Parts 1 and 2 of this book were written in 1992 by Gene Wilder as part of his D.Min. project. Later, in a self-published work, “A Convention of Contention—A Layman’s Guide to the Southern Baptist Convention Controversy," he parsed his doctoral work into a guide more appropriate for Baptist laypersons. While containing Baptist history, this is not a history book. It seeks to educate readers about denominational matters so they are better equipped to make decisions about future denominational partnerships by examining diverse Baptist roots (part 1) and providing a guidebook to examine the issues and events that led to the conflict within the SBC (part 2).

Part 3 shows how values and convictions that shaped and formed CBF were put into practice in this new movement of God’s Spirit. This section contains historical perspective on CBF (1991–2017) and lifts up the words used to describe the Fellowship during the first 25 years. Part 4 fleshes out the identity work of the 2014–2015 CBF branding campaign, focusing on what it means to shape and form faith in the person of Jesus Christ for the sake of the world. In addition, we unpack key concepts flowing out of the branding process that give shape and form to the future of CBF: “forming together” and “partnering to renew God’s world.”