will not only help relieve our plight , but will provide an opportunity for long lasting brotherly love and fellowship.”

Brenda Harwood spends quality time with young girls impacted by January’s

Haitian earthquake.

Mike Harwood works with a young apprentice on one of Grand Goâve’s construction projects.

Ruined

John Pelham and the First Baptist Church of Palatka ruined me . . . for the better. Thirty-five years ago, Brother John invited me to go on the church’s summer youth mission trip – a couple of weeks on a church bus, performances each night on the way to and from Rutland, Vermont, backyard Bible clubs, and revival services each night in Vermont. We sold bags of potatoes from Spuds and Hastings to pay for our way there.

It was during that trip that Brother John came into my room and said boldly that he and the deacons of the church had been praying for me and they believed that God was calling me into ministry. It was during that trip that amazingly I discovered that God worked in me and through me to reach a small part of his creation for Jesus. And like I said, I was ruined . . . for the better.

Missions will do that. Missions will change the direction of lives, for those who give and those who receive. Missions will cast the Spirit of God into such bold relief that the contours of grace can be seen and touched. Missions will make friends of strangers and quicken the bond of the family of Christ.

This issue of the Florida Fellowship News is devoted to missions. You’ll read stories of God’s redemptive work around the world; you’ll see how fellow Floridians are hearing God’s call and responding, and you’ll find that God’s mission is now in our own backyard. So, I invite you to join us on this missional journey.

And I invite you to get ruined . . . for the better.

Ray

Florida Fellowship News www.floridacbf.org Page 3

October’s Representative Assembly adds 6th district,

collects offering, approves 2011 budget

CBF Florida’s Representative Assembly (RA) met October 29-30 in Lakeland for its second meeting of the year. The RA tackled several significant items, including a vote to add a sixth district, a review of the organization’s strategic plan, and approval of the 2011 CBF Florida budget.

Moderated by David Holladay, pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Jacksonville, the RA heard a devotional message on Friday afternoon from Rev. Preston Cooper, the pastor of St. Cleveland Baptist Church in Freetown, Grand Bahama. Rev. Cooper’s

congregation, along with six others, voted in September to form the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of the Bahamas, and they petitioned CBF Florida for membership.

Later that afternoon, the RA voted unanimously and enthusiastically to add a sixth district to the existing five districts of CBF Florida. The sixth district comprises the islands of the Caribbean. Currently, nine churches in the Caribbean (seven in the Bahamas and two in Puerto Rico) are aligned with and

supporting CBF Florida. Following the vote, the members of the RA rose spontaneously to their feet and burst into applause at the historic vote.

Bill Marr, one of three Florida representatives on CBF’s National Coordinating Council, brought a report to the RA from the NCC. Following his report, he challenged the RA to contribute to the State Missions Offering, even as the members of the NCC were challenged to give to CBF”s Offering for Global Missions. By the conclusion of the Saturday morning’s session, the members of the RA had contributed more than $3,000 to the State Missions Offering. (For an update on the offering, see page 6.)

Throughout the weekend, the more than thirty members of the RA broke into smaller work/discussion groups to examine and renew CBF Florida’s strategic plan, Blueprint 2010, which concludes this year. As a part of the review, members evaluated the organization’s mission statement, “to motivate and equip believers to be the presence of Christ for the glory of God.” After much discussion and reflection, the RA amended the mission statement to be: “The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida’s mission is to serve and connect churches and individuals in their calling to be the presence of Christ.”

In the midst of the rest of the weekend’s work, the RA heard exciting and challenging reports from Susan Rogers on the new church start in Jacksonville, from Ben Collins on the work of CBF Florida with the college ministry at Stetson University (see page 4), as well as the mission connections in South Florida (Open House and Touching Miami with Love), the Bahamas, and New York City.

The culmination of the weekend’s work was the final approval of the 2011 operating budget. The RA, recognizing the ongoing struggles with the economy, approved a total, balanced budget for 2011 in the amount of $452,382, compared with a 2010 budget of $451,000. Sixty-thousand dollars were allocated to the ministries in South Florida; $30,000 was allocated for Jacksonville’s new church start, and more than $17,000 was given to clergy development and investment in young Baptist leaders.

As the RA concluded its weekend with prayer, they celebrated a weekend filled with excitement over the work that God is accomplishing through Fellowship Baptists in Florida. To God be the glory!

