nov/december 2007 fellowship!

CBFfellowship! Cooperativebaptistfellowship|www.thefellowship.info

Fellowship Baptists welcome refugees

These biblical figures, like refugees today, feared for their lives, and as they left their homes behind, they faced feelings of loss, isolation and uncertainty.

The U.S. Committee for Refugees estimates that cur-rently 21 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes. For those who have been uprooted, their physical needs are basic — shel-ter, food, clothing, but often they must navigate unfamiliar systems in a foreign language

and new land. “We have seen hundreds of

people arrive with what they have from their life in one suitcase — everything else was left,” said Marc Wyatt, one of CBF’s field personnel who facilitates refugee ministries with churches and partners. “When refugees receive simple donated items — a table, chair or picture frame — and those items become theirs, there is a sense of restoration. To be part of that process is a gift from God, and you become their family.”

CBF field personnel, churches and partners are involved in minis-tries to refugees around the world. They are helping to meet not only the physical needs, but also the emotional and spiritual needs, as refugees search for a sense of safety and place of belonging. From Af-rica to Canada to Asia and in the

United States, Fellowship Baptists are welcoming those who have fled the violence, persecution or devas-tation of their homelands.

This issue of fellowship! high-lights some of these ministries and tells the stories of refugees who have been welcomed by Fellowship Baptists. This issue also includes ideas for reaching out to refugees in local communities and connect-ing with the Fellowship network.

“Refugees are some of the most neglected people,” said Shelah Acker, one of CBF’s field personnel who has ministered to refugees in

Africa. “During their time of need, Christians can reach out and dem-onstrate the love of Christ by as-sisting them. In their new country, new situation, and with new found friends, refugees can hear a clear presentation of God’s love through believers’ actions and words. Imag-ine how amazing it would be if the first people to reach out to refugees when they arrived in a new land were Christians demonstrating the love of Christ.”

By Patricia Heys, CBF Communications

As Christmas approaches, the stories of Jesus’

birth and childhood will be read in homes

and congregations. The book of Matthew

features one of these stories, telling of how Mary, Joseph

and a young Jesus fled King Herod’s reign and sought

safety in Egypt. This is just one of the many accounts

of people in the Bible seeking refuge — Moses and the

Israelites escaped from slavery, Noah survived destructive

floods, Daniel searched for a safe place.

insidethisissue...

• Pages 6-7 — Ideas for ministering to refugees

• 1 — Open House resources Homestead community

• Page 9 — 2008 General Assembly info

• Page 2 — Jack Snell leaves legacy of service

November/December 2007

inCentralasia,millionsofpeoplehavebeenforcedtoleavetheirhomelandsbecauseofviolenceandseeksafetyinothercountries.

cbF

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W hen they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his

mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2:13-15

The ChURCh Bene-fits Board of the Coop-erative Baptist Fellow-

ship will dramatically increase services available to churches and individuals through new strategic partnerships.

Through a new agreement signed in October, the Church Benefits Board (CBB) will begin offering retirement benefits and health insurance options through nationally-recognized providers. After seven years of working with the Ministers and Missionaries Benefits Board of the American Baptist Churches USA, CBB is now able to offer expanded

benefits to customers.

“The part-nership with MMBB al-lowed us to serve church staff members at a time when the Fellowship movement was new and developing,” said Gary Skeen, CBB president. “We are grateful to American Baptists for that partnership. Now that we are able to stand on our own, we are excited to be

able to offer more flexible and competi-tive benefits to those in the CBF family.”

The new agreements take effect Jan. 1, 2008, and will offer the following ad-vantages:

• More flexibility in retirement or medical benefits or both without having to participate in CBB retirement in order to purchase health insurance.

• Wider array of health insurance options with multiple choices as well as customized solutions.

• Continued relationship with CBB staff and outstanding customer service.

• CBB will have its own retire-ment plan and have input into the design of its own group solutions rather than a third party partner.To take advantage of these

new offerings, existing as well as potential customers are encouraged to contact the Church Benefits Board by Dec. 1. For more on the specifics of the new plans, log on to

www.churchbenefits.org, call CBB at (800) 352-8741 or e-mail [email protected].

“We are humbled that so many CBF churches have en-trusted the management of their benefits to CBB,” Skeen said. “We hope we’ve earned that trust. This step is simply our attempt to be good stewards of that trust on your behalf. We believe we have put together better options for CBF churches that will pay dividends for years to come.”

By Lance Wallace, CBF Communications

Church Benefits Board to enhance retirement, health benefits

Garyskeen

2 f e l l o w s h i p ! N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7 Inside CBF

Vol. 17, No. 6ExEcutivE coordinator • daniel vestalcoordinator, FEllowship advancEmEnt • Ben mcdadeEditor • lance wallacemanaging Editor • patricia heysassociatE Editor • carla wynn davisphonE • (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

JACk SNell dedicated his life to being a pastor. For nearly four decades, he nurtured

congregations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and kentucky. And in recent years, his ministry of pastoral care extended to more than 150 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel around the world.

Snell, the Fellowship’s director of global field ministries, died Oct. 2 after a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Snell, 66, is survived by his wife, Anita; his son, Charles, of Atlanta; his daughter, Stephanie, and son-in-law, henry kahler, of Jacksonville, Fla.

“Jack Snell has been an instrument of God’s spirit and a vessel of God’s grace in ways that have impacted all of us,” said Daniel Vestal, the Fellowship’s executive coordinator. “We will miss him, yet his influence will continue to live and bear fruit. his love for Christ and commitment to global missions have been a profound inspiration in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. he has shaped and formed CBF as much as any individual I know.”

