sept/oct 2007 fellowship!

CBFfellowship! Cooperativebaptistfellowship|www.thefellowship.info

Fighting poverty a priority for Fellowship network

This summer hundreds of con-gregations traveled to these places and others around the world to engage in hands-on missions. Their trips were short-term expe-riences, but for an increasing num-ber of congregations, their mission engagement and commitment to fighting poverty is long term. Together with the Fellowship, they are following Christ’s example of ministering to the poor.

According to the United Na-tions, a third of the world’s pop-ulation lives in extreme poverty. These 980 million people live on less than a $1 a day, but in each community the needs and the assets are different.

“Poverty has many faces, and [our church] addresses poverty

as it comes, especially in our community,” said Jeanne An-derson, minister of missions at Fredericksburg Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Va. “We are learning that it will take all of us in the world to ever end poverty. It is very much the idea that those of us who can share should and do share.”

This issue of fellowship! highlights the ways Fellowship Baptists are already engaged in fighting poverty and provides op-portunities to become involved. As CBF field personnel, partner churches and organizations work together, they form a network dedicated to addressing the sys-tematic causes of poverty.

“We have the ability to elimi-nate poverty in this generation,” said Rob Nash, CBF Global Mis-sions coordinator. “CBF field per-sonnel and so many of our congre-gations are working as advocates for the poor and in partnership to-gether to nurture fully sustainable ministries that provide water, food and jobs for the most neglected

people around the globe. Our ap-proach is one that identifies assets within poverty-stricken commu-nities and then seeks to utilize the assets already present in the com-munity to help people move out of extreme poverty.”

By Patricia Heys, CBF Communications

In a rural Arkansas

community, an

orphanage in the

Ukraine and a village in

Thailand, Fellowship part-

ner churches are joining

with CBF field personnel

to help alleviate poverty.

insidethisissue...

• Page 4 — U.N. goals align with Fellowship’s vision

• 1 — Newells open hospitality house in Greece

• Page 9 — Q&A with moderator Harriett Harral

• Page 3 — Church spotlight: University Baptist

September/OctOber 2007

northstuartbaptistChurchmemberMichaelseggebruch,right,readswithachildatopenhouseMinistries.openhouseisajointministryoftheCooperativebaptistfellowshipandCbfoffloridatoservepeoplelivinginpovertyinhomestead,fla.

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INVITING All Fellow-ship Baptists to join believ-ers from around the world

at the New Baptist Covenant Cel-ebration in Atlanta Jan. 30-Feb. 1, CBF executive coordinator Dan-iel Vestal said it promises to be an unparalleled event.

“This gathering represents the broadest coming together of Bap-

tist bodies that I’ve ever experi-enced in my lifetime,” Vestal said.

The New Baptist Covenant began last year when former President Jimmy Carter and Mercer University President Bill Underwood convened a group of 18 Baptist leaders represent-ing more than 20 million people in North America. The leaders

unanimously decided to tran-scend their differences — in-cluding race, culture, geography and convention affiliation — to seek a common purpose with the theme “Unity in Christ.”

“I think this can be a conver-gence of Baptists who want to have a voice in the public square that is for racial reconciliation, social justice, the environment, as well as evangelism, church plant-ing and ministry,” Vestal said.

The Celebration will include five plenary and 16 interest

group sessions, inspired by the passage luke 4:18-19. The inter-est group sessions will include topics such as prophetic preach-ing, faith and public policy, HIV/AIDS pandemic, poverty, evangelism and religious liberty.

Jimmy Allen, chair of the pro-gram committee, said the gather-ing has the potential to inspire a new level of cooperation.

“It seems to me that this is a watershed moment for the Baptist movement in North America,” Allen said. “It gives us

the occasion to accelerate a net-working process by getting to know each other, find out where our ministries are being done, establish working relationships at a grass roots level that we have no been able to do be-cause of the divisions that have haunted us from the past. We have an open door to discover common interests in the essence of service of Christ.”

By contributing writer Bob Perkins Jr., Atlanta, Ga.

Fellowship Baptists invited to celebrate New Baptist Covenant

For information on the New baptist covenant and to register for

the 2008 celebration, go to www.newbaptistcovenant.org.

2 f e l l o w s h i p ! S e p t e m b e r / O c t O b e r 2 0 0 7 Inside CBF

Vol. 17, No. 4Coordinator • daniel VestalCoordinator, Fellowship adVanCement • Ben mcdadeeditor • lance wallacemanaging editor • patricia heysassoCiate editor • Carla wynnphone • (770) 220-1600Fax • (770) 220-1685e-mail • [email protected] site • www.thefellowship.info

fellowship! is published 6 times a year in sept./oct., special i (oct.), nov./dec., Feb./mar., apr./may, special ii (July) by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, inc., 3001 mercer University dr., atlanta, ga 30341-4115. periodicals postage paid at atlanta, ga, and additional mailing offices. Usps #015-625

postmaster: send address changes to “fellowship!” newsletter, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, p.o. Box 450329, atlanta, ga 31145-0329

Graham, Parnell, Rowland join CBF staff

Steve Graham, who has served as pastor of Second Baptist Church in liberty, Mo., for the past seven years, has been named the Fellowship’s director of ministerial excellence. In the newly created position of director of ministerial excellence, which is partially funded by the lilly Endowment, Graham will be responsible for aspects of the Fellowship’s Initiative for Ministerial Excellence.

CBF has also hired Devita Parnell to serve as missions education specialist, replacing Tamara Tillman who is now serving at First Baptist Church of Rome, Ga. Parnell, who previously worked as CBF of Georgia’s associate coordinator for congregational life, will be responsible for the development, production and delivery of the Fellowship’s missions education resources, which include Form, Spark, Ignite and Affect.

Harry Rowland Jr., of Beaufort, S.C., has been selected for a newly-created position as director of the Fellowship’s missional church team. Rowland has served as senior pastor of the Baptist Church of Beaufort since 1996. As the director of the missional church team, which operates within CBF Global Missions, Rowland will facilitate the engagement of local congregations in global mission.

CBF-endorsed chaplains honored

CBF-endorsed chaplain Patricia Coley was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for meritorious service. Coley, a Navy lieutenant, serves on the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk.