Ray Johnson (4th from right) meets with pastors from 7 Bahamian churches. New officers of CBF of the Bahamas

include Preston Cooper (far left), Chief Administrator, and John McIntosh (5th from right), Coordinator.

Rev. Evania Castillo, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Sion, a CBF Florida church in Puerto Rico, poses

with Ray Johnson.

Page 4 www.floridacbf.org Florida Fellowship News

CBF Florida has recently assumed a leading roll in the continuation of Stetson's historic Baptist ministry. The Co-operative Collegiate Fellowship (CCF) is under the new di-rection of CBF Church Planter, Ben Collins. Part of the strategy for both funding and strengthening CBF net-works and partnerships led Collins and student leaders to revisit and breathe new life into an age-old model. No longer simply “Revival Teams,” the students are now making themselves available to CBF churches to help with youth events, run retreats, and make reports on CBF college ministry, as well as hosting events at Stetson.

Collins and Hendricks Avenue Bap-tist (HAB) pastor, Kyle Reese, meet regularly as a part of a CBF Peer Learn-ing Group. When Reese heard what CCF was doing, he jumped at the op-portunity.

Reese, a former youth minister, had scheduled a weekend Lock-In retreat on November 6th, and he had inherit-ed the responsibility for pulling it off. He asked the CCF to join him and run the retreat. It was a huge success!

Students trickled into the HAB Gym-nasium after a Friday night football game. They then stayed awake all night (something with which college stu-

dents are very familiar) playing games, pausing for times of worship and study, and cultivating meaningful relation-ships with the older college students.

Literature on college ministry often laments that churches have given up on college ministry, waiting until stu-dents hit the married-with-children stage, and return to church. If we’ve underestimated what college students have to offer our churches and our fellowship, CCF is leading the way in proclaiming clearly that college stu-dents haven’t given up on the church!

CCF will host THE HOPE EVENT youth weekend, January 28-30, at Stetson. The event is open first to CBF churches. This event will immerse stu-dents in conversation, worship, study, service, relationship and team build-ing, as well as all the fun, games, and food expected at a college student event.

HOPE EVENT material is already in the mail, and should be in CBF church-es now. For more details on CCF, the HOPE EVENT, or to make a contribu-tion to CCF, email CCF Director, Ben Collins at bccollin@stetson.edu.

Stetson Pastors’ School provides continuing education and fellowship

Stetson University’s 26th Annual Florida Winter Pastors’ School will be held February 1-4 on the campus of Stetson in DeLand, Florida. The Pastors’ School, a continuing education opportunity for all clergy, is renowned for its quality of guest speakers, In 2011, four guest speakers will headline the four day event.

Thomas Troeger, the J. Edward and Ruth Cox Lantz Professor of Christian Communication at Yale University, will present on the topic “First Things First: Preaching that Embodies the Two Greatest Commandments.” Rev. Peter Marty will explore the topic “Re-imagining the Pastoral Life.” Marty, who pastors the 3,200 member St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, IA, is also author of several books, including The Anatomy of Grace.

Jody Magness, author of the award-winning The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, will speak on “Recent Archaeological Findings and the Bible.” Dr. Magness holds a senior endowed chair in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. M. Eugene Boring will bring the fourth set of lectures on “Preaching from the Gospel of Mark.” Dr. Boring co-authored with Fred Craddock The People’s New Testament Commentary.

Dr. Bill O’Connor, Stetson’s director of continuing education, has indicated that those CBF Florida pastors who register for the Pastors’ School can claim the early bird registration fee of $345. To register, either go to the online registration page (https://www.stetson.edu/secure/forms2/continuinged/pastors/) or call Stetson University’s Department of Continuing Education at (386) 822-7500.

Stetson’s Cooperative Collegiate Fellowship ministers at Hendricks Avenue Article by Ben Collins, director of Stetson CCF

Students and volunteers listen to a brief

message during HAB’s November 6 youth

Lock-In.

Florida Fellowship News www.floridacbf.org Page 5

Missions and Music: A conversation with composer Sarah Moore

Living Water, flood my soul Fill me till I overflow.

Living Water, flow through me To a thirsty world in need of Living Water.

