CBMC 2024 Fall Connector

RE AC HI NG BU S I NE SSM EN FO R CHRIST

FALL 2024

BEYOND THE NUMBERS: 2024 INVESTOR BRIEF THE TURNING POINT MEN ANSWER THE CALL SCRIPTURES SPRING TO LIFE

cbmc.com

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IN THIS ISSUE

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FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

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ANSWERING THE CALL: INVESTOR BRIEF 2024

A brief message from David Meyers, President of CBMC USA.

A summary of this year’s growth in the ministry and our impact in the marketplace for Christ.

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THE TURNING POINT

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POST CONFERENCE REFLECTIONS

Cameron Halter An inspirational story of a man at the end of his rope, transformed by God and the power of Godly men, and then put to work changing the lives of others.

CBMC unites under the arch in St. Louis and under God. A retrospective look at CBMC’s first National Men’s Conference in over 25 years.

SCRIPTURES SPRING TO LIFE

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Julio Ramos See how one man encountered Jesus and overcame his struggles to find a new life filled with purpose and calling.

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F R O M

T H E

D E S K

O F

T H E

P R E S I D E N T

Dear CBMC Community, As we reflect on the incredible 2024 CBMC Men’s Conference, the call to action has never been more clear.

Psalm 62:7 reminds us, “My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.” In the same way, the men who gathered with us are being called to stand on the rock of Christ and answer His call to transform their lives, their families, and their workplaces.

We have seen an outpouring of testimonies—stories of men stepping up to lead, disciple others, and live out their faith boldly. These stories are evidence that God is moving mightily through CBMC, and He is calling each of us to go deeper in our faith and impact. The conference may be over, but the work is just beginning.

CBMC is expanding its reach, equipping men to be ambassadors for Christ in the marketplace, and we are seeing more lives changed than ever before. Our ministry is growing, and we are eager to share the numbers from our latest investor brief that show how your support is making a tangible difference.

We urge you to continue this journey with us. Whether through prayer, involvement in local teams, or financially supporting CBMC’s mission, you have a role to play in God’s unfolding plan. Together, we can continue building His kingdom, one transformed life at a time.

Through Jesus Alone,

Now is the time to answer the call!

David Myers President, Christian Business Men’s Connection

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ANSWERI WHO WE ARE:

TRUSTED ADVISOR FORUMS

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CBMC is a Men’s Marketplace Ministry.

TEAMS

CITIES

WHAT WE DO:

2,936 MEN ACTIVELY DISCIPLING OTHERS

We present Jesus and develop businessmen.

6,567

WHO WE MINISTER TO:

MEN ACTIVELY BEING DISCIPLED

Christian business and professional men in every season of life, located in all 50 states who want to grow personally, professionally, and spiritually.

524 NEW LIFE-ON-LIFE RELATIONSHIPS ADDED THIS YEAR 4

ING THE CALL YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

46 39

TEAMS

CITIES

NATIONWIDE

611 351

TEAMS

CITIES

1,592 COMMITMENTS TO CHRIST 360 NEW COMMITS 1,232 RE-COMMITS

NEW GROWTH IN 2024: 312,319 Connected to the Ministry 18,938 Engaged in our programs 19,030 CBMC Advance users 5

GLOBAL REACH

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COUNTRIES WORLD-WIDE

We connect business and professional men to God and to each other through Christian peer groups and life-on-life discipleship, so they can become the men God designed them to be.

50,000

GLOBAL CBMC MEMBERS

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COUNTRIES WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACCESSING AN ONLINE VERSION OF OPERATION TIMOTHY

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2023 AUDITED FINANCIALS Support and Revenue $10,439,825 Expenses $10,019,193 DISTRIBUTION OF 2023 EXPENSES:

REVENUE DETAIL: Contributions & Gifts $8,728,329 Membership Fees: $1,102,940 Other Revenue: $389,167 Net Realized & Unrealized Gain: $219,389

Fundraising Expenses General & Administrative

$827,580

Total $10,439,825

$1,769,391

Ministry/Program Expenses

$7,422,222

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G LO B A L

“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

Proverbs 27:17 Are you looking to become a Christian mentor to a new believer? CBMC’s ultimate one-on-one discipleship tool has strengthened faith and bonds of brotherhood for decades. OT Global is the very latest edition created for men of today wanting to draw closer to God. Scan to get started.

