The diverse group focused its energies in the initial meeting on getting to know each other, building consensus on a process and describing a timeline in liturgical terms.

“I’d say where we are right now is prayerful discernment,” said George Mason, chair of the search committee and pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. “This is really the Lenten season of our journey together as a committee. We are praying, we are reflecting and we are listening for direction from God.”

Mason said the committee is receiving nominations and applications through the secure e-mail address, CBFsearchcommittee@gmail.com, and encouraged the Fellowship community to respond with names. The committee also created an online questionnaire to survey the Fellowship on qualities that would be needed in the next executive coordinator.

“During this phase of the search, we will focus on gathering names,” Mason said. “We probably won’t begin to look seriously at names and candidates until after Easter. As that season of new beginnings unfolds, we believe our work will match that spirit.”

Mason said it is unlikely the committee will have a candidate by the time Vestal officially retires on June 30.

“We are not going to rush through this,” Mason said. “This is a crucial time for the Fellowship, and we are going to take this task seriously and follow a deliberate and Spirit-led process.”

The committee is made up of the following members:

• Colleen Burroughs, CBF Moderator and vice president of Passport Inc., ex officio member.
• Jack Glasgow, senior pastor of Zebulon Baptist Church, Zebulon, N.C., and former national moderator of CBF.
• Wendell Griffen, pastor of New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Ark., and a former Arkansas Court of Appeals judge.
• LeAnn Gunter Johns, of Macon, Ga., former church staff member at churches in Georgia and California and current steering committee member of Baptist Women in Ministry of Georgia.
• Cynthia Holmes, attorney in private practice in St. Louis, Mo., and former national moderator of CBF. She is a current member of the Coordinating Council’s Personnel Committee.
• Kyle Reese, senior pastor of Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla.
• Artemia Tamayo, church administrator of Memorial Baptist Church, Arlington, Va.
• Tony Vincent, minister of Christian education at Trinity Baptist Church, Seneca, S.C., and current member of the CBF Coordinating Council.
• Joy Yee, pastor of Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church in San Francisco, Calif., and former national CBF moderator.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

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After three previous grants totaling $4 million, the Lilly Endowment has just announced the award of a $750,150 grant to the Fellowship to create a new program that will serve ministers in their first call.

Under the name CBF Fellows Program, this new ministry will be dedicated to strengthening women and men who are serving at their first church after seminary. Through cohort learning, peer learning, coaching, mentoring and networking, young ministers will be given access to resources and experiences to help them meet the inevitable challenges of a first call. They will also be connected with each other, with the larger movement and encouraged toward excellence in ministry that will mark their vocational lives throughout their journeys in service to the church.

“The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship believes strongly that the first ministerial placement after seminary graduation is extremely critical to the formation of pastoral excellence in the lives of young clergy,” said Terry Hamrick, coordinator of missional visioning and chief author of the grant proposal. “During these first years in full-time ministry, a minister has the opportunity to establish the rhythms and practices that allow vision, imagination, discernment and relational capacity and to be nourished and strengthened by resurrection confidence, robust spirituality, curiosity, global perspective and love for the church.”

The CBF Fellows program will begin with a 25-member cohort in 2012 followed by the selection of a second cohort in 2014. The program will consist of being matched with a coach and selecting their own mentor, coursework with their cohort at new and previously existing CBF events and inclusion in a CBF peer learning group.

The outcomes of the program are anticipated to be enhancing the capacity of young ministers to exhibit excellence in their service to congregations, while also establishing the habits, practices and rhythms that are essential to long term health and vitality in the ministerial vocation.

The program is also expected to increase retention of ministers, strengthen the connection between young ministers and the Fellowship community, foster a greater sense of community among the young ministers and help re-energize more experienced ministers who serve as supervisors and mentors.

CBF will partner with other organizations and seminaries to create and evaluate the fellows program. At the conclusion of the three-year grant, the Fellowship has committed to funding the fellows program through its budget.

“This initiative will empower a vivid, covenantal relationship between young ministers, churches, their schools, other ministers, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and its ministry partners,” Hamrick said. “The focus of this dynamic relationship will be excellence in the life of ministers and the congregations they serve.

Information on applying for the CBF Fellows Program will be announced in the spring.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

“It has been a joy to be a part of CBF’s many transitions since its beginning,” said Hamrick, 61. “I have focused on transitions in CBF, in congregations, in culture and now in my own ministry. I am excited about where this transition might lead.”

