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2021 CBF General Assembly
August 25-28, 2021
2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1
Experience it Virtually
& at Local Congregations
Being Renewed from the Inside Out
Amid pandemics on a global scale and in our nation, in the midst of exhaustion and uncertainty, and preparing to face new seasons in our congregations and in our mission – there’s hope found in Christ Jesus.
This fall, you’re invited to come and find hope and renewal at the 2021 CBF General Assembly. The CBF Global General Assembly event is virtual. We’ll worship and learn together, equipping each other as we go, in service to our calling and to the One who truly calls us, equips us and is the source of the renewal we seek.
Through meaningful worship experiences, compelling workshops, a virtual exhibit hall and opportunities to join with partner organizations and CBF ministry networks, we’ll connect in new ways, open to service as vessels of transformation even as we have been transformed.
Wednesday Events
Wednesday, August 25 - 10 a.m. to Noon Eastern
Preaching in the Pandemics
Four CBF pastors will share the challenges they have faced by preaching in the pandemics (COVID-19, racial injustice and toxic politics) as well as where they are experiencing renewal. Participate in this interactive Zoom workshop to hear testimonies and join with other preachers for your own discussions and discoveries.
Cheryl Adamson, Pastor, Palmetto Missionary Baptist Church, Conway, S.C.
Shaun King, Senior Pastor, Johns Creek Baptist Church, Alpharetta, Ga.
Christy McMillan-Goodwin, Pastor, Front Royal, Va.
Cheryl Adamson, Pastor, Palmetto Missionary Baptist Church, Conway, S.C.
Steve Wells, Pastor, South Main Baptist Church, Houston, Texas
Wednesday, August 25 - Noon to 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Oportunidades para Latino/as en la Educación Teológica
En este taller, los participantes aprenderán más sobre los programas en los que los latinos pueden participar con el mundo teológico y explorarán las oportunidades e iniciativas en la Asociación de Educación Teológica Hispana.
Gonzalo Alers — Estudiante de PhD en la Universidad Drew y pasante de CBF LatinoNetwork en conjunción con HTI.
Fernando Cascante — Director Ejecutivo de la Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana
Juan García (Moderador) — Miembro de EFLAN (Equipo Facilitador del Latino Network)
Wednesday, August 25 - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Expanding Engagement in the Local Church
As both ministers and congregations encounter the expanding ways individuals will engage and participate in local churches in the months and years to come, join this interactive Zoom workshop to hear what the panelist are seeing as you explore your own congregation’s engagement.
Courtney Mills Jones Willis, Associate Pastor of Faith Formation & Congregational Life, First Baptist Church, Greensboro, N.C.
Brittany Stillwell, Minister with Students and Families, Second Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ark.
Jeff Roberts, Senior Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C.
Wednesday, August 25 - 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Predicadores- Predicando en el contexto Latino
Un repaso de la riqueza de la predicación de la iglesia hispana basado en el último libro del Dr. Madrazo “Predicadores”
Tito Madrazo, Director de Programas de la División de Religión de la Fundación Lilly.
Jesús Garcia (Moderador) — Miembro del Consejo de Ministerios y Miembro de EFLAN (Equipo Facilitador del Latino Network)
Schedule (all times Eastern)
Thursday, August 26
10 a.m.
11:15 a.m.
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
Affinity Groups/Network Meetings
Opening Worship
Workshops Session 1
Break
Workshops Session 2
Friday, August 27
8:30 a.m.
10:15 a.m.