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GROW FORWARD

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ADVANCE

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ADVANCE Log in at advance.cbmc.com

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THE TU

CAMERON HALTER

Isolation. Hopelessness. Despair. These negative, destructive emotions afflict countless thousands of young men in our society. Cameron Halter knows this all too well. He lived it.

Much of Cameron’s life had been turbulent. When he was six, his parents divorced. As a result, he had little contact with his father growing up. “I remember the sadness I felt, not having my dad present.”

His mother remarried, but this only escalated the turmoil in Cameron’s world. He was bullied during his first year of middle school in suburban Atlanta, and the recession of 2008 took a toll on his family. His stepfather lost his job, the bank foreclosed on their home, and his mother struggled with alcoholism. “Ours was a very dysfunctional home, with frequent episodes of domestic abuse.”

As a result, he became very withdrawn, having few friends and struggling with the emotions that churned inside. Halter experienced a lonely existence.

Discovering a passion for computer technology gave him some direction. He got a job as a business systems manager and earned a bachelor’s degree in IT security through an online university. Although he had moved out of his family’s home, the chaos in his personal life continued.

In 2020, Cameron’s mother’s second marriage came to an end, and her alcohol struggles continued. Twice she attempted to commit suicide. On top of that was COVID, which had an adverse effect on his job. “I felt my life and career were going sideways,” he recalled. “I hated myself.

Every negative thing I’d ever been told I believed.”

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URNING POINT His desperation reached a climax in late-2022. “I was online, researching how to kill myself. Then I heard a strong voice, and sensed it was God speaking to me. The voice said, ‘Call somebody, tell someone.’ So, even though I hadn’t had much contact with him, I called my dad.”

“I surrendered myself to Christ at that moment, feeling totally broken. But my first thought was, ‘Is it real?’

His father, James Halter, his wife Kelly and their family lived in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta but were in Ohio visiting with relatives when Cameron called. Hearing his desperation, they flew him there and invited him to move in with them when they returned home.

I looked up and despite the rain and the cold, a great blue heron was standing about 20 feet away. It stayed there for about 10 minutes and seemed to be looking directly at me.“ “At that moment I was overwhelmed with the presence of the Lord, thinking, ‘Wow, You’re here, Lord!’ I didn’t know what my future had in store, but for the first time I felt peace, that I was safe.”

James had become a follower of Jesus Christ in 2011, and his son could recognize changes in him. “Theirs was a family where God was present. I could feel God’s love and the peace they had in their home.”

The next day he mustered up the courage to share his story with about 300 other men at the retreat.

Providentially, one of those men was John Posey, CBMC director in Atlanta. Meeting him began the next step in Cameron’s spiritual journey.

Cameron’s spiritual turning point began in April 2023 when his father invited him to a men’s retreat called Souly Business at Lake Allatoona. “I had seen God working in my dad and his family, but didn’t believe He could work in my life, even though I had always been searching for Him. I agreed to go.”

“From the moment I met John, I could feel God’s love through him. He talked with me about CBMC and its

At the retreat he sat at a table with other men who made him feel comfortable. Slowly he began opening up to them. “I also started to listen, eager to hear from God.” The men all were asked to write their problems and struggles on an index card and nail it to a cross at the retreat center, representing what Jesus had already done for them. Cameron did this, and one evening sensed the Lord drawing him to the lake. Standing on the dock, thinking about his struggles and feeling he had no control in his life, he heard a repeating lyric of a song, “Don’t believe Me, just watch.”

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Young Professionals program, saying he’d get back in touch with me. About a month later John called and said, ‘We have this YP thing tonight. You coming?’”

men who have been in my position, feeling lost and having nowhere to turn.”

“For the first time in my life, I feel I have a purpose, a true calling. My desire is to serve as an ambassador to men who would benefit from being in the YP program as I have. To help in facilitating this, I’m setting up business systems for reaching and communicating with men in YP in the Atlanta area.”

