November 10, 1999

Messengers debate
new Hispanic association
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___EL PASO--How to respond to formation of a new association of Hispanic Baptist churches in North Texas posed a brief dilemma for messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session Nov. 9.
___Moises Perales, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel in Bridgeport, asked messengers to officially recognize Asociacion Bautista Hispana Norte Centro de Texas, a newly formed association of Hispanic churches that spans six existing Baptist associations.
___Perales said the Hispanic churches formed the association across the traditional geographic boundaries of existing associations in order to more effectively support missions and evangelism efforts among Hispanics. The new association hopes to hire a director of missions and would like to get financial support from the BGCT.
___Perales, who serves as moderator of the new association, asked messengers not only to recognize the association but to instruct BGCT leaders to meet with him and other association leaders "to finalize the relationship of this great grassroots vision of Hispanic churches."
___Just the day before, messengers had approved a recommendation to create a committee to study the basis of associational formation. Creation of that committee had been recommended by the BGCT's State Missions Commission in response to formation of the new Hispanic association and another new non-geographic association called the Baptist Association of the Southwest that will include churches in Oklahoma and Louisiana.
___The convention's committee on order of business recommended to messengers that Perales' motion be referred to the previously appointed study committee. But Perales appealed to messengers to act on his request immediately rather than referring.
___"I want to make sure we don't wait a year," he said. "We need to put God's word to work now, not study it."
___By a fairly close margin, the committee's motion to refer then was defeated by a show-of-ballots vote.
___Debate intensified during consideration of the main motion to officially recognize the new association.
___Two associational directors of mission spoke against Perales' motion.
___Rick Hagar of Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association said he knew of no previous action of the BGCT authorizing or supporting a particular association.
___Lewis Lee of San Antonio Baptist Association said passing the motion would be a violation of Baptist polity.
___"This convention has never given approval to any association of churches," Lee said. "To do this today not only violates past precedents, it also sets a precedent for the future that builds a type of Baptist hierarchy."
___But Elojio Puebla, pastor of Primera Bautista Iglesia of Decatur, said leaders of the new Hispanic association had sought to gain recognition "but nobody wanted to hear us."
___The new approach for a Hispanic association across traditional geographic boundaries is "something new we can use for the work of the kingdom of our Lord," Puebla said, citing an ability to unite culturally similar congregations.
___While others still were lined up at microphones to address the issue, time ran out for discussion because it was time for the convention sermon, a fixed order of business. Messengers voted to table the matter until after the sermon.
___When the issue was taken up again, BGCT President Russell Dilday offered an explanation of the dilemma he perceived messengers felt they were in. "I sense messengers are torn between wanting to encourage and not discourage our brothers in North Central Texas while at the same time" not wanting to violate polity.
___He then recognized Perales, who said for the sake of unity he desired to reverse his opposition to referring the motion to the special study committee.
___Messengers quickly and overwhelmingly affirmed the referral.
___The issue of what constitutes an association and how the BGCT relates to associations is a matter of new attention, due to formation of the North Central Texas Hispanic association and the Baptist Association of the Southwest.
___Baptist associations traditionally have been formed along close geographic lines, often county lines. All churches within those geographic boundaries, regardless of ethnicity, have related to the one local association. Although the churches, the associations and the state convention all are autonomous bodies according to Baptist polity, much of the BGCT's work is administered through associations.
___According to the BGCT's constitution, churches relate directly to the state convention without regard to associational membership. However, representation on the BGCT Executive Board is determined through associations.



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