O. Errol Simmons, a CBF endorsed chaplain, was recognized as National Senior Chaplain of the Year by the Civil Air Patrol

(CAP), a civilian auxiliary organization supporting the United States Air Force. CAP supports U.S. Air Force active duty and reserve chaplains and assists national relief organizations during disasters. Simmons is a part of the Mississippi Wing, which was heavily involved in ministering after hurricane Katrina.

CBF Georgia names missions coordinator

R. Scott Ford is the new associate coordinator for missions at CBF/GA. He has been the minister of education and youth at Haven Fellowship Baptist Church in Conyers, Ga., for five years and the March Mission Madness coordinator for CBF/GA for seven years.

Church starts specialist Hester retires

Phil Hester, the Fellowship’s specialist for new church starts, has announced he will retire at the end of this year. For the past seven years, Hester has helped start churches in

21 different states. He also created and facilitated the annual CBF Boot Camp for Church Starts, which helps prepare church planters to start churches.

“Phil Hester has brought new church starts to the forefront of this movement,” said Bo Prosser, the Fellowship’s coordinator of congregational life. “He has worked hard to plant churches that will make a difference in this Fellowship. He has been diligent about raising money, training church starters and challenging us all to participate in new work.”

Baylor names associate dean

Dennis Tucker has been named the new associate dean at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, a Fellowship partner school. Tucker, who joined the Truett faculty in 2002, said he will primarily focus on academic matters, including the continual improvement in faculty development opportunities and assessment of the seminary’s educational experience. He also will continue to teach in the classroom.

CBF of North Carolina hires new personnel

Jack Causey has been called as CBF of North Carolina’s ministerial resources coordinator to work with reference and referral and the development of a state-wide interim ministry network. Wanda Kidd is serving as college ministry consultant and will assist congregations in efforts to minister with college students.

c O O p e r a t i v e b a p t i S t F e l l O w S H i p

Millennium Development Goals and CBFBy CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal

In September 2000, 189 nations, includ-ing the U.S., affirmed a set of international development goals in the United Nations Millennium Declaration. Known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), they have helped focus the energy and resources of the nations of the world on a common vision to address the issues of poverty, hunger and health.

By 2015 the goals are to:1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger2. Achieve universal primary education3. Promote gender equality and

empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and

other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for

development.This year’s General Assembly approved

a motion that “the Coordinating Council investigate the feasibility and means by which the CBF might be involved in acting with other bodies to reach the U.N. MDGs.” What an exciting and energizing challenge.

In his book, “Crises in the Village” Robert Franklin, president of Morehouse College, suggests five phases of faith-based public ministry: charity, support, social services, justice, transformation. He then offers a model of spiritual renewal in public ministry from the book, “The Wisdom Community” by the African American Catholic theologian Edward Braxton: religious, theocentric, chris-tocentric, ecclesial, intellectual, moral.

He then quotes the famous words by Reinhold Niebuhr: “Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime. Therefore, we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immedi-ate context of history. Therefore, we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, how-ever virtuous, can be accomplished alone. Therefore we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our own standpoint. Therefore, we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness.”

My conviction is that all of us have much to learn about being the presence of Christ as a missional people. We have much to learn how God is at work in the world (U.N., ONE Campaign, government and non-government organizations) and in the Church (congregations, Micah Chal-lenge, Baptist World Alliance, Bread for the World, Together for Hope, missionaries). We have much to learn from Scripture, from one another and most of all from the living Christ. My prayer is that this year will be one of learning. And then in learning we will discover what God would have us be and do — as individuals, as families, as congregations and as a Fellowship.

Sept. 7-9, 21-23CbfofnorthCarolinafallYouthretreats

myrtle beach, S.c.info: www.cbfnc.org

Sept. 15regional11on11project

info: John mitchell, [email protected] or (888) 245-4223

Sept. 21-22forginganewChurchstartsCultureConference

birmingham, ala.info: [email protected]

Sept. 17-18Ministersretreat

windermere conference center, mo.info: www.cbfmo.org

Sept. 23-25MercerpreachingConsultation

St. Simons island, Ga.info: www.centerforbaptiststudies.org

Sept. 24-26Cbfspiritualformationretreatforpastors

Fruitland park, Fla.info: [email protected] or

(770) 220-1648

Oct. 5-6bwiMofGeorgiafallretreat

Hampton, Ga.info: [email protected]

Oct. 14-17MissourifellowshipGathering

multiple locationsinfo: www.cbfmo.org/events

Oct. 15worshipinYourworld:enablingandencouragingthosewhoplanandleadworshipinsmallCongregations

Samford University, birmingham, ala.info: [email protected] or

(205) 726-4064

Oct. 27CbfMidwestannualGeneralassembly

ashworth road baptist church, west Des moines, iowa

info: www.cbfmidwest.org

NOv. 2-4northCarolinaMissionsinitiative

Henderson/littleton area, Ncinfo: www.cbfnc.org

NOv. 4-5CbfofGeorgiafallConvocation

First baptist church of Savannah, Ga.info: www.cbfga.org

NOv. 13CbfofnorthCarolinafallfellowshipGathering

First baptist church, Greensboro, N.c.info: www.cbfnc.org

Upcoming Events

fellowship Roundup

philhester

3f e l l o w s h i p ! S e p t e m b e r / O c t O b e r 2 0 0 7Inside CBF

• • • • • •

LuAnne PrevostFor two years, luanne prevost has been enrolled

in classes at central baptist theological Seminary’s

satellite campus in murfreesboro, tenn. For a few

weeks this summer, prevost left the classroom and

immersed herself in the ministry of metro baptist

church’s rauschenbusch metro ministries in New York

city, a Fellowship partner.

“God was everywhere,” prevost said. “i saw it

in the faces of every man, woman and child which i

encountered. the mix of ethnicity in the city is amazing,

and i was reminded of paul’s words to the Galatians — there is no difference, we

are all one in Jesus christ. i saw God at every corner, and it was beautiful.”

prevost, who has three children and works as a personal trainer, has been

a member of First baptist church of Knoxville, tenn., for 25 years. She said the

satellite campus has made it possible for her to pursue her calling without the

upheaval of changing jobs, leaving her church and uprooting her family.

