Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
| Cooperative Baptist Fellowship | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Mainline Baptist |
| Polity | Congregationalist |
| Associations | National Council of Churches |
| Region | United States |
| Origin | 1991 Atlanta |
| Separated from | Southern Baptist Convention |
| Congregations | 1,900 |
| Members | 700,000 |
| Official website | www.cbf.net |
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) is a Christian fellowship of Baptist churches formed in 1991. Theologically moderate, the CBF withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) over philosophical and theological differences, such as the SBC prohibition of women serving as pastors. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship claims approximately 1,900 partner churches. The CBF is involved with the Baptist Center for Ethics, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, the Baptist World Alliance and 15 Baptist seminaries and divinity school programs which have emerged in the wake of the conservative direction taken by the six SBC seminaries. The CBF headquarters are located in Decatur, Georgia.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship began in August 1990 as a reaction to the successful effort by conservatives to capture the denominational institutions of the Southern Baptist Convention after more than 10 years of public controversy between conservative and moderate/liberal factions of the Convention. The leaders of the conservative resurgence considered biblical inerrancy and a perceived liberal drift at Southern Baptist seminaries as the primary issues in their struggle against moderates and liberals in the SBC. The conservative strategy was to elect the SBC president a sufficient number of times to gain a conservative majority on the boards and agencies of the Convention. This was accomplished through the president's power to make appointments. Conservative leaders have elected all presidents of the SBC from 1979 to the present.
The progressive faction started the Alliance of Baptists in 1987. Frustrated moderates, following suit, met in 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia, and organized the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. It was the opinion of the moderates that the conservatives had departed from Baptist distinctives.
The core values maintained by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship begin with four items the CBF considers Baptist principles of faith and practice.
CBF members agree that the Bible teaches that there is one true God who created all people. Because of sin, humanity is separated from God but can be saved and redeemed through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts and converts those who believe in Christ and empowers the Church to fulfill its mission. CBF members agree that every Christian and every church is called to fulfill the Great Commission, share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and minister to the spiritual, physical, and social needs of people and communities.
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