Comments on Baptists Today Blogs: CBFNC listens for God’s call

The people who heard Christ say "you will be my wi...

2008-04-17T10:33:00.000-04:00

The people who heard Christ say "you will be my witnesses" appear not to have been listening with the ears of Julie Pennington-Russell. They didn't head out to do social work or get involved politically. Rather they told what they'd seen, they baptized people who believed them, and they started churches. The churches certainly went about doing good, but the best good they did was to sustain the proclamation that founded them. And yes, borrowing Julie's language, that involved "going and doing some witnessing."

Paul,You are correct that much of the growth is du...

2008-04-15T09:16:00.000-04:00

Paul,
You are correct that much of the growth is due to the narrowing perimeters of the BSCNC and the judgmental, critical tone coming from Cary. But I must say that CBFNC has also been very smart in how it has developed and responded. Several new church starts are also figured into the growth. Several years ago, CBFNC stopped reacting to events in the state convention as a reason for being, and began to chart its own course for the future.

Several years ago CBFNC was criticized by some for not fighting for the state convention. CBFNC churches were not willing to expend energy in that fight in the same way that Texas did, and moved forward with a new agenda for ministry and service. Then at the bequest of churches, CBFNC developed the Mission Resource Plan that enabled so many congregation to exercise their freedom and continue to support important programs and institutions. This has been a winning strategy, and CBFNC is seeing the fruits of thoughtful, smart, positive and faithful leadership.

At the recent CBFNC General Assembly, I did not hear one word from the platform or in table conversation about BSCNC - the focus was on the future.

I wonder if the growth is not being helped some, o...

2008-04-14T22:41:00.000-04:00

I wonder if the growth is not being helped some, or a lot, by the BSCNC becoming more narrow in its tolerance of things it declares essential for and how we are to believe. I know that I personally have become saddened by how critical the BSCNC has become, and look much more favorably towards the CBFNC in and the amount of energy that is used to do God's work and not criticize those who do not do it "their way". I hate that there is a split, but I thank God there is an alternative.
Paul