When I landed in Dallas last Sunday, all I knew about the Texas city was what many others know: it was the site of the assassination of one of America’s most beloved Presidents. Every morning, as I looked out the window of my hotel room, I could see the sixth floor window of the Texas Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal shots that killed John F. Kennedy: a reminder of the despair and sadness of that November day in 1963.

Yet in this city, once the location of time-altering hopelessness and despair, something quite the opposite happened this week: Baptists from across world gathered together to celebrate a great year and to look forward toward a strong future. As these congregational representatives gathered as part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly, we focused on the theme of ‘building bridges’ as we ‘formed together’ as the fellowship that is CBF.

I began such a reunion last Monday as myself and 24 others who make up the 2014-2016 cohort of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Fellows program, gathered together to discuss what’s been happening in our ministries and to learn from seasoned pastors, lay leaders and CBF staff, ways to seek and share Christ as we build bridges in our congregations across the country.

On Tuesday our group traveled to Cliff Temple Baptist Church, a CBF partner congregation who, when faced with the realities of church closure, decided to vision and seek ways that they might impact the community around them instead of locking their doors for good. Again, a light of hope as an unlikely bridge was built from a once exclusive church to the people around them.

Wednesday featured a trip to Wilshire Baptist, another CBF partner congregation, for the Baptist Women in Ministry worship service and dinner. As hundreds of voices sang together in unison the words to “Take My Life and Let it Be,” and as Reverend Julie Pennington-Russell challenged the congregation to be kingdom people who don’t hold back, I was inspired by those present who had stood against great adversity to follow the call of God in their lives. Certainly, bridges have been built as these women called to serve in ministry, have stepped past the walls that have stood in their way to share the hope of Christ with the world.

Thursday and Friday ushered in the annual General Assembly, but also brought news of another city in despair this week. As news reached our gathering that nine people had been murdered inside their Charleston, SC church, we each grappled with how to respond. The CBF staff and others quickly pulled us together as we joined hand in hand to pray for peace and restoration in both the city of Charleston and our world. It seemed impossible that we might be able to do anything from Dallas, but a bridge spanning the miles between us and Charleston was felt and built as our prayers were lifted as we stood united as the Church of Christ.

From workshops covering everything from dancing to transparent dialogue on differing approaches to LGBTQ conversations in our churches to table discussions on things like: religious liberty, church planting, and ministry taking place around the world, bridges were built as our Fellowship formed together and united toward the future, one that is as hopeful as it is bright.

I entered this city one week ago with only knowledge of one of it’s darkest moments. I leave tomorrow knowing that, from this city, God has already begun to build bridges of restoration, freedom, and yes, hope, as the members of this Fellowship return to their churches, homes and cities across the world. Dallas may have once been the site of great despair and sadness, but I leave it tomorrow and return home filled with the hopeful knowledge that Christ continues to move, to restore, and to love the world through the individuals and congregations that make up the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship!