Annual Missions Offering of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida supports Various Missionaries and Ministries

By Ray Johnson

W hen CBF Florida’s Representative Assembly (RA) came together to plan this year’s missions offering, they realized how God

was doing so much more than had been asked and more than they ever could have imagined. The RA felt blessed and

challenged in the same breath: blessed to realize that all of us play a small part in the immense work of the Kingdom of God;

challenged to rise to the promise of God to go “Above and Beyond” what has been done.

In response to the challenge to go “Above and Beyond,” the RA redesigned the “Annual Missions Offering” for 2012, and set a new

goal of $50,000. This year, the offering will be divided evenly among the following field personnel and ministries:

Karen Alford, a CBF missionary from Bayshore Baptist Church

in Tampa, has been serving in Southeast Asia among those

displaced from

their homes

following an earth-

quake and tsunami

in October of 2010.

Don and Barbara

Pearson, CBF mis-

sionaries from Col-

lege Park Baptist

Church in Orlando,

are serving in Addis

Ababa, Ethiopia,

with the goal of

revolutionizing the

delivery of ortho-

pedic care.

Mike and Brenda

Harwood, CBF field

personnel from

North Stuart Baptist

Church, who travel

throughout Haiti to medical clinics and offer training and sup-

port to the staff.

Touching Miami with Love, our partner ministry in downtown

Miami, shares the love of Christ in one of the nation’s poorest

and most dangerous urban neighborhoods.

Open House Ministries, our partner ministry in Homestead,

provides hope for a better life to children, youth and adults, in

order to break the cycle of poverty.

Caribbean Island missions, where CBF of Florida is involved in

theological education, disaster response, and mission out-

reach in the

Bahamas, Cuba, and

Puerto Rico.

The Pat and

Carolyn Anderson

Scholarship which

will fund two locally

grown youth leaders

from TML and OHM

who will serve as

interns in their sum-

mer camp programs.

Stetson Coopera-

tive Collegiate Fel-

lowship, our ministry

to students at

Stetson University,

which allows young

men and women the

space to grow as

leaders and the

opportunity to experience spiritual formation from a Baptist

perspective.

CBF Florida Church planting, our strategic effort to plant new

churches across the state.

Florida CBF churches have already received the following: a flyer

to be used in church bulletins to emphasize the 2012 Annual

Missions Offering, a poster to help increase awareness,

(Continued on page 4)

Florida Fellowship NewsFlorida Fellowship NewsFlorida Fellowship News A publication of The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida

Third Quarter - Vol. 22, No. 3

Page 2 www.floridacbf.org Florida Fellowship News

Rachel Gunter Shapard

was introduced to Florida’s

Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship as the

organization’s new

Associate Coordinator at

the state meeting during

the Ft. Worth General

Assembly.

Shapard, who will work

out of Jacksonville, is a

native Floridian and a

member of Hendricks

Avenue Baptist Church

(HAB) where her husband

Tommy is the Minister of

Music and Worship.

Tommy and Rachel have three children, Drew (6½ years), Kate (3

years) and Mac (16 months).

The new Associate Coordinator position is

part-time, but that will not curtail the

importance of her work. Rachel will

oversee much of CBF of Florida’s

communications, including preparation of

Florida Fellowship News, and the

development and maintenance of CBF

Florida’s social media. In addition, she

will lead the effort to “connect” churches

and Fellowship Baptists in the

northeastern corner of Florida.

“Rachel has already affected our

fellowship with her enthusiastic, creative

spirit,” remarked Ray Johnson, CBF of

Florida’s Coordinator. “We are blessed, I

am blessed, to have the assistance of a

young Baptist leader who knows Florida,

who has graduated from one of our

partner schools, who loves the local

church, and who has been involved with

Cooperative Baptists nationally.”

Shapard, a graduate of Florida State

University (B.A. in music), received her Masters of Divinity from

Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology with an

emphasis in Christian Education. She has served on the staffs of

First Baptist Church of Tallahassee (FL), Central Baptist of

Newnan (GA), and the First Baptist Church of Gainesville (GA).