As director of global field ministries, Snell supervised CBF field personnel and support teams. he traveled around the world, addressing not only the practical needs of field personnel — budgets, policies, strategies — but also spiritual and emotional needs. Snell nurtured and encouraged field personnel as they faced the challenges of ministering to some of the world’s most neglected people.

“There is no way to exaggerate the shaping influence that Jack Snell had upon global missions, both at CBF and beyond, over the past 16 years,” said Rob Nash, the Fellowship’s Global Missions coordinator. “he has been at the forefront of our global mission engagement since the very beginning, chairing the first global missions ministry group, shaping decisions about where we engaged and why, taking his congregation in Jacksonville on short-term missions alongside our field personnel and finally, serving us so very well as a vital member of the CBF national staff. We are impoverished by

his passing. We have lost a good friend, a guide, a steadying hand and the hardest worker that I have ever known.”

Snell began work with the Fellowship in 2000, serving as associate coordinator for mission teams in Asia. Along with Anita, Snell provided guidance to CBF Global Missions field personnel in Asia. The Snells served as liaisons between field personnel and the CBF national office, and helped connect field personnel with churches and other partners. While living in Singapore, Snell also taught and mentored local pastors.

In 2005, Snell was named the interim coordinator of CBF Global Missions. For more than a year, he provided leadership and direction to all of CBF Global Missions staff and field personnel.

For 20 years, Snell served as pastor of hendricks Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. he also served as pastor of Central Baptist Church, Newnan, Ga., and long Run Baptist Church, Anchorage, ky.


The family requests that in lieu of flowers, one way memorial contributions can be made is to the CBF Offering for Global Missions, which supports the ministries of CBF field personnel around the world. To contribute to the Offering, use the envelope provided in this issue and designate “Offering for Global Missions in Memory of Jack Snell” in the memo line.

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

Nov. 4-5CbfofGafallConvocation

First baptist church of savannah, Ga.info: (800) 426-8483

Nov. 13CbfofnorthCarolinafallfellowshipGathering

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

JaN. 14-16spiritualformationretreatforassociateMinisters

little rock, ark.info: www.thefellowship.info/involved/events

JaN. 25-27, Feb. 1-3CbfofnorthCarolinaYouthskiretreat

winterplace, west virginiainfo: (800) 285-7273 or [email protected]

JaN. 29-30CurrentYoungleadersretreat

First baptist church of Decatur, Ga.info: [email protected]

JaN. 30-Feb. 1CelebrationofanewbaptistCovenant

world congress center, atlanta, Ga.info: www.newbaptistcelebration.org

Feb. 15-17KindleretreatforYouth

hendricks avenue baptist church, Jacksonville, Fla.

info: www.floridacbf.org

Feb. 25-28YouthMinisters’retreat

beach cove resort, myrtle beach, s.c. info: www.cbfnc.org

Feb. 28-29womenoftheChurchConferenceforclergy

hilton at Kingston plantation, myrtle beach, s.c.info: www.cbfofsc.org

Feb. 29-march 2womenoftheChurchConferenceforlayleaders

hilton at Kingston plantation, myrtle beach, s.c.info: www.cbfofsc.org

Feb. 29-march 2, 7-9MarchMissionMadness

multiple locations throughout Georgiainfo: www.marchmissionmadness.org

march 30-april 4fiveDayacademyforspiritualformation

ignatius retreat house, atlanta, Ga.info: [email protected]

Upcoming Events

About the artist – the art on the cover of this issue was painted by Nyoman Darsane, who was born in 1939 into a hindu family in bali. Growing up Darsane was drawn to the traditional balinese art forms of dance, music, puppetry and painting and was trained in these at the royal payangan palace.

when Darsane later studied art at Universitas Diponogoro in Java, he met a christian woman who became his wife. Darsane returned to bali as a professional artist and christian. as he sought ways to combine balinese arts with the message of the gospel, his motto became “bali is my body. christ is my life.”

Darsane’s paintings use the contemporary balinese settings, clothing and culture to communicate the stories and themes of the bible. twenty-five of his paintings were recently exhibited at the museum of biblical art in New York city.

Jack Snell passes away from pancreatic cancer leaving legacy of service

Jacksnellservedasdirectoroffieldministries,supervisingtheministriesofmorethan150fieldpersonnel.

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3f e l l o w s h i p ! N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7Inside CBF

• • • • • •

Mike Bergmanmike bergman left last summer’s cbF hiv/

aiDs summit awakened to a need. he returned

to hope community church in belton, texas,

where he serves as worship pastor, with a vi-

sion to be the presence of christ among those

living with hiv/aiDs. the church, which began

in 2004, shared bergman’s passion, and now

more than 26 members are involved in reach-

ing out to the local hiv/aiDs community.

“they are anxiously awaiting someone to

befriend,” bergman said. “we are attempting

to become friends with individuals affected

and infected. we hope that our effort will encourage them to see the church as a

safe place for them to pursue their spiritual journey and relationship with God.”

• • • • • •

Faithe Beam Faithe beam made history at campbell

University this year, becoming the first female

to serve as campus minister. a graduate of

campbell University’s Divinity school, a Fel-

lowship partner, beam is responsible for the

planning and implementation of undergradu-

ate worship services, which are held twice a

week. she’ll also provide pastoral counseling,

leadership to ministries on campus and facili-

tate missions opportunities for students.

“i want to be a resource for the students,

to meet their academic and personal needs,

but i also want to be a good mother and a good wife,” beam said. “while there

are still some barriers to women in ministry, the opportunities to serve are

endless. i just hope i’m the first in a long line of women ministers at campbell.”

