Learn about the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship: http://www.thefellowship.info/truth.
Watch our three minute video!
Each of the words in our name - Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina - is important to our identity. But perhaps Fellowship holds the greatest insight into who we are as an organization.
- We are a fellowship of churches and individuals who voluntarily cooperate to do together what we could never accomplish alone, for the Kingdom of God.
- We bring together people of shared interests, activities, beliefs and experience.
- We provide companionship along our shared journey to be the presence of Christ in the world.
- We serve each other as equals.
At CBFNC, we value fellowship and the many ways it brings us together.
Our Identity
We are a fellowship of Baptists in North Carolina sharing a commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our midst, and a reverence for God's Word. Our oneness is expressed through a devotion to historic Baptist principles of faith and practice. This devotion calls us to join together in responding to Jesus' call to go into all the world to share God's love (Matthew 28:19-20). Check out this article by Randall Lolley, "Bringing Baptists of North Carolina together for Christ-Centered Ministry."
Our Mission
Bringing Baptists of North Carolina Together for Christ-Centered Ministry
Our Principles
Centrality and Authority of Scripture - We affirm the authority of scripture. We believe the Bible, under the Lordship of Christ, is central in the life of the individual and church.
Priesthood of All Believers - We affirm the freedom and right of every Christian to interpret and apply scripture under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We affirm the freedom and responsibility of every person to relate directly to God without the imposition of creed, the control of clergy or the interference of government.
Autonomy of the Local Church - We affirm that Baptist churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ and guidance of the Holy Spirit, 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.
Freedom of Religion - We affirm religious freedom for all people and the separation of church and state.
Read articles from Executive Coordinator, Larry Hovis, on the Four Fragile Freedoms of Baptists, published in our newsletter, The Gathering. Page one and page two.
Our Values
Lordship of Christ - We are bound together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is the center of all that we think, say and do, and is our authority for faith and practice. By "taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7), Jesus Christ is our model for leadership, ministry and service. In our obedience to the will of God, the love of Jesus shall be reflected in our relationships, fellowship and witness.
Spiritual Formation - We are bound together in the practice of prayer and other spiritual disciplines. By nurturing life in the Spirit and being empowered by the Spirit, we will strengthen our relationship with God and our relationships with one another. We shall draw upon the breadth and depth of the Christian tradition to under gird every facet of our ministry.
Global Missions - We are bound together by a passion to fulfill the Great Commission in our communities and throughout the world. Our strategy is to do global missions in a world without borders.
Our Virtues
Cooperation - We are bound together by a common calling to Christian mission and ministry. Toward that end, we shall establish strategic, ecumenical partnerships with other Great Commission Christians who encourage innovative and creative approaches to missions and ministry. We also affirm the right of each believer, church and religious body to cooperate voluntarily with others in mission and ministry.
Community - We are bound together in Christian Community, which is a gift of God. We celebrate our diversity and the giftedness of all believers for service and leadership. We shall be inclusive in spirit, language, and practice. We shall work redemptively to oppose prejudice and discrimination wherever they exist.
Stewardship - We are bound together as "stewards of God's varied grace" (I Peter 4:10). We shall be faithful stewards of the financial and human resources entrusted to us. We shall be properly accountable for the strategic, effective, and wise use of our resources.
Integrity - We are bound together by integrity in our relationships and actions. The evidence of our integrity shall be our openness, accountability, trustworthiness, honesty, and mutual respect from both leaders and followers. Our decision-making process shall be based on our common mission rather than on personal agendas.
Lifelong Learning - We are bound together in our commitment to lifelong learning to equip all persons for mission and ministry. We believe in quality theological education that prepares persons called by God to ministry.
Our Method
Networking - Building a family of faith and trust and a fellowship of worship and service; weaving together our combined gifts and resources to serve God's kingdom in a way none of us could do alone.
Empowering - Energizing believers to respond to God's call; providing opportunity, resources, training, and blessing for ministry.
