The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship was organized by a group of theologically moderate Christians who withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention in 1991, largely over the issue of allowing women to serve as pastors.
After more than a decade of a struggle between conservative, moderate, and liberal factions of the Southern Baptist Convention, this was the period in which the conservatives had regained control of the SBC. In frustration, liberals left in 1987 to create the Alliance of Baptists, while moderates formed the Conservative Baptist Fellowship a few years later. Some CBF churches hold dual memberships in the CBF and the SBC.
The Conservative Baptist Fellowship cites four items that are considered, by them, to be Baptist principles of faith and practice: Soul freedom, Bible freedom, Church freedom, and Religious freedom.
Soul freedom holds that the individual Christian has the ability to relate directly with God. A significant basis for this principle is the priesthood of all believers.
Through the principle of Bible freedom, every Christian has the right to interpret Scripture as the Holy Spirit directs.
Because of Church freedom, every local congregation is autonomous, having the right to select its own leaders and to direct its own affairs.
Religious freedom is the principle of freedom of church and state, a principle that the CBF supports through its membership in the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.
The Conservative Baptist Fellowship holds that the Bible teaches that there is one true God who was responsible for all creation. Humanity is separated from God because of sin, but individuals may be redeemed, achieving salvation through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is responsible for the conviction and conversion of those who believe in Christ and also empowers the Church to fulfill its mission. Members of the CBF believe that every local church and every individual Christian is called to fulfill the Great Commission, to share the Gospel, and to minister to the spiritual, physical, and social needs of people and communities.
Women may take part in the ministry within the Conservative Baptist Fellowship. This was one of the founding principles of the Fellowship, that both men and women can be ordained as ministers or deacons.
The CBF does not dictate positions on social issues, leaving these up to each of the local churches within the Fellowship. Nevertheless, the Fellowship does have an organizational policy on homosexual behavior that expresses the belief of most members "that the foundation of a Christian sexual ethic is faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman and celibacy in singleness." However, these policies are not binding upon the local church, which are free to make their own decisions on any issue. In practice, congregations are not excluded from the Fellowship for disagreeing with its core values or policies. Some CBF churches will perform same-sex marriages.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Topics in this category should relate primarily to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, whether supportive or in opposition. Websites representing local congregations or churches should be submitted to the appropriate Local & Global category, however.
Recommended Resources
Schedules and events related to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, headquartered in Decatur, Georgia, are featured here, including its advocacy activities, peer learning groups, chaplaincy and pastoral counseling services, domestic and overseas missions, youth and children’s programs, and its annual assembly, as well as a calendar of local, national, and global events. Links to other CBF ministries and programs are included.
http://www.cbfevents.org/
Provided by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the resume-matching service helps to place the right pastoral candidate within the right church. Its process for churches and for ministerial candidates are defined, and churches seeking a pastor and pastors seeking a church may register online. Other resources include helpful resources for pastoral search committees, as well as sample candidate profile questions.
http://www.baptistministermatching.org/
CBF New Church Starts Initiative
An arm of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the agency exists for the purpose of encouraging and assisting new CBF churches. Its services and philosophy are outlined, and a list of commissioned church starts is posted, leadership personnel is identified, and a promotional video is included. An application for assistance request form may be downloaded, and the commissioning process, coaching network, and internships are included.
http://www.cbfchurchstarts.net/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
CBF is a fellowship of Baptist churches that separated from the Southern Baptist Convention in 1991 over theological differences, including the SBC prohibition of female pastors, and other issues in which they felt the SBC was too conservative. Its organizational structure, state and regional organizations, congregations, and ministries are outlined. Employment opportunities are posted to the site.
http://www.thefellowship.info/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Foundation
The CBF Foundation is set up as a resource for giving, and it includes two types of services, those for individuals and those for churches and ministry organizations, raising endowments and offering endowment management and promotional services for ministries of the Fellowship and its partners, including local congregations. For individuals, it offers estate planning, its Fellowship Heritage Society, planned giving, and other resources. Client testimonies are included.
http://www.cbff.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Heartland
CBF Heartland was originally known as the Baptist Fellowship of Missouri when it was organized in 1991 but was changed to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri in 1992, reflecting its relationship to the newly formed Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. In 2013, its name was changed to CBF Heartland because the fellowship now includes churches from Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas, as well as Missouri. Schedules, contacts, and member churches are included.
