December 4, 2000

Texas camps report record year for
professions of faith in Christ
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___The 30 Texas Baptist encampments recorded record attendance and conversions during the year just ended, according to W.L. "Red" Colquitt, camp consultant for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
___"Things just keep going up and up. We are having the best times of interest and attendance that we have had in many years," he said.
___The encampments recorded attendance of 315,657 in 2000, up from 304,405 last year.
___"We have increased our attendance each year since 1992," Colquitt said, adding that attendance was 293,288 in 1998, 274,970 in 1997, 249,740 in 1996 and 241,243 in 1995.
___He noted the encampments saw a record number of first-time professions of faith this year, with 7,820 people reporting conversion experiences. This compares with 7,487 last year, 7,551 in 1997, 7,137 in 1997, 6,886 in 1996 and 6,597 in 1995.
___"Statistics show that one out of every seven children or young people who attend a camp have a life-changing experience," he said. "They either experience salvation, make a significant recommitment of their lives or surrender for special service."
___The 2000 statistics show 1,101 young people dedicated their lives to special service at the camps, more than double the number who made such decisions five years ago.
___Colquitt said the camps have begun to emphasize altar calls that encourage young people to surrender their lives to Christian vocations.
___The 1,101 who surrendered to ministry careers this year compares with 1,223 last year, 846 in 1998, 517 in 1997, 491 in 1996 and 555 in 1995.
___Rededications amounted to 7,982 in 2000, compared with 8,690 last year, 8,721 in 1998, 7,932 in 1997, 6,387 in 1996 and 6,824 in 1995.
___The camps generally account for about 10 percent of the professions of faith recorded by the BGCT during any given year, Colquitt said.
___"Across the last few years, the figure has ranged from 9 percent to 11 percent of the baptisms recorded by the churches of the convention," he explained. "If that is true this year, we can expect to have somewhere in the range of 78,000 baptisms in the state this year."
___Statistical data from the 6,000 churches and missions affiliated with the BGCT are expected to be available sometime in February, when the church profiles are processed and tabulated.
___Texas Baptist encampments range from the High Plains to the Rio Grande Valley and from the Pineywoods of East Texas to the mountains of New Mexico.

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