Called in Context
Where will we find the next generation of ministers and lay leaders for our congregations? Where are those whom God is calling to serve as field personnel in the global mission of Jesus Christ and as chaplains and pastoral counselors?
As I visit many of our congregations and engage in conversations with pastors and lay leaders alike, I am often asked questions like these. For most of my life in ministry, I have deeply believed that there is a powerful, unavoidable answer to these kinds of questions. Those who will lead our congregations in the decades to come and those who are called to Christ’s global mission are already in our congregations. In every congregational community, there are women and men, young and not so young, whom the Holy Spirit is calling to various forms of leadership. The question is not whether they are there or not. Instead, the question is whether we will be compelled to join with the Triune God in noticing, naming and nurturing those whom God is calling.
That’s why our Fellowship has launched a Called in Context initiative. We need to recover the primal Baptist conviction that calling begins in a congregation, and that vocational discovery and nurture are central to the Church’s calling to invite people to faith in Jesus Christ. Those of us who are pastors, children’s and youth ministry leaders, Sunday school teachers and lay leaders are uniquely positioned to notice those who have gifts for leadership. Are we willing to invest in encouraging those with such gifts to offer them to the church and the mission of Christ in the world?
Our Fellowship is committed to helping congregations not only recover a commitment in helping disciples discover God’s call but also to develop practices that help all of us grow in faithfulness to our callings.
This commitment to noticing, naming and nurturing the next generation of leaders also requires us to recognize that much is changing in the way ministry leaders are prepared. More seminary education is being delivered completely online or in hybrid formats,
and even schools that focus solely on in-person education are moving beyond a single-campus model. This means many seminary students will be serving a congregation while completing theological education. At the same time, for several reasons, few people are graduating from seminary with the intention of serving as youth ministers and children’s ministers with the preparation landscape for music ministers shifting as well.
Considering all of this, more and more congregations are identifying lay people within their churches or communities who have the gifts and graces required to lead age-specific ministries in multi-vocational or volunteer capacities. While profoundly disruptive in some ways, I am coming to believe that these transitions, if entered courageously and faithfully, are opportunities for transformation and excellence in the life and ministry of the church.
I hope you’ll read carefully the information in this edition of fellowship! about the initial efforts in our Called in Context initiative. A member of CBF’s Congregational Ministries team would be glad to talk with you if you have questions. In the days to come, we will have much more to share about this initiative and the ways CBF is seeking to invite congregations to participate more deeply in God’s calling. I hope you’ll be even more encouraged to engage the life of our Fellowship and give generously toward the expansion of this work that is essential for the health and vitality of our congregations for years to come.
In the meantime, when your congregation gathers for worship next Sunday, look around. In whom do you see gifts for ministerial leadership? Who do you believe will be among the next generation of lay leaders for your congregation and others? How will you join the Holy Spirit in communicating God’s call? How will you equip these sisters and brothers in Christ to lead? How can your congregation be a community where God’s call is heard not only for the sake of your church, but for the Church and the world?
Fellowship! is published 4 times a year in September (Fall), December (Winter), March (Spring), June (Summer) by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Inc., 160 Clairemont Avenue, Suite 300, Decatur, GA 30030. Periodicals postage paid at Decatur, GA, and additional offices. USPS #015-625. Executive
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PAUL BAXLEY is Executive Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
By Chris Hughes
FROM THE EDITOR
We are thrilled to present the Fall 2024 issue of fellowship! magazine. Our cover story (pp. 16-19) highlights Elket Rodríguez, CBF’s global migration advocate, and his vital ministry with asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. Discover the powerful story of Gabriel, a Venezuelan migrant with a difficult past and a hopeful future (pp. 22-23 in English, pp. 24-25 in Spanish).
By Marv Knox
22 GABRIEL’S STORY
By
Grayson Hester
You’ll also find updates from our field personnel on their impactful work around the world (pp. 8-9). This issue celebrates Ardmore Baptist Church, the recipient of the 2024 CBF Mission Excellence Award, for its dedication as a CBF Encourager Church and in its community in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Por Grayson Hester
By Kristen Thomason 24 LA HISTORIA DE GABRIEL
Take a visual journey through the 2024 General Assembly in Greensboro, N.C., where we focused on re:imagining (pp. 10-15). We also honor Wayne Weathers (pp. 4-5), recipient of the 2024 Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice Trailblazer Award, for his unwavering commitment to racial justice and equity.
26 ARDMORE BAPTIST CHURCH RECEIVES MISSIONS EXCELLENCE AWARD
28 HOLLY HATTON IS CALLED IN CONTEXT AT
By Marv Knox
In this issue, CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley introduces the new Called into Context initiative (p. 2), calling congregations to “recover the primal Baptist conviction that calling begins in a congregation, and that vocational discovery and nurture are central to the church’s mission of inviting people to faith in Jesus Christ.” Marv Knox shares the instructive journey of Holly Hatton, associate pastor of First Baptist Church, Memphis, Tenn., illustrating how congregations can discover and nurture called ministers within their own community of faith (pp. 29-31).
Last but not least, be sure to get a digital or print copy of the new 2024-2025 edition of Prayers of the People at www.cbf.net/pray.
AARON WEAVER is the Editor of fellowship! Connect with him at aweaver@cbf.net
LAUREN LAMB is the Associate Editor of fellowship! Connect with her at llamb@cbf.net
RRev. Dr. Wayne Weathers serves as the senior pastor of Vision of Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa. He is also an adjunct professor at the Center for Urban Theological Studies at Lancaster Bible College and the Political Action Chair for the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, as well as the Pennsylvania Baptist Association.
Trailblazer Wayne Weathers pursues racial justice to strengthen communities
by Chris Hughes
ev. Dr. Wayne M. Weathers, Philadelphia pastor, organizer and activist, has been named a recipient of the 2024 Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice Trailblazer Award by the Pan African Koinonia and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
The McCall Racial Justice Trailblazer Award honors CBF individuals and ministries who recognize unequal and unjust areas of life and initiate proactive resolutions for communities in the form of policies or practices resulting in greater equity, opportunity, impact and outcomes for all. The award is named in honor of Dr. Emmanuel McCall, the first African American to serve as CBF moderator and a widely respected pioneer for racial justice and equity in Baptist life.
“To God be the glory for all of the great things he allows us to do,” Weathers said as he accepted the award in June at the 2024 CBF General Assembly in Greensboro, N.C. Weathers recounted how eight years ago in Greensboro, together he and the church he helped plant were commissioned by CBF. “I never imagined that eight years later, back here in Greensboro, that I would be receiving the prestigious Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice Award.”
Weathers said it was with those who practice injustice and oppression, who discriminate and who put up barriers, that he has a purpose. “Thank you for allowing me
to be on the front line. I leave today knowing there is more work to be done,” Weathers told the banquet room of Cooperative Baptists.
Weathers is the pastor of Vision Baptist Church in Philadelphia, and also serves as the political action chair for the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Baptist State Convention. But his work as a justice-seeker stretches back more than 30 years when, as a sophomore at Virginia State University, Weathers participated in a nonviolent civil rights march sponsored by the Petersburg Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Colonial Heights, Va. While marching, students encountered residents waving Confederate flags, stuffed gorillas hung on nooses and racial slurs along the two-mile demonstration. This transformative experience was where Weathers says he became “determined to pursue racial justice to better our communities.”
Weathers followed that calling to Duke University Divinity School, Durham, N.C., where he served as the president of the Black Seminarians Union and the pastor of the Morehead Baptist Church. He graduated
with a Master of Divinity degree in 1999 and would later earn a Doctor of Ministry degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pa., in 2009.
