Mar 27, 2015
Who is CBF?
Getting to know the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Who is CBF?
CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great
Commission of Jesus Christ and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice.
Made up of individuals and more than 1,800 partner churches, the Fellowship has an annual budget of
approximately $16 million and a foundation with an additional $37 million to provide resources for
churches and send global missions field personnel to the most neglected people groups in the world.
Fellowship PartnersThe Fellowship partners with 15 theology schools and seminaries with a combined
enrollment of about 2,000 students.
More than 600 chaplains and pastoral counselors are endorsed by the Fellowship. These ministers serve in a wide variety of
specialized settings.
The Fellowship has a paid staff of about 65 employees in addition to the 163 Global
Missions field personnel.
The Fellowship considers the Atlanta Resource Center to be its home office. The Fellowship also partners with 18 state and regional CBF organizations with combined
budgets of more than $3 million.
Some independent agencies supported by CBF include the Baptist Center for Ethics,
Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty and the Baptist World Alliance.
The Fellowship partners with churches and organizations around the world in carrying
out its goal to work among the most neglected.
What are the Core Values of the Fellowship?
• Baptist Principles• Biblically-based Global Missions• Resource Model• Justice and Reconciliation• Lifelong Learning and Ministry• Trustworthiness• Effectiveness
Who is CBF?
Identity, Vision, and Mission
Identity, Vision, and Mission
We are a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great
Commission of Jesus Christ and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice.
Our Vision: Being the presence of Christ in the world
Our Mission: Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission
CBF Global Missions
Ministering among the most neglected
Global Missions
The goal of Global Missions is to empower the most neglected: the people who are
unevangelized and marginalized, those with the greatest needs and the fewest resources.
Holistic missions and ministries
In as many ways as there are cultures and contexts within which we work, we…
• Present the Good News and hope for change in individual lives and communities• Demonstrate integrity in our daily ministry• Recognize the dignity of and show respect for the people with whom we work• Are faithful stewards of all personnel, material, physical, and spiritual
resources• Facilitate reproducing church-planting movements
Team Model
CBF Global Missions is a team driven organization. This means decisions are made at the point closest to
the action. We view our work as taking place in a “world without borders” meaning teams may include
personnel in different countries, even continents. Teams reach decisions by coming to consensus and
team members hold each other accountable through a monthly reporting template and six month covenants. Twice a year, our teams gather for face to face team
meetings.
Give and Go
CBF believes that each Christian is called to
give and go. We are each called to
embrace the world.
There are many ways you can join with CBF either through your church or as an individual
supporter.
ConnectingIndividuals and churches can connect
with
CBF by:
Serving through one of CBF’s many projects, such as disaster relief, new church starts, or international short term
projects.
Giving as an individual donor, or by designating gifts through your church.
Praying for Global Missions field personnel.
Telling others about the work of CBF.
CBF Congregational Life
Resourcing congregations and Christians as they discover and fulfill
their God-given mission
Faith Formation
The Missional Church – When sharing in evangelism and outreach opportunities, the individual Christian seeks ways to share his/her passion on purpose in being the presence of Christ.
Spiritual Formation – As we respond to the need of each individual, we encourage the on-going development of the core of who we are as individual believers.
Building Community
CBF Congregation Life seeks to build community through focusing on the following areas:
• Congregational Health • Baptist Identity and Relationships• Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogue and
Reconciliation and Justice • Marriage and Family• Chaplains, Pastoral Counselors, and Ministers in
Specialized Settings
Connecting CBF and Churches
Congregational Life also works to assist churches through the following initiatives and
programs:
New Church Starts
The Hispanic Initiative
Providing Church Resources
CBF Leadership Development
discovering, developing and nurturing those who are called out to
professional ministry
Over 2,000 Baptist students are now preparing for ministry at one of the 15 seminaries, theology schools or Baptist studies programs in CBF's network of ministry
partnerships. The Fellowship provides financial support for these schools for Masters of Divinity degrees through
its Leadership Development Initiative Team
CBF Leadership Development
The Fellowship’s partnering theological schools:
Chaplaincy & Pastoral Counseling
CBF endorses chaplains and pastoral counselors to hospital and military service, and provides endorsements for membership in various professional organizations, such as the
Association of Professional Chaplains, American Association of Pastoral Counselors and the
Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.
Initiative for Ministerial Excellence
The Institute for Ministerial Excellence provides resources for new and established ministers through their:
• Sabbatical Program
• Peer Learning Groups
• Ministerial Residencies and Teaching Congregations