• • • • • •

Daniel Mathanganimore than 30 undergraduate and graduate

students worked alongside cbF Global missions field

personnel and partners this summer, participating

in hands-on missions. Daniel mathangani, a native of

birmingham, ala. and sophomore at Jacksonville State,

served at camp Fraser in Great Falls, va.

the camp is sponsored by calvary baptist church

in washington, D.c., and its mission is to provide

inner-city children with opportunities to grow physically,

spiritually, mentally and socially. the campers, who

are 7 to 13 years old, spend a week participating in activities such as rafting,

camping, climbing and worship.

“i wanted to allow these kids to be kids for a week,” mathangani said. “many

come from single parent homes where they are required to help out a lot and

have more responsibilities than most kids their age. i tried to build relationships

with them that went beyond one week — to be their friend and mentor.”

• • • • • •

Wanda KiddcbF of North carolina recently hired wanda Kidd

as college ministry consultant. Kidd, who retired after

13 years as the baptist campus minister at western

carolina University, will assist North carolina leaders,

congregations and partners in developing ministries

for college students. Kidd believes fear is the greatest

hurdle to reaching young adults.

“we are afraid that they will not like us, so we avoid

the possibility of rejection by hiding behind institutional

invitations — we ask them to work with our youth, keep the nursery or sing in

the choir,” Kidd said. “we are afraid to listen to the music that they have on their

ipods for fear that we will not like what we hear, but we want them to come to

church and sing our songs that are foreign to their lives.”

Kidd challenges churches to engage young adults not by simply adding a new

staff person, but making it a desire and mission of the whole church.

• • • • • •

Graham WalkerGraham walker, associate dean and professor of

theology at mcafee School of theology, is participating

this year in a poverty truth commission. the

commission has provided a forum for individuals from

the U.S. to testify on the injustices they face as a result

of living in poverty. walker has served as one of the

commissioners, bearing witness to the testimonies.

“Of all the things we talk about in christian

theology, Jesus is central,” walker said. “we all want

to be ‘red-letter christians.’ Jesus talked more about

the inequality between the poor and the wealthy than any other topic, and it is still

a central topic to christian theology.”

as the commission moves from dialogue to response, walker will focus on how

christian theology has endorsed global injustice in the past and how the christian

message can be a catalyst for social change in the present and future. in October,

walker will meet with other theologians, social activists and leaders at the 2007

bonhoeffer lectures to further discuss strategies of social change in a global context.

Fellowship People

luanneprevost

DanielMathangani

wandaKidd

A Look Backn 9 years ago

For the first time, CBF endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors.

n 6 years agoTogether For Hope, the Fellowship’s 20-year commitment to work alongside people

in 20 poorest counties in the U.S., was created.

n 3 years agoCBF launched the Spiritual Formation Network.

w w w . t h e f e l l o w s h i p . i n f o

Photographs document-ing an immigrant’s journey, masquerade

masks and a variety of paintings were all part of supporting CBF’s HIV/AIDS ministry in Africa and reaching out to a transitioning Baltimore community.

University Baptist Church recently hosted “Art Under the Dome,” a two-week show, with participating artists donating 20 percent of the proceeds to the Fellowship’s HIV/AIDS ministry in Africa.

The church was already planning an art show when members studied Affect, the Fellowship’s missions education resource for adults. They learned about Ana Marie and Scott Houser, CBF Global Missions field personnel who work among HIV/AIDS caregivers in South Africa.

“Our church is extremely interested in missions,” said Robin Anderson, associate pastor of education and outreach. Through

Affect, “the church got excited about AIDS ministry. The art gallery was a separate idea. Then the idea became, ‘let’s connect the two.’”

The art show was more than a ministry to those affected by HIV/AIDS, it was also an opportunity to reach out to local artists and to the surrounding neighborhood.

“University Baptist Church seeks to care for our community by valuing the expression of our local artists,” Anderson said. “Through ‘Art Under the Dome,’ we hoped to bring our community together by celebrating our artists, listening to their voices and working together to help others.”

By Carla Wynn Davis, CBF Communications

University Baptist, Baltimore, Md.

ChurchmemberandartistKandrawynnebellancadiscussesapieceofartworkwithDaynaengandtomburns.

as the associate for cbF’s face2face speaker’s bureau, amy morris serves as a contact between churches and the Fellowship. through direct communication with churches, morris assesses the needs of congregations and connects them with the appropriate field personnel, congregational life experts, missional church speakers, Fellowship leaders and topical speakers.

Hometown: millbrook, ala.

Education: troy University

Church membership: North river baptist church, roswell, Ga.

Interesting Fact: amy’s husband, chuck, works at a non-profit organization, Serve management Group, which plans mission trips around the world for groups, primarily baptist churches.

“my face2face job is meaningful because it is a channel for relationship building and the exchange of information between our churches and our speakers. i love to hear church members tell me, after a speaker has visited, that their experience was life-changing, that their perspective on global missions or missional church or the Fellowship has deepened and that they’re excited. and i love to hear speakers come back and tell me how excited they are about new relationships with a church, a new ‘family’ that they feel a part of. i get to help with that connection — partnering churches with field personnel and their mission.”

if you are interested in scheduling a speaker through face2face contact amy morris at [email protected] or (770) 220-1630.

meet Amy Morris

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4 f e l l o w s h i p ! S e p t e m b e r / O c t O b e r 2 0 0 7

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerIn Ukraine, more than 17,000

children are homeless. These street children often live under buildings, in heating and sewage tunnels or wherever they can find shelter. They scrounge the streets for food and sometimes steal so they can eat.

CBF field personnel Gennady and Mina Podgaisky live and work in Kiev, Ukraine, helping to provide not only food but homes for the street children. The Podgaiskys, along with hundreds of Fellowship partner church members, have helped to create a residential foster care facility. They also partner with ministries around Kiev, supporting feeding stations and medical care for street children.

2. Achieve universal primary educationIn China, children born with cerebral

palsy are frequently abandoned by their families primarily because of poverty and limited services. It has been estimated that there are more than 1.78 million children in China with cerebral palsy, a motor skills impairment due to brain damage. While there is no known cure for cerebral palsy, most children benefit from early intervention and education.

Brenda lisenby serves in China as one of the Fellowship’s representatives. She works with Angel House Rehabilitation and Education Center in the Guangxi Province, one of the few schools in the country designed specifically to serve children with cerebral palsy.