• • • • • •

Jeremy ColliverJeremy colliver, a cbF leadership scholar

at the baptist seminary of Kentucky, works as

the minister to youth at Faith baptist church

in Georgetown, Ky. he is also actively involved

in Kentucky baptist Fellowship, serving as the

missions chair, coordinating council member

and executive council member. as the

youngest member of the coordinating council,

colliver, 26, provides a young voice, as well

as missions experience.

“my hope for my future with cbF is to offer

a baptist voice that is inclusive so we can

partner with different people and different organization to do God’s work,” said

colliver. “we may not agree on everything, but we can do what God has called us to

do and reach further and reach more with our efforts that way.”

• • • • • •

Julie Pennington-RussellJulie pennington-russell, who earlier this

year became pastor of First baptist church of

Decatur, Ga., will be one of the featured speak-

ers at the Jan. 30-Feb. 1 gathering of the cel-

ebration of a New baptist covenant in atlanta.

pennington-russell, who has previously

served as pastor of calvary baptist church in

waco, texas, and Nineteenth avenue baptist

church in san Francisco, calif., anticipates

that the celebration will be filled with diverse

worship and people.

“any time baptists manage to put a lid on

our little pot full of differences and spend some time stirring that big, common

kettle of faith, hope and love in christ — that’s news,” she said. “and in this

divided world, i believe it’s the only kind of witness that people out there regard as

genuine.”

Fellowship People

Mikebergman

faithebeam

JeremyColliver

A Look Backn 15 years ago

CBF state organizations began in Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia, and the North Central regional organization was formed.

n 10 years agoThe Cooperative Baptist Fellowship began providing leadership Scholarships to

students at partner seminaries.

n 5 years agoThe Baptist Seminary of kentucky, a Fellowship partner school, was started in

lexington, ky.

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

A community in Tennessee and a community in Thailand are now partners.

Through the Upland holistic Develop-ment Project (UhDP), a Thailand-based ministry started by CBF field personnel el-len and Rick Burnette, king’s Cross Baptist Church is engaging in a three-year simulta-neous partnership with both the Fellowship and the huai Wai community.

Church members traveled to Thailand earlier this year, where the Burnettes min-ister among the Palaung, a marginalized hilltribe people. After raising money for a new water system, the church members built water tanks, which will help support 18 Pa-laung villages. The partnership will continue over the next three years, as the church and huai community will communicate with and support each other.

“The ministry of UhDP is a tangible ex-pression of the love of Christ to a people who

desperately need to experience love, mercy and hope,” said Amy Wilkins, minister of missions at king’s Cross. “Often we grow up with the idea that mission trips are about selling Jesus to people who don’t know they need him. Instead we saw a holistic ministry that primarily cares for people and God’s creation, and evangelism happens organically in that context.”


King’s Cross Baptist ChurchTullahoma, Tenn.

peoplefromKing’sCrossledcraftsandsportscampsforchildreninahilltribevillage.

rick bennett serves as director of congregational life at the cooperative baptist Fellowship. During his three years at the Fellowship, bennett’s focus has been facilitating resource development for congregational life. this includes printed materials such as “it’s time: a Journey toward missional Faithfulness,” networks such as the spiritual formation network, and events such as spiritual formation retreats for ministers. bennett also works closely with churches to provide congregational resources through cbF’s many partners.

Hometown: richmond county, N.c.

Education: campbell University in buies creek, N.c., and baptist theological seminary at richmond, va.

Experience: before joining the cbF staff, bennett spent 13 years as a local church staff minister. his most recent staff role was as pastoral educator at Fbc orangeburg, s.c. he’s also served at woodhaven baptist church in apex, N.c., west end baptist church in petersburg, va., and athens Drive baptist church in raleigh, N.c.

Church membership: smoke rise baptist church, stone mountain, Ga.

Interesting Fact: bennett, who has visited more than 70 churches in the past three years, is currently working on a doctorate in ministry with a concentration in spiritual formation.

“churches need resources, and they turn to cbF as a trusted resource provider. if we don’t have what a church needs in the way of community, consultation or printed resource, one of our trusted partners will. there is nothing like the feeling of having faithfully ‘equipped the saints for works of ministry’ as ephesians 4 says. cbF’s future depends on the availability of quality resources for churches and individuals as they discern and fulfill their God-given mission.”

contact rick bennett at [email protected] or (800) 352-8741.

meet Rick Bennett

Juliepennington-russell

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4 f e l l o w s h i p ! N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7 Refugees

Several weekends each month, the Binkleys, who serve as CBF field personnel, travel to churches around the country, telling congregations how they can reach out to karen refugees in their community. As the first wave of karen arrives across the United States, in many ways, the task is overwhelming.

“everything is happening all at once all around the country,” said Duane. “how do you prioritize?”

The Binkleys’ ministry stretches from seven refugee camps along the Thailand-Burma border to halfway around the world, where in approximately 80 U.S. cities an estimated 50,000 karen refugees are expected to resettle over three years.

When they were commissioned in 1982 to work among the karen people along the Thailand-Burma border, the Binkleys were willing to go anywhere God would send them — even to jungle villages along an ambiguous border on the other side of the world. Twenty-five years later, the Binkleys begin the task of helping welcome the karen to a world equally foreign to them.

early in their ministry, they became acutely aware of the persecution of the karen, the largest ethnic minority in Burma (known officially as Myanmar), by the military dictatorship of the Burmese Army.

“One day we would go to a town and the next day we would go back and it would be burned to the ground,” said Marcia.

