General Assembly Highlights Being the Presence of Christ Center Brings Together Community, Volunteers Georgia Children Step Up for Hunger Relief Reflections from Fifth Annual current Retreat College Student Teaches in Middle East INSIDE CBF fellowship! COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP JUNE/JULY 2004 WWW.THEFELLOWSHIP.INFO Field personnel photo Offering for Global Missions Helps Connect Churches to Work in Arkansas Local volunteers saw wood for book/toy shelves for the “Stories on Wheels” lending library. COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP’S MISSION: SERVING CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES AS THEY DISCOVER AND FULFILL THEIR GOD-GIVEN MISSION. June 24-26 • Birmingham, Ala. SPECIAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY EDITION In Arkansas and along the west bank of the Mississippi River, cotton was king. Today, other seeds are being planted and nurtured. Helena is the county seat of Phillips County, one of the poorest counties in Arkansas and a focal community of Partners in Hope, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s rural poverty initiative. Partners in Hope reflects the [continues p. 2]
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General AssemblyHighlights Being thePresence of Christ
Center BringsTogether Community,
Volunteers
Georgia ChildrenStep Up for
Hunger Relief
Reflections fromFifth Annual
current Retreat
College StudentTeaches in Middle East
INSIDE
CBFfellowship!C O O P E R AT I V E B A P T I S T F E L L O W S H I P
JUNE/JULY 2004
WWW.THEFELLOWSHIP. INFO
Fiel
d pe
rson
nel p
hoto
Offering for Global Missions HelpsConnect Churches to Work in Arkansas
Local volunteers sawwood for book/toyshelves for the “Storieson Wheels” lendinglibrary.
COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP’S MISSION: SERVING CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES AS THEY DISCOVER AND FULFILL THEIR GOD-GIVEN MISSION.
J u ne 24 - 26 • B i r m i n gham , A l a .SPEC I A L GENERAL ASSEMBLY ED I T ION
In Arkansas and along the west bank of the Mississippi River, cotton was king.
Today, other seeds are being planted and nurtured.
Helena is the county seat of Phillips County,
one of the poorest counties in Arkansas
and a focal community of Partners
in Hope, the Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship’s rural poverty
initiative. Partners in
Hope reflects the
[continues p. 2]
2
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Fellowship’s 20-year commitment to offer hope to people
in and around some of the nation’s poorest counties, all
located in rural areas.
Helena is also “home” for CBF Global Missions field
personnel Ben and Leonora Newell and their children. “Our
basic approach has been to let the community determine
what they think the priorities are and then, together, try to
find resources to match the priorities,” Ben says.
The Fellowship’s partnership philosophy is built around
mutual respect and shared responsibility. Last summer, local
residents and Fellowship volunteers embodied that philosophy
as they resurrected the town’s burned-out community center.
“There are more than 500 kids, age 15 and under, who
live in the area around the community center, but the local
government simply did not have the resources to cover the
rebuilding cost, estimated at $212,000,” Ben says.
Talking with local leaders, a plan came together. The city,
county and state governments provided $65,000 in funds
and appropriations. Thanks to local volunteers, Fellowship
volunteers and a donated tool trailer, the finished project
cost about $137,000 less than the original estimate.
Another local project is a community garden called
E.D.E.N. (Empowering Development through Education
and Nutrition). E.D.E.N. was developed through a partner-
ship of seven organizations including Heifer International,
a Helena charter school, a local African-American youth
leadership organization, local residents and Fellowship
field personnel.
Fellowship churches contributed start-up funds, and
partner representatives care for and manage E.D.E.N.
Children and youth grades 5-12 are intentionally included
in the project, and during the school year come regularly to
work in the garden. In addition to receiving some hands-on
gardening experience, the students learn about the
agricultural history of their community as well as crucial
entrepreneurial skills. The flowers and vegetables produced
are given to people in need.
According to the Newells, organizations like CBF of
North Carolina and CBF of Arkansas have been vital to the
development of this ministry. “For example, at the CBF of
North Carolina annual meeting in March 2003, an offering
was taken specifically for the purchase of the trailer that
houses the tools,” Ben explains. “Then they collected tools
and toys and books to top it off. Their generous monetary
contribution allowed us to buy even more books.”
Now, thanks in part to these gifts, “Stories on Wheels” is
being launched. Currently housed at the Community Center
in Helena, this project will eventually go “on Wheels” loaning
books, educational toys and sporting equipment to members
of the community.
