Karen Thomas Smith and Jean-Luc Blanc speak to members of Lexington Avenue Baptist Church in Danville about Morocco.

Members of the Eglise Evangelique Au Maroc (Evangelical Church in Marocco or EEAM) traveled around the state of Kentucky sharing news of the partnership between the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship and the EEAM. At the annual KBF Spring Gathering held at Highland Baptist in Louisville, Fellowship churches were delighted to welcome and hear from Jean-Luc Blanc, president of EEAM and pastor of the Protestant church in Casablanca, Morocco, and Karen Thomas Smith, Christian Chaplain at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, and pastor of the Protestant church in Ifrane.

The purpose of their trip to Kentucky was to continue the conversation began last year between Kentucky churches and the EEAM. Last year, Kentucky Baptists traveled to Morocco to assist in the repair and painting of the church in Fez. More importantly, though, the group became an essential piece to the beginning of building bridges between cultures for relationships between Americans and Moroccans, Christians and Muslims, and people of the east and people of the west. What began in 2007 has blossomed into a wonderful partnership, as many Fellowship churches can attest to through their own experiences.

Jean-Luc and Karen visited a number of churches across the state sharing their story with your stories. Some of the churches they visited were Immanuel (Frankfort), Central Baptist (Lexington), Third Baptist (Owensboro), Living Faith (Elizabethtown), and Lexington Avenue (Danville). Their presentation consisted of sharing the ongoing work provided by the EEAM among the people of Morocco, who are composed of so many cultures and ethnicity’s due to the influx of refugees and migrants who travel hoping to find work and sustainable income in another land. Each of the churches who have partnered with churches in Morocco were featured on a slide show given by Karen and Jean-Luc which they used as a visual aid to show how Kentucky Baptist have helped to build lasting relationships with people on another continent.

The hope for the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship and for Jean-Luc and Karen as they return to their places of ministry in Morocco is that we here in Kentucky will continue to pray for these who we are partnering with across the world as well as to determine in what ways we are able to give to this necessary partnership. Our relationship is only now beginning; we are only now attempting to understand them as they are attempting to understand us. May we seek to listen to our Moroccan brothers and sisters as we struggle to bridge the gaps that divide us geographically, culturally, religiously, and economically. Pray for Jean-Luc and Karen as they return home and minister in their country. Pray for the next Moroccan team from Kentucky that will travel in June to further our partnership in person. And pray for yourself, asking how God can use you to continue our efforts through the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship to minister with and be ministered to with the Eglise Evangelique au Maroc.

Joshua Speight, new Associate Coordinator for Missions, and Becky Caswell Speight, visit with John Lepper, Coordinator and Alice Mull, Moderator

John Lepper, Coordinator of Kentucky Baptist Fellowship said: “Josh has the gifts and energy to lead us to sustain the good programs we already have in place. Many of these missions initiatives were begun or enhanced by Rhonda Abbott Blevins, the first Associate Coordinator for Missions of the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship. Speight brings with him the ability and vision to take us to the next level as we seek to actively engage Baptist Christians and churches in mission action, education, and support.”

Speight currently serves as Associate Pastor of North Riverside Baptist Church, Newport News, Virginia. He has been at this church since 2005. In addition to his role as Associate Pastor, he also served this church as Interim Pastor for nine months. He served two summers with Passport, Inc., one summer as Bible Study Leader and another summer as Missions Project Coordinator.

Speight’s interest in missions began when he was a student at Georgetown College. Although he resisted the call to full-time ministry, several people throughout his college and seminary years recognized his aptitude and talents for ministry and encouraged him to listen for God’s call. Josh studied chemistry and worked as a chemist, but as he worked in this secular field the call would not go away; eventually, he responded to God’s leading to full-time ministry.

In thinking about serving in this new role, Speight said: “Missions participation begins and ends with the local church. It also begins by supporting the foundation already laid by KBF, the work of Rhonda Abbott Blevins, as well as other leadership throughout the state.” In speaking of missions participation and education, Speight said, “It is about leading churches and individuals toward a greater awareness of their surrounding community, to understand their responsibility for this place which God asks each of us to be gracious stewards during our lifetime.”

Josh is a graduate of Georgetown College and Truett Seminary. He and his wife Becky Caswell Speight and their daughter Ainsley will make their home in Louisville.

Formed in 1991, Kentucky Baptist Fellowship is one of 18 state and regional affiliates of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The Kentucky Baptist Fellowship is a fellowship of churches and individuals who share a commitment to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. The mission of the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship is to equip and empower Kentucky Baptist churches and Christians, cultivate partnerships, and engage in missions.

