The
Center for Christian Growth Grew
From An Expressed Need!
The
Center for Christian Growth and Development is an answer to
many expressions of concern and inquiries about church
leader training. In
January of 1996 a "Listening Team" from the
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina spent several
days in West Chowan Association visiting churches,
interviewing pastors, talking with church leaders, and
listening to suggestions from laypersons.
One of the most consistently stressed concerns was
for more and better training for ministers and lay leaders
in the churches. The
state convention listening team continued to meet
periodically with the associational council, the director of
missions and other interested people.
Concern of associational and church leaders for
on-going, regular training grew.
By mid-1997 a work team of concerned individuals
began to emerge. This team met to brainstorm and plan, and
to begin drafting a proposal.
Consensus developed early for a regional
training center to serve several associations across
northeastern North Carolina and Southern Virginia. After
many months of thinking and praying, and hours in meetings
and discussions, the Center for Christian Growth and
Development emerged.
Now in is 7th year of ministry, CCG&D
continues adding new training ministries as needs are
identified.
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Wayne Proctor Appointed Executive Director of
Center for Christian Growth and Discipleship. Read about
this exciting recent development to enhance the ministries
of the Center. Click
here.
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Getting started - A message from
Dr. Stan Lott, Retired President, Chowan College
Dr. Lott gave
energetic and enthusiastic support
during his administration at Chowan College. He
participated vigorously in during several months of
discussion and prayer leading to the establishment of the
Center for Christian Growth and Development. In
addition, he made meeting space available and provided
helpful advice and counsel. The Center's leadership
is very grateful for Dr. Lott's contributions to the
Center's beginnings and ministries. Dr. Lott retired
in May, 2003, and now lives in Louisiana. In the photo
below, Dr. Lott is shown standing in front of the
beautiful, historic Columns Building, at the center of the
Chowan College Campus in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.
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Dr. Lott said: "Baptists have a rich
history in northeastern North Carolina.
In 1848, the Chowan Baptist Association led
in the establishment of Chowan College.
For over 150 years this historic institution
has been a partner to Baptist churches in this
region. As we enter the 21st Century, Our
Baptist witness in northwestern North Carolina faces
new challenges and needs new resources.
When I became president of Chowan in 1996, I
recognized that the college had the potential and an
obligation to be a resource for Baptists in our
region. I
am deeply grateful that the Baptist State Convention
and local associations had the vision to establish
the Center for Christian Growth and Development in
partnership with Chowan College."
-- Dr. Stan Lott, Retired President
of Chowan College.
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Coordinating Council Officers
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For
additional information,
contact these people:
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Wayne Proctor,
Executive Director. Phone:
252-312-9910. Email:
twp7nba@yahoo.com |
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Tommy Speight, Chairperson. Phone
252-332-3235, Email:
tommy@mywebaccess.net
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Chris
Farrior, Vice Chairperson.
252-792-3358, Email: farriorhsd009@earthlink.net
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Nancy Greene, Secretary. Phone:
757-242-4131, Email:
blackwater1@verizon.net
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Willie McLawhorn, Treasurer.
Phone: 252-585-1752,
Email:
wamclawhorn@yahoo.com
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Mark
Sanders, Curriculum.
252-4450-3310.
Email:
uncpreachaboy@aol.com |
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Robert
Stewart, Publicity 1-919-851-9120 Email:
rstewart55@nc.rr.com
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ASSOCIATIONAL
OFFICES
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Contributions
. . . Contributions
to the ministries of the Center for Christian Growth
are appreciated. Make checks payable to: "Center
for Christian Growth, " and mail to CCG&D P. O.
Box 354, Murfreesboro, NC 27855. Receipts for
every gift is
sent to the donor. Gifts to the Center qualify as tax
deductible gifts to a non profit organization. Your
gifts can make possible additional conferences and
ministries for pastors and lay leadership in the
churches all across northeastern North Carolina and
southeastern Virginia. In addition, gifts can
provide scholarships for needy church leaders to
take advantage of conferences for which a fee is
required. Here are samples of how
your gifts can be used or designated:
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$25 - Scholarship for one
pastor or lay leader to attend a SkillTrack
Seminar.