Mobilizing - Cultivating a deep desire to be on mission for God; participating in Christ-centered ministry.
Serving Others
CBFNC churches and individuals are actively engaged in ministries around the state, nation and world.
Missions:
North Carolina Missions - We coordinate missions initiatives within the state, with a particular focus on the unreached and the most neglected.
Church Planting - We launch new churches, Anglo and ethnic, to meet the needs of "those not here yet."
Missional Churches - We encourage and equip local churches to engage in God's mission in their communities and wherever they feel called.
Global Missions - We support and participate in missions outside our state, including the mission efforts of the larger CBF movement.
Leadership Development:
We provide scholarships for students at partner divinity schools, with a special emphasis on North Carolina institutions.
We conduct leadership development conferences, retreats and events for clergy and lay leaders.
We consult with congregational leaders concerning leadership development strategies and resources.
We help ministers (experienced and recent seminary graduates) and churches "find each other" through a ministry of reference and referral.
Faith Development:
We sponsor youth and children's retreats several times throughout the year.
We sponsor youth and children's choir festivals.
We conduct conferences and retreats on various topics related to spiritual formation and faith development.
We consult with congregational leaders concerning faith development strategies and resources.
Supporting Our Partners
Our Relationships
Our primary partners are the churches and individuals who comprise our fellowship. Our first priority is to serve them. In addition to these core constituents, we also have significant relationships with other ministry partners, two of which deserve special mention.
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (National) - CBFNC is grateful to be part of the larger CBF movement of God's people. Though funded and organized separately from CBF, we seek to be the face of CBF in North Carolina by supporting and promoting CBF ministries in our state and beyond, including global missions and theological education.
A Covenant of Partnership and Missional Collaboration between CBFNC and CBF National was entered into on June 24, 2010, at the National General Assembly in Charlotte, NC. This covenant acknowledges the autonomy of both organizations, but also recognizes a strong mutuality in our mission that leads us to covenant together in prayer, affirmation and partnership. Read more.
Historic North Carolina Baptist Institutions and Agencies - we value the agencies, institutions and ministries that have historically been part of the North Carolina Baptist family. Though we do not seek to own, operate or control these ministries, we do seek to partner together in mutual ministry. We provide a channel for churches to fund these ministries through the CBFNC Mission Resource Plan.
Building Friendships
Our Gatherings - Each year, our fellowship experiences a "family reunion" in the form of the CBFNC General Assembly. Usually held in a church, the assembly offers inspiring worship, informative ministry workshops, helpful resources from various ministry partners and rich fellowship with Christians from around the state. We also hold various fellowships and gatherings throughout the year including our regional tour Fellowship on the Move.
In addition, clergy and laity who share a common bond through CBF values and commitments gather on a regular basis, often monthly, for Regional Fellowship Groups in several locations throughout our state.
Maintaining Relationships
Our leadership - Each year, the General Assembly elects our leadership, which includes the Coordinating Council (the board of directors of our non-profit religious corporation) and several Ministry Councils, which coordinate the various programs and ministries of CBFNC.
Day-to-day operations and ministries are conducted by a paid staff which includes the Coordinator (executive director), Ministry Coordinators (who oversee ministry areas) and support staff. Our coordinators travel around the state speaking in churches, visiting with ministers and church leaders and facilitating CBFNC ministries.
Getting to Know Us
CBFNC is not a member organization but a partnership of equals. Our goal is for each local church to discover its divinely appointed mission and carry out that mission in its community and beyond.
If you embrace our mission, principles and values, and desire to share in our ministries, you are welcome in our fellowship. We humbly ask for the opportunity to be one of your missional partners and appreciate any financial gifts you are able to make. You are invited to attend our assemblies, participate in our ministries or call our staff members or volunteer leaders for information on becoming involved with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina.
May God bless and guide us as together we seek to be
the presence of Christ in North Carolina and around the world.