Hamrick plans on continuing his ministry by teaching, writing and working with congregations, but he is still discerning what that next step might be.

The North Carolina native joined the staff in October of 1996 as coordinator of church resources after serving as the minister of education at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, from 1990 to 1996. He transitioned into the coordinator of the Leadership Development initiative in 2000 after the Fellowship’s strategic plan was adopted.

He has been instrumental in leading a partnership with the Lilly Endowment Inc. that has resulted in more than $3 million in grants for the Fellowship’s Initiative for Ministerial Excellence and $1 million for the Ecosystem for Developing Missional Leaders Initiative. This partnership has produced a number of innovative programs, including peer learning groups for church staff ministers, pastoral residencies, funded sabbaticals for clergy, a pastors-scholars studio that brings together seminar faculty with local pastors, doctoral student network and church internships for college students.

Under his leadership, the Fellowship has created more than 90 peer learning groups involving more than 500 ministers, provided 30 seminary graduates two-year residencies in churches, funded 100 sabbatic leaves for pastors and matched 150 students with churches for paid summer internships. 

“Terry is a person of vision and passion whose influence in CBF has been transformative,” said CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal. “He loves Christ’s church as much as anybody I know and has given his life to helping local congregations learn how to become the people of God in today’s world. I am deeply grateful for his ministry among us as well as his friendship.” 

Hamrick holds a bachelor’s degree from Mars Hill College, a master’s degree in religious education from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate in education from the University of Georgia. In addition to serving on the staff at Broadway, Hamrick was minister of education at First Baptist Church, Decatur, Ga.; First Baptist Church, Somerset, Ky.; and DeHaven Memorial Baptist Church in LaGrange, Ky. 

Widely published, Hamrick has also consulted with dozens of congregations and led numerous retreats, conferences and seminars. 

No decisions on the future of the position will be made until recommendations are returned from the 2012 Task Force and the new executive coordinator is named. 

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

Daniel Vestal announced to the organization’s Advisory Council Sept. 9 that he will retire as executive coordinator effective June 30, 2012. The officers are seeking names for potential search committee members through the end of September. Nominees for the search committee should be sent to CBFsearchcommittee@gmail.com.

The officers, in compliance with the Fellowship’s constitution and bylaws and personnel policies manual, will select the search committee. The timeline for the process is as follows:

·         September: Officers receive recommendations for members of the executive coordinator search committee.

·         October: Officers decide on the makeup of the nine-member search committee.

·         November: Officers announce members of the search committee, and the search committee begins its work.

The current CBF officers are Colleen Burroughs, moderator; Keith Herron, moderator-elect; Christy McMillin-Goodwin, immediate past moderator; and Renee Bennett, recorder.

“The officers are committed to clear communication of our process moving forward and realize the importance of considering the initial reports from the 2012 Task Force before forming the search committee,” Burroughs said. “We covet your prayers for wisdom in the coming days and trust that God will direct our path together.”

In addition to the nine members, the moderator will serve on the search committee as a non-voting, ex officio member. The search committee will be a mixture of laypersons, clergy and at least one person from the CBF personnel committee. The search committee will reflect the diversity of the Fellowship community as much as is practical, and the chair will be appointed by the moderator.

All communication regarding the search committee process should go through the e-mail address listed above.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

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“Fifteen years ago I sensed a calling of the Spirit to become coordinator of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,” Vestal told the Advisory Council at its regularly scheduled September meeting. “Now I am sensing a release from that calling. I will serve until June 30, unless a new coordinator is chosen earlier. I have also asked the officers to act according to our personnel policies and appoint a search committee for the new Executive Coordinator.

“Through the years I have discovered that discerning the will of God for my life and ministry has been an unfolding experience,” Vestal said. “Seldom have I known providence other than in illumination for the next decision or in strength for the next step. And that has been sufficient. Often I have prayed for wisdom as I approached times of transition. Now is such a time for transition.”

The Fellowship’s Advisory Council meets and acts on behalf of the full governing body, the Coordinating Council, between meetings. The Coordinating Council is scheduled to meet Oct. 19-21 in Atlanta. The Advisory Council is composed of the Fellowship’s elected officers, Coordinating Council committee and initiative team chairs and the national staff coordinators.

