Blog Archives

Mom CBF, Dad SBC, I love you. Stop fighting.

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Laura Rector — 2 Comments ↓

Divorce hurts children. My grandparents’ divorce still hurts their children and their grandchildren to this day — even though both have been dead for years. Certainly, the pain has lessened in time, but the wound is still there, for many…

Attracting a new generation of leaders in ministry

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Lydia Hoyle — No Comments ↓

When I was growing up, Christian ministers were widely held in high esteem. Although a few Elmer Gantrys may have been in the mix, churches and communities generally received their ministers with respect and honor. As a result, many Christian…

How long will women pastors be news?

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Molly Brummett — 1 Comment ↓

It is time for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches to end the double standard of ordaining women to the ministry but refusing to allow them to serve. I am a Baptist female trying to be faithful to God’s call upon my…

CBF, a candle in search of darkness

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Alan Bean — No Comments ↓

Every good story needs an antagonist, a villain, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship story doesn’t have one. I was a graduate student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville when the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship was founded in 1991. I…

A new theme song for CBF?

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Ircel Harrison — No Comments ↓

On a recent Sunday, our church choir sang “Find Us Faithful” as the anthem in the traditional worship service. I have always liked this song that was written by Jon Mohr and popularized by Steve Green. In fact, we used…

Tagged with: Baptists, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, dialogue, worship
Posted in Blog Posts, Generational Differences, Music

Christian lingo of being missional

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Nell Green — No Comments ↓

Supposedly on blogs and such we can be open and honest and real. Right? Mmmmm….well maybe not entirely, but I will make a leap here none the less. I am kind of tired of the word missional. I am kind…

Tagged with: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, immigrant, interfaith, internationals, Islam, ministry, missional
Posted in Missiology, Missions, Uncategorized

Breaking new ground

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Ircel Harrison — No Comments ↓

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has a nominee as third executive coordinator of the organization. Once again, the nominee is from Texas, but . . . this nominee is female and a layperson—Suzii Paynter. Prior coordinators Cecil Sherman and Daniel Vestal…

Tagged with: Baptists, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Posted in Generational Differences, Leadership, Young Baptists

CBF and the emergence Christianity movement

Posted on January 18, 2013 by David Burroughs — 1 Comment ↓

Last week I attended the Emergence Christianity event in Memphis featuring Phyllis Tickle, Brian McLaren, Nadia Bolz-Weber, and others. The emergent crowd is an interesting group, with lots of diversity: age, denomination, and plenty of piercings and tattoos if not…

Three ways to spend Christmas book money

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Steve Harmon — 1 Comment ↓

In 1500 Dutch humanist and theologian Desiderius Erasmus wrote to a friend, “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.” Thanks to gift cards from Amazon or Barnes and…

A future and a hope

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Ircel Harrison — No Comments ↓

With the retirement of Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal, the departure of many top level staff, and the adoption of a new organizational plan, there is much discussion about the future of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. As one who has been…

Tagged with: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, denominations
Posted in Generational Differences, Leadership, Young Baptists