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Women Leaders Experience the Work of CBF in China Missourian Cynthia Holmes, along with 15 other women leaders from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship recently returned from a two-week trip to China, where they had the unique opportunity to visit women leaders of the church in China and CBF representatives in Lanzhou, Chengdu, Nanning and Macau. Holmes, a past moderator for CBF, is a member of Overland Baptist Church in St. Louis. The objective of the trip was for the participants, who are all leaders within the Fellowship movement, to have the opportunity to observe first-hand how CBF Global Missions works alongside churches in China. Now that they have returned to the U.S., the women will speak in churches on behalf of the 2006-2007 CBF Offering for Global Missions, which directly supports the work of CBF Global Missions field personnel in China and around the world. "This trip provided church leaders the opportunity to walk alongside field personnel," said Missourian Connie McNeill, the Fellowship’s coordinator of administration. "The China trip was the first trip to be designed to fit the needs of women missions leaders, and we are eager to begin working on the next trip. For each trip, we look for locations and experiences where participants can invest two weeks exploring missions, and then become more involved in the Fellowship when they return." At the beginning of their trip, the 16 women met with more than 15 Chinese women leaders and elders from churches throughout the region at a women’s symposium in Shanghai. Topics ranged from theological education and lay leadership to church organization. Anita Snell, the Fellowship’s associate coordinator for Asia, said the dialogue focused on "the joys and struggles of women in church leadership" and that family issues were a large part of the discussion. She said one question that was asked was, "How can the church help families in today’s rapidly changing world?" "I knew something, but not a lot about the good relationship CBF has with the China Christian Council and the State Administration for Religious Affairs," said Beverly Greer, missions coordinator for CBF of South Carolina. "It was exciting and a joy to see first hand some of the benefits that come from respecting the Chinese laws and culture as we minister in that country. That is a story I will love telling." While visiting local churches, three participants on the trip – Renee Bennett, moderator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia; Karen Gilbert, the Fellowship’s associate coordinator for volunteers and partnerships; and Harriet Harrel, the Fellowship’s moderator-elect – were asked to preach at Sunday worship services. |
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