Regional Congregational Life Specialists
Whatever the need, CBF stands ready to resource your church in a consulting capacity. The individuals profiled on this page are CBF’s Regional Congregational Life Specialists (RCLS). If your church would like to receive these consulting services, please contact Rick Bennett, Director of Congregational Life at rbennett@thefellowship.info.
Jana Kinnersley is a resident of LaGrange, Georgia where she lives with her husband and two children. A 1999 graduate of the McAfee School of Theology, she is currently serving as an adjunct professor of children’s ministry while pursuing her Doctor of Ministry degree at McAfee. She formerly served Milledge Avenue Baptist Church in Athens, Georgia for seven years as Associate Pastor for Children & Youth.
Specialties - Preschool, Children, Special Ed, Parenting, Sunday School
Tommy Deal lives in Orlando, FL with his wife Susan who is Minister of Music at College Park Baptist Church. They have two sons, Ragan and William, who are both students at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. Originally from Virginia, Tommy has served as Associate Pastor/Minister of Education at churches in Texas, Georgia, and Virginia. He is the Associate Coordinator for CBF of Florida.
Specialties - Sunday School, Mission Opportunities, Missional Church
Robert Bowman is Associate Pastor for Missions & Ministry at Central Baptist Bearden in Knoxville, TN. He previously served as Minister of Education & Administration in Florida and South Carolina. He and his wife, Lorraine, love to travel - to Houston, TX to visit grandchildren. Robert is a baseball enthusiast and has eaten hot dogs in about 20 major league ballparks. He is passionate about enabling missional discipleship and Christian renewal, and has experience in multi-cultural ministry.
Specialties – Missional Church / Missions / Externally Focused Church, Spiritual Formation, Deacon Team Ministry, Adults, Assimilation
Jill Jenkins has been Minister to Children at Johns Creek Baptist Church in Alpharetta, GA since 1995. This is her 28th year in professional children’s ministry. She lives in Suwanee, GA with her husband, Rick, and two practically perfect children, Maggie and Jack. Jill enjoys music, travel, reading, gardening, parenting, and a good party.
Specialties - Preschool, Children, Special Ed, Parenting, Sunday School
Carlos Peralta and his beloved wife, Miriam, are founders and directors of Encuentro Ministries, a consulting ministry for churches and individuals in Hispanic ministry. Carlos is passionate about leadership development, pastoral care for pastors, and passing time with his family. His hobbies are jet skiing, soccer, fishing, traveling, reading, friendship, and car racing. His son, Esteban, is an adult in a 13 year old body, and his son, Johann, is a great fisherman. Carlos hopes he will be a fisher of men as well.
Specialties - Hispanics, Multi-Cultural, Marriage, Stewardship
Rick Jordan is the Church Resources Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina. He has been with CBFNC since 2002. Before this, he was a pastor and an associate pastor. He is married to Susan. They have two children, Todd (20) and Ben (18). They live in Winston-Salem, NC.
Specialties - Youth Ministry, Spiritual Formation, Deacons, Missional Church
Kevin Meadows is a native of North Carolina but loves calling Roanoke, VA home. He has been the senior minister of Grandin Court Baptist Church for seven years. His wife, Cindy, is a CBF endorsed chaplain serving Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. He has an 18-year-old son, Blake, who is a senior and a 15-year-old daughter, Lottie, who is a freshman and they both attend Hidden Valley High School. Kevin enjoys traveling, playing golf, and skydiving.
Specialties - Missional Church
Gary Long is pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, TX. He’s a minister in recovery from complicated religion just trying to remain faithful to who Jesus is. He loves to travel and the "where" doesn't matter because it's about the adventure. However, if you have a sailboat in the Florida Keys...
Specialties - Family Systems, Multi-Cultural Development
Laura A. Cadena, a native of Dallas, Texas, is a member of the CBF Missional Church Team. Cadena earned a B.A. in journalism from Baylor University and an M.Div. in Christian Education from Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Prior to joining the CBF staff, Laura served at Wilshire Baptist Church as Director of Communications. Laura has participated in cultural immersion and summer study programs in ten countries and looks forward to adding more to the list.
Specialties - Missional Church, Latinos in the US and Latin America