On Nov. 30, 2014, Weathers felt called to launch and organize Vision of Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia—a church that describes itself as being born out of the “pain of the inability to fit in and the inability to please everyone.” The church was started in the multipurpose worship room of Prince of Peace Baptist Church in North Philadelphia before finding its own home in Jenkintown.
Both inside and outside the church, Weathers has maintained a steady drum beat for justice. From 2019 to 2022, he was involved in a protest against Temple University, opposing efforts to build a new football stadium in North Philadelphia, which would disrupt a historic African-American community. Weathers joined a group of clergy in a nonviolent march on campus to express their opposition to the new stadium, as well as meeting with leaders for the school and city to hold them accountable.
“Dr. Weathers became a prophetic voice for residents in North Philadelphia while raising opposition to Temple University leadership’s attempt to build a stadium that would cause the gentrification of a historic African-American community,” said Rev. Robert L. Johnson, senior pastor of Messiah United Methodist Church, Lafayette Hill, Pa., who has known Weathers for 20-plus years.
“He met persistently with various administrators, fought to ensure the voices of community members were heard, conducted community meetings and a nonviolent protest march to ensure the stadium was not built.”
Weathers was also involved in organizing faith leaders and communities for “Protect My Right to Breathe,” a nonviolent protest over the police killing of George Floyd in July 2020. The purpose of the march was to push for justice for George Floyd, oppose police brutality and protest the practice of “stop and frisk.” The one-mile march drew more than 100 attendees and culminated at the Philadelphia City Hall.
The Baptist pastor continued to organize people of faith in the public square with “Collars to the Polls,” a nonviolent march in
Nov. 2020 to oppose the disenfranchisement of minority voters and ensure all votes were counted in the contentious presidential election that year.
Weathers’ work has continued on the local level, organizing opposition to Pennsylvania State Bill 140, a law that opponents say undermines the authority of District Attorney Larry Krasner to prosecute crimes in the county, which they believe undermines the votes of the African-American population that elected him.
As the political action chair for the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Baptist State Convention, he has organized efforts for voter registration drives, developed strategies for responding to injustices and built relationships with congregations, elected leaders and community members.
In his work at the intersection of faith and the public square, Weathers has blended the prophetic, the pastoral and the political to help address longstanding injustices
in the community and work for positive change, something that is evident to those who know him well. “He has used his role as pastor to both spiritually lift and challenge communities of faith to be activists against racism and the systemic forms in which it manifests itself,” said Grace Martino-Suprice, CBF staff member and former coordinator of the Baptist Fellowship of the Northeast.
“Rev. Weathers’ service as a leader within our region and in CBF life as a church starter has demonstrated his remarkable ability to create an environment that values diversity, bridges differences and fosters collaboration,” she added.
In addition to his roles as pastor and organizer, Weathers also serves as an educator and theologian, teaching classes at the Center for Urban Theological Studies at Lancaster Bible College, Lancaster, Pa. Weathers says that embracing love is his guiding principle. He is the husband of Minister Benita Weathers and father to three children and a godson.
As Political Action Chair for the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Baptist Association, Weathers spearheaded the “Collars to Polls” movement in 2020, working to combat voting injustices.
For CBF’s 2024-2025 Prayers of the People, we invited leaders from across our Fellowship to reflect on the question: What is saving your life right now? As a result, this year’s guide is filled to the brim with stories of friendship and community, hard-won bits of spiritual wisdom, creative practice of prayer and rest and reflections on our experiences of looking for new life during dark and difficult times.
To view, download or order a printed copy of Prayers of the People, visit www.cbf.net/pray.
Pathlight
Mission & Ministry Themes for 2024-25
August 2024: Welcoming Each Other Scripture: Romans 15:7
September 2024: Working Together Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:8-9
October 2024: Sharing God’s Kingdom Scripture: Galatians 3:26-28
November 2024: Praying Scripture: Philippians 4:6
December 2024: Sharing God’s Love Scripture: James 2:14-17
January 2025: Changing the Cycle Scripture: Isaiah 61:1
February 2025: Encouragement Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11
March 2025: Signs of Hope Scripture: Isaiah 40:31
April 2025: Transformation Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-19
May 2025: Being Present Scripture: Romans 12:13
June 2025: Building Relationships Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
July 2025: Helping Refugees Scripture: Matthew 25:34-40
MISSION BITES
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
By Christine
As field personnel, we have the great gift to set aside time to debrief as we return for home assignment. Though our work is rewarding, and though I know I am in the place God has called me to be for this time, many of us live and work in challenging circumstances, often without many support structures. It’s just the nature of the work—beautiful and hard. I continue to be grateful for the ways CBF’s Member Care team prioritizes our well-being.
We all know the old airline adage to put your own oxygen mask on first before helping those around you. It’s true, you can’t pour from an empty cup. The opportunity to spend a week reflecting, processing and planning with a community of people who have all lived similar experiences serving in cross-cultural ministry was an invaluable gift. Space for rest and renewal, grieving, celebrating, sharing stories and putting new ideas in our pocket for the future. Thank you, CBF community, for caring for us so that we can, together, care for the world.
Christine is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel serving regionally across Africa and the Middle East where she provides trauma care to individuals who have experienced the violence of war and migration.
home in their communities through ESL classes. She’s organizing family outings to places like movies or restaurants, where they can practice using English in everyday situations.
MENTORING NEWCOMER FAMILIES
By Delores Stimpson
“The world opened up to me when I learned to read.” —Mary McCleod Bethune
It is a blessing and joy to begin a pilot as part of the ongoing Family Resilience Program. Our first focal point is reading, which includes reading aloud, listening and understanding. I am working with an excellent ESL instructor who is a middle school teacher in a local charter school. Our family sessions are in the family home, and we have planned a curriculum that will introduce the family to community resources, outings that will allow them to socialize within the surrounding community and develop stronger relationships with educators across the schools the children attend.
We started with an assessment of final school reports. English was identified as a priority gap. We will now incorporate reading across the household, including role plays in English that are led by parents. One older child shared that he practices his reading skills every night as he reads his Bible. The younger children are also attending a weekly book reading class at my church. They are interested in stories from around the world and love to read aloud to others. We have planned outings suggested from family input. They may have never been to a theatre to watch a movie. We will also have a meal at a local restaurant where the family will choose from a formal menu and not a drive-thru display, and we will introduce the local library resources to encourage continued reading.
Delores is helping foreign families feel more at
CBF field personnel Christine (right), pictured with Lindsi Hines, CBF’s Director of Member Care and Wellness. CBF’s Member Care and Wellness program offers retreats and is designed to care for the mental and emotional health and wellbeing of field personnel, Global Service Corps personnel and their families.
The instructor we are working with is inspired and asked for opportunities to engage her local ministry group to extend support to help newcomer families in other ways. In the comfort of the family home environment, it was truly inspiring to see the enthusiasm and excitement from all the children as they selected books they wanted to read.
God has given us an amazing opportunity to inspire the entire family to engage in other areas that felt uncomfortable because of the gap in reading and understanding.
Delores Stimpson is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel serving in Durham, N.C., through a resettlement program for refugees.
HALTED PLANS
By Eddie Aldape
This past April, Macarena returned to the United States to assist with her parents’ care. I had not reached home after dropping her off at the airport, when I received a call from our landlord. She started by saying how we were the best tenants ever and that all our neighbors loved us; but she then said that we had to vacate the apartment. Some of my plans came to a halt.