Additionally, the
“Tools Trailer” contin-
ues to be used as a way
to help mobilize residents to share resources with other
citizens and communities in the area. The tools will be used
to repair and refurbish substandard housing, and in projects
similar to the rebuilding of the community center.
The Newells are planning for two weeks this summer
where volunteers will be coming to Helena as a part of All
Church Challenge 2004, scheduled for June 5-19. Newell
said nearly 30 churches already have signed up and they are
expecting as many as 300 volunteers to work alongside local
churches in Helena.
They will construct a small community center in West
Helena, renovate homes, remodel a planned youth leadership
and sports academy facility, build a Mississippi River-themed
playground and help improve the community garden. Newell
says volunteers will also participate in children's activities
such as Vacation Bible Schools, sports camps, music camps,
puppetry and the Stories on Wheels program, as well as
person-to-person evangelism and prayer walking. f!
Churches interested in participating in the All Church
Challenge should contact the Newells at (870) 817-0248.
For more on the Newell’s work and other Partners in Hope
ministry sites, visit www.ruralpoverty.net. Their work is being
highlighted this spring through the Fellowship’s Offering for
Global Missions and its MMiissssiioonnCCoonnnneecctt emphasis. For more on
the Offering for Global Missions, go to www.thefellowship.info/
GlobalMissions/OGM/MissionConnect.icm.
For more information about Partners in Hope, contact Tom
for leadership development, shares her insights from attending
the February current retreat.
FROM QUIET, CONTEMPLAT IVE , candlelit worship
services all the way to a rompin’ stompin’ Texas-style
hoedown, complete with a mechanical bull and cowboy
hats, this year’s current retreat offered varied experiences
for attendees.
The fifth annual gathering of young
Baptists and those who work with them
(the CBF-sponsored current network)
attracted an attendance of slightly more
than 100 people. Wilshire Baptist
Church in Dallas and her staff were
hosts par excellence in providing space
for the worship times and for the work-
shop opportunities. The chef at
Wilshire presided over wonderful buffet
meals including, of course, a Mexican-style buffet and a
Texas-style barbecue.
The retreat theme of “Enter and Receive” lent itself well
to creative worship experiences for the group. David
Burroughs, president of Passport, Inc., and Nicole Kenley,
current steering committee member, worked to ensure that
each worship session provided times of quiet contemplation,
beautiful music and inspiring messages. Diana Garland,
chair of the school of social work at Baylor University and
head of the Center for Family and Community Ministries,
and George Mason, pastor of Wilshire Baptist, delivered the
messages in the evening times of worship.
Workshop sessions offered a variety of learning experiences.
These included sessions targeted to youth ministers,
women, recent seminary grads, those who plan worship and
those concerned about spirituality to sustain vocational
ministry. The CBF Children’s Ministry Network, a part of
current, had their own track of educational and networking
opportunities, led by Garland and others.
As is so often the case, perhaps the greatest benefits of the
gathering were renewing old friendships and creating new
ones as ministry and social experiences were shared.
Perhaps being thrown ungracefully off a mechanical bull in
the presence of one’s friends is a rare opportunity for
bonding! f!
For more information and photos, visit the current Web site at
www.currentonline.org. Use the envelope enclosed in this fel-
lowship! issue to help fund leadership development initiatives
by contributing to the Fellowship's general missions and min-
istries budget.
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . t h e f e l l o w s h i p . i n f o
Reflections from theFifth Annual current Retreat
Participants at the current retreat take part in a Texas-style hoedown,(l-r) Rachel Sciretti, Mike Sciretti, Kyle Damron and Tracie Gray.
Phot
o co
urte
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f cur
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Clarissa Strickland
Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. TheSeminary has received $50,000 for TheFranklin Owen Chair of Pastoral Studiesfrom their host church, Calvary Baptist inLexington, Ky. Owen was pastor at Calvaryfrom 1954-1972. Current pastor RobertBaker is a trustee at BSK.
Brandy Albritton, a recipient of a CBFleadership scholarship, will be working withHIV/AIDS victims at a children’s orphanagein Kenya this summer. Patsey Jacobs and
Pat Ham will go with members from CalvaryBaptist in Lexington to Mission Arlington inTexas.
Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.A prominent Virginia Baptist couple hasmade two $1 million gifts to the seminary.At a banquet celebrating the seminary’s15th anniversary, BTSR President TomGraves announced that Harwood andLouise Cochrane of Rockville, Va., hadmade a gift of $1.2 million in support of the
purchase and renovation of buildings on theseminary’s campus. Less than two weekslater, Graves announced a second $1million commitment to the seminary fromthe couple for the seminary’s capitalcampaign.
