about us
A place where your faith and your calling belong together.
Most nurses know the feeling of leaving part of themselves at the door. You step into a shift and the spiritual dimension of who you are—the part that drew you to this work in the first place—doesn't always have a place to land. The patient in front of you is a whole person. So are you. But the systems around you weren't built with that in mind.
Baptist Nursing Fellowship exists for nurses and other healthcare professionals who want a community that understands both sides of that. We are a fellowship of believers who take their clinical work seriously and their faith seriously, and who believe those two things were never meant to be separated.
who we are
Fellowship. Education. Missions.
BNF has been bringing Christian nurses together since 1983. We began as a compassion ministry of the Woman's Missionary Union, and our roots in missions have always shaped who we are. Today we are a national organization with members across the country and connections to nurses serving around the world.
What makes us different from a professional association is the fellowship. What makes us different from a church is that we understand the particular weight of healthcare work—the moral complexity, the physical and emotional exhaustion, the moments of profound grace that happen at a bedside and can't quite be explained in a clinical note. We are people who get what you're carrying, because we're carrying it too.
We gather to encourage one another, to grow as clinicians and as people of faith, and to connect nurses who feel called to serve beyond the walls of their own hospital or clinic. Whether that means going to another country or serving right where you are, BNF helps you find your place in something bigger.
our mission
Baptist Nursing Fellowship exists to empower, educate, and encourage nurses and healthcare professionals to fulfill Christ's mission through their healing skills.
That means something different for every person who joins us. For some it's the community, finding people who share your faith and understand your work. For others it's the education, which weaves clinical content and spiritual formation together in a way you won't find anywhere else. For many it's the missions connection, whether that's a short-term trip abroad, a local service project, or simply knowing that the work you do every day is part of something that spans the globe.
We're also the only Christian nursing fellowship with a primary focus on medical missions. That's not a small distinction. It shapes everything we do.
what members experience
BNF is not asking you to add another obligation to an already full life.
You can engage as much or as little as your season allows. Some members come for a quarterly webinar and find exactly what they needed. Others get deeply involved in committees, regional gatherings, or international mission work. Many start with the website, follow along for a while, and eventually show up to the Summit and realize they'd found their people.
What draws people in and keeps them coming back is the fellowship. The connection between a newer nurse and a veteran who's been through something similar. The retired missionary sharing what she's seen. The prayer experience where someone on the other side of the country says exactly what you've been feeling. BNF is a place that reminds you that you are part of something much larger than your shift, your unit, or your own story.
Hear from the community.
meet the team
BNF is led by nurses, for nurses.
Our executive team and volunteer leaders give their time because they believe in this community and what it makes possible.
lead officers
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Charolette Rock
PRESIDENT EMERITA
Email Charolette -
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Libby Mahaffey
PRESIDENT-ELECT
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Marilyn Graves
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/TREASURER
Email Marilyn
executive team
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Kaye Bender
Education Team Leader
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Sherri Chatman
Missions Team Leader
Email Sherri -
Debby Akerman
Resource Development Team Leader
Email Debby -
Connie Jeffreys
Communication Team Leader
Email Connie -
Donna Rodgers
Prayer & Faith Team Leader
Email Donna -
Regina M. Ogden
Leadership Recruitment Team Leader
Email Regina
our partners
We don’t do this alone.
BNF is a compassion ministry of the Woman's Missionary Union. We partner closely with the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board to connect nurses with mission opportunities, and with the Baptist Medical Dental Fellowship as fellow believers serving at the intersection of healthcare and faith.
ready to find your people?
Whether you're brand new to BNF or you've been away for a while and feel like it might be time to reengage, you are welcome here. We're here when you're ready.