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CBFVA met today at First Baptist in Ashland, VA. I didn't see any other BL folks, so I'll give a brief report. There was a good spirit among attendees, and Field Coordinator, Rob Fox, provided an upbeat report of increasing revenues and increasing attendance at Mission Madness, the Youth Retreat, Mission on the Move, and through the Hispanic ministry sponsored last year. CBFVA adopted a partnership with CBF Field Personnel in Macau and are planning a trip for 10 leadership people to Macau in 2013 to strengthen that partnership. Everyone at the General Assembly completed a personal card to share with the Chinese who are participating in the work in Macau. The keynote address was given by Dr. Rodger Nikiosha of Columbia Seminary in Atlanta--an excellent address focusing of wny and how churches grow and the factors that determine this. Very thoughtful presentation. He will also be teaching on Saturday at First Baptist in Richmond with their Sunday School leadership. Breakouts, a business session, and worship closed the afternoon.

I was pleased to be there and enjoyed getting in touch with some special people in my life. Last night, I ate with Leon and Nancy Castle. Leon was Minister of Education and Youth in my home church when I was a teenager and had a lot of influence on me.

Patrick Anderson, Interim Coordinator of CBF national, spoke also to the morning session. He shared some of his convictions that the changes in CBF in terms of personnel are setting the stage for a new empowerment for the national organization. He also addressed some of the plans and implementation of the Task Force Report adopted this year, especially as it relates to partnerships along the Atlantic seaboard. (Know Sandy won't agree, but some folks are defintely upbeat believing that departures and new faces offer a renewal opportunity for the work of CBF.) I'm grateful I could be there.

Thanks for the report.

I have not given up on CBF, just wish I knew how to encourage it to be more than it is.

Right now I think that CBFVA and CBFNC are the two most exciting CBF state groups. It needs more local and state activity, not just that from the Atlanta staff.

Ed I believe nearly everyone other than a few very conservative Christian groups will accept a Welcoming and Affirming position in the next 20 years unless they are dead. The impression I have of the Y Generation and the Millennials is that they don't even get why the "older folks" are still fight about this. Even if they aren't very much in favor of same sex marriage trend seems to be that the opposition will be personal and not extend to trying to prevent anyone else from practicing same sex marriage or accepting it. Most of the younger generation expects this change and figures that when you and I either retire or pass on the fight will be over, in the US at least.

In fact I've talked with quite a few young people who aren't that vocal about same sex marriage in part because they figure they'll just wait out the older generation and then reshape their church/denomination when they take the reigns. They are that sure it is going to happen.

Sandy, I've seen stats some months ago that that even younger evangelicals have different views on homosexuality than their older counterparts. My guess is that the shift in views will happen even among evangelicals but it will take longer and I'm guessing it will happen in non-denominational churches first because they have no official doctrinal stances that they can't just change at the local level.

Whenever the change of views becomes the norm in general society it could negatively effect conservative churches seeking to get younger membership. I already know young adults who won't attend a church where the local church takes a hardline stance on same sex marriage.

This Pew survey is informative. http://features.pewforum.org/same-sex-m ... slide2.php

IEd: Sandy you may very have possibly be close to the 30 year outcome. But I have an idea that the next two years will tell us a lot more about the direction of CBF than have the last five. In recent years I have been encouraged by the increasing numbers of young folk showing up at the national assemblies. I do how ever have some concerns about about a number of 40 to 60 year olds moving into leadership through out the church (including many evangelicals) who have bought into the Rainbow Coalition's guilt trip and want to excuse homosexuality.. Christianity has always been a minority and the attempts at accommodation will not improve that. I am afraid that Lifeway and Barna are part of the problem by either nor asking the right questions and/or putting the wrong spin on their analysis .

I am hopefull that CBF and ABC-USA leadership who thus far have rejected the numbers game pressure, and maintain our stance that homosexuality is not acceptable to God, and will stand firm. I hope to have greater optimism by the 4th of July, after attending the national meetings of each of those two groups.