The BPFNA board orients new members, plans programming, and looks toward the future at Fall meeting
The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America’s (BPFNA) board of directors met at Myers Park Baptist Church from September 19-21, 2013 in Charlotte to orient new board members and set the organizational tone for the upcoming year.
This year, additional challenges face the board as the current five-year plan guiding the organization and mapping its vision will expire at the end of 2014. Therefore, board and staff are hard at work on a strategic planning process to determine the priorities and direction for the organization’s next five-years.
“The Fall meeting is where much of the tone for the upcoming program year is set,” said BPFNA Board President Rev. Dr. Amaury Tañón-Santos. “2014 will continue to bring great challenges and opportunities to the BPFNA and its board particularly in regard to the strategic planning process. Many of us will agree that Baptist movements both in North America and around the world are challenging organizations like ours to a deep introspective look, not only at our structures, but also about our deep sense of being, of purpose and of mission. This is an important moment in the BPFNA’s history.”
Program-wise, the board agreed on the following projects for the remainder of 2013 and 2014:
To continue the focus on Conflict Transformation Training of Trainers events. So far two have been scheduled; one in Northeast India and another in Asheville, NC.
To maintain a relationship with the Mayan Intercultural Seminary (SIM) in Chiapas, Mexico by participating in a regional gathering of peace workers in January, continuing to teach a summer course on peacemaking, and bringing a SIM staffer to teach in the U.S.
To support Archbishop Malkhaz Songulashvili, from the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, in his visit to a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey to minister to the people and bring them food and medical supplies.
To begin laying the groundwork on a plan to successfully provide Spanish-language peace and justice resources and materials.
The Fall meeting also focuses on new member orientation. This year the BPFNA welcomes Alison Amyx (Washington, DC), Fela Barrueto (Valley Forge, PA), Richard Harris (King of Prussia, PA), Sandi John (Chico, CA), Monty Kearse (Charlotte, NC), Mayra Picos-Lee (Wayne, PA), Cody Sanders (Sacramento, CA), and Michael Ware (Rochester, NY).
New board officers began their term at this meeting with Amaury Tañón-Santos (Princeton, NJ) coming on as board president, David Ogilvie (Port Williams, NS) as vice president, Judson Day (Sacramento, CA) continuing as treasurer, and Sandi John (Chico, CA) as secretary.