Together for Hope is part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Rural Poverty Initiative.  CBF is a fellowship of churches across the United States who value traditional Baptist beliefs including salvation by grace, through faith; the priesthood of all believers, local church autonomy, and sharing the gospel through word and deed with people throughout the world. 

Rural Poverty Initiative is the Fellowship’s commitment to offer hope in and around the nations poorest counties.  Together for Hope is the mantra which drives this commitment.  Four of these poorest counties, located in South Dakota , are Buffalo , Todd, Shannon , and Ziebach.   These counties are the focus of Together for Hope, High Plains. TFH is CBF’s twenty-year commitment to offer hope by listening to local leaders and others who work among the poor in the nations poorest counties, building relationships of trust, learning about existing resources, and walking alongside them to find solutions.

ABOUT THE FOCUS COUNTIES
American Indian Reservations are located in all four TFH, High Plains counties.  Crow Creek Reservation comprises approximately half of Buffalo County .  Rosebud Reservation is in Todd County .  Shannon County is a part of the Pine Ridge Reservation, and Ziebach County is in the Cheyenne River Reservation.  High unemployment and low income are present in all four counties.   Per Capita Income averages from slightly over $5,000 in Buffalo County to above $7,000 in Todd County .  Alcoholism, diabetes, teen suicide, and alcohol related automobile accidents are also significant and continuing problems.

Being the presence of Christ while respecting and relating to the age old Indian culture of  Lakota people who live in these counties is a major concern.  Past failures to respect the Lakota culture must be overcome.  We seek to live out the gospel while celebrating with the local people their traditions and their culture.