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
SRO Breakfast Meetings (Optional)
Plenary Session
Workshops Session 3
Break
Closing Worship
Keynote Speakers
Emily Hull McGee – Pastor, First Baptist Church on Fifth, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Rev. Emily Hull McGee serves as senior pastor of First Baptist Church on Fifth, a delightful community of saints practicing bold love and boundless compassion in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Prior to her calling to Winston-Salem in July 2015 to serve as First on Fifth’s 12th pastor and first female senior pastor in the church’s 150-year history, Emily served for six years as Minister to Young Adults at Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. She is a third-generation Baptist pastor in her family. In her past life, Emily was training to be an opera singer, with Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Voice Performance from Furman University and Northwestern University, respectively. Among other commitments in Baptist life and leadership roles in the broader community, Emily enjoys being close to her alma mater of Wake Forest University School of Divinity and serving with The Baptist Commons, mentoring first-time pastors through Baptist Women in Ministry, and serving on the Executive Committee and Board of the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty.
Daniel Martino – Senior Pastor, Church of the City, New London, Conn.
Daniel Martino is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a BA in Sociology and Spanish Literature. He received his Master of Divinity from the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico in 1987. He was ordained at Castañer, Puerto Rico, in May 1989. Martino has served in different capacities as a community organizer, and denominational leadership throughout his tenure serving both rural and urban settings. Martino is married to Grace Martino, and they have three children: Daniel, Javier, and Grace—his most precious treasures.
Antonio Vargas Jr. – Associate Pastor, Church of the City, New London, Conn.
Antonio Vargas Jr. is a native of New London, Conn., and a product of the Church of the City community. His passion and commitment to children and youth advocacy, education, social justice, and worship embody his holistic approach and heartbeat for ministry: providing spaces where people are known and loved to know and love for transformation. Vargas received his undergraduate degree from Gordon College, Mass., studying Pastoral Ministry and Business Administration. Recently, he was awarded Collegian of the Year, and was named by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as one of the “25 Young Adults to Know.”
Workshops
Thursday - 2-3 p.m.
Case Studies: Investment Solutions for Local Church Assets
Join CBF Foundation President Shauw Chin Capps and Kellie Morrison of HighGround Advisors as they lead a discussion of how churches can develop practical investment solutions that ensure strong stewardship of financial resources through the lens of different common church case scenarios.
Shauw Chin Capps serves as CBF Foundation President & Chief Development Officer for CBF, where she provides the overall leadership and management of the work of the CBF Foundation and CBF’s fund development strategies.
Kellie Morrison serves as the Senior Director of Client Investment Solutions and leads all investment activity for HighGround’s Client Solutions team. Kellie works closely with Shauw Chin and serves as the investment expert on all CBF Foundation’s accounts.
Responding to Christian Nationalism: Hosting Difficult Conversations in Your Congregation
How can Christians respond to the dangers of Christian nationalism? BJC leaders Amanda Tyler and Charles Watson Jr. share a new resource for small groups, Sunday School classes, and sermon preparation. Stay for Q&A about Supreme Court decisions, recent legislation, and more.
Amanda Tyler is BJC Executive Director and leads BJC as it upholds the historic Baptist principle of religious liberty, defending the free exercise of religion and protecting against its establishment by government.
Charles Watson Jr. is BJC Director of Education and leads BJC’s education efforts, focused on expanding the base of support for religious liberty and engaging the next generation of advocates.
Holly Hollman is BJC General Counsel and leads BJC’s litigation efforts, preparing friend-of-the-court briefs for religious liberty cases heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and providing legal analysis of church-state issues that arise before Congress, the courts and administrative agencies.
Jennifer Hawks is BJC Associate General Counsel and provides legal analysis on church-state issues, assists with friend-of-the-court briefs for Supreme Court cases, and regularly represents BJC at Capitol Hill meetings about bills impacting religious freedom.
Grace vs. Law: Should Churches Welcome Known Sex Offenders?
This workshop will discuss how to have a grace-filled conversation regarding the issue of sex offenders and whether to safely include known sex offenders in church programming.
Jay Kieve serves as the Coordinator for CBF South Carolina and as the CBF Global Abuse Prevention and Response Advocate.
Carrie Nettles is an Alliance of Baptist endorsed chaplain at the Julie Valentine Center [rape crisis and child advocacy center] in Greenville, S.C.
