by William Thornton » Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:56 am
This is my first post on the CBF forum. I get the CBF newsletter, used to get the Georgia CBF group's newsletter before they folded up their tent. I've attended parts of three CBF assembly meetings. BLife started this forum with the idea that CBFers could talk among themselves. If, after this post, you would rather me not even offer an opinion, I'll disappear.
A further round of budget and personnel cuts has just been announced by the CBF. The CBF as a national entity may not have a long future. What I read, and allow here for selective reading, makes the CBF look like a religious organization whose function is to provice social services on behalf of a small number of churches who would rather not give money through SBC channels. Secondarily, the CBF provides an outlet for fellowship and participation for pastors who would never be elected to or serve in capacities in the SBC. The CBF's success story is their help in founding and supporting of a number of theological schools as an alternative to the SBC's six. These are viable independent of the CBF.
So, why have a national CBF organization? I cannot give a good answer and, if declining support among churches is evidence, neither can the CBF.
Pull the plug? It may already have been pulled.
My stray thoughts on SBC stuff may be found at my blog,