I made a detailed step-by-step packing plan which included meal prep. In my mind, this plan would take a couple of days. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I finished at midnight, the day before I was to fly to the U.S. as I had continued with most of the planned activities and packed once I got home. Although I planned my meals, time was not on my side.
One by one, the people and students we have been helping showed up with meals so that I could focus on packing. They also asked if they could help me pack, but in my mind, I could finish doing it in a couple of days. They also got together to find out what each one was going to cook so that I would not end up with the same dish every time. I think I ate better than ever before. I am not a teacher by profession, but in Albacete, I am better known as, “Mi Profesor.”
Eddie Aldape serves as a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel in Almería, Spain, among immigrant, refugee and student populations through Centro de Ezperanza (The Hope Center).
DANCE BRIDGING CULTURAL GAPS
By Jonathan Bailey
Ketut Arini came into my life 15 years ago, in 2009, when she choreographed a Balinese dance for a composition about Mary and Martha that I’d created for the church in Bali. Though she was Hindu, my love for her culture provided a bridge by which we could step into each other’s religious traditions. She told me back then that her uncle had trained her in a number of dances that he had created between 1920 and 1950 and she was the only one who remembered many of them. Her dream was that we could document those dances for future generations of Balinese dancers who might someday dance them.
Although we learned several of them and performed them often in the ensuing years, it wasn’t until this year that we made audio and visual documents of two of them. Our 25 musicians learned the music over the course of several weeks and Arini, now 80-years-old, coached the young dancers who would perform them. On May 19, we recorded. Arini was beside herself with excitement to see her dream coming true.
Jonathan Bailey is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel serving a network of artists and communities in the tiny southeast Asian island of Bali, Indonesia.
When Eddie was pressed for time while packing, the students he and his wife Macarena had been ministering to in Spain stepped in to help by bringing him fresh meals.
CBF field personnel Jonathan Bailey discovers faith through the music he creates, bridging religious divides in Indonesia. Hindu women even choreographed a Balinese dance to one of his compositions about Mary and Martha.
re:flections from the 2024 CBF General Assembly
“It was my first time going, and I cannot say enough. It gave us the opportunity to be present, and care for the little details was so considerate. For the amount of people that were all in that venue, I never felt like I was lost. I never felt anxious. I never felt like I didn’t fit in. After General Assembly, I shared my experience and pictures with everyone I knew.”
—Lori Atkins
Member,
United Church of Lincoln, Lincoln, Vt.
“The experience at the CBF General Assembly was greatly strengthening. Above all, it was a wonderful time in which we experienced the goodness and generosity of God, who was present at all times. Through each opportunity of praise and worship, as well as through the powerful messages of the ministers, it was an ‘eye-opener’ that encouraged me to discover new ways to do mission, while also enjoying time with God and with other ministry colleagues and the CBF family.
“I see CBF as a network of fellowship, resources and family at the same time, where it is possible to open ourselves to new perceptions and ideas, and also to new projects and ministry opportunities that will be supported.
“The theme of the assembly was very pertinent for this time and helped me to “re:imagine” the church from our reality to be effective in this time.”
—Susana Rivera Martínez Pastor, Iglesia Bautista de Villa Carolina, PR
“This was my fourth year at General Assembly, and it is turning into a family reunion of Baptists. Wherever you are, wherever you come from, whatever your position is on high-value topics, it’s just a nice reunion. I love seeing people who can come together and dwell in the same place.
“CBF is a place where equity matters. CBF is a place where racial justice matters. CBF is a place where stories that have been silenced are lifted up again.”
—DeVontae
Powell
Senior
Pastor, Vermont Christian Church D.O.C., Flint, Mich.
“The experience at the CBF General Assembly was a rewarding, harmonious experience filled with much learning. Knowing that we are heard makes us understand that we women in ministry are important and blessed.”
—Rev. Yasmín Irizarry Iglesia Bautista de Almacigo Yauco, Puerto Rico
“The General Assembly was a reminder of the beauty, the depth and the width of God’s work through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The Sheraton in Greensboro became a wonderful tapestry with people of different ages, ethnicities, languages and races worshiping together. The Pan African Koinonia service was a spirit-filled experience that challenged and inspired me. When I first attended CBF General Assemblies in the early 2000s, I felt the room was filled with white skin and gray hair. (By the way, I possess both of these physical attributes.) In 2024, I was pleased to look into rooms filled with so much more diversity, a broader range of ages and a wonderful chorus of languages blending in harmony.
“As not only a pastor, but also a parent, the CBF General Assembly has always been a gathering of my extended family of faith. Our four children, ranging in age from eight to 16, have literally grown up attending each of the General Assemblies. I am thankful each year, for the seeds being planted in their hearts and minds. As we left General Assembly this year, I asked, ‘How did it feel this year?’ One of my children responded, ‘It felt like coming home. I can’t wait until next year!’”
—Chris George Senior Pastor, Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Tucker, Ga.
“Having attended CBF General Assembly helped me to know CBF in a better way. This led me to make the decision to join CBF as an individual. At the same time, this experience has given me the discernment to guide the congregation that I pastor so that once they know the experience I have had and are guided, they can also decide to join and be dually affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
“I am extremely grateful for this unique and special opportunity and how today I have a bigger family and many more ministry tools and resources to thrive in my calling.”
—Hilda G. Acosta Rivera Pastor, Iglesia Bautista Corral Viejo, Ponce, Puerto Rico
“Attending my first General Assembly with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship was an enlightening and enriching experience. I was deeply impressed by the breadth and depth of the organization’s mission and initiatives. The sessions were informative and inspiring, providing me with a comprehensive understanding of CBF’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive community.
“One of the highlights for me was discovering CBF’s Latino network, Familia. It was heartening to see that CBF recognizes and celebrates the contributions of the Latino community within its broader mission. Familia’s presence and active participation underscored the organization’s dedication to inclusivity and representation. This initiative provides a platform for Latino voices and enriches the entire CBF community with diverse perspectives and experiences.
“I left the Assembly with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper connection to CBF’s values and goals. I am grateful for the opportunity.”
—Miguel Ashley Hernandez Urbaneja Associate Pastor, Parkway Baptist Church, Duluth, Ga.
(Left) Preaching from Exodus 14:10-22, the iconic story of the crossing of the Red Sea, Rev. Zina Jacque reflected on the origins of Juneteenth during Late Night Worship.
(Above) Kierre Bjorn Lindsay and April Brooks led the congregation in song during Late Night Worship with CBF’s Pan African Koinonia. (Right) Eugene Cho, CEO of Bread for the World, proclaiming during Thursday evening’s worship service, calling Cooperative Baptists to preach the radical, scandalous message of the Gospel and re:imagine the Lord’s Table. (Above middle) Ka’thy Gore Chappell and Carson Foushee called Cooperative Baptists to the Lord’s Table as attendees had the opportunity to participate in communion during Thursday evening worship.
(Top right) Christian McIvor led the Assembly in the theme song for the week together calling everyone to re:imagine a world of transformation where we are all called to co-creation and connection. (Below) Benji Suprice reminded the congregation of the verses guiding the Assembly worship experiences through a reading from Philippians.
(Below) 2023 National Teacher of the Year, Rebecka Peterson, shared with those gathered for the Encourager Church & Advocacy Breakfast focused on “Missional Advocacy: The Faith Community and its Role in Public Education.” (Bottom left and center) Learning Labs at the General Assembly provided opportunities to hear from faith leaders, engage in conversation, and dive into topics centered on 11 learning tracks and the theme of re:imagine.
