Baptists Cooperating? What's Up With That?

Following the commissioning of 18 new missionaries at the Thursday evening session of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship meeting in Washington, D.C., David Coffey of England, president of the Baptist World Alliance, told of someone whom he met that day as he arrived in Washington. As the man who was helping him carried on conversation, he asked the inevitable, “What brings you to Washington?” And Mr. Coffey said, “Oh I’m here to speak to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.” And immediately, the man replied, “I didn’t know Baptists did that—cooperate.”

And if all he knew of Baptists came from the newspaper accounts of the Southern Baptist meetings over the last 25 years, it’s understandable why he would think that Baptists don’t cooperate. And Mr. Coffey himself has known too well that Baptists don’t cooperate, because he was recipient of the bitter anger that Southern Baptists publicly demonstrated toward the Baptist World Alliance, as they voted to end all relationship with the BWA a few years ago.

One of the reasons that Kay and I try to attend the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship meeting every year, and why I included this in my sabbatical plans for 2007, is because I believe that the CBF demonstrates a heart for joining others in the cause of spreading the good news of Christ to all people. There is always a spirit of openness and unity, an awareness of the global aspect of Christianity, and intentional moves toward diversity, involving women and people from all cultural backgrounds in the fellowship. This year’s meeting in DC was planned to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Baptist Association, and on Friday evening, Kay and I were part of the huge assembly of both groups, as we worshipped, celebrated, affirmed each other, and commissioned a missionary couple jointly.

Some of you UBC’ers may remember Daniel Vestal. He spoke at our weekend services during the prayer focus weekend of January, 2006. He’s the executive coordinator of CBF. And Rick Bennett who spoke this year at our “Be the Body” weekend, is congregation life specialist at CBF in Atlanta. Our own Steve and Elizabeth Johnson served as CBF missionaries, and later served in other capacities with the group.

We also spent a day and a half seeing the sights of Washington. On Tuesday, we visited the Library of Congress. Someone had recommended to Kay that we see it, and we found that we could spend hours there.

The Library is not only impressive as the largest collection of books and other items of interest in the world, but its architecture and beauty are breathtaking. If you saw the movie, “National Treasure,” you may remember a scene that took place in the Library. What you saw is the largest of twenty-plus reading rooms, a massive display of functionality and refined décor. Kay and I stood on the visitors balcony and looked down into that reading room, and were awed by its majesty.

The paintings and marble sculptures, the mosaic tile creations, the art and beauty that filled the entire building, were amazing. To think that it was created back in the 19th century, only adds to its magnificence.

As we left the Library and made our way to the Supreme Court building, we heard a voice from the other side of the sidewalk, calling our names. We were pleasantly surprised to see Michael Murff, who is part of the UBC family, and is in Washington seeking opportunities to work in the political or international business world.


On Wednesday, as part of the beginnings of the CBF meeting, Kay and I took the metro out to the National Cathedral where we met others and took part in a tour of this Episcopal church that has been the site of funerals, weddings, and prayers involving many of the great leaders of our nation. Again, the architecture and décor were inspiring.

Beautiful stained glass filled the sanctuary. One window that was of particular interest to us was the one they call "the space window." It is filled with images of the "heavens", and imbedded in the window is a piece of moon rock.


Worship at the meeting in DC was, as it usually is, inspiring and moving, with great music and powerful preaching. The missionary commissioning services were reminders that God is still calling us to the whole world, and we admired those who are leaving family and home to go into the world to reach the unreached. And visiting with friends from the past whom we now see only at these meetings, and seeing some of the great structures that have played a great role in our country’s history, made for a great week in our nation’s capital.

Care-full-y,

rick