CBF ANNUAL MEETING

[Excerpted from Baptist Press reports by Herb Hollinger.]                                                                     Vol. VIII, No. 7, August 1995

The "Cooperative Baptist Fellowship" gathered 20-22 July in Fort Worth for its fifth meeting. Registration came only to 2,969 compared to last year's 4,433 ... a one-third decrease. The traditional Friday night mission rally attendance of 3,800 fell far short of the 5,000 last year in Greensboro, NC. CBF's largest attendance was in 1993 when 6,000 met for the missions evening rally and registration totalled about 5,000. Texas CBF leaders had expressed hope for a much larger contingent of Texas Baptists in 1995.

Bill Montgomery, a retired Air Force chaplain from San Antonio, moved that CBF should declare itself a denomination at its 1996 annual meeting scheduled for Richmond, VA. But his motion was ruled out of order by the moderator, Carolyn Crumpler (former executive director of the WMU). Montgomery challenged the ruling of the chair and said in his remarks, "Let's drop the guise ... for all practical purposes we are a denomination." Crumpler's ruling was sustained on voice vote, although there was a significant "no" vote. CBF leaders have resisted calling the organization a denomination although SBC leaders contend it is and is in competition with the SBC. CBF executive director, Cecil Sherman, has criticized SBC leaders for trying to force the denomination label on CBF but told Baptist Press that it would "someday in the future" accept the label,

Some attending the meeting want a clean break from the SBC and a unique identity for the CBF, while others feel such action might drive many of the churches now funding both to stay with the stronger SBC.

The new CBF moderator, Patrick Anderson of Lakeland, FL, told the Assembly that the coordinating council was aware of the issue and it would be addressed. However, he said the committee would not be asked to bring a recommendation at next year's meeting in Richmond, VA.

In other business, the Assembly adopted the first CBF "mission statement" which declares that the group 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. Our mission is to network, empower, and mobilize Baptist Christians and churches for effective missions and ministry in the name of Christ." The lengthy statement also lists seven priorities, four Baptist principles, and six initiatives.

Lavonn Brown, pastor of First Baptist Church, Norman, OK, was elected moderator-elect and will serve as the group's top elected official in 1996-97.

Friday night sixteen new missionaries were appointed, bringing CBF's total foreign and domestic career mission force to 77 (which compares to the SBC over 4,000 foreign and more than 3,000 home missionaries).

 [Editorial comment: Attendance figures cannot encourage CBF leaders. Mission rally totals have been: 1993 6000; ‘94 5000 or minus 16.67%; ‘95 3800 or minus 24%. Registration: 1993 5000; ‘94 4433, minus 11.34%; ‘95 2969, minus 33.03%. Dollars available for the CBF budget are up, but two factors seriously confuse the import of that fact: (1) in 1995 CBF is changing from a calendar fiscal year to one running from 1 July to 30 June, and (2) in June 1994 the SBC voted to refuse to accept money funneled through CBF. Consequently a number of churches just told CBF to keep the funds which had previously flowed through CBF to the SBC. We will not know how CBF is doing financially for a year or so, although at present collections are running above budget. TCP]