Dr. Doug Dortch, Shapard’s pastor at the First Baptist Church of

Tallahassee, observed that she “made a conscious decision to

attend McAfee for her seminary training because of how CBF

and McAfee shared core values that were important to her.”

And what were those core values? As Rachel said to those

gathered at Florida’s meeting during the General Assembly,

“Alongside the efforts of my family, it was the people of First

Baptist [Tallahassee] who taught me that God is love and shared

with me the gift of God in Jesus Christ. They loved and nurtured

me, encouraged me in my gifts and gave to me the notion that I

could pursue anything I felt called to do.”

From its beginning, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of

Florida, like Cooperative Baptists everywhere, embraced the

truth that God calls both women and men to serve the church in

any and all ways. “That’s why I was excited to learn that Rachel

served as the Coordinator for Baptist Women in Ministry from

2005 to 2007,” commented Johnson. “Rachel can preach from

any pulpit when she is asked and available. She can teach in any

church.”

As Christi Matteson, CBF of Florida’s Moderator-elect, observed,

“I have watched Rachel become a leader at HAB over the last

four years. She has served in the

area of Christian Education and

has been willing to preach when

called upon. We are lucky to have

her on our leadership team as

CBF Florida moves into the

future."

Rachel brings skills, talents, and

gifts to CBF of Florida that will

serve her and the Fellowship well

in the years ahead. Her future

with CBF of Florida, though, is the

natural extension of her growing

up in the Sunshine State. “The

idea that I am now working for an

organization that will allow me to

give back to all of the churches

throughout the state similar to

the one that nurtured me in my

faith beginnings, is truly exciting,”

said Shapard. “I am thrilled that

my sense of calling was met by

this organization’s sense of need.”

If you or your church would like to call upon Rachel to

participate in the ministry occurring in your area, email her at

rshapard12@floridacbf.org, or call her at 904•502•5158.

Welcome to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida,

Rachel!

CBF Of FLORIDA WELCOMES NEW ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR: Rachel Gunter Shapard

REFLECTIONS ON FLORIDA’S CONNECTIONS AT FORT WORTH’S GENERAL ASSEMBLY By Ray Johnson

Florida Fellowship News www.floridacbf.org Page 3

I know that as I write this column you will be reading it six weeks

or more after the conclusion of the 2012 General Assembly in Ft.

Worth. Two events, the retirement of Daniel Vestal and the

ratification of the 2012 Task Force’s recommendations, received

most of the interest (rightly so) and set the emotional tone –

celebration and hopeful expectation – for our meeting.

Floridians shared a couple of connections to the retirement of

Daniel Vestal.

Daniel’s daughter,

Anne England, and

her husband

Jordan who are

members of

Hendricks Avenue

Baptist Church,

where Anne is the

Minister of Youth,

were in Ft. Worth

to share in the celebration of Daniel and Earlene’s ministry.

The other Florida connection to Daniel’s retirement was Pat

Anderson, CBF Florida’s first state Coordinator. Pat is serving as

the Interim Executive Coordinator while the search for Daniel’s

successor continues. Personally, I’m grateful and excited that Pat

has been named to lead CBF during this transitional period. We’re

in good hands.

In relation to the 2012 Task Force’s recommendations, one

Floridian, Jean Willingham, and one former Floridian, Susan Deal,

served on the Task Force. The Task Force did a magnificent job

tackling a monumental

assignment. When it

came time to approve

their recommendations,

they were passed without

dissent. You can read

more about the Task

Force’s recommendations

on page five.

During the celebration

worship service for Daniel

Vestal on Friday evening,

the first two “Daniel and

Earlene Vestal Scholars,”

Emily Holladay and Mary

Beth Gilbert Foust, were recognized. If the name “Holladay”

looks familiar to our Florida readers that’s because Emily is the

niece of David Holladay, CBF Florida’s 2010 moderator and now a

chaplain in Jacksonville.

On Thursday afternoon during the Florida state meeting

attendees heard reports from leaders of several of our state’s

ministries and missionaries. (I know; they’re field personnel.)