This past June, in a joint appointment, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and American Baptist Churches USA commissioned the Binkleys to focus on karen refugees and churches that might welcome them. With American Baptist Churches primarily in the North and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches concentrated in the South, this partnership gives the Binkleys a broad network of churches.

“What we’re about is connecting the karen here with the churches. That’s the

immediate goal,” said Duane. “We need to get churches educated so they can make those connections.”

Many karen know that their connection with Baptist churches in America goes back nearly 200 years to America’s first Baptist missionaries, Anne and Adoniram Judson. It was Judson who first shared the gospel with the karen. Today, approximately one-third of the karen people are Christians, and despite years of persecution many have kept their faith and trust God to deliver them.

“They’ve survived with nothing else but their faith for so long,” said Marcia. “That’s what allowed them not to give up hope.”

While the karen are being offered

resettlement in the United States, the decision to accept resettlement means leaving behind family and friends in the refugee camps and in Burma. It also represents an acceptance that they may never be able to return to their homeland.

When the Binkleys traveled to the Tham hin and Mae la camps this past summer, they found the karen

anxious to learn more about the realities of resettlement. The Binkleys shared openly about the difficulties that the karen will face in America. Using video messages from karen already living in the United States, the karen received first hand information from friends who have gone before them.

According to the Binkleys, the response of churches has been most encouraging, including the desire of ABC and CBF churches to work together to welcome the karen. And as the karen seek out Baptist churches in their new American neighborhoods, churches are seeking the best ways to integrate them into their congregations.

“Once people hear the story of the karen in Burma and the long road they have traveled to this resettlement in the U.S., they will do anything they can to help,” said Duane.

“This is the first time they’ve been accepted anywhere,” said Marcia. “Offering them a church home validates their worth as human beings.”

By contributing writer Steve Clark, Louisville, Ky.

At 5:30 a.m. on a

Saturday, Duane

and Marcia Binkley

fill up the back seat and trunk

of their rental car with hand-

woven clothes and bags, booklets,

display boards, a laptop computer,

and an inflatable globe. They’re

beginning a long-distance drive to

educate another church about the

Karen people.

Binkleys connect Baptist churches with Karen refugees

“T hey’ve survived with nothing else but their faith for so long. That’s

what allowed them not to give up hope.”

atthethamhinrefugeecamp,DuaneandMarciabinkleytalkwithaKarenfamilywhoispreparingtoleavefortheUnitedstates.

anne

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Morethan160,00Karenhavelivedinrefugeecampsalongthethailand-burmaborder.

today,approximately35percentofKarenareChristians.

5


f e l l o w s h i p ! N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7Refugees

Binkleys connect Baptist churches with Karen refugeesabouttheKarenpeople

For centuries, the karen people of Southeast Asia have occupied a homeland stretching much of the length of the Thailand-Burma border and today are estimated to be a people group of about 10 million.

One of many ethnic minorities in that region, the karen (pronounced kah RIN) are known as a gentle and accepting people. They weave beautiful, colorful fabrics and love music, especially singing. The karen’s melodic language has been called “the French of the Orient.”

With the first karen convert to Christianity nearly 200 years ago, the karen also are known for their faith. Today, about 35 percent of all karen people are Christian.

For decades, Burma (known officially as Myan-mar) has been ruled by a harsh military dictator-ship. The karen have long fought for democracy and independence. As the largest of the ethnic minorities, the karen are mercilessly persecuted by the Burmese military in what has become the world’s longest running military conflict.

Rape, murder and forced labor are common, causing hundreds of thousands to live on the run in the jungles of eastern Burma. For more than two decades, karen have poured over the border into Thailand seeking refugee. More than 160,000 have languished for years in the relative security of refugee camps with very limited freedom.

Now the karen have the opportunity for resettlement in the United States and a few other welcoming countries around the world. The offer for resettlement comes from the U.S. Department of State and is carried out by 10 national volunteer agencies. Their branches in cities across the nation take responsibility for providing housing, cultural orientation, english as a Second language, finding employment and caring for a wide variety of other needs.

By contributing writer Annette L. Ellard, Louisville, Ky.

thatoatoo’sstoryTha Toa Too lives a world away from much of her family. A native of Burma, Tha Toa Too has been able to

resettle in the United States with her husband, children and in-laws, but her parents and siblings still live in the Tham hin refugee camp with thousands of other karen people.

When Tha Toa Too heard that CBF field personnel Steve Clark and Annette ellard would be traveling to the refugee camp, she gave them a package to take to her parents, which included letters, chocolate for her mother, and more than 100 photos of their growing grandchildren. And she made a request — would they find her parents and take a picture of them together.

When Clark and ellard arrived at the guard gate at Tham hin with CBF field personnel Duane and Marcia Binkley, they were waved in — even though just days before an aid organization had been denied entry. An announcement was made over the camp loud speaker that anyone with family and friends in kentucky or Ohio should gather at the designated shelter.

“We approached those crowded under a black tarp on bamboo poles — a small shade from the noonday sun,” ellard said. “As we delivered all the mail entrusted to us, I became overwhelmed by being in the middle of a miracle. Suddenly, letters and photos and chocolates seemed like gold and frankincense and myrrh.”

And among those who gathered at the tent were Tha Toa Too’s parents, who had their picture taken together.

thatoatooshowshersonsapictureoftheirgrandparents,wholiveinthethamhinrefugeecamp,andteachesthemthewordsforgrandmotherandgrandfather.

