Events

An Invitation from our Executive Coordinator…

When CBFNC celebrated its 20th Anniversary, those gathered endorsed four “Overarching Commitments,” one of which was ‘A Commitment to Community.’ Here is a description of that concept:

Our name—Fellowship—points toward our deep desire for connection. We seek that beautiful Scriptural experience expressed by the word koinonia. CBFNC exists to support connections among congregations and Christians, to facilitate conversation, and to create missional partnerships and networks within our fellowship, as well as the broader Christian and religious communities.   We need to live in fellowship and partnership with one another because it bears witness to the unity of the Body of Christ.   We need one another in order to grow in faithfulness and effectiveness; innovation and creativity flourish more readily and abundantly in community. We desire to build community among the congregations, individuals and partners of our Fellowship, so that we can be agents of God’s reconciliation in the world.Did you notice the end toward which our community points? It’s not simply for our own benefit. We cultivate community “so that we can be agents of God’s reconciliation in the world.”

That’s why I’m so excited the planning team for the 2020 Annual Gathering chose the theme, “Embracing Kingdom Community.” They intentionally sought, as a dimension of that theme, to include a focus on racial reconciliation and justice and to invite participation from brothers and sisters of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, a predominantly African-American body of churches.

As you participate in this gathering, you will enjoy all of the usual elements – meaningful preaching and worship, informative ministry workshops, and rich fellowship with friends old and new. But you will also be challenged to think deeply about how we embrace our neighbors of all cultures and races to apply Jesus’s first sermon; that Spirit-anointed message to preach good news, freedom, and the Lord’s favor to ALL.

As we gather in Raleigh for our Annual Gathering, I’m confident we will Embrace Kingdom Community with one another. I’m also praying that we will leave our gathering equipped to extend Kingdom Community across our respective communities, our beloved state, and around the world.

Larry Hovis
Executive Coordinator