CBF Networking Coordinator Bill Bruster, left, and Central Baptist Church member Joyce Wyatt lead training sessions for pastors in Matamoros, Mexico.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A September missions trip to Mexico by a Tennessee church helped pastors with sermon preparation, ministering to families and meeting the needs of their own families as well as the needs of their flocks.

Members and staff from Central Baptist Church of Bearden in Knoxville were joined by Bill Bruster, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s networking coordinator and the church’s former pastor, for the trip to Matamoros, Mexico.

Bruster, who led sessions during the visit Sept. 14-16 on sermon preparation and Bible study, said the training was essential "for the kingdom’s sake so that they can be better pastors, grow their churches and reach more people."

Additional training sessions included ministering to families who have a dying family member, balancing ministry and family responsibilities, and recognizing signs of depression in church members.

Central Baptist Church became aware of the need for pastor training following their previous medical and dental missions trip to Matamoros. On this trip, Central Baptist Church member Dr. Jo Sweet screened the pastors for hypertension and diabetes.

Also on the trip were Central’s senior pastor Larry Fields, missions minister Robert Bowman, retired missionaries Joyce and Roy Wyatt, and Joel Cook, Sweet’s son-in-law and pastor of First Baptist Church in Jonesborough, Tenn.

The church also met with Baptist directors in the area to plan future projects.

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.