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thehousesatthethamhinrefugeecamparebuiltnomorethanameterapartanduseblacktarpsasroofcoverings.


refugee: a person outside his/her native country who is unable or unwilling to rely on the protection of his/her country because of persecution or a well-founded

fear of persecution, on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. — As defined by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees

MAnnyThe scars from bullet wounds on his left cheek,

neck and forearm are permanent reminders. “They tried to kill me,” said Manny, speaking of

the MS-13 gang in el Salvador he refused to join and openly opposed. “There was no place to run. I was afraid for my life, for the lives of my mom and my siblings.”

Manny traveled through Central America and Mexico and into the United States, searching for a safe refuge. When Sue Smith, one of CBF’s field personnel, met Manny, now 29, he was living in a homeless shelter in Virginia and ill from the effects of hIV.

“I know I have made many mistakes,” Manny said to Smith. “I’m just thankful that God can see my heart and that God loves and forgives me, and brings good people like you into my life who care about me.”

SAMuELFor more than a decade, civil war has raged in

liberia. A generation of liberian children have grown up more likely to know how to use a machine gun than how to read. Samuel and his family fled the violence of his home country and after a long journey ended up in California.

At 18, Samuel attends an American high school, but he doesn’t know how to read. last summer he attended a camp facilitated by CBF field personnel, Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church in San Francisco and First Baptist Church of hereford, Texas. One of the church members encouraged Samuel to read and introduced him to the series of Amelia Bedilia books. he loves the books and checks them out at the library where he attends an after school program.

“Samuel was most happy in his rural African village,” said Tiffne Whitley, one of CBF’s field personnel. “The transition to America was a tough one for him. It was good to see him enjoy the new world of reading. It was good for the church members to see what the world of an African refugee placed in inner-city America was like.”

JOyIn Turkey, Joy was shunned. her political and

religious beliefs made her an outcast, and she was

forced out of the school where she taught and the community she called home. She sought safety and freedom in Toronto, Canada.

“When Joy arrived, she was so in need of community,” said kim Wyatt, one of CBF’s field personnel who facilitates ministries to refugees. “She was in need of a friend and to feel like she belonged.”

Joy found a community of Turks from her cultural group in Canada and was introduced to Christians through a refugee ministry. When she received the gospel of John in her native language, she read it that very week. knowing it is not safe for her to return to Turkey, she is making a home in Canada, spending five to six hours a day learning english, volunteering in a local school and working in a sandwich shop.

SHuAIb & bIbIShuaib and Bibi stepped off the plane last

June in Tucson, Ariz., with two children and one suitcase. After five years in a refugee camp in egypt, it’s all the family from Somalia had.

But they arrived in the United States to open arms from 15 members of Pantano Baptist Church, a Fellowship partner church. That night the family had a hot meal in an apartment the church had furnished, and over the next months, church members would take

Welcoming the STrAnGEr

phillipe

pastortirgoala


“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels

without knowing it.” — Hebrews 13:2

refugee: a person outside his/her native country who is unable or unwilling to rely on the protection of his/her country because of persecution or a well-founded

fear of persecution, on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. — As defined by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees

the family to the grocery store, job interviews, banks, doctors and help them transition to a new culture.

“We are the presence of Christ to a family who did not speak english, had no belongings, who were put into an unknown culture,” said the church’s pastor Glen Foster. “By building relationship with them, loving them and providing for them, we met physical, emotional and spiritual needs.”

More than a year later church members are still helping their Somalian friends, including hosting a baby shower last spring for the couple’s third child. And on short notice, the church recently adopted its second refugee family. This time it’s a family of 10 from Burundi in Central Africa.

bASIMWhen Basim arrived in San Francisco he wandered

around lost in the airport for two days. A doctor, he and his family had fled Afghanistan, where he had been imprisoned for six months and twice abducted and held for ransom.

Basim was granted refugee status in the United States four years ago, but didn’t have enough money to pay the fees necessary to bring his whole family. his wife and five children live in a refugee camp in Pakistan, as he tries to earn enough money to bring them to the U.S.

But finding a steady job has been difficult, and Basim is virtually homeless. Rick Sample, one of CBF’s

field personnel, and two local pastors have befriended Basim, eating meals together as they talk about God’s love. One night over dinner, Basim told them he wanted to commit himself to following Jesus and prayed for salvation.

“As I have experienced God’s forgiveness, I feel I could forgive all those people who have abused me during my life,” Basim said.

PASTOr TIrGOALAIt was difficult for Ilie Tirgoala and others to find

jobs in Moldova — not because they weren’t qualified but because they were Christian.

“If they know you’re Baptist, it’s hard to get a job, or you work hard and don’t get paid as much,” he said.

he used to be a pastor in a Moldovan village, but then his family moved to Asheville, N.C., where he now serves as pastor of Moldovan Missionary Baptist Church. They connected with CBF field personnel Fran and Mike Graham, who have helped the family and others in the church transition to life in the United States.

“[Families] need jobs, furniture, a place to live and to learn english,” Tirgoala said.

PHILLIPEIn the past four years more than 4 million people

have died in the Congo, as rival militia groups engage in ethnic killing. Phillipe managed to survive. his family gathered the money they had and sent him away from the violence, hoping that one day he would find a safe place and send help back.

Phillipe traveled halfway across the continent of Africa any way he could — by foot, by car. he escaped bandits and human traffickers and survived the trek across the Sahara Desert. When he arrived in North Africa, Phillipe learned he wasn’t welcomed in this region either, but he finally found work with a local humanitarian organization.

“Phillipe has chosen to work every day to assist others through his work,” said a friend. “his love and commitment to others is making an incredible difference in the lives of many. This young man who has nothing gives his all for others – he is a very Christ-like example.”

