March 3, 1999

Texas literature to premiere in one year
___By Marv Knox
___Editor
___DALLAS--"Biblically based, Texas-focused" Bible study literature will be produced by the Baptist General Convention of Texas, beginning one year from now.
___Messengers to the 1997 BGCT annual session approved publication of the material. The proposal was part of a slate of recommendations suggested by the Effectiveness/Efficiency Committee, which had surveyed all the state convention's programs and operations.
___The approved recommendation directs "that literature and other resources for Sunday school, discipleship training, missions organizations and other Bible study groups be developed as either a supplement to existing materials or a substitute for existing materials for those who so choose."
___The recommendation also stipulates the materials should "provide information on Baptist missions, with a special emphasis on Texas Baptist missions; Baptist distinctives; stewardship; ethics; and other subjects."
___The literature project has been developed by the BGCT Sunday school/discipleship division. The Effectiveness/Eff-iciency Funding Committee and Administrative Committee recently authorized spending up to $250,000 for the development, production and distribution of literature, which will be released for use beginning in March 2000, Mateo Rendon, chairman of the Administrative Committee, told the BGCT Executive Board last week.
___"In keeping with (its) commitment to the churches and the Great Commission, the BGCT is preparing distinctive Bible study materials for Baptist churches in Texas who have expressed a desire for additional resources and who choose to utilize them," said Rendon, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Corpus Christi.
___"The materials will be different from any currently available in that they will be undated, deal with Bible books and provide information on the challenge of the Texas, national and worldwide mission fields and on the resources of the BGCT to help meet that challenge," he said. "The materials will be written by persons from Texas Baptist churches and will focus on Baptist principles, polity and beliefs."
___Publication of the materials does not signal that the Texas convention is forming a "publishing house," despite critics' claims to the contrary, Rendon said.
He noted several safeguards to protect the convention from moving deeper into the publication business:
___ Cooperative Program unified budget funds will not be used to print and distribute the materials, he said.
___ After the market for the literature develops, it is to be produced on a "cost-recovery" basisññwith subscription fees paying for publication. This is to be done "as soon as possible," probably within three years, he said.
___ Rather than expand the BGCT staff to accommodate "publishing house" business, the convention is working with Ross West, a veteran Bible study curriculum developer. West will design and edit the materials on a contract basis and will not join the convention staff.
___West is president of Positive Difference Communications and coordinator for Christian Education Resources, both of Rome, Ga. He also is part-time associate pastor for education and outreach at Garden Lakes Baptist Church in Rome. He is a former Bible study materials editor for the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board and has a doctorate from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
___ Writers will be well-known, reliable Texas Baptists--people in whom Texas Baptist churches have confidence, Rendon said.
___ Materials will be printed in non-dated quarterlies. Teachers and pupils will study from the same materials, although teachers also will have access to other materials that suggest teaching procedures.
___ The literature primarily will be designed for adult Sunday school, but it will be applicable for study at other times.
___Texas Baptist churches will determine the extent of the use of the new literature, said Bernie Spooner, director of the BGCT Sunday school/discipleship division.
___"In Baptist life, churches are free to use whatever resources they choose," Spooner said. "Hopefully, those churches who are not using Southern Baptist Convention curriculum as well as those currently using non-Baptist curriculum will consider using these materials, prepared especially for use by Texas Baptists for Texas Baptists."
___These announced plans for producing new literature represent a good "beginning place" to accomplish what the Effectiveness/Efficiency Committee intended, said Ferris Akins of Ballinger, who chaired that committee.
___"We envisioned literature written by Texas Baptists, for Texas Baptists and accountable to Texas Baptists," he said. "We also envisioned a biblically based literature, and that should include all the doctrines that most Texas Baptists cherish: priesthood of the believer, competency of every soul to approach God, a free church in a free state, the truthfulness of the Bible, salvation by God's grace through man's faith, which means 'whosoever will may come.' We also envisioned a strong missions emphasis, both worldwide and the Texas mission field. It was our thinking and still is that many churches will get little missions teaching unless it is included in the Bible study material on Sunday morning."

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