The CMBA Advisory Team is comprised of volunteer pastors and church members who meet throughout the year to celebrate how God is working, share church and ministry needs, and conduct business on behalf of the association. During the January Advisory Team meeting Associational Missions Strategist Jamie Rogers invited members to serve on smaller teams to help address the primary focuses that CMBA has in support of churches. As of April 1, these focus teams have already met several times to begin this work.

“These focus teams have already allowed for us to hear more from our churches, as the Advisory Team members can speak to CMBA church staff and congregational needs. This helps our association to truly be an association, which is what I love about it. We are utilizing our churches to help drive what the association is doing together,” Rogers says.

The following members serve in these focus areas:

Church Health & Resources Focus Team – Doug Barnett, Joe Copeland, Bill Crews, Freddy Johnson, and Brenda Sheets

Pastoral Care Focus Team – Phyllis Gutierrez, Andre Rogers, and Ed Stewart

Church Missions Focus Team – Andre Melvin, Yvonne Murray, and Alfredo Vargas, with Ryan Dupree and Allison Miller, serving as at-large members

Rogers reports that each team has already generated many suggestions and ideas for collaboration and support from the association. The Community Missions Focus Team, for example, has recommended adding a page on the CMBA website that lists CMBA churches and community partners that accept food pantry donations, among other need-based services. According to Rogers, this is one way that CMBA can serve churches by consolidating these ministries for churches looking to partner or for individuals who want to donate. CMBA will be adding this information to the association’s website in the coming days.

For more information about how to serve on the Advisory Team or to communicate ideas or needs to the focus teams working on behalf of CMBA churches, email Office@ColumbiaMetro.org.