CBF-Texas meets field personnel, conducts business

ATLANTA—The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Texas affirmed its new field personnel assigned to China, elected officers and other leaders, approved a 2017-18 budget during its annual business session and launched a leadership scholarship, held in conjunction with the national CBF general assembly in Atlanta June 29.

The group also heard about a new regional CBF network, Fellowship Southwest, that will function alongside three state or regional groups.

Brittany and Casey, members of Lake Shore Baptist Church in Waco, have been appointed field personnel to work alongside Christians in Chengdu, China, where she previously served as a CBF Global Service Corps member. Their last names are withheld due to security concerns.

She is a graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. He is a graduate of Baylor and Truett Seminary and has a background in film and digital media.

For the past decade, CBF has developed partnerships with churches and church leaders in Chengdu and Sichuan Province. The Waco couple plan to build on that foundation and develop new ministries. The Christians there intend to start congregations around the city.

CBF of Texas elected Kyle Tubbs, lead pastor of Peace of Christ Church in Round Rock, as moderator-elect. Heather Mustain, minister of missions at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, has been moderator-elect and became state moderator at the end of the meeting. John Moore, pastor for missions at First Baptist Church in Abilene, has been moderator and became past-moderator.

The organization also elected Judy Collins, a chaplain and a member of The Crossing Baptist Church in Mesquite, as recorder.

Members elected to the CBF of Texas governing board are James Hassell of First Baptist Church in San Angelo, Christopher Jensen of First Baptist Church in Amarillo, Cheryl Kimble of Highland Park Baptist Church in Austin and Marconi Monteiro of First Mexican Baptist Church in San Antonio.

Representatives elected to regional groups included:

• Abilene/San Angelo—Nathan Pruett of First Baptist Church in Ballinger

• Austin/San Marcos—Silverio Hernandez of First Baptist Church in San Marcos

• DFW—Bob Coleman of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas and Mike Gregg of Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas

• East Texas—Deborah McCammon of Elkins Lake Baptist Church in Huntsville

• El Paso/Midland—Jackie Brem of Second Baptist Church in Odessa

• Houston—Christopher Sims of Sugar Land Baptist Church in Sugar Land

• San Antonio/South Texas—Sandra Cisneros of San Antonio, Lorenzo Ortiz of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Laredo and George Zapata Jr. of New Wine Baptist Church in Harlingen

• Waco/Temple—Werth Mayes of Erath County Cowboy Church in Stephenville

The 2017-18 CBF of Texas budget is $249,972, an increase of almost $1,000 over the current budget. Major allocations include mission engagement, equipping church leaders, and outreach to churches, schools and other partners. The budget supports the work of two full-time staff, Field Coordinator Rick McClatchy and Associate Coordinator Jorge Zapata, and two part-time staff, Rosa Zapata, part-time office assistant, and Anyra Cano, contract worker with CBF of Texas and Texas Baptist Women in Ministry.

The Texans also learned CBF’s Bill and Charlotte Bruster Leadership Scholarship had been fully funded. Bill Bruster previously was a pastor of numerous congregations, including First Baptist Church in Abilene, and then invested several years helping launch CBF. George Mason, their pastor at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, announced the Bruster scholarship goal had been reached. It will fund one of 70 scholarships CBF provides for ministry students annually.

The group heard from Marv Knox, who will become field coordinator for the new Fellowship Southwest network Aug. 1. Fellowship Southwest will assist the ministries of three CBF state or regional organizations—CBF of Oklahoma, CBF of Texas and CBF West.

Fellowship Southwest initially will focus on three priorities—expanded partnerships and strengthened infrastructure, advocacy, and ethnic and ecumenical relationships, Knox said.

A steering committee will help develop the network’s priorities. Advisory committees, which will include representatives of mission and ministry partners, will help develop a catalog of mission/ministry opportunities and resources for CBF churches across the Southwest.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was edited after it originally was posted due to security issues involving overseas personnel.