During the Assembly, attendees had opportunities to connect with friends and partners from across the Fellowship in The Gathering Place during parties, receptions and down time.
(Above) At the Assembly, Cooperative Baptists celebrated the 75th anniversary of IBTS, whose leaders Enoh Seba and Mike Pears brought greetings during the business session.
(Right) During Thursday evening’s worship service, attendees reimagined ministries on small quilt squares which were then connected with the prayers and imaginings of others. (Far right) Juan Garcia took up the mantle of CBF moderator during the business session on Friday
During the Dr. Emmanuel McCall Racial Justice Trailblazer Luncheon, attendees had the opportunity to celebrate award winners (BSK Theological Seminary pictured above), hear from new PAK Field Coordinator Lynn Brinkley (pictured above center) and from Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson (right), who offered the keynote address.
(Left) Pepper Choplin composed a new anthem for the Assembly, Holy Imagination, and led in worship with a volunteer choir from across the Fellowship and around the world.
The Assembly is a time to hear from partners like Baptist Women in Ministry, bringing together nearly 600 Cooperative Baptists to celebrate women in ministry and gather around the topic of intersection of Christian nationalism and gender.
The Friday evening worship service featured a time of commissioning for newly-endorsed CBF chaplains and field personnel (pictured far left), a keynote address from Rev. Dr. Kristin Whitesides (left) and a blessing of field personnel who are beginning ministry in new places around the globe (below).
Assembly June 23-27, 2025
By Marv Knox
Rodríguez ministers in the middle of a mammoth migration path
WhenElket Rodríguez looks up to watch multitudes of birds fly over his head, he sees a metaphor for what is taking place all around him on the ground.
He lives in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, on the flight path of millions of birds migrating between North and South America. The Valley also sits on the path followed by thousands of human migrants from around the world who seek entrance into the United States.
Rodríguez ministers to those on-the-ground migrants. He’s a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel based in Harlingen, Texas, on the eastern border between the United States and Mexico. Recently, he’s taken on an additional assignment as CBF’s global migration advocate.
His background suits him perfectly to be the point person in one of the world’s busiest, most vibrant migrant mission fields.
He and his wife, Yesenia, are Puerto Rico natives who were displaced to the U.S. mainland in the wake of 2017’s Hurricane Maria. Although not technically migrants—Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory— they appreciate the cataclysmic change affiliated with uprooting family and relocating in a strange culture far from home.
He’s also an attorney with a background in family law and extensive insight into the complexities of the U.S. immigration system’s legal structure. He’s well-equipped to help migrants navigate the American asylum process.
And his heart overflows with compassion for vulnerable people. Almost as soon as he arrived on the mainland, Rodriguez helped an established West Texas congregation start a thriving Hispanic ministry. Now, he’s creating a community development ministry in the colonias, the impoverished unincorporated villages across the Valley.
“I am in community with migrants every day of my life in the Valley,” Rodríguez noted. “My neighbors are migrants. The people I go to church with are migrants. Asylum seekers—the people I do legal consults with—are migrants. Many immigration
In May 2024, CBF appointed Elket Rodríguez as the Global Migration Advocate for CBF Global Missions. He leads a multi-faceted ministry, serving communities and migrants across the vast U.S.-Mexico border region.
advocates I spend time with are migrants themselves.
“Migration is part of my life but it’s also part of my religious expression. Migrants are who I have been called to serve.”
Rodríguez lives in a great place to do that. Across two centuries, the Rio Grande Valley has been part of Mexico, the Republic of Texas and the United States. Population of the region is 95 percent Hispanic, “and we keep getting, on a daily basis, migrants coming to our border.”
Along with blending different races, the Valley also brings together individuals with varying legal statuses. “Go to church, especially a Hispanic church, and you have Customs and Border Protection personnel alongside undocumented immigrants,” he explained.
“We understand we are dealing with people. Those who live in border communities have been welcoming migrants even before there was a wall. So, brotherhood and sisterhood have existed in this region for decades and centuries.”
Today, migration in and through the Valley is part of a worldwide phenomenon, Rodríguez said, citing 281 million migrants globally, with 50.6 million in the United States. Around the world, 120 million migrants are classified as refugees, fleeing various kinds of persecution.
“Overwhelmingly, people feel forced to leave their countries in order to provide for their families and simply to keep on living,” he said. “Migrants are fleeing circumstances you and I would flee from. When you hear their stories, you would say, ‘I would’ve done the same thing, because the danger is too big.’”
Two types of migrants populate the Valley, he noted. First are migrants who have lived there five to 10 years or more and settled in more than 1,000 colonias, which are home to 200,000 people. “Colonias are underserved,” he said. “Local governments do not provide running water, electricity, trash and water services, or police.”
Average annual household income is $28,900.
Second are global migrants who seek U.S. asylum, he added. They face immediate needs, such as clothes and shoes, food and the first private restroom they may have seen in months.
At a respite center operated by West Brownsville Baptist Church, “women take their first bath alone after months of journey,” he said. “I have heard them crying and saying, ‘This is the first time I have gone to the bathroom without anyone watching me.’”
Although politicians and pundits offer conjecture or lies about migrants, Rodríguez cited five reasons for global migration and why desperate people seek U.S. asylum:
Pilar came to American nine years ago to escape persecution from the government in Venezuela. “Pilar’s testimony is a testimony of how you can use the circumstances against you and turn them into a blessing for others,” Rodríguez said.
• Climate change. “It’s affecting the livelihood of a lot of people who work in agriculture,” he said. For example, coffee crops in parts of Latin America have disappeared.
• Government corruption. “They don’t care about providing even for basic needs or to do their job of providing a safe place to thrive.”
• Organized crime. Particularly in countries with failed governments, criminal organizations—sometimes called gangs or cartels—take over the informal economy and daily lives of citizens. They threaten sons, who must join up or be killed, and daughters, who are raped.
• Poverty and financial collapse. Many countries in the Global South have struggled financially for generations. But Covid decimated economies and escalated suffering. “Migrants are seeking to move to countries that have more resources. It’s a matter of surviving, right?”
• Foreign aggression. Wars have fueled a massive violation of human rights. “You can understand why people are saying, ‘I’m coming to the U.S. because I’m trying to protect my family, and I can’t go back.’”
Swept up in a tsunami of suffering, migrants have decided the United States is the place they must go to ensure the safety, much less the vitality, of their families, Rodríguez said.
Acknowledging “the phenomenon of asylum differs depending on the country,” he noted many young men seek asylum when they refuse to join a criminal organization.
“Here is a young male, who is a churchgoer or has Christian values. He’s strong, intelligent, level-headed. He’s someone the criminal organization is interested in,” he explained. “Even if he finds
Through Migrant Journey, Pilar hosts virtual workshops, connects individuals with professionals, and provides accurate information to migrants nationwide. Her mission is to help migrants integrate into the United States and achieve stability.
work, it’s not sufficient to provide for his family. So, a gang leader tells him: ‘Come work for me. I can pay you this much.’
“The young man says he’s not interested—because he has values. He doesn’t want to kidnap people, rape women, kill someone or threaten his neighbors. So, the cartel member says, ‘You join, or I’ll kill you or your mom; I’ll rape your sister.’ Either he stays where he is and probably dies, or he leaves his country.”
Unfortunately, the U.S. does not necessarily consider refusing to join a criminal organization a reason for asylum. But the Christian young man who won’t join a cartel hears U.S. politicians who claim to be fellow Christians calling him a criminal.
Similar cases involve Central American women who migrate to flee rape, Cuban and Venezuelan Christians whose governments deny them the right to food, and other forms of distress and persecution, he said.