The seminary also announced a giftcommitment of $1 million from DeborahCarlton Loftis, the seminary’s professor ofchurch music. The majority of the gift will beadded to two previously establishedendowment funds, The John F. Loftis Chairof Church History, established in memory ofLoftis’ late husband, and The Carlton-LoftisChair of Church Music. Additionally,
Class Notes: News from CBF Partner Schools
[continues p. 11]
w w w . t h e f e l l o w s h i p . i n f o JUNE/JULY 2004
LEADERSH
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Fredericksburg Baptist Church presented acheck for $250,000 to the seminary andannounced that the church will provideBTSR with a total gift of $1 million toendow the Daniel O. Aleshire Chair ofPractical Theology.
Central Baptist Theological Seminary.Beverly Zink-Sawyer, associate professorof preaching and worship at UnionTheological Seminary and the PresbyterianSchool of Christian Education in Richmond,Va., delivered the 11th annual ClaybornLanders Preaching Lecture as part of thePastor’s Day event at Central. Otherspeakers included Richard P. Olson,Robert and Mindy Fugarino, Mike Graves,Tarris D. Rosell, Jesse Brown andKatheryn Graham.
Molly Marshall, professor of theology andspiritual formation at Central, hasaccepted an additional appointment asacting academic dean. James Hinesresigned as academic dean effective May15. Central also announced that DavidGnirk has joined the staff as major giftsrepresentative.
McAfee School of Theology, MercerUniversity. McAfee is accepting applicationsfor its new doctor of ministry degreeprogram. The first three-week seminar ofthe doctoral program is scheduled forJuly 6-26. The program is led by facultymember Ron Johnson. For more information,call (678) 547-6474 or toll-free at (888)471-9922, ext. 6474, or, go to http://theology.mercer.edu/dmin.html.
McAfee has also formed a new Institutefor Healthy Congregations, led by facultymember Larry McSwain, professor ofethics and leadership. Others who willserve the institute as consultants includeKeithen Tucker, director of developmentfor Baptists Today; James Bruner, vicepresident for religious life at Mercer; J.Truett Gannon, Watkins ChristianFoundation Professor of MinistryExperience at McAfee; Roy Godwin,certified church consultant and coach; andKaren Massey, assistant professor ofChristian education at McAfee. For moreinformation, contact McSwain at (678)547-6442 or [email protected].
Baptist Women in Ministry, a non-profitfounded in Louisville, Ky., in 1983, hasmoved its offices from Central Baptist
Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kan.,to McAfee’s Atlanta campus. “Moving toAtlanta allows us to better support ourconstituency, which is predominantly in theSouth and along the eastern seaboard,”says Karen Massey of McAfee, who ispresident of BWIM.
Truett Theological Seminary, BaylorUniversity. Todd Still has joined the Truettfaculty as associate professor of Christianscriptures.
The newest graduates of Truett’s doctor ofministry program are Vicki Vaughn,executive director of the Richard JacksonCenter for Evangelism and Encouragement,Inc., and Ellis Orozco, senior pastor ofCalvary Baptist Church, McAllen, Texas.
Margaret Mitchell of the University ofChicago Divinity School gave the inaugurallecture for the Huber and MinetteDrumwright New Testament Colloquium on“Portraits of Paul and the Art of PaulineInterpretation.”