SAbEEnAnah and her husband sat in their kitchen and

prayed, “lord, we [may not have much to] eat this year, but please make a way for our daughter, Sabeen, to start school this fall.” A few minutes later, they received a call that there was a scholarship available for Sabeen to attend the Ashrafiya Nazarene School.

Sabeen and her family are among the more than 2 million refugees who have been forced to flee their homes in Iraq. her family, along with thousands of Iraqis, has sought refuge in Jordan. With donations from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and other partner organizations, Sabeen and 40 other refugee children in Jordan have the opportunity to attend school.

“CBF is partnering with other missions organizations to touch a small but significant population of refugees devastated by the crisis in Iraq and uprooted from their livelihoods,” said David harding, one of CBF’s field personnel. “Providing these services gives hope and a demonstration of love to one student and family at a time, but that is how God grows the kingdom.”

10 Ways to Welcome Refugees1. welcome refugees in your church.

2. volunteer to teach english classes.

3. connect with the cbF network of churches, partners

and field personnel.

4. learn about the history and culture of the people to

whom you minister.

5. be an advocate for human rights.

6. contact a local refugee agency about needs in your

community.

7. Donate household items.

8. help refugees navigate systems, including

registering for school, making doctor’s

appointments and understanding bills.

9. Financially support ministries that reach out to

refugees.

10. invite a refugee family to your home for a meal.

To learn about partnership opportunities with any

of CBF’s ministries to refugees or to learn how your

church can minister to refugees in its community, call

(800) 352-8741. To financially support these ministries,

please give to the CBF Offering for Global Missions by

using the envelope included in this publication.

Welcoming the STrAnGErCooperative Baptist Fellowship

8 f e l l o w s h i p ! N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7


News

Snipes, a pastoral resident at haddock Baptist Church in haddock, Ga., purchased gifts in honor of his fellow church staff, family members and all 41 students in the church youth group.

“I wanted to help the youth connect with ... how easy it is to help someone in another country,” said Snipes, who spent $1 on behalf of each student to buy three meals for children with disabilities at Angel house ministry in China. “They loved it, and their families loved it. They asked me to get them gift catalogs this year.”

Gifts cost anywhere from $1 to $20,000 and help people across the world by providing food, Bibles, agricultural supplies, wells and other needed resources. Gifts have often been purchased for the holidays, birthdays or other celebrations, and in memory or in honor of someone.

Barbara Van hoose of Sarasota, Fla., has a large family — five children, their spouses and 16 grandchildren. last Christmas, on behalf of each of them, she bought a blanket for refugees and migrants in the Middle east.

“This caught my eye, and I thought that would be one thing I could do ... to involve them personally ... [and] to do something that they probably would not have thought of or been aware of,” she said.

If a gift is purchased on behalf of an individual, that person receives a card acknowledging that a gift has been purchased in his or her name.

By Carla Wynn Davis, CBF Communications

Last year, Mark Snipes did

most of his Christmas

shopping out of one catalog — the

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s

Global Missions gift catalog,

where money spent helps the most

neglected people in the world.

CBF gift catalog available for holiday shopping

EACh month, in kansas City, Mo., a group of 10 ministers meets as part of a CBF Peer

learning Group. The group includes pas-tors, associate ministers, chaplains and professors. Some have strong ties to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and oth-ers are ministers with American Baptist Churches USA or from other faith tradi-tions. Despite their diversity, this group of ministers shares one common denomina-tor — they are all women in ministry.

“The group has provided for us a place

of freedom,” said Cynthia Jarrold, who fa-cilitates the group. “We have found freedom to express who we are, where we are theo-logically and share our struggles uniquely related to being women in ministry.”

A component of the Fellowship’s Initiative for Ministerial excellence, Peer learning Groups are small groups of ministers who meet monthly to provide opportunities for worship, spiritual growth, study, discussion of ministry-related issues and fellowship. The Fellowship provides the groups with suggested resources related

to promoting pastoral excellence and congregational health as well as annual funding of up to $1,000.

First started in 2003, the Peer learning Group network now consists of more than 75 groups and 500 ministers in 15 states.

For more information about Peer learning Groups or to become involved, contact Steve Graham, director of ministerial excellence, at (800) 352-8741 or [email protected].

Read more about Cynthia Jarrold’s group on the Fellowship’s Web site www.thefellowship.info/involved/network.

By contributing writer Michelle Norman, Lawrenceville, Ga.

spotlightnetwork Peer Learning Groups

inMacedonia,manyromanychildrencannotaffordtoattendschool.

theUplandholisticDevelopmentprojectserves18hilltribecommunities.

CBF Global Missions Gift CatalogThe Fellowship’s gift catalog provides dozens of opportunities to support and participate in the work of CBF Global

Missions field personnel serving around the world.

The catalog, available for the fourth straight year, is based on the requests of field personnel to help meet the needs of the most neglected people. It contains project descriptions with the specific amount of money needed to fund each project. Gifts range in price from $1.00 to $20,000. All purchases are tax deductible.

To access the Global Missions Gift Catalog, go to www.thefellowship.info/involved/give.

project80052nthailand–UplandholisticDevelopmentproject(UhDp)

UhDp works with the marginalized hilltribe communities, who lack thai citizenship and access to government services. UhDp helps to develop sustainable agriculture and viable backyard agriculture approaches, which includes small-scale livestock production.

• $100 will buy a pig for a farmer’s backyard enterprise

• $10 will provide a set of livestock vaccines

• $1 will provide three different varieties of vegetable seeds

project80548nMacedonia–KindergarteneducationalDevelopmentproject

this project provides free kindergarten education for some of the poorest children in skopje, macedonia.

