General Assembly of the CBF

The General Assembly of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) will be held June 21-24 at the Georgia World Congress Center in hot Atlanta, Georgia (where I live!).

I've included a handful of notable events (hopefully I will be able to attend ALL)...

1. HIV/AIDS Summit: David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, will speak during the plenary session of the Summit on Wednesday the 21st. In case you're not familiar with Beckmann or his organization, Bread for the World "is a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying United States policy makers."

2. 8 Simples Rules for Responding to CBF Critics: This workshop is being hosted by Ben McDade and Lance Wallace. Recently, I read that Frank Page was being accused of being a CBF-sympathizer. What a hoot. Fundamentalists will continue to smear and dirty up those three letters C-B-F. They don't stop. They can't stop.

3. Doing Theology With Country Music: Can I get an Ew and a Yuck?

4. The Baptist World Alliance in the 21st Century: The Southern Baptist Convention may have abandoned the BWA - but the CBF did not! Eh.

5. Strategies for Congregational Commitment to Church-State Separation: Surely one can't afford to miss the Baptist Joint Committee at work! I'll be attending just to hear James Dunn utter the words neo-pharassical fundamentalists.

6. The Future of Baptist Higher Education: A Response to the St. Amant Lecture by R. Kirby Godsey (William H. Whitsitt Baptist Heritage Society). Panelists for this event include Bill Brackney, Bill Hull, and Nina Pollard. My Dad is the Editor and the President of Whitsitt is my doubles partner. Which might I add that we have yet to be defeated.

7. Beer, Candles, and Kierkegaard: CBF and the Emergent Conversation: Woo Hoo. I like McLaren, Candles, and TallSkinnyKiwi. Guess I'll attend.

8. Captive to Conscience: Congregational Foundations of Baptist Dissent: At this breakout session, Bill Leonard, Dean of Wake Divinity and renowned Baptist Historian, will "explore early Baptist responses to dissent for 'conscience's sake' as grounded in the idea of a believer's church." Perhaps Dr. Leonard will shed some light on the true definition of "dissent" - not this watered-down wimpy version of dissent as advocated by the Memphis Declaration and SBCOutpost type folks. The Southern Baptist Convention may have a fresh face serving as their President. In fact, Frank Page baptized and mentored one of my closest friends while at Warren. But like Patterson and Pressler - Frank Page, Wade Burleson and these other "Young Leaders" remain committed to the exclusion of Women from the Ministry.

New faces. Same old story. Fundamentalism.