Who is CBF? Getting to know the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Who is CBF? CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice.

Made up of individuals and more than 1,800 partner churches, the Fellowship has an annual budget of approximately $16 million and a foundation with an additional $37 million to provide resources for churches and send global missions field personnel to the most neglected people groups in the world.

Fellowship Partners The Fellowship partners with 15 theology schools and seminaries with a combined enrollment of about 2,000 students. More than 600 chaplains and pastoral counselors are endorsed by the Fellowship. These ministers serve in a wide variety of specialized settings.

The Fellowship has a paid staff of about 65 employees in addition to the 163 Global Missions field personnel. The Fellowship considers the Atlanta Resource Center to be its home office. The Fellowship also partners with 18 state and regional CBF organizations with combined budgets of more than $3 million.

Some independent agencies supported by CBF include the Baptist Center for Ethics, Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty and the Baptist World Alliance. The Fellowship partners with churches and organizations around the world in carrying out its goal to work among the most neglected.

What are the Core Values of the Fellowship? Baptist Principles Biblically-based Global Missions Resource Model Justice and Reconciliation Lifelong Learning and Ministry Trustworthiness Effectiveness

Who is CBF? Identity, Vision, and Mission

We are a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. Our Vision: Being the presence of Christ in the world Our Mission: Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

CBF Global Missions Ministering among the most neglected

Global Missions The goal of Global Missions is to empower the most neglected: the people who are unevangelized and marginalized, those with the greatest needs and the fewest resources.

Holistic missions and ministries In as many ways as there are cultures and contexts within which we work, we… Present the Good News and hope for change in individual lives and communities Demonstrate integrity in our daily ministry Recognize the dignity of and show respect for the people with whom we work Are faithful stewards of all personnel, material, physical, and spiritual resources Facilitate reproducing church-planting movements

Team Model CBF Global Missions is a team driven organization. This means decisions are made at the point closest to the action. We view our work as taking place in a world without borders meaning teams may include personnel in different countries, even continents. Teams reach decisions by coming to consensus and team members hold each other accountable through a monthly reporting template and six month covenants. Twice a year, our teams gather for face to face team meetings.

Give and Go CBF believes that each Christian is called to give and go. We are each called to embrace the world. There are many ways you can join with CBF either through your church or as an individual supporter.

Connecting I n d i v i d u a l s a n d c h u r c h e s c a n c o n n e c t w i t h C B F b y : Serving through one of CBFs many projects, such as disaster relief, new church starts, or international short term projects. Giving as an individual donor, or by designating gifts through your church. Praying for Global Missions field personnel. Telling others about the work of CBF.

CBF Congregational Life Resourcing congregations and Christians as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

Faith Formation The Missional Church – When sharing in evangelism and outreach opportunities, the individual Christian seeks ways to share his/her passion on purpose in being the presence of Christ. Spiritual Formation – As we respond to the need of each individual, we encourage the on-going development of the core of who we are as individual believers.

Building Community CBF Congregation Life seeks to build community through focusing on the following areas: Congregational Health Baptist Identity and Relationships Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogue and Reconciliation and Justice Marriage and Family Chaplains, Pastoral Counselors, and Ministers in Specialized Settings

Connecting CBF and Churches Congregational Life also works to assist churches through the following initiatives and programs: New Church Starts The Hispanic Initiative Providing Church Resources

CBF Leadership Development discovering, developing and nurturing those who are called out to professional ministry

Over 2,000 Baptist students are now preparing for ministry at one of the 15 seminaries, theology schools or Baptist studies programs in CBF's network of ministry partnerships. The Fellowship provides financial support for these schools for Masters of Divinity degrees through its Leadership Development Initiative Team CBF Leadership Development

The Fellowships partnering theological schools: Baptist Seminary of Kentucky Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond Baptist University of the Americas Brite Divinity School Campbell University Divinity School Candler School of Theology Central Baptist Theological Seminary Duke Divinity Scholl George W. Truett Theological Seminary International Baptist Theological Seminary Logsdon School of Theology Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary M. Christopher White School of Divinity McAfee School of Theology Wake Forest University Divinity School

Chaplaincy & Pastoral Counseling CBF endorses chaplains and pastoral counselors to hospital and military service, and provides endorsements for membership in various professional organizations, such as the Association of Professional Chaplains, American Association of Pastoral Counselors and the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.

Initiative for Ministerial Excellence The Institute for Ministerial Excellence provides resources for new and established ministers through their: Sabbatical Program Peer Learning Groups Ministerial Residencies and Teaching Congregations