Angel Pittman reported on Touching Miami with Love. Mike and

Brenda Harwood, members of North Stuart Baptist Church, are

field personnel serving in Haiti. They informed us of their ongoing

work at building “rubble” houses and working with churches in

the aftermath of Haiti’s 2011 earthquake.

Greg Warner represented Susan Rogers and the new church she

has started, The Well at Springfield in Jacksonville. Also at

Thursday’s meeting, we were treated to a special visit by Dr.

Molly Marshall, the

president of Central

Baptist Theological

Seminary in

Shawnee, KS. Dr.

Marshall announced

to our gathering a

partnership

between CBF Florida

and Central

Seminary to begin a

seminary extension

program in Florida

sometime in 2013.

Read more about the partnership on page 4.

Another speaker on Thursday was Missy Ward, a student at

McAfee who hails from Merritt Island. Missy was commissioned

on Thursday evening to serve in Uganda, beginning in January

2013.

Finally during Thursday’s state meeting we introduced Rachel

Gunter Shapard as our new Associate Coordinator. Rachel’s first

day on the job, in fact, was June 20 when she represented CBF

Florida at the

Baptist Women in

Ministry lunch and

worship service on

Wednesday. You

can read more

about Rachel and

her ministry on

page 2 of this

newsletter. By the

way, that’s her son

Mac at the pre-

school assembly.

Anne and Jordan England (pew on left) enjoy a light-er moment at Wednesday’s worship at Broadway

Baptist Church.

Jean Willingham presents a portion of the 2012 Task Force’s report to the General

Assembly on Thursday morning.

Missy Ward (center in orange blazer) participates in Thursday night’s commissioning

service

Mac Shapard, Rachel and Tommy’s son, enjoying the preschoolers' assembly in Fort Worth.

ANNUAL MISSIONS OFFERING OF COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP OF FLORIDA (Continued from Page 1)

wristbands with our theme “Above and Beyond” embossed on them to

remind us to pray for our missionaries and our mission causes, as well as

to inspire us to save and give to the offering.

In the weeks and months ahead, be on the lookout for communications

regarding the amazing stories of CBF of Florida ministry partners. Flyers

that feature our missionaries and their ministries will be mailed. Stories,

videos, and links concerning the inspirational work of our partners will be

posted on our website (www.floridacbf.org). You will also receive updates

via Facebook.

If you or your church would like to hear from one of CBF’s field personnel

as you seek to emphasize the Annual Missions Offering, you will

undoubtedly be moved in learning firsthand of their experiences as they participate in the mission of God here on earth. The CBF of

Florida staff is also available to assist in sharing the news of the ministry that is occurring in the name of Christ. Call the office at 863-

682-6802, or toll free at 1-888-241-2233, to request assistance. We will all be encouraged through hearing the stories of what God is

doing in and through Cooperative Baptists in Florida, the Caribbean, and the world.

Cooperative Baptists in Florida and the Caribbean are not numerous. We total just a few more than forty churches throughout the

state and another ten or so in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. Nevertheless, the sheer weight, volume and distance of the good that we

are doing cannot be measured.

Page 4 www.floridacbf.org Florida Fellowship News

Central Baptist Theological Seminary, a CBF partner school in Shawnee, KS, announced during the Ft.

Worth General Assembly that it will begin a theological education extension program in Florida in

partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida. Dr. Molly T. Marshall, President of

Central Seminary, made the announcement during a breakfast meeting with friends of Central Semi-

nary. Ray Johnson, CBF Florida’s Coordinator, was present for the breakfast and was introduced to

the gathering.

“This is a very exciting development for those interested in affordable, accessible, accredited theolog-

ical education from a CBF partner school,” commented Johnson. Later during CBF Florida’s meeting

Marshall announced the partnership to an excited gathering.

Conversations began with Marshall, Robert Johnson (Dean of the Seminary), Ray Johnson, and church

leaders in March of this year. After some research on the possibilities of maintaining a successful pro-

gram, the partnership was formed. Much planning and preparation remain to be done, including the

selection of the exact site for the extension program. It is hoped, however, that the first classes will

be able to be offered in the fall of 2013.For more information about Central Baptist Theological Semi-

nary, visit the school’s website at www.cbts.edu. Anyone interested in knowing more about the partnership between Central and CBF

Florida can contact Ray Johnson at CBF Florida’s Lakeland office.