Sarah Moore is a member and deacon of College Park Baptist Church in Orlando and she happens to be a prolific compos-

er. One of her recent songs, Living Water, has recently been published by Lorenz Music Publishing. (The sheet music can

be ordered at www.lorenz.com.) The song has been used by College Park as its missions theme song. It was also per-

formed at the 2007 General Assembly in Washington, D.C.

FFN: What led you to create this song?

SM: Several years ago, College Park Baptist was develop-

ing a stewardship emphasis that tied together the

church’s ministry in its community and around the

world. The church has many connections to CBF field

personnel David Harding and Sam Harrell. We have

helped them to build and provide water wells in Ethi-

opia and Kenya. Together with the church’s main

goal of telling people about Jesus, who is the Living

Water, we began to use this for the theme. Susan

Deal, Minister of Music, asked me to compose a cho-

rus. As I considered this, the pictures in my head

were those from mission presentations of people in

Africa, hot and dirty from traveling long dusty roads.

I also thought of myself and all of us who are filthy

and lost until we receive the Living Water.

FFN: How may a church consider using this song?

SM: It has been a joy to see it used with multiple genera-

tions with a wide variety of singers, instrumentalists

and dancers. It can be as simple as a solo, or as intri-

cate as to include children, youth, adults and multi-

ethnic groups. It has a straight-forward message

about the power of Jesus to cleanse and renew us

which can be used in any worship service with any

theme, using any genre.

FFN: How long have you been composing? How did you

get started?

SM: I’ve been a singer and piano player for as long as I

remember. The first song I wrote was after a break-

up with a boyfriend. (We made up and just celebrat-

ed 30 years of marriage!) In addition to singing in

my church and writing songs, I am a studio vocalist,

vocal contractor and producer. For example, past

and present clients/projects include “Barney and

Friends” (vocal contractor/leader), the Disney Com-

pany (vocals/contracting/leader/songwriter), Alle-

gra’s Window (Music Supervisor), back ground vocal-

ist (Gloria Estevan, 4 Him, etc.), Kingsley’s Meadow

(songwriter), Sea World (songwriter/singer) and

many others. Through a variety of Christian publish-

ers, I have written and published over 500 songs,

many of which are children’s praise songs, anthems

and VBS songs. Last summer, I wrote and produced

the songs for PASSPORTKids camps.

FFN: How may someone hear and consider “Living Water”

for their church or ministry?

SM: Mary McDonald, a well-known Christian music ar-

ranger collaborated with me to score it for publica-

tion. It is available from Lorenz Music Publishing or

your local church music distributor. You can also

view a full production video at http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=299C6rZxnL0.

FFN: Thank you, Sarah. Keep making music!

Sarah Moore (L) and Mary McDonald (R) at premier of “Living Water” during Kempke’s Church Music Explosion in Daytona

Beach.

Page 6 www.floridacbf.org Florida Fellowship News

George Borders announced his plan to retire as the director of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Foundation of Florida during the board’s biannual meeting on October 28 in Lakeland.

Borders began serving as the Foundation’s director in 2002 after serving as the President of the Florida Baptist Convention’s Foundation for 21 years. Prior to that, he was the President of Palm Beach Atlantic College.

The CBF Florida Foundation began in 1993 as the vision of Pat Anderson, who wanted to ensure that the operations of CBF Florida could be funded in perpetuity and that gifts to CBF Florida could eventually be used solely to support the ministries and mission work of the organization.

Under the leadership of Borders, the strategy of developing Legacy Partnerships was instituted. A Legacy Partner is anyone who has notified CBF Florida or the Foundation of CBF Florida that they have made plans leave a portion of their estate to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida.

Borders has said of the Legacy Partnership that it “is the key to the future endowment of CBF Florida. If many others would follow the commitment of the 40 plus Legacy Partners we now have by making CBF Florida a part of their estate stewardship plan, it would insure the future of CBF Florida and its mission.”

When Borders retires from his role as director, he will

leave the Foundation of CBF Florida with more than $1 million in several different funds under the management

CBF National’s Foundation. The majority of those funds are

invested in three accounts: the CBF Florida Endowment account, the New Church Start account, and the Lucy Smith Youth and Education endowment.

Still, when asked what pleased him most about his tenure at CBF Florida’s Foundation, Borders did not point to the growth of the endowments. “I have been most pleased and appreciative of the support and prayers that I received from the Foundation and from CBF Florida.” He continued, “There are truly no more gracious and called people than the good folks who believe so deeply in the mission of CBF of Florida.”

