November 10, 1999
Churches statewide set
attendance record for Great Day Texas
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___From packing a civic auditorium, to quadrupling attendance, to kissing a pig, Texas Baptists used all sorts of methods to set new records for Bible study attendance the week of Oct. 31.
___Churches reported 785,622 people participating in Bible study from Oct. 25 to 31, according to Phil Miller of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Sunday School/discipleship division.
___That surpassed the previous record--set last year at the 25th anniversary of high attendance Sunday in Texas--of 760,712. This year's goal was 777,777, and the attendance surpassed that, as well.
___Miller gave much of the credit for the new record to associational Sunday School workers and directors of missions, as well as to local church workers.
___This year, the emphasis was changed and given a new name. Previously, the emphasis was called Great Day in the Morning. This year it became Great Day Texas.
___Rather than counting attendance only on Sunday, the emphasis now acknowledges that many churches and missions hold Bible study at times other than Sunday morning. Therefore, anyone who attended during the week of Oct. 25-31 was counted.
___"I think the change is a strong factor in the new record," Miller said.
___The attendance might have been even higher except for inclement weather in some parts of the state, he said.
___The emphasis took many forms.
___In Corpus Christi, Pastor Pete Castro and Minister of Missions Alicia Tijerina brought together all 21 preaching points sponsored by Calvario Bautista Iglesia--which includes 13 mission congregations--at Selena Auditorium for a Sunday morning event promoted as "Celebrate Missions."
___Some had estimated the attendance at 2,000, Castro said, but he selected 1,700 as a "good conservative figure" to report.
___Jeff Fergerson, a Christian recording artist nominated for Grammy and Dove awards, performed. Herb Pederson, director of the BGCT's missions division, preached. At the end of the service, 17 people made first-time professions of faith in Jesus Christ.
___Completely across the state, up in the High Plains town of Anton, Pastor Rush Coffman promised to "kiss a pig" if attendance surpassed the high attendance goal of 175.
___"When it hit 176, I had to pay off," he said, adding the church normally averages about 110 to 115 in attendance. The community lists a population of 1,200, but Coffman isn't sure if that "counts all of the dogs and cats" or not.
___"The goal of 175 was set back in September, and people started to pray about it. The big push has been across the past couple of weeks."
___Coffman, who has been pastor of the church about three years, said the pig he kissed was "a little bitty pig named Petunia."
___"The first two times, I kissed her real fast and the church secretary, Connie Butler, didn't get a picture. So I had to do it again, and the people were wondering if I was liking it too much," he laughed.
___Down in the Permian Basin town of Big Lake, Bethel Baptist Church--which normally averages about 20 in Sunday School--reported a whopping 153 in Sunday School.
___The church called a new pastor Oct. 1 and has seen a "great revival break out," said Jim Medley, pastor of First Baptist Church of Rankin and Sunday School director for Castle Gap Baptist Association.
___"Since Buddy Helms came to be pastor, the attendance has jumped up," he said. "The Sunday before high attendance day, they had 95, so we feel this is a real trend."
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