Have American Christians been White Too Long?
Drawing on history, public opinion surveys, and personal experience, Robert P. Jones delivers a provocative examination of the unholy relationship between American Christianity and white supremacy, and issues an urgent call for white Christians to reckon with this legacy for the sake of themselves and the nation.
Robert P. Jones is the CEO and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and a leading scholar and commentator on religion and politics.
Welcoming the Neighbor
Join a panel of CBF field personnel as they discuss and offer ideas of how we can invite the impoverished, displaced, immigrants, and everyone into the church. You will hear first-hand accounts from the field as they work to do the same.
Anna Anderson, a CBF field personnel since 2010, is part of Together for Hope, CBF’s rural development coalition, and lives in eastern North Carolina where she assists several communities in their efforts to address poverty issues.
Nell Green advocates for the Offering for Global Missions, which supports the long-term presence of field personnel around the world. She began this new role in 2021 following 35 years of service on the mission field.
Rick Sample, a CBF field personnel since 2002, serves among immigrants, refugees and other internationals in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sue Smith has more than 30 years of experience working with Latin Americans, the last 15 of which have been serving as CBF field personnel among Latino immigrants in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
De-colonizando a Jesús (Decolonizing Jesus)
Una conversación sobre el viaje que enfrentan los latinos/as mientras tratan temas de racismo, identidad y sanidad del colonialismo/ supremacía blanca. / A conversation on the journey Latinos/as face as they deal with issues of racism, identity and healing from colonialism/white supremacy.
Carlos F. Cardoza-Orlandi es Profesor de Cristianismo Mundial en la Universidad de Baylor y es un erudito interdisciplinario e historiador en los campos relacionados a estudios sobre la misión cristiana en el contexto mundial. / Carlos F. Cardoza-Orlandi is Professor of World Christianity at Baylor University, and is an interdisciplinary scholar and historian in the fields of world Christianity and mission studies.
Rubén Ortiz es el Coordinador de Ministerios de Campo Latino para el Compañerismo Bautista Cooperativo (CBF). / Rubén Ortiz is Latino Field Ministries Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
En Espanol
Thursday - 3:30-4:30 p.m.
"A Sense of the Heart?" Rethinking Religious Experience and Conversion 2021
Baptists began as a "Believer's Church"—baptizing those who acknowledge an experience of God's grace through Christ. Today, older conversion "methods"—revivals, personal witness, sinner's prayers—are waning or disappearing. What now?
Bill Leonard is Founding Dean and Professor of Divinity Emeritus, School of Divinity, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Achieving Financial Wellness
Now is the time to build a financial plan! Learn about new financial wellness tools and resources from CBF Church Benefits and Empower Retirement.
Rob Fox serves as the President of CBF Church Benefits.
Keith Anderson is a Senior Relationship Manager for Empower Retirement.
Migrational Religion: How Migration Molds Our Faith
How does migration affect the way individuals view and do faith? Baptist scholar João Chaves shares his experience and findings from his new book, Migrational Religion, that focuses on the Latinx context which reveal how immigrant identity is indispensable to a person’s religious faith and commitments.
João Chaves is Assistant Director for Programming at the Hispanic Theological Initiative. Chaves is a graduate of George W. Truett Theological Seminary and received his Ph.D. in religion from Baylor University in 2017.
Moderator: Elket Rodríguez serves as Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy and Missions Specialist for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Women Answering the Call to Serve
Hear from four women who answered God's call to serve as CBF field personnel. This discussion will focus on calling, field struggles, and how they use their gifts to serve God through CBF missions.
Christine was commissioned as CBF field personnel in 2020 and serves in Africa and the Middle East where she supports those healing from the traumas of war and poverty.
Karen was commissioned to serve as CBF field personnel in 2018 and works with the Protestant Church in Northern Africa as they minister to refugees and migrants in crisis.
