God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way,
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:1-7

 

Like you—and people the world over—Fellowship Southwest and the larger Cooperative Baptist Fellowship family are learning to live within the new structures imposed by the coronavirus. No matter how dark the news, lean into the promises of Scripture:

• The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of trouble; he protects those who take refuge in him. — Nahum 1:7

• “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” — Isaiah 43:2

• I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” — Psalm 91:2

• Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by. I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. — Psalm 57:1-2

• We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. — 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

• We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. — Romans 8:28

 

We’re dedicating this week’s newsletter to the COVID-19 pandemic and to its implications for our Fellowship. It’s a developing story, a work in process. Coordinators of Fellowship Southwest and CBF Oklahoma, Texas and West, as well as all the CBF Global staff and missionaries, have been thinking, praying and strategizing about how to serve Fellowship churches as you minister to your communities, as well as how to help people in Jesus’ name across the nation and around the world. 

 

Help for you & for your church

CBF has created a COVID-19 Work Group “to streamline the flow of updated information across the organization, to aid in decision-making and help facilitate timely communications across CBF staff and field personnel, partner congregations and all Cooperative Baptists.” This group will provide strong guidance and support in the time to come.

 

CBF also has created a coronavirus resources page on the CBF website. This page provides a variety of material, such as:

• Basic information about coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease

• Resources to help churches respond to the disease

• Updates on CBF and partner events

 

Also, CBF staff and state and regional leaders already have invested many hours in video-conferenced strategy sessions. They’re preparing a variety of opportunities that will enable CBF to serve you and your church. We want to help you not only survive this season, but also to be the presence of Christ in our communities. Soon, CBF staff and other leaders will be reaching out to churches and pastors, providing practical resources for ministering in these days.

 

Cancellations & postponements

The coronavirus has made a huge impact on events planned by Fellowship Southwest, CBF and our partners. Here’s the latest information …

 

Cancellations

• March 30-31—Maston Lectures, Logsdon Seminary; Abilene.

• March 31—CBF Day, Truett Seminary; Waco.

• April 2-4—CBF Oklahoma Spring Gathering; Tulsa, Norman, Geary.

• April 23-26—Alliance of Baptists Annual Gathering; Fort Worth.

 

Postponements

• March 30—Combat Human Trafficking Golf Tournament; Houston. Now scheduled for October 26.

• April 14-17—Fellowship Southwest’s Practicing Resurrection Retreat; Phoenix. Set back a year, to April 5-8, 2021.

• April 17-18—Texas Border Collaboration Network border summit; Laredo. To be held in early October.

• April 19—CBF Texas Methodist-Baptist Dialogue; Dallas. Moved to Sept. 13.

• May 14-16—CBF West Retreat; Colorado Springs. Will be moved to this fall or next spring.

 

Virtual meetings

• April 27-28—Fellowship Southwest Steering Committee; San Antonio. Will meet via videoconference.

 

And the elephant in the room … 

Here’s a message from the CBF office:
“Plans continue for General Assembly June 22-27 in Atlanta. Registration is open, and we encourage all Cooperative Baptists to be a part of it. The spread of COVID-19 is an evolving situation. We will work actively with our staff, with our officers and with our meeting planners to make sure that we prepare for the meeting in ways that maximize the health of all who participate, and we will communicate actively about measures we put in place. Should conditions require a change in plans, we will communicate that as soon as we can.”

 

Immigration relief

This week, we have been in ongoing contact with our pastor-partners on the U.S.-Mexico border. These are the folks who provide front-line ministry to refugee asylum seekers in large tent camps and in church-run shelters all along the border. 

 

In just the past week, Fellowship Southwest has provided funds necessary to:

• Feed 500-600 people two days a week for a month in the tent camp in Matamoros

• Provide three meals a day for refugees in a shelter in Reynosa

• Purchase clothes washers and dryers, plus tables and chairs for two church-run shelters in Nuevo Laredo

• Provide legal aid to asylum seekers on the border

 

This support comes on top of ongoing funds FSW provides to support refugee ministry in Brownsville, Piedras Negras, Juarez, Palomas and elsewhere. 

 

As you might imagine, the coronavirus has prompted unabated concern up and down the border. The rumor mills—particularly in the immigrant communities of the border cities—are whirring. Truth is, we don’t know how the Mexican government will respond if COVID-19 invades the refugee camps and shelters. We don’t know if the border will be closed—by either the Mexican or U.S. governments. 

 

What we know is the needs will persist. So, our sisters and brothers on the border will continue to serve the folks Jesus called “the least of these.” And we will continue to stand alongside and support them. If you would like to contribute to this ministry, click here.

 

Pray for each other 

These are some of the strangest, scariest, most uncertain times any of us have experienced. We don’t know how many people the coronavirus will afflict and how many will perish. We don’t know what the uncertainty and chaos of enforced separation and self-quarantining and infrastructure strain will do to society—particularly families, small businesses and our churches. We don’t know how long this will last and how different we will be when we come to the other side. 

 

But we feel the certainty of the Scriptures we read at the top of this report. We know God will not abandon us: the Father loves us, Jesus feels our pain, and the Spirit walks alongside us. 

 

We also believe prayer makes a difference. Prayer allows us to commune with God and to rest in God’s presence. Prayer enables us to bond with one another. Prayer provides a way for us to not only lift our hearts, but also to lift each other’s burdens up to God.

 

So, don’t forget to pray. Pray for the world—for COVID-19 victims and medical providers; for government, civic, medical and business leaders, whose decisions will shape the large response to this crisis; for normal folks to make wise decisions; for folks who fear physical, financial, emotional and spiritual calamity. 

 

And pray for churches and all people of faith, that we may respond faithfully, courageously and redemptively to this global crisis.

 

How are you doing? Let us hear from you

Please let us know how you’re doing—and what you’re doing. Across the weeks and months of this crisis, we can encourage and learn from each other. One of Fellowship Southwest’s strengths is the opportunity to communicate with each other. So, we plan to use this newsletter to tell our stories and to provide a path for interacting with each other. 

 

Let us know—so we can let each other know …

• How are you managing? What are you thinking? What frightens you? What calms you and gives you hope. How are you able to cope?

• What are you doing? How is your church ministering through this crisis? What are you and your family and friends doing to serve others? How are you helping those at risk—the elderly, children, folks living alone? How are you “doing church” remotely? We want to know—and then to share—things that work.

• What do you need? We probably can’t send you toilet paper or hand sanitizer, but what do you need to know to get by, to help your church, to serve your community?

• How can we pray for you?

 

Think about answering with words, but also with pictures, short videos and other ways of telling your story and informing/uplifting others.

 

We’ve set up an online space for you to answer any of these questions. To let us hear from you, click here.