wfn.org | ABCUSA: Cox to Transition from Church Planting to Pastorate =20

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Rich.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (Valley Forge, Pa. 7/19/05)--The Rev.
Michael Cox, new church planting vision strategist for National
Ministries, has accepted a call to the pastorate of St. Paul Baptist
Church of Montclair, N.J., a congregation with a rich history among
American Baptist churches.

Cox leaves National Ministries to begin his ministry at St. Paul's this
month. During his seven-year tenure he established the Church Planter
Institute and cast the NEW LIFE 2010 vision for planting 1,010 new
churches by the year 2010, while also strengthening the church planter
assessment process. Cox led the New Life church planting movement and
facilitated more than 250 church plants.

To continue work toward fulfilling the New Life vision, an expanded
church planting team facilitated by the Rev. Dr. Tom Johnson, National
Ministries' new church planting strategist, has been formed. Johnson
participated in the 1998 Summit that proposed the vision for 1,010 new
American Baptist churches.

During his tenure with National Ministries Cox connected church planting
to the revitalization of existing churches as an evangelism strategy.
Dr. David Laubach, associate executive director for new churches,
evangelism and transformation, said, "Michael Cox was a catalyst. His
emphasis on congregational transformation and the spiritual and
relational health of leaders will continue to influence the future of
our church planting movement."

Cox is co-author with Joe Samuel Ratliff of Church Planting in the
African American Community, published by Judson Press in 2002.

St. Paul Baptist Church, founded more than a century ago, has deep roots
in Montclair's African-American community. "I am humbled at the
opportunity to lead this congregation," Cox said. "My vision is to see a
church that has truly enabled its members to discover their gifts, and
exercise those gifts in the transformation of their community."

K/2005ABNS/05ABN80

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA
x2077 / (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org