The Fellowship’s officers will begin the process of finding Vestal’s replacement by appointing a search committee.

“Dr. Vestal has been our shepherd for a long time, guiding us past a painful conflict and pointing us toward the goal of being the presence of Christ in the world,” said Colleen Burroughs, CBF moderator and vice president of Passport Inc. “This has been a healing season, and he leaves us as we are walking stronger as a Fellowship. We are grateful for Daniel's leadership, kindness and diplomacy and pray God’s abundant blessing on whatever is next for Earlene and him, and for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.”

Vestal said he and his family are anticipating their next step in ministry.

“Earlene and I have peace about this decision as well as deep gratitude for the privilege we have had to serve alongside some wonderful colleagues and treasured friends. Our love for CBF is strong, and we look forward to continued involvement. The decision to retire from CBF does not mean we are retiring from active ministry. We are in a discerning process about our next place of ministry and ask for prayer from the Fellowship community.

“One reason I have great hope for the future of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is because of the quality and character of present and emerging leadership,” Vestal said. “CBF is blessed with a host of Baptist Christians who believe in our vision and values. Thanks be to God.”

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

Organized by CBF’s Missional Congregations Initiative and Mercer’s Center for Theology and Public Life, the conference seeks to broaden the conversation begun during last year’s “A Family Conversation about Same-sex Orientation” at the General Assembly in Charlotte, N.C. The three-day conference is being designed to offer context for a comprehensive reflection on Christian sexual ethics in a changing cultural environment. The prospectus for the event is available online.

“Many people and congregations lack good models and useful tools to respectfully engage this conversation,” said Rick Bennett, director of missional congregations for the Fellowship. “We will attempt to provide both. I think it’s important for us to gather in worship, pray the questions, communicate with one another, listen deeply to everyone and be ever mindful that none of us has all the truth.”

As resource providers for local congregations, the conference will center on providing a model for conversation that churches can use as a resource. The worshipful attitude and Scriptural approach is in keeping with the Fellowship’s core values and the goals of Mercer’s Center for Theology and Public Life.

“Any Christian community feels pressure to deal with these questions, and I think it will be a good partnership with CBF,” said David Gushee, distinguished professor of Christian ethics and director of the Center for Theology and Public Life.

“We will have the opportunity of listening to voices of all generations, of anyone who has life experience, and sharing their sorrows and joys. People in their 20s will have the opportunity to learn something from people in their 60s, and people in their 50s will hopefully learn something from people in their 30s,” Gushee said.

Ideas to be explored during the conference include the following:

• Cultural trends demeaning sex as a bodily function rather than a gift from God.

• The erosion of marriage as an institution.

• Changing cultural attitudes about the morality of premarital sex.

• A consistently high divorce rate resulting in millions of sexually experienced single adults (many of them church members) who still long for the intimacy and sexual expression that they have already experienced earlier in their adult lives.

• The growing percentage of adult Americans that cohabit for extended periods of time without plans of marrying.

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals who seek religiously – and culturally – sanctioned forms of sexual expression, and the question of whether there can be any morally legitimate same sex expression within God’s will divides Christian congregations, denominations and the Church as a whole.

• Generational differences in sexual attitudes. For example, polls indicate that people under 30 are far more accepting of gay and lesbian church members, and cohabitating unmarried singles.

“We are on the cutting edge of the issues this generation is facing,” said Gushee, who teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses and has observed the generational attitudes about sex firsthand. “The questions young adults are raising about what has been the traditional Christian sexual ethic are, in a sense, unavoidable. And it’s our responsibility to create a space for conversation about these issues.”

Gushee said it should be clear to potential attendees that the conversation will be focused on “how we should live as followers of Christ” and not on declaring a position on any issue.

“We are not proposing to create a document or getting involved in public policy or the political arguments,” Gushee said. “We are not looking for grandstanding diatribes. We believe that people are most likely to have legitimate, honest conversations in small groups. So after plenary testimonies and presentations, we will divide attendees into groups to discuss what they’ve heard. We want to foster a deliberate, thoughtful conversation.”

The conference will cost $50 and offer a rate of $25 for students from CBF-partner theology schools. Online registration will be open in June at www.thefellowship.info/conference. Hotel information will be available in July.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

The Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University promotes public dialogue, research, and constructive solutions related to important issues to which theology and ethical reflection can make a significant contribution.

