CBF Assembly Report

by Herb Hollinger                                                                                                                                              Vol. VI, No. 5, June 1993

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship concluded its third annual assembly May 13-15 with a new constitution, a $5 million 1994 budget, and 22 missionaries, but, apparently, not as a new denomination.

About 5,000 people registered for the meeting at the Civic Center in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, but about 6,000 came the first night to hear former U.S. President Jimmy Carter "cast his lot with the CBF." The figures are about the same as the CBF drew last year in Fort Worth, although organizers in Birmingham had hoped for 10,000.

Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler, former executive director of the Women's Missionary Union, was voted moderator elect, which means she will be named moderator next year. Assuming the moderator's post for 1993-94, the CBF's equivalent to a national president, was Hardy Clemons, pastor of First Baptist Church, Greenville, SC.

The CBF had to adopt a new constitution or ratify the initial document voted in 1991 because of a "sunset clause" in the previous constitution. The new one contains most of the language used by denominations. However, there are significant differences with the SBC:

For the first three annual CBF meetings anyone attending could, and was urged to, register. But now membership in the CBF "will be limited to Baptist individuals and Baptist churches who contribute annually to the ministries and operations of the Fellowship." A church is counted as a CBF contributor if even one family designates a portion of its offering to the CBF budget – and all members of that church become eligible to vote at the CBF General Assembly. That will require a credentials committee officials said, which will be in place at the 1994 meeting in Greensboro, NC.

A revamped Coordinating Council, following the 1994 assembly, will be based on a formula for representatives from each state and "regional cluster." The council will have 69 members, representation to be redetermined every three years based on the formula. The Coordinating Council meets three times a year and acts on behalf of the CBF, much like the Executive Committee does for the SBC. States to be represented on the council are from Texas to Virginia, Kentucky to Florida, while regional clusters represent the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and West.

The CBF's new constitution will not permit resolutions and similar motions from the floor. They must "pass through and survive a stringent process before being presented to the General Assembly for action," said the report of the constitution committee. It is designed to discourage hastily conceived and highly volatile resolutions being presented for action without the benefit of more deliberate consideration..." said the committee report, which also noted "the fact that each church is autonomous and resolutions passed ... are not binding on any church."

[Editorial Comment: Excuse me, but I thought the moderates have been calling for more openness, more freedom. Yet now they will not permit messengers to their annual meetings to offer resolutions from the floor??]

The CBF retains its three giving plans through which individuals and churches can participate. Under the Vision 2000 plan all contributions go to the CBF budget; the Ventures plan sends 42% to SBC causes (down from the previous 54.5%); and the Transition plan (formerly called the Regular plan) will send about 80% to SBC causes, down from the original 96%. A 1994 budget of $5,080,000 was approved, up from $3,699,500 in 1993.

At the final session Saturday morning about half the attendees came to approve final business matters, including the constitution and budgets.

Cecil Sherman, completing his first year as CBF chief executive, told the assembly he had three heroes: national WMU leaders [a pertinent comment on the thrust of recent WMU decisions], missions and finance committee chairmen in local churches who champion the CBF cause, and pastors "who dared to tell their churches what they really believe." "You can't believe the number of pastors who believe (in the CBF) but won't tell," Sherman said. "Not everybody is afraid ... some have the courage of Old Testament prophets."

Sherman said CBF now has 900 participating churches, up from 400 last year, and 3,000 individuals gave $700,000 last year to CBF. [Remember as noted above that CBF considers a church a "participating church" if even one member designates some of his contributions to go to the CBF through the church.]

In many respects the CBF meeting was similar to many denominational meetings: much time for fellowship and inspirational speakers and some for business. However, most discussion of business was held in "break out" groups, with only the groups' findings reported at the plenary business sessions. Also, special interest sessions were held, ranging from "In the Name of the Father: The Rhetoric of Exclusion in the SBC" and "Evangelism: Is It Only for Penguins?" to "Leading a Church to Consider the Ordination of Women" plus others focussing on typical church programs and interests.

Virginians elected to the CBF 1993-94 Coordinating Council are, laity: Pam Gordon, Frank S. Mancuse, Carolyn Cole Bucy, Edna Frances Dawkins; clergy: Jim Slatton, Michael L. Allen, and Robert Rainwater. [BP]