• $40 will buy food for one day for all the children enrolled in school

• $7 will buy food for one child for one week

project85217nMiddleeast–Communitywatertanks

tent communities in the middle east face the daily task of hauling water from any source where they can secure it. at times, they resort to impure water at construction sites.

• $100 will purchase a tank and set-up for a community

e x a m p l e s o f p r o j e c t p u r c h a s e s :

9f e l l o w s h i p ! N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7


News

2008 General Assembly

COWBOyS have long been a prominent part of the landscape in the West. And in present-day

Oklahoma, cowboys continue to live in a distinct culture, with the need for a distinct way of worshiping.

“When you think of Oklahoma, you think of the Western Cowboy Museum in Norman. you think of Will Rogers. Oklahoma is an ideal place for a cowboy church start,” said Phil hester, the Fellowship’s church starts specialist.

In Chickasha, Okla., the

Cowboy Country Church is reaching the unique needs of those who might otherwise be without a church home. The church is co-sponsored by the Cooperating Baptist Fellowship of Oklahoma, CBF and First Baptist Oklahoma City, and led by bi-vocational pastor lynn Walker.

Despite the recent flooding of their new building after Tropical Storm erin in August, which included more than $10,000 in damages, the church is thriving. After one year in existence,

the Cowboy Country Church averages an attendance of more than 50 people each Sunday.

“This is a piece of what we are trying to do in Oklahoma,” said T Thomas, coordinator of CBF of Oklahoma “We’ve built on the CBF national motto, being the presence of Christ in Oklahoma and the world.”

By contributing writer Alison Wingfield, Dallas, Texas

to learn about partnership opportunities

with cbF church starts, call (800) 352-

8741. to financially support the starting of

new Fellowship partner churches across

the country, give to the Fellowship at

www.thefellowship.info/involved/give.

spotlightChurchstart Cowboy Country Church

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

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“What is it about bridges that captures our imaginations? Perhaps it is that bridges open up new territories, unite that which once was divided, and give us the means of discovering new places and taking us where we’ve never been before. Bridges enable us to embrace new worlds we have yet to discover. This will be the theme of our 2008 General Assembly ... embrace the World: Building Bridges.”

— Randy Hyde, chair of the General Assembly steering committee and pastor of Pulaski heights Baptist Church in little Rock, Ark.

Under the theme “embrace the World: Building Bridges,” the General Assembly will gather June 19-20 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn., for worship, ministry workshops, fellowship, annual business sessions and other activities. highlights include a special time of Assembly-wide guided prayer and discernment about the future, a Thursday evening keynote address by human rights activist and Baptist minister lauran Bethell, and a Friday evening celebration of missional churches engaged in ministry around the world.

* Please note that the annual commissioning of CBF field personnel will be held the evening of Wednesday, June 18, prior to the Assembly.

For more information or to pre-register, go to www.thefellowship.info/involved/events/generalassembly.icm.

hotel inFormation: Marriott Memphis Downtown

250 North Main Street • Memphis, TN

CBF rate is $109 per night for single/double

(Host hotel and connected to the Convention Center)

Wyndham Garden Hotel

300 N 2nd Street • Memphis, TN


(1 block from Convention Center)

Doubletree Hotel Memphis Downtown

185 Union Ave • Memphis, TN


(6 blocks from Convention Center)

To receive the CBF rate you must first pre-register for the General Assembly.

sChedule wednesday, June 18Noon registration opens

1-4:00 p.m. leadership institute

7:30 p.m. Global missions Field personnel commissioning service

thursday, June 19 9-10:10 a.m. workshops

10:30 a.m. business session

11:30 a.m. lunch & auxiliary meetings

1:30 p.m. worship

2:30-3:30 p.m. Discernment & prayer Groups

4 p.m. state & regional cbF meetings

5:30 p.m. Dinner & auxiliary events

7:30 p.m. worship: Keynote speaker lauran bethell

9-10 p.m. resource Fair Fellowship

Friday, June 20 9-10:10 a.m. Discernment & prayer Group

Feedback

10:30 a.m. business session

11:30 a.m. lunch & auxiliary events

1:30-2:40 p.m. workshops

3:15-4:25 p.m. workshops

5:30 p.m. Dinner & auxiliary events

7:30 p.m. worship: a celebration of missional churches

9-10 p.m. resource Fair party

10 f e l l o w s h i p ! N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7


Word spread quickly, and people came from town to get a glimpse of the beach as it never had been before.

“Then we saw a massive white wave on the horizon heading toward shore,” Anwar said.

Anwar jumped on his motorcycle, and raced home — desperately trying to reach his wife and baby before the wave did. At home, his family and the neighbors were standing outside assessing earthquake damage. They had no idea what was coming until they saw it. Then, it was nearly too late.

The mighty wave penned Anwar and his wife against a house, eventually trapping them inside, where they would float on an armoire as the water poured in and filled the house. Another six inches of water and Anwar and his wife would have been among the more than 200,000 that lost their lives on Dec. 26, 2004.

“Indeed, he was a lucky man — particularly to not have lost any of his immediate family in this disaster as so many did,” said one of CBF’s field personnel who responded to the Southeast Asian tsunami.

Stories like Anwar’s have made this tragedy come alive. Stories like this put a human face on one of the biggest natural disasters ever recorded and prompted Fellowship Baptists to respond in unprecedented ways. With nearly $2.63 million given to provide immediate and long-term recovery, CBF field personnel began work immediately to help recover and restore homes and lives.