Now with the prospect of retirement beginning January 1, Borders continues to celebrate his relationship with the community that “came to my rescue some twenty years ago.”

Of Borders’s retirement, CBF Florida Coordinator Ray Johnson remarked, “I’ve known George since I was a student at Stetson University. He has always represented for me what it means to be a devoted Christian, a supporter of the local church and a free and faithful Baptist. I will certainly miss his humor and leadership at our biannual meetings. And, he will not escape our fold too easily.”

George Borders Retires CBF Florida celebrates a Legacy

George Borders and Judy Henderson visit during the 2010 CBF Florida Spring

Celebration at Bayshore Baptist Church in Tampa.

Thank you for your support!

CBF FL Receipts vs. Budget Goal (Jan-Oct 2010)

$41,723

$253,188$210,686

$64,000

$294,583

$229,583

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

$300,000

$350,000

Churches Individuals Total

Receipts

Goal (YTD)

CBF FL State Missions Offering (Jan 1 -

Nov 15)

$25,625

$9,375

Receipts

Shortfall

Florida Fellowship News www.floridacbf.org Page 7

Bulletin Board

Thank you for helping us keep you informed about

the CBF of Florida community, particularly if you relocate. If your email

and phone numbers change, please contact

Marti at:

contact@floridacbf.org Call toll-free 888-241-2233

Or local 863-682-6802.

ChurchWorks Conference February 21-23, 2011

Decatur, Georgia

Whether you serve in a traditional church setting or

create aspects of church in non-traditional settings, come for a time of networking, renewal, fellowship and learning. The event is designed for young leaders and Christian educators of all ages. Join us for non-conventional training led by Allison Gilmore and DuMore Improv. Cost $90 ($40 for students at partner theological schools).

Student.Go has released their openings for 2011 summer mission internships for college and graduate students. Discover these

opportunities by visiting the Student.Go website (www.studentdotgo.ning.com) and clicking on the link to 2011

opportunities.

CBF Florida wants YOU!

An open system for nominating members to serve on Florida CBF’s Representative

Assembly (RA) is an important part of our DNA. If you would like to nominate anyone, please contact Tommy Deal at the Lakeland

office.

By email: tdeal@floridacbf.org By phone: 888-241-2233 or

863-682-6802

Opportunities

PASSPORT Mission Camp Registra-tions Open for 2011 PASSPORT mis-sion camps has begun online registra-tion for the 2011 summer camps. Visit PASSPORT’s website (www.passportcamps.org) for more information and to register.

Martha Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching

February 2011

Churches are invited during the month of February 2011 to

invite a woman to preach during worship on Sunday

morning.

Sponsored by Baptist Women in Ministry, the Martha

Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching promotes the oppor-

tunity for congregations to hear God’s Spirit through to-

day’s Phoebes, Priscillas, and Junias.

For more information, or for help securing a preacher for

one of the Sundays of February, contact the Lakeland of-

fice of CBF Florida at 863-682-6802.

Florida Fellowship News is published bi-monthly by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida, Ray Johnson, Coordinator, P. O. Box 2556, Lakeland, FL 33806-2556. Postage paid at Jacksonville, Fla. Phone (863) 682-6802; Toll free (888) 241-2233. Fax (863) 683-5797. CBF-Florida’s e-mail address is contact@floridacbf.org; Web address is www.floridacbf.org. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE: 1-800-435-

7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Jacksonville, FL Permit No. 440

Return service requested

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida

P. O. Box 2556 · Lakeland, FL 33806-2556 217 Hillcrest Street, Lakeland, FL 33815-4720

4th Quarter

Contact CBF Florida at:

P. O. Box 2556

Lakeland. FL 33806-2556

217 Hillcrest Street

Lakeland, FL 33815

Toll-free 888•241•2233

Email:

contact@floridacbf.org

Staff

Ray Johnson

Coordinator

Tommy Deal

Associate Coordinator

Marti Edwards

Administrative Assistant,

Newsletter Editor

Pat Herold

Financial Secretary

CBF of Florida exists to serve and connect churches and individuals in their calling to be the presence of Christ.

Have a look Have a look

inside!inside!

George Borders announces retirement

McNarys able to serve in Slovakia because of Offering

for Global Missions

North Stuart Baptist Church commissions Mike and Brenda

Harwood

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CBF FL adds nine new churches and one new district

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