August 6, 2001
CBF partners with Buckner for Rural Poverty Initiative
___By Scott Collins
___Buckner News Service
___MISSION--Officials with Buckner Children and Family Services and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship have signed a joint partnership agreement to provide expanded ministries to at-risk children and families in the Rio Grande Valley.
___The partnership agreement calls for a collaboration between Buckner and CBF Global Missions enabling Buckner to coordinate social services for residents in the Progresso colonia through the Progresso Community Resource Center built by Texas A&M University's College of Architecture.
BLEACH JUGS with their bottoms cut out line the bridge between Progresso, Texas, and Progresso, Mexico. Beggars on the Mexican side of the border extend the jugs on long cane poles in a quest to solicit change from passersby. (Photo by Scott Collins)
___Along with providing $35,000 in financial support over the next two years, CBF will assist in recruiting volunteers for mission projects coordinated by Buckner in the Rio Grande Valley.
___The partnership with Buckner is part of CBF's rural-poverty initiative, a 20-year commitment called "Partners in Hope" designed to "bring about transformation" in some of the poorest regions in the United States. Along with the Rio Grande ministry, "Partners in Hope" will focus on areas located in Appalachia, the Mississippi River Delta/Cotton Belt and Native American reservations in South Dakota.
___According to Texas A&M's Center for Housing and Urban Development, Texas is home to more than 1,450 colonias with an estimated population of more than 350,000 people. The center describes the colonias as being in "physical and social isolation" due the lack of English language skills and "the lack of understanding about available programs" that could assist residents. Colonias are unincorporated communities along the Texas-Mexico border generally characterized by lack of physical infrastructure such as sewers, running water, storm drainage and paved streets.
___Tom Ogburn, CBF Global Missions associate coordinator, described "Partners in Hope" as a new approach to Baptist missions and ministry that is grassroots driven and aimed at long-term transformational development.
___"This is not patronage; this is partnership," Ogburn said. "This is not about short-term mission projects; this about building relationships of trust and partnership and about conversations out of which the hopes and dreams of the people emerge."
___Ogburn, who is coordinating national aspects of the program from the CBF Resource Center in Dallas, said the Rural Poverty Initiative "will call us to a new kind of ministry and missions" and force Baptists to think outside the traditional ways of doing missions.
___Officials with Buckner said they welcome the opportunity to partner with church-related groups desiring to improve the lives of at-risk children and families. Felipe Garza, vice president of Buckner Children and Family Services, said partnerships such the Buckner/CBF agreement "hold the key to effective ministry, especially in places growing as fast as the Rio Grande Valley."
___Garza, a native of South Texas, said the explosive population growth of the Valley has put additional stress on already overloaded social services programs in that part of Texas.
___"We're seeing tremendous stress added to families who often find themselves in difficult situations because of social and economic disadvantages," Garza said. "If we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world, places like the colonias are where Christians are being called to serve."
___Buckner President Ken Hall believes the future of many social ministry programs lies in partnerships similar to the Buckner/CBF agreement.
___"At a time when we're seeing increasing needs in our society, government programs are being cut back and traditional funding sources such as denominational organizations are unable to help Buckner and other agencies make up the shortfall," Hall said. "It's difficult to see such incredible needs in areas like the Rio Grande Valley and not be able to help because of limited financial resources. That's why we're grateful for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and its leaders' commitment to help people overcome poverty and difficult situations."
___Hall added that Buckner also is scheduled to receive funding in 2002 from the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions. In addition, Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas and individual Buckner donors provide funding for Buckner programs in the Valley.
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