CENTRAL BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND CBF OF FLORIDA ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

Karen Alford, field personnel from Bayshore Baptist Church, ministers alongside three Indonesian women.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to

accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20 (New Living Translation)

Dr. Molly T. Marshall, President of Central Baptist Theological Semi-

nary, speaking during the 2011 General Assembly in Tampa

2012 TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS APPROVED AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN FORT WORTH

By Rachel Gunter Shapard

The recommendations of the 2012 Task Force were unanimously approved during Friday morning’s

business session of the General Assembly after the final report was presented on Thursday morning.

The approval of those recommendations culminates work that began in 2010 when Daniel Vestal

gave the 14-member Task Force three guiding questions to explore:

What is the best model of community that fosters missional collaboration rather than

competition for resources?

How can we refocus and streamline organizational structures in order to provide

leadership and resources for churches and other ministries to respond more effectively to

global challenges?

How do we help Baptist churches and organizations embrace their identity as partners with

this community?

After around holding nearly 100 listening sessions with state and regional CBF organizations,

ministry partners, past and present

leaders, young adults and current and former staff, the Task Force

proposed a number of recommendations. David Hull, Pastor of First

Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama, and chair of the Task Force

introduced the recommendations by noting that they “weave together

the hopes, dreams and imaginings of the Fellowship community. You

have spoken, we have listened,” he said, “and together we have tried to

imagine a future filled with life and vitality for Cooperative Baptists.”

The gathered assembly agreed with Hull’s assessment and approved

recommendations that included a refined statement of Cooperative

Baptist identity, a streamlined governing council (only 24 members), a

missions council to coordinate CBF’s global missions, a ministries council to integrate ministries across Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship, and a more cooperative approach to funding missions and ministries. (To read the recommendations in their entirety

online, visit www.thefellowship.info/2012taskforce.)

“We are thrilled at the unanimous passing of the 2012 Task Force Recommendations,”

said Ruth Perkins Lee, vice chair of the 2012 Task Force and Minister of Students with

Auburn First Baptist Church in Auburn, Alabama. “This is life changing and life giving. It

is our hope that the recommendation provides the structural framework for us to live

into and out of our name ‘Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’ in ways that we have only

begun to imagine.”

Jean Willingham, a former moderator of CBF Florida and a member of the Task Force,

commented on the guiding spirit of the Task Force. “Our question always was, ‘How do

we take this great work that God has blessed to the next level for the next 20 years?’

Buddy Shurden reminded us,” she continued, “that ‘creativity always bubbles up.’ In

my opinion, the genius of this new plan is that creativity will bubble up. Laity and

ministers will be empowered to use their God-given talents and passions where they

best serve our organization.”

Now that the work of the 2012 Task Force is complete an implementation team takes

on the responsibility of carrying out the approved recommendations. Kyle Reese, pastor of Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church and a

member of CBF’s Executive Coordinator Search Committee, expressed well the direction to which the Task Force’s

recommendations point. “I have heard it said, and I agree, ‘Cecil [Sherman] made sure we were Baptist. Daniel [Vestal] led us to be

a fellowship.’” Reese concluded, “’The 2012 Task Force document will call us to be cooperative.’”

Florida Fellowship News www.floridacbf.org Page 5

Pat Anderson (left) interviews Tony Hopkins, a member of the 2012 Task Force, about its recommendations.

Susan Deal, a member of the 2012 Task Force, leads worship during the rollout of the Task

Force’s report.

David Hull, chair of the 2012 Task Force, presents its recommendations

CBF FLORIDA FINANCIAL SUMMARY January - June 2012

It gets hot in Miami during

the summer. That’s why

Jason Pittman, the

Director of Touching

Miami with Love, was

concerned when he heard

early in April that their

building’s air conditioner

system was not going to

make it through the

summer. He placed a call

to Ray Johnson, CBF of

Florida’s Coordinator, to

inform him of the

diagnosis. (Florida’s

Cooperative Baptists own

TML’s building.)