The hearing, chaired by U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., was titled “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response” and was held today in Washington, D.C.

The faith leaders issued the statement as part of a multi-religious campaign called “Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Standing with American Muslims; Upholding American Values.” As a part of the campaign, faith leaders convened a news conference and scheduled a series of meetings with members of Congress from both parties as well as White House officials.

In the statement and meetings, faith leaders called on the committee to not single out Muslims but look at all forms of extremism.

“As the House Committee on Homeland Security convenes hearings on the putative ‘radicalization’ of American Muslims, our obligation takes on renewed urgency,” the statement read. “We gather together to affirm that we stand united with all Americans in urging our elected representatives to act — not against a single, unfairly maligned group, but against all forms of violence and extremism that endanger our security. As spiritual leaders and people of faith, we call on the United States Congress, elected officials at every level of government, and all American citizens not to perpetuate damaging false witness against our neighbors. Instead, we encourage all communities of faith and people of good will throughout this country, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in communities of growing awareness, trust and hope.”

The full text of the statement, including the list of signatories is available online.

The signatories also called on people of faith to stand together, “shoulder to shoulder,” treating each other with compassion and honesty.

“As Baptists who hold to the principle of religious freedom, we have an obligation to stand with other people of faith when the government unfairly singles them out for scrutiny or misrepresentation,” Vestal said. “I was glad to be able to sign this statement and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other faith groups in support of the Muslim community.”

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

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Moderator Christy McMillin-Goodwin said the next steps were for the staff to take the priorities discussion into consideration as it made additional cuts to its proposed budget. The staff will then re-submit a budget, not to exceed $12.3 million, which the Finance Committee will review and make a recommendation to the Council’s Advisory Committee. After the Advisory Committee’s input, the full Council will receive the proposed 2011-2012 budget and vote via electronic communication on whether or not to send the budget to the General Assembly for approval in Tampa June 25.

“You’ve given me a number – $12.3 million,” Vestal said. “I don’t see how we can cut another $600,000 without cutting some from global missions. We have cut and cut the past two years. We just cut 25 percent of our staff and have been living off major anonymous gifts. I don’t see how we can give you a $12.3 million budget without addressing global missions unless we do nothing else.”

In what McMillin-Goodwin described as a “frank discussion,” the Advisory Council met into the night Feb. 24 to assess the Council’s feedback.

“What we have continued to hear is that global missions is our top priority,” McMillin-Goodwin said. “But when we got into Advisory Council last night, we learned that a lot of things that fund congregational formation and leadership development come from outside sources. Global missions is the one thing the Council is saying that we don’t want to touch if we can help it, but we are at that point.”

Rob Nash, coordinator of CBF Global Missions, said the reality is that without the significant anonymous gifts through the last decade, the Fellowship would not have been able to appoint any fully-funded field personnel. The Fellowship has only appointed self-funded field personnel since 2008, including the group to be appointed at this year’s Assembly in Tampa.

“There is so much to celebrate about what is happening in congregations,” Nash said. “Congregations are becoming passionate, but in the context of that passion a lot of the rules are being rewritten.”

Nash said there are about a dozen ways that field personnel are financed through CBF. There are 64 fully-funded field personnel supported by the CBF Offering for Global Missions, he said.

“Those are the folks we need to keep the promises we have made to them,” Nash said. “And that’s the shortfall we have related to the Offering. The reality is that if the Offering goal is not reached then that money will have to come out of the undesignated receipts we receive at CBF. Then the undesignated budget provides the shortfall in the Offering to keep people on the field.”

The CBF Offering for Global Missions, which funds field personnel salaries, benefits and operating and ministry expenses, is currently nearly $500,000 behind. The goal for the year, which ends Sept. 30, is $5.5 million.

In meeting with the Global Missions Initiative Team, Nash proposed rolling out a $500,000 mini-campaign to make up the shortfall. More details would need to be developed for the proposed campaign to be implemented, but the Council achieved consensus around the idea.

During the Finance Committee report, CBF controller Larry Hurst said the Fellowship’s revenue was at 84 percent of the projected amount while expenditures were at 88 percent, leaving a four percent gap to be made up during the Fellowship’s highest revenue months of January, February and March.