When migrants approach the U.S. border in the Valley, Rodríguez is there to help in three contexts. “I’m an immigration attorney by training and I have a pastoral approach to the work I do,” he said. “I could not just sit down and take on a case without having a personal connection with the migrant, understanding this is not just a legal need, but a spiritual need.”
Rodríguez’s first context is humanitarian aid. He collaborates with partners to “fill the gaps” of migrants’ needs. Others may provide staples like food and clothing; he procures beds, strollers and other necessities.
His second context is legal knowledge. “I help migrants file their asylum petitions and learn how to get information about their cases,” he explained. “I refer them to legal services and to churches, depending on where they are going.”
The third context is advocacy for reforming the broken immigration system, which in his expanded capacity covers not only the Valley but the globe. “I go to Washington and sit down with lawmakers and try to effect changes in our immigration policies that would result in common-sense solutions that not only serve the nation but also meet the humanitarian needs of migrants,” he said.
Rodríguez, a natural-born collaborator, ministers alongside myriad
partners. He works closely with Fellowship Southwest, who teamed up with CBF Advocacy to hire him as an immigration specialist from 2020 until 2022, when he became field personnel. One of his closest congregational partners for direct aid is West Brownsville Baptist Church. And he both supports and receives support from a host of ministry, nonprofit and advocacy groups that serve on the border.
He particularly leans into advocacy to try to fix “an immigration system that has not been reformed for over 30 years,” he said. “The needs of the world—and the United States—have changed. But available resources are not enough to meet the migrants who are arriving, and we do not provide more legal pathways for migrants to come to the United States,” even when both nation and migrants would benefit.
Immigration reform failed because the system is broken by design, he said. “Politicians campaign making promises about how they’re going to find solutions to the problem that they actually do not find a solution to. It remains broken because they profit from the brokenness.”
“We’re burning the wings of the future of our nation,” he added. A reformed immigration system would provide new residents who
Yosenderi, a Venezuelan migrant who arrived in the U.S. with her husband and daughter in 2023, has taken on the role of leader and organizer for the volunteers of Ministerio Golan, supporting asylum seekers in Texas.
could add youth to the aging populace, provide productivity to address inflation, supply labor to compete globally and add vitality to struggling churches, he insisted.
Rodríguez cited a strong spiritual opportunity tied to migration.
“White churches are dying across the United States, yet migrants are coming, and the majority are Christians,” he said. “God is sending us the nations. God is doing something new with migrants who are coming to the United States. They’re going to enrich our faith.”
Rodríguez is grateful CBF’s Offering for Global Missions enables him to stay on the border to make a difference in migrants’ lives. “Long-term presence is essential for the work I do,” he said. “I have the freedom to build deeper relationships, to do deeper work, not just with migrants, but with partners on the border.”
Migrants and partners reciprocate those feelings.
“If we could clone Elket, we could make a greater impact for the migrants and also help churches understand their role,” said Pilar Castrillo, who fled persecution in Venezuela nine years ago and now runs a ministry, called Migrant Journey, in Florida.
“Elket has impacted my life; he has impacted my ministry,” she said, explaining he provided not only clear information about the asylum process, but also compassionate understanding of her situation.
Iván Pérez, who immigrated from Mexico in 2017 and volunteers at West Brownsville Baptist Church’s respite shelter, credits Rodríguez with supporting him with both legal advice and spiritual counsel.
“Without the Offering for Global Missions, there would not be migrants who would feel welcomed. God is doing something new with those who are coming.”
“I feel motivated to continue,” he said, grateful for Rodríguez. “I have to continue trusting in God and believing everything will fall into place.”
Stephen Reeves, executive director of Fellowship Southwest, noted “few folks are as versatile as Elket.”
“Since March of 2020, Elket has been a vital member of both the CBF and Fellowship Southwest teams,” Reeves said. “He is a utility infielder—filling multiple positions with excellence, from preaching and teaching at a church on Sunday morning, to advocating for just public policy in Washington, to helping migrants make a case for asylum.
“Few policy experts are as close to those impacted by laws and administrative decisions as Elket. That makes him a powerful advocate and a respected coalition member. And with so many field personnel serving in migrant and refugee communities, Elket is in an excellent position to help their ministries fuel powerful advocacy efforts.
“Also, Elket’s sense of humor endears him to the numerous pastors he works with along the border,” Reeves added. “Laughter often provides a needed dose of levity for those in the midst of so much trauma.”
Rodríguez acknowledged the future of migration is murky, for various political, economic and international reasons. But he expressed confidence he will continue to have plenty of ministry to do: “People are not going to stop coming.”
GABRIEL’S STORY
By Grayson Hester
IFVenezuela makes international headlines, it’s rarely for good news.
The current iteration of the South American country’s long-roiling political troubles finds incumbent president Nicolás Maduro claiming victory, mere weeks ago, in an election he demonstrably and overwhelmingly lost.
Yet, Maduro clings to power all the same. And many of the country’s people, once again, protest in the streets, valuing more highly their fight for survival than their fear of reprisal.
Others just leave. So untenable they find the situation, so faint the hope of living, that their only viable option is to seek life elsewhere. And in so doing, they join the nearly eight million other Venezuelans who live abroad, amounting roughly to a quarter of the country’s total population. Gabriel is one of those eight million.
Not all Venezuelan migrants flee to the United States; Gabriel, however, braved the
seven-country journey through jungle and river and xenophobia and grief to make it to the border with Texas.
It’s a stark choice. Either you risk death on the path to something unfamiliar or you all but guarantee it in the mire of what you’ve always known. Gabriel chose the risk.
“The situation with the government was fatal,” Gabriel said. “The education opportunity was terrible, and the jobs did not pay well—a salary was $20 a month.”
Gabriel began his journey in January; at that time, one U.S. dollar equaled about 36 Venezuelan bolivar. That meant for him, his wife, and his two sons, he made 720 bolivars monthly, a paltry sum reflective of more than a decade of government mismanagement and economic stagnation.
Pairing that with political repression, persecutions and escalating imprisonments, life for Gabriel and his family had not only become unworkable—it had become mortally unsafe.
“If I had enough to eat, my children didn’t have enough to eat. I did not have enough for my children,” he said.
So, Gabriel and a dear cousin and childhood friend decided to leave. They set out on a well-trod and infamously lethal path through Colombia to the U.S.-Mexico border, motivated solely by love of family and the faith that they would find something better.
It’s not a choice anyone wants to make. It’s a choice so stark as to practically be made for them, legislated by corrupt powers and enforced by fraying social contracts.
Those who choose the journey are well aware of the threats awaiting them, particularly in the Darien Gap, a stretch of infamously dangerous jungle straddling Colombia and Panama. But, when motivated by the border-breaking, world-upending love of laying down one’s life for their friends—it is a journey walked truly by faith, not by sight.
Or, as Gabriel put it: “What motivates one to emigrate to another country is simply his children, his family, to look for something better for them.”
This love casts out fear. In the face of scheming traffickers and rushing rivers, brutal natural conditions and bigoted social conditioning, love for family is the only response that keeps Gabriel and millions of others like him going. Otherwise, the fear would be too much.
“I think Gabriel’s understanding that this terrible incident that happened to him is an opportunity that God is giving him to share strength and hope with others. He continues to face his fear and continues to put his faith in God, even when at some point in his life, he thought he had lost everything,” Rodríguez said.
But that is not to say it is easy. Far from it. Even though Gabriel and his companions did eventually make it to Brownsville, Texas, after months of agonizing travel, this milestone represented not so much an end to their hardship, but the beginning of a gruesome new permutation.