Tammy Stocks is a retired CBF field personnel who served among the Romany of Hungary and Romania for 22 years. She now lives in North Carolina using her nursing skills to support low-income, first-time mothers.
Lesley-Ann Hix Tommey coordinates safe support communities for women who have experienced the dual-traumas of domestic violence and homelessness in New York City alongside Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries.
The Damascus Journey
Racial justice was thrust into the spotlight in 2020 leaving many churches grappling with what to do? A panel of ministers discusses how Acts 9 can help the local church and individuals approach the journey towards racial justice.
Preston Clegg has served since 2013 as pastor of Second Baptist Church of Little Rock, Ark., where he lives with his wife Rebecca and two sons.
Sharon Felton is Associate Pastor for Students at Faith Baptist Church in Georgetown, Ky., and is the Moderator of CBF Kentucky.
Tiffany Triplett Henkel has served as Pastor of Metro Baptist Church and Executive Director of Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries since 2005 and lives in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of NYC with her spouse and two children.
Sean Roberds is Pastor of First Baptist Church of Herndon, Va., and Executive Coordinator of Mid-Atlantic CBF.
Moderator: Joshua Scott is Associate Pastor at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta.
Together for Hope at 20 Years
Come and join the conversation reflecting on the past, present and exciting future of Together for Hope as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Fellowship’s rural development coalition. Learn about the challenges facing rural America and how you and your congregation can partner with Together for Hope to be a force for the common good.
Jason Coker serves as president of Together for Hope, CBF's rural development coalition which focuses on the 301 counties of persistent rural poverty in the United States and has four priorities of hope, education, health & nutrition, housing & environment and social enterprise.
Rachel Gunter Shapard coordinates the work of Together for Hope in the Black Belt Region which includes the counties of persistent poverty in Alabama, Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Virginia.
Keith Stillwell serves with Together for Hope to help alleviate poverty through asset-based community development in the 57 counties of persistent poverty in the Appalachia Region.
L Nicole Stringfellow works to strengthen the capacity of organizations to achieve a more sustainable future in rural communities in the Delta Region of Together for Hope.
Friday - 2-3 p.m.
The McCall Faith Based Racial Equity Work
Nehemiah and significant Black history moments are used to engage and guide the local church towards meaningful racial repair work that results in thriving communities.
Pamela Jolly, strategist for the CBF racial repair work is CEO of Torch Enterprises Inc. Dr. Jolly is a best-selling author and has authored five books on the topic of legacy wealth in the black community.
Kasey Jones serves as Associate Coordinator for Outreach and Growth for CBF. Rev. Jones approaches her work with the belief that the church has a role to play in God’s transformative work in the community.
Cultivating Congregational Cultures that Empower Women
Moving the needle for greater affirmation women in ministry among Baptists will require transforming congregational cultures toward empowering all women. Learn more about what these shifts might look like in your congregation.
Meredith Stone is Executive Director of Baptist Women in Ministry and lives in Abilene, Texas.
Learning from the Greats: A Conversation with Justo and Catherine González
Come and learn from two giants of the theological education world as CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley hosts a conversation with celebrated historians and theologians Drs. Justo and Catherine González. Stay for the Q&A session also featuring Fernando Cascante and moderated by CBF’s Rubén Ortiz and Grace Martino.
Justo González is a retired professor of historical theology and prolific author who has devoted decades of his life to developing programs and initiatives on behalf of advancing theological education.
Catherine González is an American ordained Presbyterian minister, author, advocate for theological education, and professor emerita of church history at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia.
Paul Baxley is Executive Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Fernando Cascante is the Executive Director of the Association of Hispanic Theological Education.
Grace Martino is Outreach and Growth Specialist for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Rubén Ortiz is Latino Field Ministries Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Legacy Giving 101
Want to start or strengthen your legacy giving program in your church? This workshop will provide helpful information in a conversational format between CBF Foundation president, Shauw Chin Capps, and HighGround Advisors’ Associate General Counsel, Marion Armstrong, about legacy giving—what it is, why having a will is so important, what the different types of giving instruments are, what an endowment is, and important things to consider when making a legacy/planned gift.