After the discussion about finances, the 66-member Coordinating Council collected $4,004 for the CBF Offering for Global Missions. The Council also received the following reports:

• Hal Bass, immediate past moderator, reported for the Nominating Committee that the candidates for moderator-elect and recorder will be distributed to the Council via e-mail in the next few weeks.

• Barry Birdwhistell, chair of the Personnel Committee, reported that Vestal reviewed the recent staff cuts with the committee, and they affirmed the process and the positions that were eliminated. The Personnel Committee then offered a “Resolution on Behalf of Employees of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,” which was approved by the Council. The resolution expressed gratitude for the work of CBF employees, including those who recently let go, during adverse economic times.

• CBF coordinator of administration Connie McNeill and CBF coordinator of congregational formation Bo Prosser provided a report on the events at the 2011 General Assembly in Tampa, including spiritual formation retreat, golf outing, field personnel commissioning and 20th anniversary celebration. Prosser also highlighted the Essentials Conference, which is designed to provide training and resources for lay leaders. They directed the Council to the Assembly website, www.thefellowship.info/assembly, to sign up for events.

• Council member Kasey Jones, who is also a member of the 2012 Task Force, reported that the Task Force has created three subcommittees. One committee is responsible for making sure there are listening session throughout the states and regions. A second committee will be connecting with young Baptists. And the third committee will focus on partner organizations.

The Council’s next meeting will be June 22 in Tampa prior to the start of the General Assembly.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

This difficult step was taken after previous financial contingency plans in fiscal years 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 reduced grants to partners, program funding and staff salaries and benefits. The Fellowship’s fiscal year 2010-2011 budget is $14.5 million, roughly 20 percent lower than the previous year’s budget. So far, revenue has been nearly 20 percent below the budget for the first four months of the fiscal year.

“These have been among the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make during my tenure at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship,” said Daniel Vestal, the Fellowship’s executive coordinator. “In spite of our previous efforts, with the downturn in the economy and the ongoing financial challenges of the churches and individuals that make up this Fellowship, we had to address the shortfall by reducing the size of our staff.”

After the position eliminations and re-classifications, the CBF full-time staff numbers 42, including three field coordinator positions in Virginia, Tennessee and Texas (in which funding for the positions is shared with the state CBF organizations) and a shared position with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Foundation.

Nearly all of the staff members are housed in the Fellowship’s Atlanta Resource Center located on the campus of Mercer University. Field personnel were not part of the staff cuts, although their operating budgets have been reduced for the third consecutive year.

Affected staff members were notified in meetings this week, and the entire CBF staff was notified of the cuts on Jan. 28. CBF leadership will implement restructured staffing to ensure ministries of the Fellowship continue.

“We will reorganize in ways to ensure that we continue to effectively implement our mission statement and continue to be a reliable and effective ministry partner to churches and individuals,” Vestal said. “Despite these developments I remain hopeful about CBF’s future.”

The Finance Committee of the CBF Coordinating Council is considering the 2011-2012 budget to propose to the full council at its Feb. 24-25 meeting in Atlanta. Once the budget is approved by the Council, it will be sent to the General Assembly for adoption during the meeting in Tampa June 22-25.

“My heart goes out to the faithful servants of this Fellowship who are now faced with difficult transitions,” said Christy McMillin-Goodwin. “They will be in our prayers as they follow God’s call to their next phase of ministry. All of the CBF staff will need our prayers in the days ahead as we work even more diligently to serve as the presence of Christ around the world. I am confident we will emerge from these difficult days a stronger Fellowship.”

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

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Nancy and Steve James, both medical professionals who are co-appointed field personnel with CBF and International Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA, have spent most of the past year in Haiti and have helped in relief and recovery efforts as well as the battle against cholera. In December, the Fellowship gave an additional $5,000 in disaster relief funds to purchase supplies for the Ebenezer Community Health Center where the Jameses work to help with the cholera outbreak.

“The small Ebenezer Community Health Center, a clinic without beds, has turned into a real hospital caring for up to 100 patients at a time,” Nancy James wrote in a recent update, adding that more than 1,200 severely ill cholera patients had been admitted in only a month and a half. Thirty people died, “but we estimate that at least 40 percent of the total admitted people would have died if they had not received treatment.”

