Elket Rodríguez commissioned by CBF as field personnel at the U.S.-Mexico border

Elket with friends from his native Puerto Rico at Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly.

Elket Rodríguez is now an officially commissioned field personnel on behalf of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship for his transformative work on the United States-Mexico border. "Field personnel" is the preferred terminology by CBF for what is more commonly called a missionary. Elket's work encompasses mission work, but it is so much more. As an attorney and a minister, Elket offers trainings and workshops to migrants and asylum seekers to help them navigate the legal immigration system. He advises the network of border pastors supported by Fellowship Southwest on U.S. and Mexican immigration policy. And he represents CBF and FSW in national immigration advocacy coalitions.

At the commissioning service at CBF's General Assembly in Dallas on Thursday evening, a group of chosen ministry supporters surrounded Elket and laid hands on him, alongside two other women who also received their commissioning.

The CBF Blog quotes Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley's words during the service: “Tonight, we live out an example that was given to the early church in the Book of Acts, when the church sent out the first missionaries. Tonight, our Fellowship commissions these and in commissioning you we charge you to offer all the beautiful and unique gifts that God has given you to cultivate beloved community, bear witness to Jesus Christ and seek transformational development.”

“This is a sacred event,” Baxley continued. “In laying hands on these and inviting all of you to pray, we are going to invite our Fellowship to make the commitment to presence to pray faithfully, give generously, to care deeply, to connect our congregations to the beautiful ministries of these we set apart tonight.

Watch the video below to learn more about the CBF field personnel Christine, Hannah Turner and Elket Rodríguez.