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ATLANTA – The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has a new answer for an old question, asked by nearly every Fellowship church: "How do we reach Hispanics living in our community?" The new answer is "partner with churches from Spanish-speaking countries."

"Such partnerships would be of mutual benefit," said Bernie Moraga, coordinator of CBF’s Hispanic network. "Baptist churches in Latin America are looking for fraternal relationships with more moderate groups, and they see CBF as a place where they can belong. We struggle here to find pastors to work with Hispanics. These Latin American churches want to work with us to reach people from their own countries living here."

The first church outside the United States to partner with CBF is Igelsia Bautista de Metrópolis in Catalina, Puerto Rico. That church of 300 members voted last November to partner with CBF of Florida.

Florida’s associate coordinator Tommy Deal was a member of a delegation that attended the 2007 annual meeting of the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico. Also at that meeting in Puerto Rico, the Florida delegation met six pastors from the Dominican Republic who expressed an interest in a similar partnership.

"We are open to all possibilities in nearby Spanish-speaking countries," Deal said. "We believe that not only are we geographically positioned for this endeavor; we sense God is moving and directing in all of these opportunities and connections. We want to be faithful to be the presence of Christ and to work with and encourage others as they are the presence in their own homeland."

To develop further the Latin American connection, CBF representatives have planned two trips in May, one to the Dominican Republic and one to Cuba.

A four-member Fellowship delegation, including Deal and Bo Prosser, the Fellowship’s coordinator for congregational life, will meet with representatives from the Oriental Baptist Convention, a group of 300 churches located primarily on the Eastern end of Cuba May 4-8 to explore partnership opportunities.

"These mission churches are mostly house churches but are reaching many of their fellow Cubans for Christ," Deal said. "CBF of Florida has been licensed under guidelines of the U.S. Treasury Department to send mission support funds to this group. We will be able to observe the work that these funds are supporting."

Another group of CBF representatives will go to the Dominican Republic May 17-26. As part of that trip, Prosser and Rick Bennett, the Fellowship’s director of congregational life, will lead a spiritual formations retreat for pastors.

"Part of our missional church work is to make sure that we are helping churches everywhere make an impact in the kingdom," said Prosser. "Cuba has been kept in bondage spiritually. Perhaps, CBF can make a difference in opening up their awareness of Christ. In the Dominican Republic, Rick and I hope that we can model some prayer practices for them that can nourish their souls and perhaps refresh their churches."

Deal will also participate and will be looking for churches willing to partner with Florida churches.

"We tell every church that we are not so much looking for how we can help them, but how they can help us reach their people who live among us in the Sunshine State," he said. "These partnerships show that CBF of Florida and CBF are serious about being demographically and culturally diverse and all-inclusive."

To learn more about partnership opportunities, contact Chris Boltin at cboltin@thefellowship.info or (800) 352-8741.

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: Jesus Garcia, pastor of Igelsia Bautista de Metrópolis, leads a prayer at the CBF of Florida Spring Gathering. Amy Morris photo