3. Promote general equality and empower womenIn India, teenage girls without a high

school education often end up making just 25 cents a day. As the southern region of the country continues to rebuild after the 2005 tsunami, local industries are still recovering and job opportunities for women are limited.

In villages like Sardu Kadapa, CBF field personnel are facilitating vocational

training for girls and women. Through sewing centers, women learn skills that will help them earn approximately $2 a day by sewing dresses and provide vital incomes for their families. 4. Reduce child mortality

Along a river in Southeast Asia, children are living in “poverty that kills.” Parents struggle to provide the most basic needs for their children — food, water, clothing and shel-ter. For children without access to medical care, treatable illnesses such as vomiting and diarrhea can be life-threatening.

Using a river boat equipped with medical exam rooms, CBF field personnel, along with doctors and nurses from CBF partner churches, provide medical services to adults and children who live along the river. On average 70 patients, who would otherwise not have access to medical care, receive treatment each day on the boat.

5. Improve maternal healthIn Haiti, 80 percent of the population

are too poor to pay for medical care, and skilled medical professionals are often overworked and underpaid. Without the proper healthcare infrastructure, women

are at high risk to develop complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

CBF affiliates Nancy and Steve James use their medical training to reach out to the people of Haiti. Maternal health is a concern for Haitians living in poverty. As the James travel to small, rural medical clinics, they provide staff with training, including education related to pregnancy and childbirth.

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseasesAround the world, an estimated 39.5

million people are living with HIV/AIDS, according to the United Nations. And during 2006, approximately 3 million people died from AIDS-related causes, including malaria and tuberculosis.

The Fellowship’s AIDS Network is a community of churches, individuals and organizations who work with HIV/AIDS ministries. In New York City, CBF field personnel Ronnie Adams and Taisha Rose partner with local organizations to minister to people living with HIV/

AIDS. In other parts of the world, CBF field personnel are caring for children orphaned by AIDS, caregivers of AIDS patients, and providing basic necessities and medicine.

7. Ensure environmental sustainability

In Africa, the United Nations reports that more than 300 million people lack access to clean water. Without clean water, water-borne illnesses such as guinea worm and cholera spread quickly, droughts can be deadly and food scarce.

CBF field personnel work in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa, and with funding from the Fellowship, help build water wells. One well, which costs approximately $2,000 to build, can provide uncontaminated water to an entire village and help lift Africans out of poverty.

8. Develop a global partnership for developmentIn Macedonia, environmental issues

such as polluted rivers, dying lakes and destruction of natural resources and habitats affect the quality of life. For example, lake Doiran has provided for the livelihood of local fisherman, but as the lake has dried the fisherman struggle to support their families.

CBF Global Missions field personnel Darrell and Kathy Smith live in Macedonia and work with national and international organizations in environmental protection efforts. As part of his ministry, Darrell, who has a doctorate in ecology, not only gathers environmental data for international organizations, but also develops infrastructures to support agriculture and clean water and sewage systems.

If you are interested in financially supporting any of these ministries, give to the CBF Offering for Global Missions by using the enclosed envelope. For more information about getting involved in partnership opportunities, please call CBF at (800) 352-8741.

By Patricia Heys, CBF Communications

Poverty

In 2000, the United Nations announced eight goals related to reaching the needs of the world’s poor and established a target date of the year

2015 for reaching the goals. The goals provide a framework for countries, development institutions, non-profit organizations and others to

work together toward a common end.

Almost a decade before the U.N. established the Millennium Development Goals, the Cooperative Baptist

Fellowship was focused on ministering to the world’s most neglected and marginalized people. Since then, the CBF

Global Missions network of field personnel, churches and partners has been working to alleviate poverty around

the world in a variety of ways.

Below are a few examples of how the U.N. Millennium Development Goals align with the Fellowship’s vision of being the presence of Christ in

the world.

U.N. Millennium Development Goals

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insoutheastasia,Cbffieldpersonnelprovidemedicalcaretochildrenwhowouldotherwisenothaveaccesstotreatment.

ronnieadams,oneofCbf’sfieldpersonnel,ministersinnewYorkCitytopeoplelivingwithhiv/aiDs.

5


f e l l o w s h i p ! S e p t e m b e r / O c t O b e r 2 0 0 7

“We feel like we’re being led by Jesus to be there,” said church member Kendall Shehane. “As long as the lord wants us there, we’ll be there.”

Pintlala was among the first churches to be involved with a ministry called Sowing Seeds of Hope (SSH), which began in the late 1990s as a group of local residents collaborated to reverse the county’s economic downturn. leadership from AlabamaCBF has partnered with SSH since its beginning and the Fellowship’s supportive presence in the county continues to grow.

“My hope is that … [people will] be touched by the love of Christ and that all these programs will be vehicles in which they will understand the depth of God’s love for them and the way that God cares for not only their spiritual needs but also every need that they have,” said Brent McDougal, AlabamaCBF coordinator.

Hope is sown daily in Perry County through a variety of community develop-ment efforts aimed at reducing poverty — helping homeowners renovate, providing health advocacy and screening, cultivating education opportunities, promoting tour-ism, making arts and humanities events accessible, and bringing hope through spiritual and social development.

“We’re about change and making a difference,” said SSH executive director Frances Ford. “We’re about not looking at how things can remain the way they are but looking to see what we can do to change and make a way for a better Perry County.”

Perry County’s economy began to lag in the mid-1900s, when this former plantation-based community continued to focus on agricultural industry while other communities were diversifying industry as technology boomed. Although economically struggling, Perry has assets and resources in its own residents, who want to make a lasting difference, Ford said.

“I would like to see Perry County grow — better jobs, better housing, hospitals,” said Perry County resident Dorothy Hornbuckle. “I would like to see our community as a whole work together to get these things because it’s not one person’s job. It takes everybody working together. And if everybody works together, then … even though we’re a poor county, we can have as fine a community as anywhere.”

local leaders believe when residents’ gifts, time and talents can be linked with community needs and desires, Perry

County can grow stronger. Fellowship Baptists have helped make some of these connections and continue to be a supportive presence

among local leaders.“Together for Hope respects Sowing

Seeds of Hope, encouraging its leadership and celebrating its effective practices,” said Tom Prevost, manager of Together

for Hope, the Fellowship’s rural poverty initiative in 20 of the poorest counties in the United States. “It has also provided partnership funding and a resource network of like-minded Baptists and other persons who are fighting to reduce poverty.”

