The Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) recently celebrated two decades of impactful ministry at its annual summit, where 2,400 supporters from 46 countries gathered at Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, from September 17-20.
This milestone event highlighted the organization’s ongoing mission to inspire the global Church to care for orphans and vulnerable children.
Founded in 2004 during a gathering of 29 Christian leaders in Little Rock, Arkansas, CAFO began with a shared conviction to mobilize the Church in orphan care. Within just three years, that initial gathering expanded to 500 leaders, reflecting a growing movement.
Since then, CAFO has continued to rally the global Christian community around this cause.
According to the latest data from The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), there were approximately 369,000 children in the U.S. welfare system in 2022, underscoring the critical need for ministries like CAFO.
CAFO President Jedd Medefind opened the summit by urging attendees to align their lives with God’s will. “God’s greatest interest in your life is not about what we can accomplish for Him,” Medefind said in his keynote address. “He could do those things without us. His great interest is in the person you are becoming—growing more like Jesus Christ each day.”
The summit also spotlighted stories of transformation, including the remarkable work of Rev. W.C. Martin and his wife, Donna, from Possum Trot, Texas. In 1996, they adopted four foster children, and their church, Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist, was so moved by their example that 22 families from the congregation adopted 77 children from the county.
Many of these children came from backgrounds of abuse and neglect, but the community's collective response to their needs has become a beacon of hope, inspiring the 2019 film Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.
New worship music was also a highlight of the summit, with the release of three songs—“Faithful to Me,” “Home in the Family,” and “What’s a Father Like”—all written by individuals with personal experiences in adoption and fostering. These songs reflect the heart of CAFO's mission, offering worshipful responses to God’s care for the vulnerable.
Additionally, two new books were launched at the event to equip parents and caregivers with tools to support children facing adversity. Overcoming: What Scripture and Science Say About Resilience, by Drs. Nicole Wilke and Mandy Howard, explores resilience from both biblical and scientific perspectives. Caleb Koala’s Comeback Ride: A Journey to Overcoming, a bilingual picture book written by Wilke and illustrated by Aixa de Lopez, provides a child-friendly approach to understanding overcoming challenges.
As CAFO continues to expand its reach, this summit celebrated not just 20 years of ministry, but also the lives changed and the ongoing mission to serve orphans and vulnerable children around the world.