ST. LOUIS —Cooperative Baptists kicked off the 2025 General Assembly in St. Louis, Mo., with a Tuesday evening celebration at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch, featuring food, art, music, educational resources and fellowship.
They hosted the fourth-annual Late Night Worship service, led by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Pan African Koinonia (PAK) with keynote preacher Charles E. Goodman Jr., senior pastor of the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church of Augusta, Ga. Late Night services trace their roots to the first Watch Night service on December 31, 1862, when enslaved people gathered in worship late into the night, watching and waiting for news of President Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Goodman’s sermon focused on Jeremiah 17:8, “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
“There are two types of trees. If you are to survive and thrive, you must be connected to the river, not reliant on the inconsistent rainfall,” Goodman said, comparing faith to trees rooted by the river. This tree is drawing constant strength from God rather than relying on the inconsistent rain of worldly sources.
“Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
Strengthening Families Initiative
The Strengthening Families initiative was introduced on Tuesday afternoon, a trauma-informed Christian parenting program for families on the move. This includes migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and unhoused persons. CBF field personnel, lay people and congregations are walking alongside the tired families, working to help them navigate today’s challenges, organizers explained.
Through the “brain architecture” game, attendees saw how early experiences—like limited access to stable housing, healthcare or education—can impact brain development and resilience, emphasizing how important it is to support families on the move with the stability and resources to help them thrive
Ryan Burge encourages faithful ministry amid shifting demographics
Ryan Burge, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, led a Leadership Conversation addressing church growth, demographic shifts and pastoral challenges. Drawing from personal experience and data, Burge encouraged attendees by acknowledging that many churches aren’t growing—and that’s okay.
“You are inside a box,” he said. “That box is defined by things that were happening long before you and will continue long after you’re dead. The quicker you realize what that box looks like, the better off you’re going to be.”
The session included several table discussions and opportunities for participants to write reflections and questions on notecards.
Attendees reflected on the limits and possibilities of ministry today. “Your ministry matters even if the numbers don’t show it.”
The 2025 CBF General Assembly continues through Thursday in St. Louis, Mo.
Learn more at www.cbf.net/assembly and watch the livestream and recordings of plenary, business and worship sessions at the CBF YouTube page.