CBF commissions 18 missionaries
By Sue H. Poss
CBF Communications
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ended the first day of its 2007 General Assembly by commissioning 18 new missions field personnel.
Among those commissioned were Duane and Marcia Binkley, who are being jointly sent by CBF and American Baptists Churches USA. Another couple to be jointly commissioned - Nancy and Steve James - will be commissioned on Friday night at a meeting of both the ABC and CBF.
"I am delighted that we are cooperating with American Baptists in joint appointments of the Binkleys and the Jameses to their respective places of ministry," said CBF Global Missions coordinator Rob Nash. "These joint ventures send the signal that mission engagement in the 21st century is about collaboration for the good of God's kingdom in the world."
As career field personnel, the Binkleys, from First Baptist Church, Jefferson, Ohio, will receive financial support from CBF and ABC. They have served 15 years in Thailand through ABC's International Ministries, working among Myanmar refugees known as the Karen. Under their new appointment, they will serve in the United States, working with refugees and equipping CBF and ABC churches to reach out to the Karen people.
Others commissioned Thursday were:
- Karen, affiliate, medical riverboat ministry in Southeast Asia, from Bayshore Baptist Church, Tampa, Fla.
- Wanda Ashworth, affiliate, executive director of Open House Ministries in Homestead, Fla., from First Baptist Church, York, S.C.
- Clista and Glen Adkins, Global Service Corps, Gandhi School in Hungary, from First Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C.
- Diana Bridges, affiliate, strategic catalyst for work among internationals in Starkville, Miss., from University Baptist Church, Mississippi State, Miss. - Casey and John, Global Service Corps, earthquake relief and development in Southeast Asia, from First Baptist Church, Macon, Ga.
-Christy Craddock, Global Service Corps, Touching Miami with Love in Miami, Fla., from Calvary Baptist Church, Waco, Texas
- Mary Helen, affiliate, NGO assistant and teacher, Middle East, from First Baptist Church, Tallahassee, Fla.
- Amanda Hambrick, outreach coordinator for Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries in New York City, from Tabernacle Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
- Paula Settle, affiliate, rural poverty ministry in eastern Kentucky, from First Baptist Church, Winchester, Ky.
- Fran Stevenson, affiliate, advocate for Afghan immigrant families in Fremont, Calif., from Crossroads Church, Fremont, Calif.
- Tori Wentz, affiliate, medical missions registered nurse, global travel, from Fredericksburg Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, Va.
- Colette and Jay Westfall, affiliate, medical liaison and advocate for holistic ministries in Bangalore, India, from Winter Park Baptist Church, Wilmington.
- Janee Angel, affiliate, Brussels, Belgium, from First Baptist Church, Burleson, Texas.
Following the commissioning, David Coffey of England, president of the Baptist World Alliance, challenged CBF to continue to "face the world of spiritual lostness," by knowing the world and knowing the Bible.
"An anointed ministry must know the cost and be willing to pay the price," he said. "An anointed ministry has a transforming power, and transforming lives is at the heart of CBF.
"If you are going to be the presence of Christ in a broken world, it will not happen without risk-taking," Coffey said. "These people you've seen commissioned here tonight are risk-takers."
Also at the Friday night worship, attended by approximately 1,700 people, $16,538.30 was given for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Offering for Religious Liberty and Human Rights.
The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) receives one-third of the Offering proceeds; the other two-thirds is administered through the Fellowship through partnering with organizations with existing initiatives relating to human rights and, specifically, religious liberty issues.
The Fellowship's portion this year will be shared with the European Baptist Federation (EBF) which works with governments and leaders to promote religious human rights, not just for Baptists, but everyone. EBF consists of 51 member unions in almost every country of Europe and Central Asia and six members in the Middle East.
The funds from the Fellowship's offering will allow the EBF to travel to countries where religious freedom is an issue, do thorough investigations in order to make effective responses, and assist local unions and their churches to effectively campaign for religious freedom in their given situation.
(EDITOR'S NOTE - Due to global security concerns, names and specific locations of some of CBF's field personnel are not publicized.)