Not long after entering the United States—after circumnavigating seven borders and thousands of miles and untold obstacles—a driver crashed into a crowd of people seeking shelter, killing Gabriel’s childhood friend. And not only did Gabriel lose a beloved friend—he lost one of his legs.
This was how the country symbolized by the Statue of Liberty, mythologized by the American Dream, in this case welcomed these “tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Nearly immediately upon Gabriel’s entering, this nation, with so much to give, took nearly everything.
This irony, even months later, is not lost on Gabriel. “There are days when it hits me because this is not what I wanted,” he said.
But, as has so often been the case throughout history, where the nations stumble, the Kingdom of Heaven steps in. Despite having been abandoned at home and assaulted abroad, Gabriel and his cousin were not, in the end, alone.
Elket Rodríguez is a legal advocate for migrant populations along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas and a Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship field personnel. He knows the stories of immigrants. Once he and Gabriel found each other, he went about the work of connecting Gabriel to the resources he needed to reunite with his family.
One such resource, perhaps the most inexhaustible of all, was accompaniment.
“I think he’s understanding that this terrible incident is an opportunity that God is giving him to share strength and hope with others,” Rodríguez said.
Rodríguez did not mention this to dismiss the very real trauma Gabriel underwent and the continuing isolation and displacement he feels in a brand-new, and oftentimes inhospitable, land. But, instead, to recognize Gabriel’s resiliency, hope, faith and quest for meaning amidst his grief, confusion and suffering.
Gabriel’s journey underscores what Jesus himself and all the itinerant followers who came after him have long known: The meat of the Gospel, the very substance of salvation, is the redemption of state-sanctioned violence. It is the refusal to give the powers and principalities the final say. It is the stubborn hope in—and the otherworldly wherewithal to create something better.
And with the help of Rodríguez, CBF, Fellowship Southwest, Catholic Charities, Texas Civil Rights Project and networks of migrant-focused organizations, something
better is coming into view. That redemption is slowly being made manifest.
“Gabriel continues to face his fears and continues to put his faith in God, even when at some point in his life he thought he had lost everything,” Rodríguez said.
Gabriel’s faith was not unfounded, and it did not go without reward. Not long ago, his wife and two sons were able—aided by Rodríguez and CBF—to relocate to the United States and start a new life together. Far from erasing what Gabriel went through, it substantiates the fierceness of his faith and the inexhaustibility of his love.
“God never abandoned me at that moment, in that tragedy. Even when I felt I was going to die, God was always there with me,” he said. “If I trust in God, I know that many blessings will come to me.”
Right now, at this beautiful stage of his journey, the blessings look like a family reunited, a vision of a hoped-for future and a life reignited. It looks like, in short, the Kingdom of Heaven, which belongs to those persecuted solely for the rightness of loving their families and their futures. God stands on their side, promising them life and life abundant.
It is a promise Gabriel is uniquely wellpositioned to receive. “I want to prosper for my children, to give them a better future.”
LA HISTORIA DE GABRIEL
Por Grayson Hester
SIVenezuela aparece en los titulares internacionales, rara vez es por buenas noticias.
El constante machacar de los problemas políticos de larga data del país sudamericano encuentra al presidente en ejercicio Nicolás Maduro reclamando la victoria, hace apenas unas semanas, en unas elecciones que perdió de forma demostrable y abrumadora.
Sin embargo, Maduro sigue aferrado al poder. Y muchos de los habitantes del país, una vez más, protestan en las calles, valorando más su lucha por la supervivencia que el miedo a las represalias.
Otros simplemente se van. Tan insostenible les parece la situación, tan escaza la esperanza de sobrevivir, que su única opción viable es buscarse la vida en otra parte. Y al hacerlo, se unen a los casi ocho millones de venezolanos que viven en el extranjero, lo que equivale aproximadamente a una cuarta parte de la población total del país. Gabriel es uno de esos ocho millones. No todos los migrantes venezolanos huyen a Estados Unidos; Gabriel, sin embargo,
desafió el viaje de siete países a través de la selva y el río, la xenofobia y el dolor para llegar a la frontera con Texas.
Es una elección difícil. O te arriesgas a morir en el camino hacia algo desconocido o igual vas a vivir en la incertidumbre del lodazal que ya te es familiar. Gabriel eligió el riesgo.
“La situación con el gobierno era fatal”, dijo Gabriel. “Las oportunidades de educación eran terribles y los trabajos no estaban bien pagados: un salario de 20 dólares al mes”. Gabriel comenzó su Jornada en enero; en aquella época, un dólar estadounidense equivalía a unos 36 bolívares venezolanos. Eso significaba que él, su mujer y sus dos hijos ganaban 720 bolívares al mes, una mísera suma que reflejaba más de una década de mala gestión gubernamental y estancamiento económico.
Junto con la represión política, las persecuciones y la escalada de encarcelamientos, la vida de Gabriel y su familia no sólo se había vuelto inviable, sino mortalmente insegura.
“Si yo tenía para comer, mis hijos no tenían para comer. No tenía suficiente para mis ellos”, dijo.
Así que Gabriel y un querido primo y amigo de la infancia decidieron marcharse. Emprendieron un camino trillado e infamemente letal a través de Colombia hasta la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México, motivados únicamente por el amor a la familia y la fe en que encontrarían algo mejor.
No es una elección que nadie quiera hacer. Es una elección tan dura que prácticamente se hace por ellos, regida por poderes corruptos e impuesta por frágiles contratos sociales.
Quienes eligen la jornada son muy conscientes de las amenazas que les aguardan, especialmente en el Tapón del Darién, un tramo de selva infamemente peligroso entre Colombia y Panamá. Sin embargo, cuando los motiva el amor que rompe fronteras y cambia el mundo al dar la vida por sus amigos, se trata de un viaje que se recorre realmente por fe, no por la vista.
O, como dijo Gabriel: “Lo que motiva a uno a emigrar a otro país es simplemente sus hijos, su familia, buscar algo mejor para ellos”. Este amor echa fuera el temor. Frente a intrigantes traficantes, ríos caudalosos, condiciones naturales brutales y acuerdos intolerantes, el amor a la familia es la única respuesta que mantiene en pie a Gabriel y a millones de personas como él. De lo contrario, el miedo sería demasiado.
“Creo que está comprendiendo que este terrible incidente que le ocurrió es una oportunidad que Dios le está dando para compartir fuerza y esperanza con los demás. Sigue enfrentándose a su miedo y sigue poniendo su fe en Dios, incluso cuando en algún momento de su vida pensó que lo había perdido todo”, dijo Rodríguez.
Vea un vídeo sobre Gabriel en www.cbf.net/ogm
Pero eso no quiere decir que sea fácil. Ni mucho menos. Aunque Gabriel y sus compañeros acabaron llegando a Brownsville, Texas, tras meses de angustioso viaje, este hito no representó tanto el final de sus penurias como el comienzo de una nueva y espantosa experiencia.
Poco después de entrar en Estados Unidos -después de circunnavegar siete fronteras y recorrer miles de kilómetros e innumerables obstáculos-, un conductor chocó contra una multitud de personas que buscaban refugio y mató al amigo de la infancia de Gabriel. Gabriel no sólo perdió a su querido amigo, sino también una de sus piernas.
Así fue como el país simbolizado por la Estatua de la Libertad, mitificado por el Sueño Americano, acogió en este caso a estas “masas cansadas, pobres y apiñadas que anhelaban respirar libres”. Casi inmediatamente después de la entrada de Gabriel, esta nación, con tanto que dar, le quitó casi todo.