Three years ago, the survivors that were hired to remove debris were among the few able to earn money in the tsunami’s immediate aftermath. Medical clinics helped injuries heal, and tents gave refugees a drier place to stay. Boxes of food and clothing helped replace what more than 2,000 families lost. Water purifiers supplied 3,000 refugees with clean water.

For months, field personnel worked in the rubble — among what was lost and those who lost.

“Now there is nothing,” said one survivor. “We have come back to look…to see our children’s clothes, to see their toys…to remember our children who were washed away ... we don’t even have their bodies to bury or know where their gravesite is. The sea took them all.”

Field personnel eventually switched their focus to long-term recovery efforts. They dug water wells, improved sanitation and rebuilt a canal that enabled farming to start again. They repaired several schools and provided school uniforms, shoes and

supplies to more than 2,000 students. Job training centers were built and fishermen were

given fishing nets so that they could restart their businesses. They repaired a road to a fish packing plant and cleaned fish and shrimp ponds that helped boost the local economy. houses were built, Bibles were given and orphans were supported.

“I think we do well to remember that there are still people without homes, people who lost their entire families,” said another one of CBF’s field personnel. “For these people there is no ‘getting back to normal.’ Their lives were forever altered on that day.”

And while life for survivors in Southeast Asia will never be the same, three years of relief in four countries and nearly $2.63 million in donations has made a difference.

“I never knew how much love could be given by people to people that they have never met,” said another one of CBF’s field personnel.

Relief work continues, and field personnel have been preparing for another major earthquake, which many geologists have predicted. They hope pre-disaster education, training locals to build earthquake resistant construction, and other preparations will help if predictions are correct.

“There is still struggle, but everywhere you look you see evidence of hope and improvement,” said one of CBF’s field

personnel. “There is still much work to be done, but much has been accomplished.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to security concerns, names and specific locations of some of CBF’s Global Missions field personnel will not be published.

By Carla Wynn Davis, CBF Communications

Give&serve – cbF is continually

responding to disasters around the world.

currently, individuals and churches are needed

to continue relief efforts in pearlington, miss., a

town that was 80 percent destroyed by hurricane

Katrina. to learn how you and your congregation

can be involved in cbF’s disaster response

efforts, go to www.thefellowship.info/disaster.

Fellowship marks nearly three years of tsunami relief in Southeast Asia

News

Anwar had never seen

anything like it. The

earth rumbled. A half-mile

of the ocean receded. Men

and children rushed onto the

exposed sea floor, gathering

handfuls of fish flopping

around in the sand.

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“I never knew how much love could be given by people to people that they have never met.”

11f e l l o w s h i p ! N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7


Offering for Global Missions

Open House Ministries resources impoverished community in Florida

located at the southern tip of the state and adjacent to the everglades, homestead is known as the “Gateway to the keys” as vacationing tourists must travel through to reach the islands. But for immigrants, homestead, despite being one of the poorest communities in the state, is often a gateway to opportunity.

“Many of the immigrant families in our community struggle finan-cially, but their homes are filled with love and devotion for their children,” said Wanda Ashworth, Open house director and one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s field personnel.

More than a dozen nationalities are represented in homestead, but no matter where they have come from, many parents struggle to pro-vide for their children. Ashworth has seen and heard the stories — like the mother who dug tortillas out of a trash can to feed her children. Many fathers find work in the fields, picking vegetables such as squash for 75 cents a bushel.

In a community where 43 percent of the children live below the national poverty line, Open house offers services, such as an emergency food pantry and thrift store, to address the physical needs of these families.

“Beyond physical assistance, Open house tries to be a kingdom place,” said Ashworth. “We want everybody in

this community to have life and have it more abundantly. Not necessarily a life of prosperity, but a rich, fulfilling life. So we do a lot of community asset mapping, helping the neighborhood discover their passions and skills. We try to be a resource, a place where they can come to work together.”

As a joint ministry of the Fellowship and CBF of Florida, Open house began as a disaster relief effort in 1992 following hurricane Andrew, which almost destroyed homestead and

nearby Florida City. But recognizing the ongoing needs of the community, Open house has continued as a long-term partnership with the community to help alleviate poverty.

“We’ve made a space for God, and sometimes I think that’s what being the presence of Christ is about,” Ashworth said. “It’s not about going in with a solution or a program. The neighborhood has its own gifts and talents, and we just make a space for those to happen — that’s how you can be the presence of Christ.”

In addition to “la Tienda,” the thrift store, where each item sells for 25 cents, and a food bank, Open house offers after school programs and Bible studies for youth and children two days a week. every summer, the center partners with missions teams from CBF partner churches to host eight weeks of summer camp.

Ashworth, a former music minister, earned a degree in social work from Gardner-Webb University in 2004 and then became director of Open house. She is one of only two full-time employees at the center.

“When I first came here a lot of wise people told me ‘just listen,’ and we were intentional about listening to the community,” Ashworth said. “The community is interested in their children and youth and taking back their neighborhood. They don’t want to have to go inside [early in the evening]. The attitude is very much ‘this is our neighborhood and we will take care of it.’”


Standing outside

the bright yellow

building of Open House

Ministries in Homestead,

Fla., Wanda Ashworth has

an unobstructed view of the

community she serves. The

barren cinder block buildings

and small homes of a labor

camp — all government

subsidized housing

— surround Open House

Ministries on every side.

openhouseministriesoffersafterschoolprogramsforchildreninthehomesteadcommunity.

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.

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bee

nfo

rced

tole

ave

thei

rho

mes

.

Ref

ugee

s

nov/december 2007 fellowship!

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