Click here for pictures of Joshua Speight and Council meeting in which he was elected.

John’s Coordinator Chat

Keith and Paula wanted to have a meeting of local leaders in the counties targeted by Mountain Hope in order to provide training and to provide a time to coordinate efforts for the summer. The idea was to “get people on the same page” regarding our philosophy and to plan a summer’s worth of ministries.

Fifty people attended this meeting in Nada on the weekend of February 29, 2008.
We were from diverse theological persuasions and varied geographical places. Places included: Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia. We were Baptist, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ, and other. Representatives from partners in targeted counties (Powell, McCreary, Owsley) were present. Most in attendance were from partnering congregations. These people represented a host of people who will come back to one of these counties this summer to provide ministries.

Jeremy Lewis provided the training component. He is Together for Hope Manager for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global Missions. He helped us understand Asset Based Community Development by helping us develop asset maps. It’s so easy to look at the poverty and think about needs. To say we target the twenty poorest counties, for example, points to the deficiencies of these counties. Together for Hope (Mountain Hope is the Kentucky piece of this initiative) seeks to look at the community assets, helping local leaders and groups become aware of and mobilize their resources.

Time was spent planning mission activities and projects for Summer 2008. Church leaders (many who came from a great distance) met with local partners. Potential work sites were toured and chosen.

After a shared meal, John Owen welcomed us to the Nada Mission. He is pastor of First Baptist Church, Winchester as well as pastor of the Nada Mission. He pointed out how the Nada Mission has changed over the years. It began as a place of worship and Bible Study. And while it continues to serve this function, the Nada Mission has become a place of partnerships. Nada is a small community adjacent to the Red River Gorge. On Sunday afternoons, the mission is a place of worship and bible study. During the week it is a hub for the people of Nada, a kind of community center.

Perhaps it was fitting that the first “big” meeting of Mountain Hope partners be held at the Nada Mission. The fifty people present at this meeting point to the importance of partnerships for the Nada Mission and also for the success of Mountain Hope. The needs in the three target counties are tremendous. Partners from a distance come along side local partners, identifying assets to make a difference in the name of Jesus Christ.

Click here for pictures of the meeting.

So now, almost two centuries since Judson sailed for Burma, thousands of Karen people (pronounced ka RIN) are coming to America. The Karen were originally from Burma and have been refugees (many of them for years) in Thailand. A large percentage of the Karen people are Christians (by some counts, 40%). Most of the Christians are Baptists. The “Jesus seeds” were originally planted in Burma by Adoniram Judson.

I learned in January of 2007 that many Karen were being resettled in America and that some (perhaps 200 to 300 per year) were to be resettled in Louisville.

Two Baptist churches in Louisville are having “hands on” ministry to and with the Karen–Highland Baptist Church and Crescent Hill Baptist Church. Highland has sponsored a Karen family and several Karen attend that church. Other churches are joining these efforts as a result of a lunch meeting sponsored this week by Broadway Baptist Church, Louisville. Harry Rowland and Bo Prosser of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Atlanta, joined about a dozen local leaders to help coordinate the responses of churches in Louisville to the arrival of these Karen brothers and sisters in Christ.

One year ago this weekend, twenty Karen people came to Louisville, and because of a previous connection, began attending Crescent Hill Baptist Church. On any given Sunday now, 60 to 90 Karen adults worship at Crescent Hill. Perhaps that many children are also present in the nursery and children’s programs. Their presence has changed the “texture” of this church. Each Sunday, one of the scripture passages for the day is read in Karen (and printed in English). The other passages are read in English and printed in Karen. At least one Sunday a month, the Karen choir sings in the worship service.

Highland Baptist Church, Crescent Hill Baptist Church and many other churches and individuals in Louisville are making a difference as these people make America their home. More significantly though, it seems to me the Karen people are making a difference in these churches. More than just a “mission project of the church,” these new friends are becoming part of the church.

At Crescent Hill, Steve Clark, CBF Affiliate Missionary, says the Karen people are giving back to the church. He points out that they are giving to the church in many ways. They have joined in work groups, help in the nursery and share of themselves in worship.

The sons and daughters of people who were reached for Christ in Burma by American missionaries are now making a difference in more than one American church! Adoniram Judson never saw the results of the “Jesus-seeds” he planted.

So now the Karen are planting “Jesus-seeds” in America. Greg Pope, pastor of Crescent Hill Baptist Church says: “We don’t need to evangelize them. They are making Christians out of us. They are helping us be church.”