http://www.cbfheartland.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Internationals
The CBF Internationals North America team consists of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel who are engaged in working with communities of refugees, immigrants, international students, and other transnationals throughout the United States. Its mission is outlined, and opportunities for others to get involved are set forth, along with leadership contacts, several informational articles, video, and other resources.
http://www.cbfinternationals.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Alabama
The affiliation of Alabama churches is part of the global Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Based in Hoover, its leadership staff are introduced, along with its partners, missions, and ministries, including new church starts, disaster responses, global missions, and other ministry opportunities. Its policies, bylaws, and other documents may be downloaded in PDF format, other ministerial resources are discussed, and contributions may be made online.
http://www.alabamacbf.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas
CBF Arkansas is a network of churches and people in partnership with CBF Global, which helps to provide global missions, church visioning, leadership and community development, theological education, chaplaincy endorsement, peer learning networks, disaster response, church planting, retirement benefits for pastors, and endowment management for churches. Member churches may be located through the site, and a calendar of events is included.
http://www.cbfar.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida
Headquartered in Lakeland, the CBF of Florida is one of eighteen state or regional associations of the larger movement, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and is made up of churches and individuals who affirm the basic beliefs, core values, and principles of the Fellowship. Its organizational structure, member churches, and missions are published to the site, along with a calendar of events, administrative contacts, and other resources.
http://www.floridacbf.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia
Organized in 1992, CBF of Georgia is a fellowship of Baptist churches. Based in Macon, the state fellowship is governed by an elected coordinating council of clergy and lay people from across the state. Its leadership, partnerships, and a calendar of events are posted to the site, and its constitution and bylaws, history, budget reports, and other documents may be downloaded from the site in PDF format. Age-based programs and missions projects are included.
http://www.cbfga.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Louisiana
The network of cooperating Baptist Christians and churches in Louisiana partners with the national organization and with local churches within the state to assist in missions, outreach, church planting, education, and fellowship. Its ministries and missions are highlighted, along with a newsletter, leadership contacts, and a calendar of events. A prayer guide may be downloaded from the site and a newsletter is available.
http://www.cbfla.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina
A summary of the identity, mission, and principles of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the North Carolina state organization are set forth, along with its partnerships, congregations, missions and social ministries, age-specific ministries, career opportunities, and vocational ministries. Other resources include a calendar of events, budget reports and plans, and information about church tax-exempt status and the benefits of CBF membership.
http://www.cbfnc.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Oklahoma
The CBF of Oklahoma is a fellowship of individuals and churches in Oklahoma which have chosen to affiliate with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. General information about what it means to be a Baptist is set forth, along with a brief history of the statewide organization, Its services, missions, and ministries. Contributions to the organization may be made online, and a calendar of programs and events are posted to the site.
http://www.cbfok.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina
Organized in 1991, the fellowship of Baptist churches and individuals are affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The statewide organization membership and partner churches are highlighted, along with staff contacts and a coordinator’s blog, a calendar of events and locations, and an overview of its missions and programs, newsletter, scholarship information, fellowships, and ministry opportunities.
https://www.cbfsc.org/
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia
CBFVA is made up of individuals and CBF congregations in Virginia. Its organizational structure, leadership, and purpose are stated, along with mission opportunities and mission reports, partnership missions and an introduction to its partners. Other resources include a ministry planner, available ministry jobs, its faith formation process, its student missions programs, announcements, contacts, and a blog.
http://cbfva.org/
A program of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Dawnings helps members of local congregations in developing the skills to bring about a more effective ministry and missions effort, including the areas of visioning, forming, and engaging. An overview of the program is stated, along with an introductory video, a description and schedule of upcoming retreats, testimonials, a blog, and several downloadable resources.
http://cbfdawnings.org/
Created by the Governing Board of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in 2016, the Illumination Project conducts research and collects first-person stories from CBF clergy and lay people who are diverse in age, gender, and geography, including those who are LGBT, covering such topics as faith, cooperation, and what it means to be a Baptist, as well as issues relating to sexuality. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with about thirty people.
http://illuminationproject.net/
