STRATEGIC
PLAN
Adopted Sept. 13, 2001
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Rich Text Format.
Who We Are
Who We Want To Be
I. CHRISTIAN
We are
followers of Jesus Christ.
Based on our commitment to
a growing understanding of the Bible as the Holy Spirit leads us, we worship
a creative and redemptive God. We seek to reflect God’s grace in our lives
and relationships, to champion justice in all areas of life, and to be
committed to the power of love and mercy for the healing of a broken world.
Response
Our meetings, our publications
and our activities should be biblical and theologically sound, reflecting
the grace, the joy, the abundant life that is our birthright as Christians.
Actions
·
Provide opportunities in our gatherings and in our newsletters
for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship people to share the testimonies of the
exciting work God is doing in their lives and in their churches.
·
Create a prayer event or events.
·
Emphasize the availability of
doctrinal studies so that every CBF affiliated congregation can study and
dialogue about the nature of the Triune God.
II.
BAPTIST
We are committed to these
principles that have shaped our Baptist heritage and polity:
Soul Freedom – We believe
in the priesthood of all believers. We affirm the freedom and
responsibility of every person to relate directly to God without the
imposition of creed or the control of clergy or government
Bible Freedom – We believe
in the authority of Scripture. We believe that the Bible is central in the
life of the individual and the church. We affirm the freedom and right of
every Christian to interpret and apply Scripture under the leadership of the
Holy Spirit.
Church Freedom – We believe
in the autonomy of every local church. Baptist churches are free to
determine their membership and leadership, to order their worship and work,
to ordain whomever they perceive as gifted for ministry, and to participate
in the larger Body of Christ.
Religious Freedom – We
believe in freedom of religion, freedom for religion, and freedom from
religion. We affirm the separation of church and state.
Response
We will aggressively promote
understanding of and commitment to Baptist principles.
Actions
·
Provide positive promotional resources that explain CBF:
Origin of CBF
Identity of CBF of South
Carolina
CBF relationships with
other Baptist groups
·
Sponsor a breakout session on Baptist principles at the
General Assembly.
·
Sponsor a Baptist Heritage scholarship for CBF teenagers
through existing mission and youth programs, with recipients receiving a
trip to the National General Assembly.
·
Establish Baptist Principles Committee for CBF of SC and
encourage Baptist Principles Committees in local churches.
III. INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY OF GRACE
We are a faith community of
individuals and churches building relationships of grace. We are
co-laborers with other Great Commission Christians seeking to meet the
diverse needs of the world.
Response
We will promote inclusiveness
through our structures, meeting times, reference and referrals, and missions
and ministries.
We will promote healthy
systems in our state organization and in our churches, encouraging honest
communication based on love, grace, and mutual respect.
Actions
Inclusiveness—Race and Ethnic
Relations
·
Network with organizations focused on improving race
relations.
·
Assist churches that are trying to reach and include different
races, nationalities, and ethnic groups.
·
Form dialogue groups to discuss race relations.
·
Sponsor statewide mission projects to bring racial and ethnic
groups together striving for common goals.
Inclusiveness— Gender
·
Continue inclusion of resumes of female clergy when churches
ask for help with placement.
·
Encourage congregations to consider the calling of female
ministers in all clergy roles, including pastor.
·
Support new church starts with women as pastors.
·
Continue support of equity among male and female leadership in
programming, in leadership at the General Assembly and other CBF sponsored
events, and on the Coordinating Council.
Inclusiveness— Laity and
Clergy
·
Explore effective ways to
encourage lay participation, with special consideration given to meeting
times.
·
Continue support of equity among lay and clerical leadership
in programming and on the Coordinating Council.
Inclusiveness—Under 40
·
Ensure representation of young adults in CBF leadership.
·
Identify, train, and encourage leadership development in all
groups, especially with young adults, for CBF of South Carolina.
·
Foster ministry with students and young adults.
Healthy Community
·
Develop and make available resources to assist church-battered
clergy and clergy-battered churches.
·
Facilitate establishment of regional alliances and
partnerships.
·
Promote opportunities for continuing education for clergy and
laity.
·
Provide resources and information to enable churches and
individuals to partner with each other and with other agencies for
educational opportunities, missions ventures, effective ministry, and
fellowship.
·
Organize in ways that promote communication, collaboration,
and accountability among staff, officers, and Coordinating Council.
·
Develop structural diagram for the working operations of the
organization.
·
Define the functions and responsibilities of each position in
the organization.
·
Employ a reference and referral coordinator to work with
churches and individuals.
·
Continue to develop effective ways to communicate.
·
Develop relationships with
editors of papers around the state.
·
Secure someone to produce and
distribute news releases.
We are committed to the principle and
practice of justice in all aspects of our ministry.
We are committed to fulfilling the Great
Commission through local and global ministries that facilitate the
involvement of individuals and churches. Individual believers and churches
are called to minister to the spiritual, physical, and social needs of all
individuals and communities.
Response
We will speak for those without a voice,
advocate for the oppressed and disenfranchised, and act in ways that are
consistent with our commitment to justice.
We will assist individuals and churches in
identifying and responding to missions and ministry opportunities.
Actions
Justice
·
Seek ways to partner and participate with entities that
promote justice.
·
Establish a Justice Committee within the Coordinating Council,
which will focus our attention on issues of justice.
·
Offer breakout sessions during the General Assembly each year.
·
Monitor events in the
political life of our state and nation that need our attention, giving
special attention to issues concerning church-state relations, children and
adolescents, and the health, education, and well being of all our citizens.
·
Offer resources to churches and individuals to assist them in
being a voice for Biblical justice and compassion.
Missions and Ministry
·
Identify neglected missions and ministry niches in South
Carolina and network with individuals, churches and agencies to develop
opportunities for involvement.
·
Identify areas in South Carolina where CBF individuals and
churches can effectively partner with existing missions and ministry work.
·
Partner with churches to develop models for the promotion of
missions and education.
·
In cooperation with the National Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship Resource Center, assist individuals and churches in connecting
with global missions and ministry opportunities.
·
Encourage and facilitate the establishment, development, and
partnership with new CBF churches locally, nationally, and globally, based
on ministry needs within communities, especially where there is no historic
Baptist witness. It is also our desire to develop a support network for new
churches.
·
Encourage established churches to support new churches through
investments of staff, resources, people, and finances.
·
Start five new churches in South Carolina by 2005.
·
Maintain a missions effort in a strategic location congruent
with our missions focus of ministry to the disenfranchised, marginalized,
least of the least and poorest of the poor.
·
Develop a state missions offering and educational material to
help promote the offering and ministry opportunities.
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