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Fellowship Creates New Midwest Regional Organization By Vicki Brown, CBF Communications A desire to extend work to the north and west has led to the creation of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Midwest. Ten individuals constituted the new Fellowship regional body Jan. 25-26 to include Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. At the formation meeting, attendees, representing four CBF partner churches, hammered out articles of incorporation, bylaws and a budget. Although officially formed, the Midwest region will not be formally recognized by the national CBF organization until a vote at the 2007 General Assembly in June. The Assembly must adopt a bylaw change recognizing the new region and approve Coordinating Council representatives from the Midwest region. Tim Deatrick, pastor of Ashworth Road Baptist Church, West Des Moines, Iowa, will serve as coordinator on a voluntary basis. The 10 attendees will act as the region’s coordinating council, with Deatrick as moderator, until the new unit holds a General Assembly, probably in October. Edith Little, pastor of First Baptist Church, Bluegrass, Iowa, was chosen as moderator-elect. The group region agreed on eight ministry objectives to extend the presence of Christ throughout the region, including engaging in the Fellowship’s rural poverty initiative, Together for Hope. The plan also calls for facilitating communication of the Fellowship’s work in the Midwest and raising funds and awareness for the CBF Offering for Global Missions. In addition to strengthening existing churches, the new body hopes to identify and network with "fellowship-friendly" congregations and to support pastors and lay leaders with training, continuing education and fellowship. The region wants to provide cooperative ministry opportunities, particularly for churches with limited resources. "We want to work toward camps, mission trips and other ministries to do together," Deatrick said. The idea for a new geographic region surfaced shortly after Ashworth Road, a Fellowship partner church, called Deatrick as pastor. "Our church, by conviction, was aligned with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, but there was not a lot of connection," he said. "We wanted to be more connected on the local level."
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