Well, not exactly! However, I am pleased to announce that Paul Baxley will be with us February 2, 2020. Paul is the new Executive Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. He will be our guest preacher on Sunday, February 2. He will also lead a discussion about the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in our church fellowship hall that afternoon at 2:30pm. We plan to invite area Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches to this gathering.
It is truly a monumental opportunity for our church to host the national Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator, no matter the person in the position. In fact, this event has been on the calendar for over a year. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator role is a big job! While true that whoever holds this position is a dignitary in Cooperative Baptist Fellowship life, I believe you will like Paul a lot.
I spoke briefly with Paul at a North Carolina Cooperative Baptist Fellowship meeting a while back. This was the first conversation I ever had with Paul. During this brief encounter, I wished him well in his new position. I then thought, “We should invite Paul to Ahoskie; I would love for our people to have exposure to Paul and to learn a bit more about the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.” After I returned to Ahoskie, from the meeting, I sent Paul an email. I reintroduced myself because I knew he had had brief conversations like ours with many people. And, then, I asked him about coming to Ahoskie. He responded quickly to my email (as is his custom), assured me that he remembered our conversation, and indicated that he would be delighted to visit with us. How nice! A man, like the Pope with a big job, who is approachable.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is our denominational home and has been for years now. A large percentage of our missions’ budget goes towards the work of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship – on both the state and national level. In fact, we are receiving now the Annual Global Missions Offering which supports the mission work of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Our goal is $8000. As it now stands, we are more than half way there. As you are aware, Anna and LaCount Anderson meet with people from our immediate neighborhood who are in financial need. They provide advice to these folks and distribute, when they deem it appropriate, our benevolence monies to meet needs. Anna and LaCount are Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionaries. It is a very fruitful partnership that we share with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship – both on the state and national level.
Please do save the date: FEBRUARY 2, 2020. Again, Paul Baxley, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Director will be in our pulpit that morning and then he will lead a discussion, with area churches, in our fellowship hall that afternoon at 2:30pm. The Pope is coming; we should too!
In Christ,
Paul R. Gilliam III