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$50 - Two SkillTrack
scholarships, or brochure mailing to pastors to
publicize a training event.
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$100 - Four SkillTrack
scholarships, or expenses for a seminar or
conference leader, or expenses to mail publicity
piece to lay-leaders in the 6 associations.
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$500 - Will allow 50 ministers
or church lay leaders to receive up to $10 each
toward expenses of selected training and
self-improvement events. The donor may
specify which events to support.
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$10,000 as an
endowment through the North Carolina Baptist
Foundation (or similar agency) can assure an
ongoing ministry in your name for years to come.
Contact the North Carolina Baptist Foundation at
web site:
http://www.ncbaptistfoundation.org/index.html
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201 Convention
Drive
Cary, North Carolina 27511-4257
919.380.7334 or 1.800.521.7334
Fax: 919.460.6334
For additional information
about funding and contributions, please contact
Center Director Wayne Proctor,
252-312-2951. Email:
twp7nba@yahoo.com
For other information about the Center's
ministries, contact Council Chairperson,
Tommy Speight,
Email:
tommy@mywebaccess.net
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Gloria Barnes Cites Value of Seminary
Extension Course
Gloria Barnes and her husband, Johnnie, are church planters
in Plymouth, NC. This
is part of her testimony about the value of attending
Seminary Extension courses.
“ Having great Bible
knowledge is very important to me. Ever since our first
church plant in Wilson, NC at Glory Baptist, I have desired
to get a degree in Theology, but this was always impossible
because of finances and a lack of time. But at the beginning
of this year, God made it possible. In January, Johnnie and
I enrolled in a Seminary Extension program under the
leadership of Dr. Jim Hagwood.”
“ I encourage everyone who
has opportunity to attend seminary extension to do so. I
promise you that your life will never be the same. God wants
us to have knowledge. Knowledge of the Word teaches you how
to have a servant's heart.”
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Tractors
& Mule Teams
in
Church?
By
Bert Kirk, Pastor Seaboard Baptist Church & CCGD
Coordinating Council Member
Have
you seen a mule team at work lately? What used to be a
common sight not too many years ago is now a rarity. This
phenomena is unusual given the widespread use of mules at
the turn of the 20th century. Farmers back then could not
have imagined that mules would be obsolete in just a few
short decades. In their day, mules were essential for
planting, cultivating, and harvesting a crop. If a farmer
wanted to succeed he had to have the services of a mule or
two. Now the only people who use mules to farm are the
history buffs who like doing things the old fashion way.
Well, we know what replaced the mule as the mainstay
on the farm. When the tractor came upon the scene it soon
became the preferred method for planting, cultivating, and
harvesting a crop. Any farmer who was serious about farming
had to change to the tractor or he would be out of business.
However, for all the differences between mule teams and
tractors there are several similarities. They still perform
the same basic functions of tilling the land, sowing the
seed, and gathering the harvest. Also, just as a mule team
was a necessity in its day so a tractor is a necessity
today.
Why am I talking about mule teams and tractors? I
believe there is a lesson here that all churches need to
learn. We need to look at our methods of sowing the seed of
the gospel and bringing in the spiritual harvest. Are we
using the methods of a past generation which were great in
their day but are now obsolete because of the changes in our
society? The Apostle Paul understood the principle of
adapting to the culture in order to spread the gospel. In 1
Cor. 9:22 he writes, "I have become all things to all
men so that by all possible means I might save some."
Notice, he changed his method but not his message. Just as
the tractor provided a more effective method for farming but
did not change the basic functions of farming, so Paul made
changes in his methodology to see that the gospel would
spread. Though he tailored his outreach to the culture, he
did so without compromising the integrity of the gospel.
Are you doing church with
mule team methodology?
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