Esta ironía, incluso meses después, no pasa desapercibida para Gabriel. “Hay días en los que me doy cuenta de que esto no es lo que yo quería”, dice.
Pero, como ha ocurrido tantas veces a lo largo de la historia, donde las naciones tropiezan, interviene el Reino de los Cielos. A pesar de haber sido abandonados en casa y agredidos en el extranjero, Gabriel y su prima no estaban, al final, solos.
Elket Rodríguez es un defensor legal de las poblaciones migrantes a lo largo de la frontera entre EE.UU. y México en Texas y Personal de Campo del CBF. Conoce las historias de los inmigrantes. Y una vez que él y Gabriel se encontraron, se dedicó a conectar a Gabriel con los recursos que necesitaba para reunirse con su familia.
Uno de esos recursos, quizá el más inagotable de todos, era el acompañamiento.
“Creo que está comprendiendo que este terrible incidente es también una oportunidad que Dios le está dando para compartir fuerza y esperanza con los demás”, dijo Rodríguez.
Rodríguez no menciona esto para ignorar el trauma real que sufrió Gabriel y el continuo aislamiento y desplazamiento que siente en una tierra nueva y a menudo inhóspita. Sino para reconocer la resiliencia, la esperanza, la fe y la búsqueda de sentido de Gabriel en medio de su dolor, confusión y sufrimiento.
La historia de Gabriel subraya lo que el propio Jesús y todos los seguidores itinerantes que vinieron después de él sabían desde hace mucho tiempo: lo real del Evangelio, la sustancia misma de la salvación, es la redención de la violencia sancionada por el Estado. Es la negativa a dar a los poderes y principados la última palabra. Es la esperanza obstinada en -y los medios de otro mundo para- crear algo mejor.
Y con la ayuda de Rodríguez, CBF, Fellowship Southwest, Caridades Católicas, Texas Civil Rights Project y redes de
organizaciones centradas en los migrantes, algo mejor se está vislumbrando. Esa redención se está manifestando poco a poco.
“Gabriel sigue enfrentándose a sus miedos y sigue poniendo su fe en Dios, incluso cuando en algún momento de su vida pensó que lo había perdido todo”, dijo Rodríguez.
La fe de Gabriel no era infundada, y no quedó sin recompensa. No hace mucho, su mujer y sus dos hijos pudieron—con la ayuda de Rodríguez y de CBF—trasladarse a Estados Unidos y empezar una nueva vida juntos. Lejos de borrar lo que Gabriel pasó, corrobora lo audaz de su fe y lo inmenso de su amor.
“Dios nunca me abandonó en ese momento, en esa tragedia. Incluso cuando sentí que iba a morir, Dios siempre estuvo a mi lado”, dijo. “Si confío en Dios, sé que me llegarán muchas bendiciones”.
Y ahora mismo, en esta hermosa etapa de su camino, las bendiciones parecen una familia reunida, la visión de un futuro esperado y una vida renacida. Se parece, en definitiva, al Reino de los Cielos, que pertenece a los perseguidos únicamente por la rectitud de amar a sus familias y su futuro. Dios está de su parte, prometiéndoles vida y vida en abundancia.
Y es una promesa que Gabriel está en condiciones únicas de recibir. “Quiero prosperar para mis hijos, darles un futuro mejor”.
CBF MISSIONS COUNCIL AWARDS ARDMORE BAPTIST CHURCH THE GLOBAL CHURCH
MISSION EXCELLENCE AWARD
Being an Encourager Church gave Ardmore Baptist a unique perspective into the challenges that refugees and immigrants face, spurring the church to address the needs of immigrants in its own community.
By Kristen Thomason
When it came to global missions, the question for Ardmore Baptist Church (ABC) in Winston-Salem, N.C., was not whether to become involved in mission work, but how?
“ABC has a strong missional calling and has for many years,” said Amy Gallaher, minister of missional engagement at Ardmore Baptist. Growing up as a CBF “missionary kid” herself, Gallaher knows the important role churches play in God’s mission and what they can learn from other Christians around the world. She helped the congregation at ABC discover these truths for themselves as they explored their missions calling.
“Before the pandemic, our church was at a crossroads of trying to discern the path of global outreach that God would have us to follow. As we researched, prayed and discussed the possibilities, we were drawn to the Encourager Church initiative because of its emphasis on relationship,” Gallaher said. CBF Encourager Churches partner with field personnel around the world, providing support financially, administratively, in prayer and with short-term missions engagement. “The Encourager Church initiative has ensured for us that missions is a two-way street of learning from one another, growing in faith and building the Kingdom of God.”
ABC chose to join CBF field personnel Janée Angel and her Syrian husband Hary Khano as they minister to the Arabic-speaking community in Antwerp, Belgium. “Coming alongside Janée and Hary as they minister to refugees and immigrants in Belgium has affirmed a renewed, energizing and intergenerational missions outlet for our church.” Twice a year ABC sends mission teams to Antwerp to do outreach to Arabic women and children who traditionally don’t receive faith instruction and discipleship training. Between visits, they receive regular updates and prayer requests from those to whom they have ministered in Belgium.
Their participation in the Encourager Church initiative has not only made a difference in the lives of the Arabic community in Antwerp, but has also impacted ABC’s ministry in Winston-Salem. “This relationship gave us a unique perspective into what life is like for a refugee/immigrant,” said Gallaher. “It helped us to realize that those needs exist in our very own community here in WinstonSalem.” After consulting with CBF personnel Kim and Marc Wyatt, ABC converted a neighborhood house owned by the church into a Welcome House for refugees.”
“It felt like God had and was continuing to equip us to do the ministry of welcome in our own backyard. We partnered with World Relief to create a relationship of accountability for bringing in refugee families. They took care of the governmental check list while we welcomed and loved them.” Families screened by World Relief can stay at the Ardmore Welcome House for a few days or a few months. During that time, members of ABC help them navigate the logistics of Winston-Salem and traditions of American holidays. They also share meals, arrange playdates and clean the house between guests. Janée and Hary were so inspired by the Welcome House in Winston-Salem that they created one for refugees in Belgium.
For its willingness to embrace refugees in its own community and across the globe, the Missions Council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship awarded Ardmore Baptist Church the Global Church Mission Excellence Award. “I would encourage every church to discern their role in growing the Global Church,” said Gallaher. “Find the right fit for what your church feels called to do and gravitate towards mission opportunities that will use your strengths and harness your passions to make bold steps in the Global Church.”
to Belgium to host children’s summer camps, women’s encouragement weeks and prayer retreats.
They also collaborate with
churches, schools and food distribution centers to share God’s love in Winston-Salem.
Ardmore Baptist turned a home into a Welcome House, the J.L. Wilson Guest House, providing short-term housing for immigrants.
Ardmore Baptist Church partners as an Encourager Church with CBF field personnel Janée Angel. Through this collaboration, members have traveled
When the church asked Holly Hatton to take a year off from her job as a preschool teacher to serve as the interim children and youth ministry coordinator, she felt it was the perfect time for the change.
“Holly grew up here, and we knew from the time that she was a kid, she is one of the kindest, most empathetic people that I have ever met,” said FBC Memphis deacon Mike Ward.
First Baptist Memphis & Holly Hatton illustrate
how to be
‘Called in Context’
By Marv Knox
When“HOLLY IS A BRIGHT LIGHT WHOSE PRESENCE AND GIFTS FOR MINISTRY LEAD US INTO RICHER LIFE WITH GOD. IT’S NO WONDER THE CONGREGATION SAW HER AND CALLED HER OUT TO LEAD THEM IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY.”
First Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., faced a staffing crisis, it turned to one of its own, Holly Hatton, to provide one year of ministry to children and youth.
That move answered the prayers of both First Baptist and Hatton. And it worked out so well, the church hired her full-time, ordained her to the ministry and promoted her.
It also illustrated how other churches should think about tapping their own members to fill vacancies, according to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship leaders heading up a new church-staffing initiative, Called in Context.
“I grew up here,” Hatton said of First Memphis, where her father, Ray Hatton, served as minister of music for 35 years. “We were a large congregation in the 1970s, ’80s and early ’90s, when we split and became much smaller. Our mission is to be a midtown congregation that practices the core values of hospitality, dialogue, community and service.”
Whether it was large or small, First Baptist Church consistently played a huge role in her life, Hatton recalled.
“I have always loved church, and I’ve been good at church,” she said. “If the doors were open, I was here. My hand went up any time somebody asked for a volunteer. I worked with children and youth, sang in the choir, baked, served on committees. And in 2016, I
was ordained as a deacon. So, this place has really been my life.”
Meanwhile, Hatton taught preschool for 15 years and loved it; but she started experiencing burnout. In fact, she told her husband, James Aycock, she was thinking about making a career change.
“And then in 2018, all our ministerial staff resigned within a couple of months,” she said. “The personnel committee came to me and asked if I’d be willing to give up a year of teaching to work with youth and children. It was perfect timing, because I had been wanting to change. I didn’t even have to think about the answer: ‘Yes, I love this place, and I want to serve.’”
The personnel committee approached her “because they wanted stability; they wanted somebody the families knew,” Hatton reflected.
The pairing produced a win-win situation, she added. “It was good for the congregation, because they knew me, and they had stability. And it was good for me, because I felt like, even if make mistakes, these people love me, and it’ll be OK. It ended up being one of the most joyful years of my life.”
It also proved productive for First Baptist. “After a year in the interim position, the
church voted to keep me on staff full-time,” she reported. “Then, after another year of discernment, our personnel committee came to me again and asked, ‘Are you interested in ordination?’
“I had a little bit of a meltdown, just because this was not the typical path to ministry that I’d seen, and I really struggled with feeling unworthy. It took a year to work through that question and see it as a gift. And so, I became the minister to children and youth.”
A couple of years after Hatton joined the staff, First Baptist called Kathryn Kimmel to be senior pastor, who recommended the next step. The church named Hatton as associate pastor, to recognize the broader scope of her ministry within the congregation.
The recognition and promotion were well-deserved, Kimmel affirmed.
“Holly is a bright light whose presence and gifts for ministry lead us into richer life with God,” she said. “It’s no wonder the congregation saw her and called her out to lead them in an official capacity.”
Reflecting her desire to strengthen her ministry and others’ desire to provide support, Hatton participates in two external resources. She’s working online to earn a Master of Divinity degree from BSK Theological Seminary (formerly Baptist Seminary of Kentucky). She’s also participating in CBF Fellows, the Fellowship’s
Hatton was ordained in May 2021. “I just never felt I was special enough or gifted enough to do it. It took the congregation saying, ‘But you are.’”
two-year educational and encouragement program for ministers serving their first congregations.
Together, the formal structure of seminary training, the relational networking of Fellows and the response of First Baptist members have confirmed: Hatton belongs in ministry.
When the congregation wanted to ordain her and she questioned if she was worthy, she received “precious” feedback from fellow members. “They always came back to me with ‘We see you, and we think you are worthy, and your gifts lie here, and we’ve experienced your pastoring us for the last two years,’” she recounted. “It took a little while longer for me to see my love of church had always been a calling. I just never felt I was special enough or gifted enough to do it. And it took the congregation saying, ‘But you are.’”
While Hatton and First Baptist Memphis are unique, their experience provides a template for other churches and lay members who might rise up to serve as clergy, noted Brian Foreman, CBF’s coordinator of congregational ministries, and Colin Kroll, its young adults ministry manager.
They have developed Called in Context as part of a larger endeavor to strengthen churches in the area of Christian education, particularly focused on ministries with youth and children. Called in Context specifically is designed to help churches identify ministry resources within their membership and to help laity see their opportunities for ministry.
“We’re trying to create a culture of calling in our congregations,” Foreman noted. “Our goal is to stimulate conversations in churches about how the resources to fill ministry positions already may be in your church or community.”
She was known for being at church if the doors were open, always willing to volunteer and help in any way she could
That’s because “the old great model” for filling church ministry vacancies no longer works, he said. That model focused on tapping into a steady stream of clergy: They trained for ministry in seminary or divinity school, went on to serve congregations, and then became prospective candidates who were available to be “called” or hired by other churches when pastor or staff positions opened.
“Those folks are harder and harder to find,” Foreman acknowledged. “But just maybe the people who can meet your church’s needs are right under your nose, and you don’t see them.”
Called in Context highlights “the ways we are recognizing and finding good leadership in our faith communities are changing,” Kroll added. “There is a possibility of seeing that trend and experiencing fear and feelings of scarcity, that we’re not producing church leaders.
Hatton grew up in First Baptist Memphis, where her father, Ray Hatton, served as minister of music for 35 years.
“But we believe in faithfulness. God is calling people within our communities of faith. A minister like Holly demonstrates this. She already had gifts and loved the people in her community, and she has been invited into leadership in a ‘new’ way.”
Called in Context’s “culture of calling” must be part of a broad conversation about both heeding God’s nudge into ministry and staffing congregations, he said. It may focus on changing careers and entering full-time ministry, as Hatton did. But it also may involve maintaining a secular job while taking up bivocational ministry.
“Thinking this way could lead to helping churches that cannot support a minister the way they used to because of financial reasons,” he explained. “It also could address the needs of congregations that may find it difficult to invite clergy to move into their communities because they are rural or underserved. In both cases, we believe
churches have ready-rich members who just need an invitation that calls them into ministry.”
Beyond identifying opportunities for vocational ministry, Called in Context also can help lay members understand how their vocations or places in their communities provide ample opportunity to minister to others, he said.
“We recognize the work of God in the world is not specific to our ministries and clergy. It is accomplished through a lot of people in a lot of fields. Called in Context will help our people pursue or remain in careers that impact the world. It will provide resources to help them recognize what it means to be called into those spaces and live intentionally.”
Although Hatton’s calling to ministry preceded the launch of Called in Context, she affirms the deep gladness that grows from being called to serve a church she has adored
and which has been her spiritual home for decades.
“One of the things that’s brought me great joy has been making this place that I love proud. I desperately want to do a good job for these people that I love,” she said. “It’s brought me great joy to work hard for these people and for this place. I’ve absolutely loved visiting with people and eating with people and serving people in this capacity.
“There’s a bit of a difference between a layperson and a pastor, I have noticed. And that transition hasn’t always been easy. But I love being able to sit with people, play with the kids, and plan and lead worship. It’s been challenging and fulfilling work, and I’ve learned a lot in the past five years.
“There’s something really special about this church, and I’m really, really happy to be here.”
Interested in CBF’s Callings Initiative? Contact Brian Foreman at bforeman@cbf.net.
Since stepping in as interim in 2018, after FBC Memphis saw all their ministerial staff resign within a few months, Holly has flourished.
“She definitely has a heart for ministry and missions,” said Deacon Ward.
Holly is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity online from BSK Theological Seminary. “One of the greatest joys in this role has been making this place I love proud,” she shared.