For more information on the Karen people go to http://www.karenkonnection.org/

Thousands of students from across Africa are studying in Morocco. Tens of thousands of migrants and refugees from across Africa are flooding into North Africa. The churches of Kentucky Baptist Fellowship have a unique opportunity to partner with Morocco churches and their ministries to students, migrants and refugees.

I recently received the following note from David, a friend and leader in the Morocco church…

Hello John,

I hope that all is well with you and your family. We are good here.
I wanted to thank you and Kentucky Baptist Fellowship again for all of your support of the refugee/migrant ministry here. You guys are such a blessing. Last week we spent 3 days on the eastern border (an area where folks from across the continent come out of the desert) ministering to folks.

One of the things we did was to deliver basic meds that had been given
by Kentucky folks who have come over, bringing items from the care packs. They were so much appreciated. We just want to say thank you again. Your giving goes a long way.

Blessings and peace,

David

For more information on the Kentucky/Morocco partnership click:
Morocco Partnership

Join us on July 13 for Registration, Cookout and Rally.  We begin building on July 14 and anticipate completing construction on July 19.

We need skilled and unskilled volunteers.  A new feature this year is our call for special teams.  Charlie Gatton, our construction leader, hopes to utilize the skills of special teams to help us build the house in a week.

Special Teams Needed:
•    Concrete finishing
•    Roofing
•    Drywall finishing
•    Laying flooring
•    Landscaping

See the updated registration forms and flyer at:  Extreme Build

Editor’s Note: For responses from several KBF participants to their New Baptist Covenant experience, click, “Read the rest of this entry” below.

An Honor to Attend the New Baptist Covenant
By Drew Prince, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Shepherdsville

The positive feeling of inclusiveness was as real as the building in which we met. I have never been more excited about the future of Baptist life than I am right now. The first thing that I noticed was the embrace of diversity. Baptists come in all kinds. There were over 30 North American Baptist groups in attendance. All came to widen our circle. There was no hint of conflict among this gathering of believers.

Baptists no longer have to be known for what they oppose. This was not an attempt to create a denomination. It was an effort that was started by those who wanted to protect historic Baptist principles and to collaborate on what we can do together. It was an effort to concentrate on what Jesus said was important. This was all done by widening our circle.

One of the most basic aspects of the ministry of Jesus was a focus on reconciliation. This meeting seemed to do just that among all of these wonderful Baptist groups. It was as if all of the people, regardless of race or gender, we able to come together as equals. We all know in our hearts that this was the intention of Christ all along.

It seems clear to me that we have started something that has taken us a step closer to our Baptist roots. We are unique as individuals and individual groups. But we can come together in an effort to take seriously what Christ took seriously. Politics was not a part of the equation. But the words of Jesus were. And there is nothing more basic to Baptist principles than putting those words above all others.

Many questions remain about where to go from here. But there is one answer that seems obvious to me. The gatherings that follow will emphasize what we have in common and what we can do together. And we will continue to widen our circle because of it. It is a natural consequence to holding the words of Christ up first and putting everything else aside. We all know in our hearts that this was the intention of Christ all along.

Come and Go with Me
by Bill Shoulta, Pastor, Melbourne Heights Baptist Church

What a joy to be a part of a meeting about Baptists unity rather than focusing on what is wrong with everybody else. I experienced meaningful worship in a variety of ways. I was inspired by everything from a concert violinist to hip hop music with a deep Christian message; from a speech by a soft spoken white Republican Senator to a fiery alliterative sermon from a black preacher. (more…)

The fact is everybody has at least three stories. The first relates to our past. The second relates to our current situation. The third relates to our future. In the book, Hope in Pastoral Care and Counseling, Andrew Lester points out the importance of a person’s future story. We tend to live “toward” our future story whether that story is negative or positive, hopeful or despairing.

For example, a pastor of an inner city church tells about a young lady who was graduating from high school. Even though she was accepted as a college student, she was unable to attend. She simply could not imagine herself away from her home surroundings and as a college student.

The gospel message is a message of hope. Jesus heard people’s stories and helped them create new stories toward which they could live. In recent days we, in the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship, have been discerning God’s vision for our future. We have been constructing a future story.

Through Mountain Hope, the combined effort of many people seek to help individuals and communities construct a hopeful and positive future story. While we are interested in their past and their current situation, we are more interested in helping engender a hopeful future story. We do this by seeking to be positive reflections of Christ, bringing a spirit of hope, grace, and opportunity.

In this “Coordinator Chat” area of the website, I hope to share stories. Some will be stories of our past. Others will be stories of our present and future and how, together, we are helping construct positive future stories.