Cameron went and almost immediately felt a kinship with the other men. “The YP meetings felt like home, and I started building relationships with the other guys – and with Christ.

Since then, things have dramatically changed in my life. I’m growing spiritually and becoming more confident. It’s had a huge impact on me. Now I have a bunch of men who care for me, people I can lean on.”

As a group, Cameron and the others in his YP group have been going through Operation Timothy with Posey. After attending the recent CBMC men’s conference in St. Louis, he’s praying about serving as a Paul to take another man through OT. “I’ve held off for the most part trying to find someone to be a Paul to, chained to the idea that I’m not good enough.

But after hearing about all the positive relationships that have come from it, it has really encouraged me to find someone to walk with through OT outside of the YP program.”

He also attended a CBMC prayer breakfast in Atlanta and that reinforced his enthusiasm. “Through the men there I felt the Lord’s love, people who genuinely care for each other. It’s gotten me fired up!”

As for Cameron’s family, God is bringing about much healing. “The relationship between my father and me is awesome. I love him and Kelly very much.” The relationship with his mother remains a work in progress, “but I pray that with God’s love, we can rebuild what my sister Riley called ‘a family broken to pieces.’ I’ve seen some evidence lately of that starting to happen.”

Now Cameron feels like a man on a mission. “A lot of men out there are wrestling with the same things I was. It’s like being in a dark cave, struggling with loneliness and feeling there’s no way out of it. One night I was overcome with raw emotion, thinking about reaching out to young

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WAYS TO GIVE Your support fuels CBMC’s mission to transform the lives of Christian businessmen nationwide. Here’s how you can help:

Gifts of Cash Make a one-time or recurring gift online, by mail, or through planned giving.

ANSWER THE CALL

Monthly Investor A monthly commitment ensures our programs continue year-round.

IRA Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)

ANSWER THE CALL

If eligible, you can direct RMDs to CBMC, helping avoid taxable income.

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Use a DAF to give assets like cash or stocks to CBMC as part of your giving strategy.

Gifts of Stocks & Bonds Donating stocks, bonds, or mutual funds is a taxwise way to support our mission.

Always check with your CPA, financial planner, and/or tax advisor before making decisions or actions affecting your account distributions.

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ANSWER THE CALL

POST-CONFERENCE REFLECTIONS Growth, Calling, and the Power of Gathering at the 2024 CBMC Men’s Conference As we look back on the 2024 CBMC National Men’s Conference, we are filled with a deep sense of awe and gratitude.

281 men from across the nation and around the globe gathered with a shared purpose—to answer the call God has placed on their lives. This year’s conference, themed “The Call of Men,” was nothing short of transformative, as we witnessed men stepping into a deeper understanding of their faith and purpose.

The turnout was remarkable, with men of all backgrounds— business leaders, professionals, and emerging young leaders—coming together for this powerful event. The sense of unity and shared mission was tangible. It was clear that God had called these men for something greater, and the conference became a launching point for many to begin a journey of spiritual growth, leadership, and discipleship.

Transformation Through Faith At the heart of the conference was the theme of transformation—real, life-altering change that only comes from an encounter with Jesus. Anchored in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” the conference challenged men to rise above societal norms and embrace a life root-

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ed in Christ. The stories we are now hearing, from personal breakthroughs to renewed faith commitments, are a testament to the deep work God is doing in these men’s hearts.

The Call of Men: A Mission for the Kingdom This conference was not just about personal transformation—it was a call to action. Men were challenged to answer the call to live out their faith boldly, impacting their families, workplace and communities. From the practical equipping sessions to the powerful times of worship and prayer, the conference activated men to live “on mission” for Jesus. Just as Acts 1:8 urges us to be His witnesses, men left the conference ready to bring the gospel to their everyday

ANSWER THE CALL

lives.

Growth and Exciting Developments for CBMC The overwhelming turnout and the stories of transformation reflect CBMC’s ongoing growth. God is expanding this ministry, and the impact is undeniable. Men are answering the call to be ambassadors for Christ in the marketplace, and CBMC is privileged to be part of this life-changing mission.

