Communities
Communities
Alliance communities gather around a common affinity or passion. A community is birthed when one or more Alliance members feel called to a particular ministry or area of interest. This member (or members) then “sounds the call” to form a community in order to organize for ministry and action. The goal is to provide a place of belonging for Alliance members who seek a wider engagement with the Church and the world. “Sounding the call” for new communities traditionally take place near the Annual Gathering. If you are interested in sounding the call for a new community, contact info@allianceofbaptists.org for more information.
Below is a list of our active communities and information about each community.
If you would like to join one of our communities, please fill out this form.
Fostering church to church partnership and nurturing the relationship between the Alliance of Baptists and the Alianca do Brasil.
Facilitator: David Gooch
Our community is guided by the Alliance’s statement on Environmental Justice, “Earth: A Beloved Community.”
We seek to promote a theology, practice, and proclamation of earth justice through the following means:
1. We will preach, teach, and live a theology of Beloved Community.
2. We will respond pastorally to the fear and grief of climate catastrophe.
3. We will engage in personal and corporate spiritual disciplines in the consumption of resources.
4. We will join our voices as a collective witness in the public arena as an echo of Christ’s call for just relations among all of creation.
If you are interested in joining our community, email us at creationjusticealliance@gmail.com and join our Facebook group.
Facilitators: Sarah Macias and Betsy Sowers
Given the Alliance’s commitment to its partnership with the Fraternity of Baptists in Cuba and to improving US policy toward Cuba, this community serves to promote and support the establishment of more partnerships between the churches of both countries. We facilitate communication and collaboration among Alliance churches that have existing sister churches in Cuba. Additionally, the community serves to inform the wider Alliance community about US policy issues affecting Cuba, its people, and US citizens, encouraging active participation when appropriate.
Facilitator: Stan Dotson
The Alliance has penned a letter to the FIBAC of solidarity and support (at this link), and FIBAC leaders have also shared a letter of solidarity (at this link). Please read these letters and share them with your congregation to encourage them to pray for and advocate for an ending to the Cuban blockade.
Advocating and networking for clergywomen across denominations and cultures, connecting them to clergy positions for the transformation of church and society, as well as addressing injustices preventing women from entrance into these positions.
Facilitators: Sheila Sholes-Ross and Jann Aldredge-Clanton.
This community seeks to provide support and resources to those in the Alliance that encounter, work with, or have a passion for the homeless in our neighborhoods. We will work with groups inside and outside our Alliance who are committed to developing and implementing strategies to prevent and end homelessness. We will promote health, hope, and dignity for the homeless and under-served with whom we engage. We will honor, support, and build the various gifts and callings that arise from our Alliance to respond to the needs of these, seeking every means available to offer the cup of cold water. We recognize the overlap of passion and heart with other Alliance communities and we will support each other as possible as we commit to finding ways to serve these whom God loves so dearly.
Facilitator: Mary Bradley
This community seeks to follow the model of the 1st Century Jesus by “speaking truth to power” in 21st Century Palestine and Israel. The pursuit of justice is based on building meaningful relationships between and among all people, using the definition given to us by Martin Luther King, Jr., “Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” This community works for justice in Palestine and Israel by raising awareness about the current situation there, sponsoring trips/pilgrimages to the Holy Land, networking with other like-minded faith-based groups, and advocating the pursuit of justice with elected policymakers. We believe that if justice exists, peace will be found.
Facilitator: Leslie Withers
Can “advocacy” in the political world be a spiritual practice? For some of us, the work of advocacy is our response to God’s call to discipleship. The Peace & Justice Community works with ecumenical and interfaith groups that advocate for peace and justice on Capitol Hill. We will share our information with Alliance members through the ClearVoice network and other resources. Join us in working for those whose voices are not heard in our political discourse, or to help the Alliance lift its voice for peace & justice, or to work ecumenically for justice in our land and in our time.
Facilitator: Carol Blythe
Mindful of the reality that we live in a racialized society and that our institutions often reflect this racialization, the Alliance of Baptists has made historic commitments to promote racial reconciliation, diversity and multiculturalism. This commitment requires the ongoing leadership of the members and staff of the Alliance. The Community for Racial Justice & Multiculturalism cultivates leaders and shepherds the work of building a multicultural organization committed to racial justice and reconciliation in our congregations, ministries and the broader society.
Contact: info@allianceofbaptists.org
A community of Black/African-descendent leaders within the Alliance of Baptists committed to creating community, cultivating spiritual/leadership formation, and conjuring prophetic action to support the mission and vision of the Alliance of Baptists.
Facilitator: Michael-Ray Mathews
The Mayan Intercultural Seminary is a non-denominational theological school that seeks to prepare pastoral leaders to respond to the context in which they live and service. SIM is committed to nurturing peace through nonviolence means, bridging cultural divides, and expanding values of the household of God including equity, justice, inclusivity, dialogue, human integrity, reciprocity and a sense of vocation. This community group seeks to continue to build strong partnerships with SIM.
Facilitators: Colin Holtz, Allen Jones and Eugenia Reyes
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