STORIES OF HOPE

Last fall and winter Mid-Atlantic CBF was excited to offer Clergy Sessions with The Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque. Dr. Jacque created a safe and brave space for clergy to think through what it means to minister in our current climate. Dr. Jacque titled the Sessions What It Takes to be IN The World Today. We invite you to revisit the Sessions with the links below.

As we ebb and flow in a sea of uncertainty, churches can serve as harbors of hope for an anxious world. Churches don’t have to provide concrete answers and trumped-up optimism. They just need to be stable, safe places where people can wrestle with the questions of the day and deal with the world as it really is, while latching onto something beyond themselves that is timeless, true, and never dies.

What does it mean for the church to be faithful in this new day and changed reality where we find ourselves? In the second quarter of the 21st century, we cannot measure our success the same way we did 5 to 7 years ago. Society has shifted. The way we live our lives and engage in church has dramatically changed. What does success look like in the Church today? What does it mean for a community of faith to be faithful?

Once again, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s General Assembly was moving, meaningful and full of fellowship. The theme of the Bold Type came through in every aspect of the gathering.

We were thrilled to have Paul Baxley, the Executive Coordinator of The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship with us in the Mid-Atlantic. Paul preached at Westwood Baptist Church on May 31 and joined us for lunch on June 1.

A Coordinating Council will exercise governance of MACBF, develop needed policies, develop mission strategies and collaborate at national and global levels of CBF. The Council shall have six to twelve members who agree to serve three-year terms and are eligible to serve successive terms. Council members will be selected by a Nominating Committee from the Council and will be presented to the Coordinating Council for approval. In making nominations to the Council, attention wil

What memories does summer renew for you? As the warm air finally arrives and we move into June, my mind carries me back to summer church trips to various places around our country and sometimes the world. As I type this, I realize I have been going on summer church trips for over 40 years. Wow! What do you remember about your church and the summer? Have you been on any meaningful trips with your church?

What memories does summer renew for you? As the warm air finally arrives and we move into June, my mind carries me back to summer church trips to various places around our country and sometimes the world. As I type this, I realize I have been going on summer church trips for over 40 years. Wow! What do you remember about your church and the summer? Have you been on any meaningful trips with your church?

Mid-Atlantic CBF is proud to announce that five grants have been awarded so far this year. These investments in our community are made possible through our Revitalization Fund (four grants) and the Bill George and Patricia Bolinger Mission Fund (one grant).

Highlights from the 2026 Mid-Atlantic CBF Annual Gathering

The theme of this year’s annual meeting is “rooted in grace, growing in faith,” and is drawn from Ephesians 3:16-21.

The ground was covered in snow, but we still had a wonderful retreat at Hallowood retreat center in Maryland. Rev. Dr. Carita Brown did a fantastic job leading us in the Art of Rest.

Just before Christmas 2025, the CBF Advocacy Team led by Rev. Jennifer Hawks informed those of us who participated in an advocacy trip to Oak Flat, Arizona about an advocacy opportunity planned by the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL). Four slots were reserved by FCNL for those associated with CBF Advocacy. I was one of the four selected to participate in the advocacy with FCNL. Other participants included two survivors of Indian Boarding Schools.

Mid-Atlantic CBF Offers a Missions Grant and a Church Revitalization Grant. BG&PB Missions Grant MACBF is accepting applications for The Bill George and Patricia Bolinger Mission Fund Grant. The grant, which is awarded each year at the annual meeting, helps churches who are seeking to engage in new mission endeavors. Grants are based on three criteria: 1. Active participation with MACBF 2. Mission focus and desire to share the Gospel in a new way. 3. Need of the congre

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) Advocacy team arranged an advocacy trip to Oak Flat, Arizona. I was invited as a past Chair for the CBF Global Missions Council and someone who participated in advocacy with Congress related to Indigenous Peoples (Senate Bill S.761 and House Bill HR.7227), fall of 2024.

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) Advocacy team arranged an advocacy trip to Oak Flat, Arizona. I was invited as a past Chair for the CBF Global Missions Council and someone who participated in advocacy with Congress related to Indigenous Peoples (Senate Bill S.761 and House Bill HR.7227), fall of 2024.

In late September, Javier Perez, CBF Director for Strategy and Programs – Global Missions, led a group of nine of us on a vision trip to see EduK Transformation Center outside of Mexico City.

It’s Pastor Appreciation Month! What if this year we went beyond gift cards and plaques to show a deeper level of appreciation? Don’t get...

Main Session Brian Foreman, CBF's Coordinator of Congregational Ministries Jennifer Hawks, CBF's Director of Advocacy Full videos and...

The 2025 CBF General Assembly in St Louis felt like both a family reunion and a welcome party for those we long to include. The phrase,...