Along with Pintlala Baptist, hundreds of Fellowship Baptists bring skills, resources, tourism dollars, friendship and inspiration to Perry County each year.

“Volunteers provide an opportunity for the locals to stand back and say, ‘This is something I see them doing and we can do that,’” said SSH volunteer coordinator John Mitchell.

Without the initiative and commitment of local residents, community transformation efforts cannot grow. So, more than anything, “we … empower [local residents] to be decision makers

and help them learn about what resources are available,” Ford said.

“We want them to take advantage of those resources and not feel like they’re begging. We want them to look to those resources as step-ping stones to a way out of poverty.”


serve – to learn about partnership

opportunities through cbF’s together for

Hope, call (800) 352-8741 or visit www.

rurualpoverty.net.

Each summer for seven

years, members of Pintlala

Baptist Church in Hope Hull, Ala.,

have spent a week in Perry County,

Ala. Some stay the full week,

others stay a few days but they’re

among the hundreds of Fellowship

Baptists helping sow seeds of hope

for a rural county struggling to

overcome poverty.

Together for Hope sows seeds of hope, transformation in rural Alabama county

carla

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Poverty

perryCountyresidentMelvinMahan’shousewasrepairedbyfellowshippartnerchurchpintlalabaptistChurchinhopehull,ala.recently,sowingseedsofhopehelpedperryCountyearnagrantforfederalself-helphousing,whichwillhelplow-incomefamiliesaffordandbuildtheirownhome.

sowingseedsofhope’smanyactivitieswithchildrenincludeliteracyprojects,musicandartlessons,sportscampsandvacationbibleschools.

carla

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“My hope is that … [people will] be touched by the love of Christ and that all these programs will be vehicles

in which they will understand the depth of God’s love for them.”


Help alleviate Poverty

Dig a well“wehaveasaying‘fightingpovertyonewellatatime.’thatwaywekeepfromthinkingthesituationishopelessbecausethesituationisnothopeless.oncewebuildawellinthecommunityweseehowitrevolutionizesthatcommunity,thenwemoveontoanothercommunitytodothesamething.theonlydiscouragementwehaveisthatwedon’thaveenoughresourcestodothatinalltheplaceswewouldliketo.”—lonnieturner

turnerandhiswife,fran,areCbfGlobalMissionsfieldpersonnelwhoserveinsub-saharanafrica.fieldpersonnelworktogetherwithchurchesandpartnerstoprovideaccesstocleanwaternotonlyinafrica,butasiaandeuropeaswell.

Welcome refugees“weneedtobetheoneswhomodelthemessagethatweareallcreatedintheimageofGod,nomatterwherewewerebornorwhatlanguagewespeak.sowewelcomethemaswewouldwelcomeChrist;andifwecanbeahomeforthemandengagetheminthelargerlifeofthecongregation–thatwouldbemygreatesthope.”—Gregpope

popeispastorofCrescenthillbaptistChurchin

louisville,Ky.,whichhasintentionallyreachedouttoKarenrefugees.ithasbeenpredictedthatasmanyas30,000KarenwillarriveintheU.s.duringthenextyear–startingoverwithverylittleafterfleeingtheviolenceandpersecutionoftheirhomeland.

Feed the hungry“worshipandmissionsarenotaboutourselvesbutothers,andourdesireistoservepersonsinourcommunity.”—Davidhinson

hinsonispastoroffirstbaptistChurchoffrankfort,Ky.,whichin2005foundedtheemmaQuireMissionCenter.lastyear,with$5,000froman“it’stime”MissionalMinistryGrantawardedbyCbf,thecenterfed2,600personsthroughitsfoodpantryprogramandhoused27groupsdoingmissionworkinthearea.

Fight disease“whenafamilylivesin[poverty],asickfamilymembercanbearealcrisis.transportationtothenearestcliniccancosttheequivalentofaweek’sincome,andtoseethedoctorandobtaintheneededmedicationcancostanothertwoweeks’income.asthefatherormotherofasickchild,youhavetochoosebetweenfeedingyourfamilyandgoingtothedoctor.”—Matt

Mattandhiswife,Katie,areCbfGlobalMissionsfieldpersonnelwhoserveinsoutheastasia.they

conductalargepartoftheirministrythroughamedicalboat,whichprovidesmedicalservicestomorethan10,000peopleayear.

Educate “literacyisagreatneedinthiscommunitybecausethroughreadingthesechildrencangotoplacestheywillprobablyneversee...theirbooksandtheirimaginationwilltakethemanywhere.someofthekidswillneverleavehelena,butiftheycanpickupabook,whoknowswherethey’llland—theymightjustgoaroundtheworld.”—tracyDavis

Davisisaresidentofhelen-westhelena,ark.,whereCbf’stogetherforhopeministryworksinpartnershipwiththecommunity,leadersandotherministryorganizationsinasset-basedcommunitydevelopment.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-36


Partner with a community“theexperiencecannotbeexpressedadequatelyinwordsorpictures.onemustexperiencethissortofpartnership‘hands-on’tofullygrasptheemotionalandphysicalneedsoftheromapeople.ralphandtammypreparedusexceptionallywell,anditwasimportanttohavesomesenseofcontextgoingin.”—DavidCausey

CauseyisamemberoffirstbaptistChurchofGreenville,s.C.inapartnershipfacilitatedbyCbffieldpersonnelralphandtammystocks,firstbaptisthaspartneredwiththeromacommunityinhungary,helpingthechurchinKekcsepurchaseabuildingandworkingattheGandhischoolinpecs.

Build a home“the[homebuilding]isjustasmallpartofaddressingpovertyineasternKentucky.housingisoneofourmostbasichumanneeds,butmorethanthat,whenachildcanbeproudofhisorherhome,itincreasesselfesteemandsetsthatchildonapathtowardabrighterfuture.that’sourultimategoal:abrighterfutureforthesekidsandothersinourfocalcounties.”—rhondablevins

blevins,Kentuckybaptistfellowship’sassociatecoordinatorformissions,facilitatespartnershipsofcongregationsandcommunitiestohelpalleviatepovertyinsomeofthepoorestcountiesinKentucky.