Spr ing Graduat ions o f CBF Par tner Schoo ls
Baptist Theological Seminary at RichmondThomas Graves, presidentGraduation: May 29 Speaker: Sonja M. Phillips, co-pastor,Central Baptist Church, Daytona Beach, Fla.Graduates: 35 Graduating class: 12th
Baptist Studies ProgramBrite Divinity SchoolTexas Christian UniversityDavid Gouwens, dean Graduation: May 18 Speaker: D. Newell Williams, president,Brite Divinity SchoolGraduates: 18Graduating class: 7th
Campbell University School of DivinityMichael Cogdill, deanCovenant/Hooding Service: May 9 Speaker: Michael Tutterow, pastor, WinterPark Baptist Church, Wilmington, N.C. Graduates: 38Graduating class: 7th
Baptist Studies ProgramCandler School of TheologyEmory UniversityDavid Key, directorGraduation: May 10 Speaker: Russell E. Richey, dean, Candler
Graduates: 11Graduating class: 14th
Central Baptist Theological SeminaryJim McCrossen, interim presidentGraduation: May 15 Speaker: Richard Olson, visiting professor of pastoral care, CentralGraduates: 27Graduating class: 103rd
Baptist House of StudiesDuke UniversityDivinity SchoolCurtis Freeman, directorGraduation: May 9 Graduates: 21Graduating class: 16th
M. Christopher White School of DivinityGardner-Webb UniversityRobert Canoy, acting deanGraduation: May 8 Graduates: 26 Graduating class: 10th
Logsdon School of TheologyHardin-Simmons UniversityThomas V. Brisco, deanGraduation: May 8 Graduates: 7Graduating class: 8th
McAfee School of TheologyMercer UniversityAlan Culpepper, deanGraduation: May 15 Speaker: Daniel Aleshire, executivedirector, Association of TheologicalSchools Graduates: 31Graduating class: 6th
George W. Truett Theological SeminaryBaylor UniversityPaul Powell, deanGraduation: May 15 Baccalaureate Speaker: Frank Pollard,distinguished visiting professor ofpreaching, Truett Graduates: 66 Graduating class: 8th BaccalaureateService
The Divinity SchoolWake Forest UniversityBill Leonard, deanGraduation: May 17 Baccalaureate Speaker: Stephen Boyd,Wake Forest religion faculty member Graduates: 15Graduating class: 3rd
Above figures are estimates and may notreflect actual totals at press time.
12
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EDITOR’S NOTE: A member of CBF’s Coordinating Council
shares her reflections about her son serving as one of two CBF
Student.Go field personnel in the Middle East. The writer and
the student cannot be identified for security concerns.
JUST AS MY MOTHER before me, I was called Mrs.
WMU (Woman’s Missionary Union).
But what does a mother do when her own son says he
wants to drop out of college and do missions for a year?
Particularly if the almost-21-year-old wants to do missions
in the Middle East!
“I want to do something meaningful,” he explained. “I’m
tired of floundering.” He began investigating overseas service
options and prayed that something would be available. His
first option through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s
Student.Go was in Toronto. I thought that would be a won-
derful opportunity — safe, not too far from home – but he
decided against it. “I really want to go to the Middle East,”
he said. I went to the CBF General Assembly in Charlotte
and someone from the Middle East told me, “I think we can
use your son. Tell him to call me.”
Two months later, our son was on his way to the Middle
East to teach missionary children from a variety of organi-
zations and do friendship evangelism among college young
men. This was our son who had never been overseas and
was hesitant to ride a rollercoaster! But it was also the same
young man that has been involved in
missions from an early age. He also
loves the Lord and people. And for many
years, he has had a special interest in the
area where he is serving. God is surely
in this.
His church, family and friends
helped him with the money for travel
and living expenses. They also provided
some supplies. Not knowing how pro-
gressive his new home would be, he
asked me, “Should I take a mosquito
net?” He’s living on the first floor of a
nine-story apartment building and
even has a dishwasher!
Months have passed and he has
learned the city bus system. He speaks the language almost
as well as a national. He is eating and cooking a variety of
foods. He is building relationships with dozens of nationals
and plays soccer at least once a week. He says that hardly a
day goes by that he is not invited to go somewhere for tea.
He has completed the first semester of his assignment.
Once, after the television aired a story about a terrorist
incident in his country, I called him to see how he was.
“Nothing’s happening here,” he replied.
But even more important than his safety or his feeling at
home is his opportunity to make a difference in Jesus’
name. While we visited him recently, one of his friends said
to him, “I have met many Americans, but you’re different.”
My son’s prayer is that they will see God in him and thirst
for the same kind of relationship with Jesus Christ that he
has. f!
For more information about Student.Go, contact (877) 856-9288,
For more information about volunteer teaching opportunities,
contact Mary Carol Day at the Fellowship's volunteer office
in Raleigh, N.C., at (877) 856-9288 or go to www.destination
missions.net.
College Senior Spends Year Teaching in the Middle East
One of CBF's Student.Go field personnelteaches at an international MK school andworks with English-speaking youth at aninternational church. Fi
eld
pers
onne
l pho
to
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . t h e f e l l o w s h i p . i n f o
w w w . t h e f e l l o w s h i p . i n f o JUNE/JULY 2004
AS WE JO
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ON RETURNING FROM AFRICA after an intense and
brief journey, my mind has been flooded with a myriad
and mixture of images and impressions. Barbara Baldridge,
Earlene Vestal and I visited with African Baptist leadership,
CBF Global Missions field personnel and representatives
from the Ecumenical Documentation and Information
Center in South Africa (EDICISA). We were in four countries
(Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe) in 10 days.
