Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

www.thefellowship.info

Basic History
A fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) began as a grassroots movement of free and faithful Baptists in May 1991. They are united by a common commitment to find new ways to fulfill the Great Commission, Jesus' call to "Go . . . and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19).

Basic Beliefs
CBF is committed to basic Baptist principles. As Christians, the tie that binds us is our common faith in Jesus Christ. As Baptist Christians, we also share a commitment to those principles that have shaped our unique Baptist heritage and polity. These include:
• Soul Freedom – We believe in the priesthood of all believers. We affirm the freedom and responsibility of every person to relate directly to God without the imposition of creed or the control of clergy or government.
• Bible Freedom – We believe in the authority of Scripture. We believe the Bible, under the Lordship of Christ, is central to the life of the individual and the church. We affirm the freedom and right of every Christian to interpret and apply scripture under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
• Church Freedom – We believe in the autonomy of every local church. We believe Baptist churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ, to determine their membership and leadership, to order their worship and work, to ordain whomever they perceive as gifted for ministry, and to participate as they deem appropriate in the larger Body of Christ.
• Religious Freedom – We believe in freedom of religion, freedom for religion, and freedom from religion. We support the separation of church and state.

CBF is also committed to biblically-based global missions. All Christians are called to be co-laborers in the task of fulfilling our Lord's Great Commission. We believe that the Bible teaches:
• God is the one triune God, Creator of all people in God's own image.
• All people are separated from God by sin.
• Christ is the savior and redeemer for all peoples.
• The Holy Spirit convicts and converts all who believe in Christ, teaches the church in the voice of the Living Christ, and empowers the church and all believers for the mission of Christ in the world.
• Christ calls us to minister redemptively to the spiritual, physical, and social needs of individuals and communities.
• Every believer and every church is responsible for sharing the Gospel with all people.


Leadership
National
Daniel Vestal, Coordinator
Reba S. Cobb, Resource Center Coordinator and Chief Operating Officer
Barbara & Gary Baldridge, Global Missions & Ministries Co-coordinators
Bill Bruster, Networking Coordinator
Terry Hamrick, Leadership Development Coordinator
Tom Newsom, Development Coordinator
Ben McDade, Communications & Marketing Director
Bo Prosser, Congregational Life Coordinator
Jim Strawn, Finance & Administration Coordinator

CBF Foundation
Don Durham, President

CBF Church Benefits Board
Gary D. Skeen, President

State & Regional
Mart Gray, Alabama CBF Coordinator
Sandra R. Hale, Baptist Fellowship of New England Coordinator
Robert M. Newell, CBF in Texas Moderator
Tom J. Logue, CBF of Arkansas Coordinator
Patrick Anderson, CBF of Florida Coordinator
Frank Broome, CBF of Georgia Coordinator
Steve Street, CBF of Mississippi Coordinator
Harold A. Phillips, CBF of Missouri Coordinator
Robert Patterson, CBF of North Carolina Coordinator
Rick McClatchy, CBF of Oklahoma Coordinator
Marion D. Aldridge, CBF of South Carolina Coordinator
Richard Clore, CBF of Virginia Coordinator
John Lepper, Kentucky Baptist Fellowship Coordinator
Lynn E. Hawkins, Louisiana CBF Coordinator
Ronald L. Mallow, Mid-Atlantic Region CBF Coordinator
Annette Hill Briggs, North Central Region CBF Volunteer Coordinator
Ircel C. Harrison, Tennessee CBF Coordinator
Glen Foster, West Region CBF Coordinator


Basic Facts
CBF is a fellowship made up of individuals and approximately 1,700 churches. It is not a convention or a denomination. CBF maintains offices in Dallas, Texas; Raleigh, N.C.; and the Resource Center in Atlanta, Ga. CBF has 127 global missions field personnel in the United States and around the world working with 29 unevangelized people groups, as well as with the poorest of the poor and other marginalized groups.

CBF is working on four strategic initiatives:
• Faith formation – Encouraging all persons in their journeys toward Christ-likeness
• Building community – Nurturing authentic community within and beyond congregations
• Leadership development – Developing effective Christian leaders
• Global missions and ministries – Engaging in holistic missions and ministries in a world without borders

CBF’s mission is serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.

Location
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
3001 Mercer University Drive
Atlanta, GA 30341
Phone (770) 220-1600
Fax (770) 220-1685