Create sustainable agriculture“alongthethai-burmaborder,we’velearnedthatpovertyalleviationrequiresinvestmentofnotonlymoneybutalsotimeandaparticipatoryapproach.timeisneededtogaintrustformeaningfulpartnershipswiththepoorandtodevelopmutualrespect.timewillalsoberequiredtodiscerntherootsofpoverty,suchasthelackofcitizenship,insufficientaccesstonaturalresourcesneededforadequaterurallivelihoodsandunavailablecapitolformicro-enterprise.”—rickburnette

burnetteandhiswife,ellen,serveasCbffieldpersonnelinthailand.theburnettesworkwithhilltribevillagestodevelopwatersystemsandsustainablefoodsourcesinmountainousrainforests.

Buy fair trade products“whenwebuyaworkofart,whetherapaintingortextile,basketornecklace,wegivetotheartistthatmadethepiece.inthepastfiveyears,wehaveseenthosesimplecontributionsdoamazingthingsinthelifeoftheartist,whetheritmeans

puttingfoodonthefamily’stableorhelpinghimorhertotakeasteptowardabetterlife.”—Jonathanbailey

baileyandhiswife,tina,arethefellowship’sinternationalcoordinatorsfortheartsandcoordinatethedistributionoffairtradeproductstofellowshipbaptistsintheU.s.

Advocate“whilelivinginwaco,isawrampantpovertyinmyownneighborhood,andisawhowpoliciesweredirectlyaffectingthepeoplearoundme.asaChristianiamnotcalledtomakemygovernmentaChristiangovernment,buti’mcalledtomakeitajustgovernment.advocacyisanotherwayweareinvolvedinproclaimingGod’skingdom.”—Meredithstorywilliams

williamsearnedmaster’sdegreesindivinityandsocialworkatbaylorUniversity.sheisavolunteeradvocateforbreadfortheworld,afellowshippartner.

To learn more about any of these partnership opportunities contact the Fellowship at (800) 352-8741.

Help alleviate PovertyCooperative Baptist Fellowship



News

Now, the man whose passion for the Fellowship took him to 15 Assembly meetings, is helping sustain the Fellowship’s ministry for years to come.

Allford, who died unexpectedly in 2006, left a generous portion of his estate to the CBF Foundation, which raises funds for endowments, and manages endowments for CBF and for CBF ministry partners. It was just another example of generosity from a man who spent his life doing and supporting ministry.

“He just reached out his hand to anyone he saw that was a little needy,” said his first cousin and closest friend Helen Moore-Montgomery, a previous member of CBF’s Coordinating Council.

Allford attended CBF’s founding meeting and was criticized heavily by his church for involvement with the

Fellowship. While he still remained a member and still tithed to the church, the hospital became his place of ministry. He spent his Saturdays and Sundays there, helping anyone in need.

“They adored him,” Moore-Montgomery said. “Everyone knew him and knew who he was but didn’t know why he did that as a ministry instead of attending church.”

A 42-year employee of First National Bank and Trust in McAlester, Okla., Allford was always a donor — once among the top blood donors in the nation to the American Red Cross — and always a volunteer — giving the most volunteer hours ever recorded at McAlester Regional Health Center.

On Feb. 26, 2006, Allford fell in the hospital while volunteering, never

waking from his coma. Allford died June 7, 2006, dividing his estate among several organ-izations for which he cared deeply.

“Mr. All-ford’s gift to the CBF Foundation will have a transformative effect. We will now be able to provide additional

endowment fundraising support to the CBF movement in ways we had not thought possible for another three or four years without Mr. Allford’s gift,” said CBF Foundation president Don Durham.

In addition to the CBF Foundation, Allford gave portions of his estate to two other Baptist entities — Central Baptist Theological Seminary, a Fellowship partner school, and CBF of Oklahoma, where he served in every elected office including most recently parliamentarian.

“John William was a deeply caring servant of others,” said Central

president Molly Marshall. “He supported those on the margin — elderly and infirm, boys and girls clubs, women in ministry. He was especially known in his community for his efforts for racial justice for minorities.’

“He was always supporting important kingdom ministries,” said CBF of Oklahoma coordinator T Thomas. “He encouraged by his presence, and he encouraged by his work.”


Such a supporter of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, John William

Allford always wanted to be the first to register for the Fellowship’s

annual General Assembly. He didn’t care where it was or when it was, he

would be there.

Allford leaves legacy of empowering ministry through bequest to CBF Foundation

JohnallfordattendedCbf’sfoundingmeeting.

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IT’S JUST connecting the dots, really. A church wanting to minister to its community; a local urban ministry

needing help; the invisible awaiting some hope; and a couple of recent seminary graduates connecting all the pieces.

Brandon and Tirzah Turner are CBF Global Missions affiliates, who serve among the invisible poor in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Their goal as affiliates is to “get [churches] to look at the world differently, biblically through the eyes of Christ,” Tirzah said. “You’re so used to your comfort zone, but if you look five feet be-yond, there’s something bigger out there.”

That bigger world includes a large number of people in Baltimore and Wash-ington, D.C., who are among the invisible poor — homeless, refugees or even victims of human trafficking. The Turners visit local churches to advocate for the invis-ible poor and provide congregations with information about existing local ministries and how the church can become involved.

“Just the two of us can’t minister to this entire corridor,” Tirzah said. “If we can get churches to have a vision for their own neighborhoods, then they can start the ministry.”

Graduates of Gardner Webb Uni-

versity’s M. Christopher White School of Divinity, a Fellowship partner school, the Turners believe in and encourage churches to en-gage in holistic ministry, addressing both physical and spiritual needs.

“Their first felt need isn’t their soul. It’s their body — their stomach,” Tirzah said. “You can’t listen if your stomach is growling louder than anything else. With the invisible poor, you have to deal with justice issues before they can ever listen to the spiritual part.”


If you are interested in becoming an affiliate,

contact Matt Norman at (770) 220-1609 or

[email protected]. To learn about

partnership opportunities, call (800) 352-8741.

Brandon & Tirzah Turner

brandonandtirzahturnerministeramongtheinvisiblepoorinwashington,D.C.,andbaltimore.

carla

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spotlightaffiliate

CBF Foundationthe cbF Foundation serves individuals, churches and ministry

organizations by providing:

• administration of charitable trusts and gift

annuities

• monthly reports on investment performance

• monitoring preservation of endowment principal

• private consultation on endowment

promotion strategies

• Seminars on the importance and uses

of endowments

• educational seminars on giving options through wills, bequests

and trusts

• assistance with direct donor solicitation

to learn more about any of these services, contact the cbF

Foundation at www.cbff.org or (800) 352-8741.