The following are some of my reflections:
Africa is a religious place. Everywhere one looks there
is evidence of the spiritual, belief in the supernatural and
religious practices that combine aspects of Christianity
and traditional African religions. Superstition and a sense
of the divine permeate the culture more than science and
technology. Douglas Waruda, a professor at the University
of Nairobi, said to me, “There is in the African spirit a
spiritual vitality and a passion for God.” I found this to be
true.
The Christian church is exploding in Sub-Saharan
Africa. No longer a province of European or American
missionaries, the African church is rapidly developing its
indigenous leadership, worship and theology. While in
Ghana, I saw churches literally on every corner, most of
which did not represent any of the mainline denominations.
The majority of the population in Zimbabwe, as in many
other nations, is identified as Christian. The charismatic/
Pentecostal movement is spreading like wildfire, creating
new churches and new challenges. African theologians are
appropriately contextualizing Christian doctrine from
their experiences and interpreting Scripture from their
perspectives. Their witness is most important and needs
to be heard by the global church. Some would even say that
the African church will be used of God to re-evangelize
Europe and the postmodern west.
Another impression from this brief journey is that
Africa is changing. The traditional folkways and indigenous
African religions are increasingly confronted with modernity
and world concerns. Independence from colonial rule is
relatively recent, and most African democracies are very
young. Zimbabwe received its independence less than 25
years ago. Apartheid ended in South Africa less than 10
years ago. These young republics are learning the ways and
tenets of democracy and good governance. But, they are
also struggling with the very human problems of greed,
corruption and violence. The morning we arrived in
Nairobi, a fire destroyed much of the City Hall and firefighters
were unable to put out the blaze because there was no
water in the hydrant. The infrastructure of governance was
simply not in place.
Other realities are changing the face of Africa: drought
and poverty, racial and ethnic conflict, foreign investment
and disinvestment, unemployment and the regional wars
that create a large number of refugees. However the greatest
crisis facing Africa today is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is
mind-boggling in scope and complexity and is causing
unimaginable suffering.
The overwhelming impression made on me during this
trip is that Africa is suffering. The statistics of death and
misery are staggering. In Zimbabwe alone, at least 25
percent of the population is infected. There are 3,800
funerals per month due to HIV/AIDS. One leader in the
Methodist church told me that pastors spend most of their
time conducting funerals (eight to 10 per week), and they
themselves are like “dead men walking.”
We went into the home of a couple who were living with
the disease and listened to their distressing stories. We
visited orphanages and saw the children of parents who
had died of AIDS. We saw children who live on the streets
and are parented by siblings because their parents have
died of AIDS. We listened to the pain and anguish of insti-
tutional and congregational leaders, seminary professors
and missionaries as they sought to convey the horror of
this pandemic. While HIV/AIDS is a global challenge, it is
particularly an African challenge. Africa is suffering.
As with any journey, I returned home both weary and
renewed. It was an exhausting but exciting trip. I returned
with hope and spiritual energy. God is on a redemptive
mission in this world, and we are invited to participate in
that mission. Part of it is in Africa. f!
By CBF Coordinator Daniel Vestal
Reflections on Africa
CBF Coordinator Daniel Vestal and CBF Global Missions Co-coordinatorBarbara Baldridge visit with All Africa Baptist Fellowship GeneralSecretary Frank Adams (left) at the AABF office in Accra, Ghana.
Cou
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Dan
iel V
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FELL
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GEORGIAChris and Erin Raffield were com-
missioned at CBF of Georgia’s spring
General Assembly to serve a new
church start in downtown Atlanta.
Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist
Church, Atlanta Baptist Association,
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and
CBF of Georgia are sponsors of the
new Center City Church.
Highland Hills Baptist Church,
Macon, will host Companions in Christ
and Church Leadership Training on
Aug. 21. First Baptist Church,
Marietta, will host Church Leadership
Training on Sept. 11. The events are
co-sponsored by CBF and CBF of
Georgia.
March Mission Madness, a CBF of
Georgia missions weekend for youth,
registered 723 youth and chaperones
for two weekends of MMM 2004.
Participants served 4,400 volunteer
hours at 35 missions sites. First
Baptist Church, Forsyth, hosted the
event for southern and central
Georgia, and First Baptist Church,
Hartwell, hosted the north Georgia
event. Scott Ford is MMM coordinator.