After getting three different opinions and bids, Pittman

reported that it would take approximately $30,000 to repair

the system. Johnson immediately took the need to CBF

Florida’s Representative Assembly, CBF Florida’s governing

body, for their input.

Within an hour, Dianne Forrest, an RA representative from

DeLand area, made the creative suggestion to challenge

Florida’s Fellowship Baptists and their churches to donate to

the repair based on the

amount of electricity they

use in their own homes.

Kevin Collison, pastor of

Island View Baptist Church

in Orange Park, designed a

flyer. Pittman contacted

churches that had sent

teams to TML. The

offering was promoted

during Florida’s Spring

Celebration in Gainesville.

Contributions began to

come in, slowly at first. As

July drew to a close,

however, gifts sent to CBF Florida’s office were added to gifts

received directly at TML and they totaled more than the

$30,000 needed!

Thank you, Cooperative Baptists! These gifts came from

individuals from across Florida, from CBF Florida churches,

and, in fact, from churches across the United States. The

repairs are nearly completed as this article is being written. As

a result of the generosity of Cooperative Baptists, the children,

youth, and staff of Touching Miami with Love have reason to

dance.

THANK YOU FOR THE GIFTS!

A gift to the Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship of Florida’s Touching Miami

with Love from Pat and Carolyn

Anderson, in memory of Larry Wynn.

A gift to Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship of Florida from Jim and

Carolyn Steinhouse, in memory of

Evelyn Whipple.

A gift to Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship of Florida from Sharon

Johnson, in memory of Evelyn

Whipple.

A gift to Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship of Florida from Norma

Harrell, in memory of Evelyn Whipple.

Page 6 www.floridacbf.org Florida Fellowship News

LET’S CELEBRATE!

FLORIDA’S FELLOWSHIP BAPTISTS RAISE FUNDS FOR TML’S AC

A NEW PEER LEARNING GROUP FORMS IN TAMPA BAY AREA

A new peer learning group, with the purpose of creating

connection and community for ministers, will be forming

in the Tampa Bay area in the immediate future. Rev. Phil

Miller-Evans, pastor of the Church of the Beatitudes in St.

Petersburg, will facilitate the group. If you are interested

in joining the group, or if you would like more infor-

mation, email Phil at rev.phil@churchofthebeatitudes.org.

The group is open to clergy from all denominations.

Thank you for your

support with the pur-

chase of air condition-

ing units at TML.

We have exceeded the

$30,000.00 goal.

Now the kids at TML

will be COOL!

Global Women is receiving applications for the full-

time position of Project Director. The primary pur-

poses of this position are to oversee the project

selection process, to determine and oversee mis-

sions trips, and to maintain ongoing relationships

with global project leaders. The Project Director is

the liaison between the project leaders and the

Global Women staff and constituents.

For further information, go to the website address:

http://www.globalwomengo.org/.

Cindy Dawson, executive director (right) and friends

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.

TML - Kilowatt Watch

NOMINATIONS FOR 2013 CBF OF FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY NEEDED

It’s that time again, time to begin looking for interested and qualified persons to help steer the

ministries and mission of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida. If you, or someone you

know, would be willing to serve on the Representative Assembly, send your suggested name, along

with an email address, to Ray Johnson at rjohnson01@floridacbf.org.

Florida Fellowship News www.floridacbf.org Page 7

BU

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IN B

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GLOBAL WOMEN ANNOUNCES SEARCH FOR A FULL-TIME PROJECT DIRECTOR

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.

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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

Third Quarter Issue

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

Rachel Gunter Shapard

Associate Coordinator

Marti Edwards

Administrative Assistant

Newsletter Editor

Pat Herold

Financial Secretary

Serving and connecting churches and individuals in their calling to be the presence of Christ

A glimpse of what’s inside...

2012 Task Force Recommendations Approved at the

General Assembly in Fort Worth, page 5

Annual Missions Offering of the Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship of Florida, page 1

Browse through our website at www.floridacbf.org or scan this tag with your smart phone.

Introducing Rachel Gunter Shapard Associate Coordinator, page 2