9f e l l o w s h i p ! S e p t e m b e r / O c t O b e r 2 0 0 7


News

Harriet Harral, a native of

Devine, Texas, currently serves

as the Fellowship’s moderator,

presiding over the Coordinating

Council and General Assembly.

Harral is the founder of The

Harral Group, a consulting firm

that focuses on organizational

effectiveness. She is a member of

Broadway Baptist Church in Fort

Worth, Texas.

How did you become involved with CBF?Harral: When CBF first started I was

a member of Broadway Baptist Church, where Cecil Sherman was pastor — of course, he eventually became the Fel-lowship’s first coordinator. Our whole congregation was interested in CBF. My interest and my heart responded to CBF because it offered me a context to exercise those commitments that have always kept me wanting to be Baptist — freedoms of Bible, church and soul. Those are impor-tant to me. CBF honors the role of women in spiritual life as well, and of course that speaks to me. CBF simply gives me the opportunity to hold hands with other Christians globally to be the presence of Christ, to embrace diversity, to seek jus-tice, to honor local church autonomy, and to spread the word of Jesus Christ.

How do you view the role of moderator?Harral: The first responsibility of the

Coordinating Council is to make sure that what we are doing at CBF is what we are called by God to do. And that our mis-sion statement — to serve Christians and churches — is where we are putting our service, resources, hard work and energy. As moderator, my primary role is to help

the governing body do that and to assure that we have the organizational health to do it effectively.

What would you like to see the Coordinat-ing Council focus on in the coming year?

Harral: I had a wonderful opportunity to spend a week in interaction with CBF staff in Atlanta. At the conclusion of that time, all of us came to a sense that it is time for us to work on some prioritizing, on be-

ing sure that we all — in Atlanta, in states and regions, around the world with field personnel, in our local churches — have clarity in what is our compelling focus at this time in our life. I have been intrigued by discussions in which we realized that we are a unique body — and perhaps we have the opportunity to create a model for how to function as a movement, internally and externally. And, finally, I think there may be some exciting ways that the Coordinat-

ing Council can support an emphasis on engagement with local congregations.

As a consultant, what skills and experi-ence to you bring to this position?

Harral: The Harral Group special-izes in organizational effectiveness — in whatever guise that is needed. Usually, I find that organizations have the skill and knowledge that they need; my job is to facilitate the process that allows them to discover and capitalize on those resources. I work with a lot of non-profit boards, so I hope that my experience there will be helpful as we work through some of the logistics of how we work as a Coordinat-ing Council. In addition, much of my work deals with bringing together people from very different perspectives and help-ing them find common ground. I often facilitate such processes for city govern-ment, for instance. And my work as execu-tive director of leadership Fort Worth also focuses on leading people to collaborate and serve as community trustees — get-ting beyond personal agendas to serve the common good. Each of those pieces of my professional life has some resonance with what we do or how we work at CBF.

Your doctoral dissertation was on social movements. How do you see the Fellow-ship developing as a movement?

Harral: My dissertation dealt with how a movement communicates with those outside the movement. That is certainly important to CBF. So much of what is ap-pealing in the context of a movement — its energy, its vision, its sense of comradery — can build either to sustain it long-term or cause the movement eventually to burn itself out. For 15 years, CBF has been hon-oring vision and the freedom within the movement while it has simultaneously been working toward practical supports (staffing, finances, etc.) for the movement. It’s a unique challenge that means we con-sistently seek insight to find the new model that works rather than falling back on tra-ditional institutional models. It’s an excit-ing time for CBF!

Q&A with Harriet Harral, CBF moderator

STEPS away from the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Capitol a Baptist watchdog

organization guards religious liberty and church-state separation.

Fourteen Baptist organizations, including the Fellowship, provide operational funding for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious liberty, which has worked since 1936 to uphold the principle of religious liberty and church-state separation.

“We Baptists have always understood that the two must go together,” said BJC

executive director J. Brent Walker. “As soon as government starts to meddle in religion — for or against — or take sides in matters of religion – favoring one over another — someone’s religious liberty is denied and everyone is threatened. The best thing that government can do for religion is leave it alone.”

Focusing on the religion clauses of the

First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protect religious freedom, BJC addresses many public issues, including church electioneering, civil religion, free exercise of

religion, government funding of religion, religious displays and public prayer. Formerly known as the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs until 2005, BJC is the only religious organization in Washington, D.C., focusing solely on

religious liberty, Walker said. “They are our advocates in the nation’s

capital to ensure that the government doesn’t encroach on the autonomy of the local church nor the rights of religious freedom granted to all of us,” said Bo Prosser, the Fellowship’s congregational life coordinator.

For more on the Baptist Joint Committee, visit its Web site at www.BJConline.org.


spotlightpartner Baptist Joint Committee

harrietharralhasservedonCbf’sCoordinatingCouncilsince2002.

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As hurricane season enters

its most active phase, the

Fellowship is preparing to

provide a meaningful and

appropriate response.

New to improve response efforts:• Charles Ray, who began serving as

CBF’s first national disaster response coordinator this year. He can be reached at (501) 680-2722 or [email protected].

• A covenant between CBF and American Baptist Men USA, the disaster response arm of American Baptist Churches USA, to work together in response efforts. CBF also works with Rebuilding Together, American Baptist Association and Volunteers of America.

• An online source for disaster response preparation at www.cbfresponds.com. This site includes disaster response coordinators (DRC) for each state/regional CBF organization. Contact your local DRC if you wish to be involved in disaster response.

As with other years, the Fellowship will not engage in search and rescue operations but help in the recovery phase. The level

of response depends on the nature and scope of a disaster and desire of Fellowship Baptists to be involved.

Because disasters create such vast need, criteria are used to select where CBF responds.• First priority for use

of resources is to take care of CBF church communities.

• Once the CBF family is cared for, the response moves into the wider community as an outreach of a CBF partner church in selected marginalized or overlooked communities.

• Depending on available resources, the response widens to include poor and marginalized communities where there is no CBF presence, working in partnership with other groups.