ANSWER THE CALL

We are grateful for the many who attended, sponsored, and prayed for this year’s conference. The journey doesn’t end here—this is just the beginning of a new chapter. Men are answering the call and stepping into God’s purpose for their life.

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POST-CONFERENCE REFLECTIONS Matt Mabe’s Testimony

The theme, “The Call of Men,” resonated deeply as men from various backgrounds gathered to seek Christ and commit to living out their faith in new and powerful ways.

From Kansas, a dedicated homebuilder with a strong connection to CBMC Staff.

At the heart of the conference was a call to spiritual renewal.

Attendees were challenged to break free from the patterns of this world and embrace a Christ-centered life and biblical worldview. The stories that have emerged since the event reflect deep personal transformation, as many men left ready to lead, disciple, and impact their communities with newfound purpose.

Mike Arnold’s Testimony Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Mike serves as a business consultant and CBMC Staff member, working closely with Pittsburgh CBMC.

Lives were changed, leadership was ignited, and God’s work through the ministry continues to expand. To hear powerful testimonies shared at this conference, scan the QR codes on this page and witness what God is doing. It’s transformative!

Bruce Johnson’s Testimony A seasoned financial advisor from Michigan and a long-time member of CBMC.

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SCRIPTURE

JULIO RAMOS

Two years ago Julio Ramos was going through a very difficult time, reeling from a divorce and a failed business venture. He felt depressed, with nowhere to go. Then, through a series of events that can only be understood as divinely directed, he started on the path to becoming a changed man and an outspoken ambassador for Jesus Christ. He answered the call of Jesus.

“It was June 14, 2022 – I had an encounter with Jesus through His creation that some would call supernatural.

All I can say is I experienced the presence and peace of God in a way I could never have imagined,” Julio said. “He gave me the strength and courage to embark on what has become the journey of a lifetime.”

He began reading a Bible and praying, something he hadn’t done since his adolescence, seeking God’s guidance for what to do next. He started listening to the Moody Christian Radio station in South Florida and one day heard an advertisement about a CBMC luncheon in Miami.

“I went to it and heard a businessman speak about his faith in a very powerful way. It was an amazing experience, finding a Christian-based organization that was connecting men in the marketplace. I’ve been a regular participant in CBMC events ever since.”

Besides the monthly luncheons, Julio has become actively involved in many other events. He participates in a Connect3 team (C3), monthly Cigar Nights in Miami and an overnight retreat at a local hotel. Julio has started going through Operation Timothy and looks forward to joining a Young Professionals group being formed in his area.

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ES SPRING TO LIFE “I’ve seen the Scriptures come alive through CBMC,” he said. “The Cigar Nights, for example, have been instrumental for my Christian walk, helping me to grow by connecting with men who are led by the Word of God. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “‘As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.’”

Living in one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country, as part of CBMC, Julio is excited to answer the call and pursue Jesus’ commission to “go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

“We can bring unconvinced friends to a fellowship opportunity like a Cigar Night and interact with them about business and life challenges, starting to build relationships that can lead to the most important relationship of all, knowing Jesus Christ,” he said.

Through an impactful CBMC retreat, weekly C3 encounters, and meeting with another man in Operation Timothy, Julio has discovered the truth of Hebrews 4;12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

He immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic when he was 13, living first in New York state and then Rhode Island, where he attended college.

Seventeen years ago, he moved to Florida, and lives in Miami Beach.

Now the principal agent for a health and life insurance agency in Florida, Julio greatly appreciates the benefits of interacting regularly with men of faith who are further along in their spiritual walk and willing to share their wisdom and experience.

“It helps in making sense of life. I walked the way of the world most of my life,” he said, “and it’s so easy to get distracted if you don’t have people reminding you of the importance of keeping the main thing the main thing – ultimately, to honor and glorify God in whatever we do.

As Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, ‘But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’”

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CBMC’S TWOFOLD MISSION: To present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men, and to develop christian business and professional men to carry out the great commission.

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CBMC (Christian Businessmen’s Connection) connects business and professional men to God and each other through Christian peer groups and one-on-one mentoring, so they become more like the men God designed them to be.

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