Nearby in Cap Haitien, Doctors Without Borders turned a gymnasium into a cholera treatment center, treating more than 400 people in just one month. “Cots are lined up in rows with people of all ages receiving IV therapy,” Nancy James said.

The Jameses said that cholera education efforts are beginning to make a difference in communities throughout the country. Through community meetings and even door-to-door, neighbor-to-neighbor efforts, people are learning how to implement new water security measures that prevent the spread of cholera.

In addition to the Jameses, CBF field personnel and registered nurses Tori Wentz and Jenny Jenkins have also spent significant time seeing patients and addressing both emergency treatment and ongoing care. 

During the past year, 530 short-term workers from Fellowship and American Baptist churches in the United States, Canada and the Dominican Republic have served in Haiti. CBF contract workers Scott Hunter and Tim Brendle have coordinated on-site efforts, and Mike and Brenda Harwood now serve in that capacity in the small community of Grand Goave.

The Fellowship has received nearly $1.5 million with another $500,000 pledged to fund the relief and development effort that is both long-term and holistic. Those efforts include:

· The Haiti Housing Network – a collaboration among the Fellowship, Conscience International, the Fuller Center for Housing and the Baptist General Convention of Texas – is building homes in the Grand Goave area. So far, 15 houses have been completed utilizing a technique developed by Conscience International in which the rubble from the earthquake is used as building material. This innovative approach was recently featured on Discovery Channel-Canada and can be seen online. There have also been two houses completed for volunteer teams.

· In the area of soul care, a partnership with Mercer University has helped train more than 250 care providers including pastors with the Haitian Baptist Convention and officials with the Department of Education. Besides post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) training, the engagement team has also developed curriculum for training teachers on what to do in emergency situations, such as hurricanes or earthquakes. Since there was no training before, this curriculum will be presented to students and families across the country.

·  Four Haitians have recently visited Ethiopia for three months of training in a micro enterprise self-help group initiative. Working initially with Haitian Baptist churches, the trainees will work to form self-help groups for pooling and using their combined resources to develop savings and business opportunities. Churches are currently being enlisted to participate.

· Three new water wells have been drilled and pumps installed in the Grand Goave area near a church and volunteer house. The Harwoods are continuing to identify well drilling companies that might provide these services to other parts of the country. They are also coordinating purchase and distribution of pumps and providing installation and maintenance training.

·  Five classrooms are almost complete for a school in Grand Goave, and foundations have been dug for two more classrooms. Nearly 500 children are enrolled in the school, which is presently operating on a rotating schedule at various locations in the town. The school is composed mostly of street children in the Grand Goave area. Parents and the church contribute to operating expenses, and CBF matches the money raised.

·  The Grand Goave church needs renovation. Engineers say portions of the building are damaged but not the entire structure. Once a plan has been finalized, funds and engagement teams will be needed to assist with the construction.

·  Partnerships are being explored to develop a suitable orphanage that is holistic, sustainable and meets accountability standards in the area. Most current orphanages are privately-run operations, and appropriate standards are difficult to facilitate.

“Fellowship Baptists are making a difference in Haiti,” said Rob Nash, CBF Global Missions coordinator. “The steps seem small compared to the destruction, but one year after the quake, these efforts are building and lives are being transformed. God is at work through us in Haiti, and we look forward to seeing the results as time goes on.”

As the effort in Haiti moves into its second year, volunteers and financial gifts are still needed. To volunteer for a medical or construction team in Haiti, fill out the online application. Questions should be sent to engage@thefellowship.info. To give to the relief effort, visit the Fellowship’s online giving web page, or send your check to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, P.O. Box 101699, Atlanta, GA 30392, indicating fund No. 17015 “Haiti Response.”

“The churches of this Fellowship and individual Christians have been moved by what they witnessed in Haiti – I was moved by what I saw there,” said Daniel Vestal, CBF’s executive coordinator. “We are determined to be faithful to God’s calling. We will not forget the people of Haiti, and though much has been accomplished this year, there is so much more God is asking of us in the days ahead.”

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

Photo information:
Worship at the Grand Goave Baptist church at Siloé, (Temple Baptist Church).  Elderly member Cleoda, center, attends worship for the first time in months by using a wheel chair. Tori Wentz, one of CBF’s field personnel, right, has been treating patients in and around Grand Goave during the past year. CBF photo

Editor’s note: For a high resolution version of this image, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefellowship/5370535488/.

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