November 17, 1999
Texas Baptists pay tribute to Pinsons
___By Marv Knox
___Editor
___EL PASO--The eyes of Texas Baptists were upon Bill Pinson throughout the 1999 annual session of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, his last as the convention's executive director.
___Pinson, who has been the convention's staff leader since 1983, will retire at the end of January.
___"These past 17 years have been filled with joy because of the blessings of God and thefellowship in the gospel with the marvelous family of Baptists in Texas," Pinson said in his final convention report.
BILL AND BOBBIE PINSON greet well-wishers at a reception held in their honor in El Paso Nov. 8. (Photo by Nan Dickson/ BGCT)
___"The desire to help fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission has consumed us as Texas Baptists," he added. "Two emphases have been the focus of these years: First, to reach the Texas mission field for the Lord Jesus Christ, and second, to strengthen the Texas mission base to partner with others in reaching a lost nation and world for Christ."
___In his report, Pinson chronicled Texas Baptists' accomplishments in the past year. He summarized those achievements in three categories.
___"Texas Baptists are remaining true to our commitment to the living word of God, Jesus Christ, and to the written word of God, the Bible," he began. "True to the foundation on which this body was established, the Baptists related to this convention have affirmed in word and deed that 'Jesus Christ is Lord' (and) have evidenced that the authority for faith and practice is the Bible, the written word of God."
___Second, "Texas Baptists have been prayerfully active in fulfilling the vision God has given us for the last days of the millennium," he added.
___That includes telling the story of salvation through faith in Christ, building up Baptist fellowship, developing "Great Commission churches" and doing missions, he said.
___"Third, we are carrying out the purpose of the Baptist General Convention of Texas," he noted. In particular, this has meant starting and strengthening churches through an array of programs, ministries and relationships, as well as providing cooperative ministries through the agencies and institutions of the convention, he said.
___Three questions have probed him during his tenure at the BGCT helm, Pinson said. "What sort of Texas do I want to leave the generations to follow? ... How faithful am I in obeying the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ? ... What sacrifice amI willing to make to obey the commands of Jesus to leave his kind of Texas for the generations to follow?"
AFTER A LONG DAY of celebration, Zachary Hopgood, grandchild of Bill and Bobbie Pinson, takes refuge in the arms of Don Brown, director of missions in Collin Baptist Association. (Photo by Melody Loggins/BGCT)
___"I realize how much I owe to the sacrifice of others--to the sacrifice of the generations who preceded us and especially to the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ," he said. "I want to live a Jesus kind of life and develop Jesus kind of churches. ...
___"The best is yet to be as we move into a new decade, century and millennium with new leadership and renewed vision. To God be the glory; great things he will do."
___The program also featured a video presentation of Pinson's life, titled "The Pinson Years," as well as tributes from longtime friends and colleagues. During his tenure, Texas Baptists baptized more than 1 million people and started thousands of churches despite severe economic recession and almost constant conflict among Southern Baptists across the country.
___Pinson provided the right kind of leadership at the right time, declared Paul Powell, former president of the Southern Baptist Annuity Board and president of the new Texas Baptist Leadership Center.
___"Perhaps the most significant thing about Bill is that while some said he moved too slowly and was too conciliatory and others said he moved too fast and was too compromising, the fact is he held us together during some of the most turbulent times in our history," Powell said.
___"The fact we are here, the fact that we're together--still united--are testimonies to his astute statesmanship."
___Pinson leaves "a tremendous legacy for Texas Baptists to follow," added Winfred Moore, distinguished professor of religion at Baylor University. "His conviction and commitment and his involvement and passion for missions will be a lighthouse guiding us into the 21st century."
___Pinson also received recognition at two meetings held in conjunction with the BGCT annual session.
___Texas Baptist Men bestowed its Parabaloni Award on Pinson and BGCT Treasurer Roger Hall. The award honors "God's risk takers" in missions support.
___Woman's Missionary Union of Texas honored both Pinson and his wife, Bobbie, for their 17 years of leadership in the state. WMU contributed $1,700 in the Pinsons' honor to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions and the Bobbie Pinson Ministry Fund and an additional $1,700 as a personal gift.
___The entire Pinson family were guests of honor at a Monday evening reception, attended by most of the 2,300 messengers to the annual session.
___Jerilynn Armstrong of the Southern Baptist Annuity Board and Orville Scott of Texas Baptist communications contributed to this article
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