MISSOURIWINDERMERE BAPT ISTConference Center near Camdenton,
Mo., will host PASSPORT Camps July
19-24 and July 26-31. The new
PASSPORTkids! will be at Windermere
July 21-24 and July 25-28 for 3rd-6th
graders. For more information, con-
tact PASSPORT at (800) 769-0210.
The second annual CBF St. Louis
Picnic summer gathering featuring
CBF Coordinator Daniel Vestal,
games for children, food and enter-
tainment is scheduled for Aug. 29 at
Tilles Park in St. Louis County.
NORTH CAROLINACBF OF NORTH CAROLINA cele-
brated its 10th anniversary during its
General Assembly at First Baptist
Church of Greensboro in March. The
event featured a message from Daniel
Vestal as well as a comprehensive
session on a new strategic plan. With
more than 20 workshops, the Assembly
covered an array of topics from Partners
in Hope, the Fellowship’s rural poverty
initiative, to church conflict.
SOUTH CAROLINATHE COOPERATIVE BAPT ISTFellowship of South Carolina has
established a formal partnership with
the Union of Baptists (UBB) in Belgium.
The partnership agreement was signed
April 23 at the CBF of South Carolina
General Assembly at Boulevard Baptist
Church in Anderson. Earlier, the
agreement had been signed at the
UBB Annual meeting by Jack Couch,
pastor of Clearview Baptist Church in
Anderson, representing CBF of South
Carolina, and Samuel Verhaeghe,
president of the UBB.
Ray Batson was long retired from
the pastorate when Sarahann
Callaway, now 17, first crossed his
path as a third grader. But still the
high school senior remembers all the
kind, encouraging words he had for
her as a child and teenager, and the
pound cake that he and his wife,
Nancy, baked and delivered to the
Callaway house.
For that kindness, Batson became
Callaway’s “Favorite Baptist” and was
the subject of an essay that won her a
$1,000 college scholarship through
CBF of South Carolina.
Batson was a pastor at four South
Carolina Baptist churches and served
as director of missions in two local
associations before retiring in 1991.
He had been a member at Fernwood,
Callaway’s church, since 1962. “It was
a great honor to know that she picked
me from all the other Baptists she has
known, but I felt unworthy,” Batson said.
A Baptist Studies Program has
been established at Lutheran
Theological Southern Seminary in
Columbia, S.C. It will be directed by
Ginger Barfield and will offer classes
in Baptist polity, history and worship
in addition to the regular seminary
curriculum. Barfield currently teaches
New Testament and Greek at the
seminary and will be the sole professor
in the Baptist studies program initially.
The first students will enter the pro-
gram in the fall. CBF of South Carolina
and seminary officials formally estab-
lished the Baptist House in February.
TENNESSEE“DIRECT CONNECT : A Conference
About Reaching Young Adults” drew
more than 20 clergy and lay leaders of
young adult ministries to two sessions
this spring at Central Baptist Church
of Bearden in Knoxville and Brook
Hollow Baptist Church in Nashville.
Scott Lee, co-founder of Crosspaths
Inc., facilitated the sessions designed
COOPERAT IVE BAPT IST FELLOWSHIP w w w . t h e f e l l o w s h i p . i n f o
Fellowship Roundup News from CBF’s states, regions and national offices
Coming Attractions
June 24-26
General Assembly 2004
Birmingham Convention Center, Alabama
Information: www.thefellowship.info
For a complete schedule of events, go to
www.thefellowship.info/Inside%20CBF/
Calendar.
to encourage and inform young adult
ministries.
The Tennessee Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship General Assembly
was held at Trinity Baptist Church,
Cordova, April 23-24. Keynote
speaker Walter Shurden, executive
director of the Center for Baptist
Studies at Mercer University, Macon,
Ga., spoke Friday and Saturday, and
attendees adopted a budget for 2004-
05 of $324,500, an increase of 6.5
percent over the current year’s budget.
Neverfail Community Church,
Sparta, and Providence Baptist Church,
Cookeville, received the Betty
Galloway Advocacy for Women in
Ministry Award. Emily Roberts was
founding pastor of Neverfail and
currently serves as co-pastor with
her husband, Eliot. Providence
recently called associate pastor
Mellisa Roysdon to serve as co-pastor
with Jim Rennell. TCBF Theological
Scholarships were presented to
Elizabeth E. Evans, a student at
Duke Divinity School, and John Ryan
Dix, currently a student at Carson-
Newman College who will attend the
Wake Forest Divinity School next year.
CBF Signs MinistryPartnerships THE COOPERATIVE Baptist