Shauw Chin Capps serves as CBF Foundation President & Chief Development Officer for CBF, where she provides the overall leadership and management of the work of the CBF Foundation and CBF’s fund development strategies.
Marion Armstrong joined HighGround Advisors in 2012 as Associate General Counsel. Her focus is counseling both institutional representatives and prospective donors in matters of charitable giving and nonprofit governance.
Caring for Self While Caring for Others—Post-Pandemic
The past 18 months have been unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetime. Caring for ourselves is essential as we care for others. Join this panel of CBF-endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors as we explore self-care in a post-pandemic world.
Carita L. Brown is a CBF-endorsed chaplain with the rank of Major in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, 193rd Special Operations Wing, in Middletown, Pennsylvania, where she exercises spiritual leadership by providing pastoral care and opportunities for religious expression, arranging care for all faith groups, and fostering morale.
Robert Cooke is a CBF-endorsed pastoral Counselor serving as a pastoral psychotherapist with Triangle Pastoral Counseling in Raleigh, NC since 2007, where he specializes in working with grief and adjusting to life transitions.
Renée Lloyd Owen is the CBF Endorser and Director of Chaplaincy & Pastoral Counseling Ministries, after serving 20 years as a healthcare chaplain in health systems around the country.
Global Conversation on Evangelism
While Christianity contract in America, it is expanding around the world. What might we learn from the Global Church? Engage in conversation with leaders from Ghana/England, Honduras, and Brazil from the Baptist World Alliance’s Commission on Evangelism.
Pastora Acosta is a pastor in Honduras with a focus on underprivileged children and also serves as an international director for CODE, Inc.
Kwame Adzam is a Ghanaian living in the United Kingdom who serves as the Global Leader for Evangelism and Discipleship at BMS World Mission and Vice-Chair of the BWA Commission on Evangelism.
Diogo Carvalho Diogo is a husband, father, pastor, missionary at the Brazilian Home Mission Board, and professor of Missiology at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Moderator: Steven Porter is coordinator of Global Missions for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Silent Art Auction
The CBF Silent Art Auction showcases high quality, hand-made art and at the same highlights the stories of people around the world where CBF field personnel serve.
Proceeds from the auction go directly to support the ministries of the CBF field personnel, including their ministry programing budgets and to support the long-term presence costs of all CBF field personnel through the Offering for Global Missions. And for the first time, an item in the auction will also support CBF’s missions internship program called Student.Go.
While the art is beautiful and a primary goal of the action is to raise financial support for missions work around the world, it is more than that. These pieces help tell stories of lives changed. We hope the auction experience will be a catalyst for conversation and inspire prayer for the lives impacted as God works through CBF Global Missions.
View the Catalog
From the Auction Organizer
Check Back Often!
Updates for this page will be frequent as more information becomes available, including the latest on in-person events scheduled for local congregations, registration information for both General Assembly and in-person events.
Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor
Last year, a record number of people participated in the Virtual General Assembly. We expect great participation again this year through the virtual content and in-person gatherings.
Here you will find opportunities to become a sponsor or exhibitor for this year’s Assembly.
Available are package options for various sponsorships, virtual exhibit space, as well as ads in the General Assembly Guidebook that will be made available in print for those attending in-person state and regional gatherings and for download by everyone! A la carte ad options are also available at the bottom of the rate sheet.
If you have any questions about these opportunities or would like us to put something together for you that meets your needs, please email Carrie Harris or Jeff Huett.
Deadlines for print ads are rapidly approaching and are due by July 23. The print deadline for the prime ad locations (the back cover and inside back cover) is July 19. If you are ready to choose a package or a la carte option, please fill out the form here, and we will reach out with next steps.