What you and your church can do when major disasters strike:• Give financially: 100 percent of all

financial contributions given to a

disaster through the Fellowship go directly to fund the appropriate response. Financial gifts for hurricane relief can be made online at www.thefellowship.info/give, or mailed to CBF, P.O. Box 101699, Atlanta, GA 30392. In case of a hurricane disaster, checks can be made payable to CBF with “Hurricane Relief Fund #17004’’ in the memo line.

• Donate gifts-in kind: Supplies needed

will be posted at www.thefellowship.info. Do not send materials or gifts-in-kind (GIK) until instructed to do so. Financial donations are preferred so that necessary supplies can be purchased as close to the disaster zone as possible.

• Serve: Volunteers are an important part of CBF disaster response. For more information, call (800) 352-8741 or e-mail [email protected].

Disaster response team prepared to facilitate CBF’s relief efforts

News

Glob

al M

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ons

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SepteMber/OctOber 2007Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

CBFfellowship! Cooperative baptiSt fellowShip | www.thefellowShip.info

Poster: Help alleviate poverty Pages 6-7

eradicating hunger is just one of the many issues related

to fighting global poverty. Cbf Global Missions field

personnel and partner churches are ministering around

the world to meet the needs of the world’s poor.

Poverty Order fellowship!To order multiple copies of fellowship! to be sent to your church, e-mail [email protected] or call (800) 352-8741.

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shortlyafterhurricaneKatrina,leadershipfromthefellowshipandvolunteersofamericametinGulfport,Miss.,todiscussdisasterresponseefforts.

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

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“Memphis has a lot to offer. From Beale Street to Graceland, from Mud Island to Redbirds baseball, from great barbecue to fried catfish, the Memphis experience awaits you. Come be a part of it. See you in 2008!— Randy Hyde, chair of the General Assembly steering committee and pastor of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church in little Rock, Ark.

The Marriott Memphis Downtown will serve as the host hotel. The Wyndam Garden Inn and Doubletree Hotel Memphis will also have rooms available. For more information, go to www.thefellowship.info.

save theDate

True Survivor VIIIMarch 3–5 (Monday –Wednesday)Asheville, North CarolinaMark your calendars for three days of

retreat formation worship community

Designed especially for Christian Educators Associate Pastors Youth and Children’s Ministers

www.thefellowship.info/involved/events

11f e l l o w s h i p ! S e p t e m b e r / O c t O b e r 2 0 0 7


Offering for Global Missions

Newells open spiritual, cultural center for oppressed Albanian immigrants in Greece

Bob and Janice Newell, CBF Global Missions field personnel serving in Athens, have recently opened Porta, a spiritual and cultural center for Albanian immigrants who face discrimination in Greek society.

“They came to Athens in search of a new life, personal freedom and economic opportunity,” said Bob.

And through Porta, they will hopefully also find new life and freedom through Christ. Daily, the Newells are the presence of Christ among these immigrants — teaching them what Christ taught, feeding the hungry, providing clothes for struggling families, and walking alongside the grieving, the sick and the imprisoned.

“When we take the initiative toward Albanians, who are normally discriminated against in this culture, and give them cross stitch presents which read ‘welcome’ in the Albanian language, we are reproducing the act of Jesus who dared to initiate contact with the Samaritan woman at the well,” said Janice. “When we enter into the genuine sorrow of an Albanian woman whose aunt died recently and unexpectedly in Tirana, Albania, it is as though we are following the steps of Jesus into the home of Mary and Martha in Bethany, when lazarus died.”

In both Albanian and Greek — two very different languages — Porta translates as “door.” And for immigrants trying to find ways to keep their native culture alive, opportunity knocks at Porta. Although a large number of Albanians have lived in Athens for 15 years, there has not been a place where Albanian culture was celebrated — until Porta. It has become the fulfillment of a hope and dream for many Albanians, who now have a place to connect with their own culture.

Fellowship partners churches in the United States have helped make Porta a reality. Gifts to the CBF Offering for Global Missions directly support the Newells’ ministry, and Fellowship Baptists have also invested their time and energy. More than 60 churches and individuals created nearly 600 cross stitch items that say “Welcome”

and “Jesus loves You” in Albanian. This mass hospitality effort, combined with volunteer teams from seven Fellowship partner churches this year, has helped Porta start making a difference already.

“We intend for Porta to be a place where believers can be united around those core Christian beliefs which draw us together rather than divided by the practices about which we may disagree,” Bob said.

At Porta, Albanian children can learn Shqip, the language of their grandparents. Senior adult Albanians can learn the Greek language. More than 100 Albanian-authored

books have already been donated to the Porta library. During the summer, Porta was home to the first all-Albanian art exhibit in Athens. There are also English classes and future plans for classes on marriage enrichment and parenting, as well as needed job skills.

Because of initial missionary efforts in the 1990s in the former atheistic

country of Albania, there is now a small Albanian Christian population living in Athens. More Albanian adults and children learn about Christ during two Porta-supported weekly Bible studies. And through Porta, some Albanians are growing in their faith. During Porta’s

inaugural event — a prayer conference — an Albanian man prayed publicly for the first time.

“We do not know these people, but we must say thank you that they care about Jesus and about us,” said

one Albanian man that takes English classes at Porta.

It is the ultimate goal that the center will be a place of spiritual and social reconciliation between Greeks and Albanians and that through this, Christ will be made known to others.

“I dream that Porta will become the center of a multi-cultural movement in Athens where the gospel of Jesus Christ is lived out authentically and attractively — universal in its appeal, but unashamedly Albanian,” Bob said.


For oppressed Albanian

immigrants in Athens,

Greece, a new door is opening

— a door that could lead to

life with Jesus Christ.

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atporta,Janicenewellfacilitatesart,sportsandmusiccampsforalbanianchildren.

portameansdoorinboththealbanianandGreeklanguages.

“I dream that Porta will become the center

of a multi-cultural movement in Athens where the gospel of Jesus Christ is lived out authentically and attractively.”

online— Go to www.thefellowship.info/involved/give/. For questions regarding online giving, contact [email protected].

Mail— Use the contribution envelope included in this issue and make your check payable to cbF.

phone— call cbF toll-free at (800) 352-8741.

Cooperative Baptist Fellowshipp.o.box450329•atlanta,Georgia31145-0329www.thefellowship.info(800)352-8741

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