EDITORIAL:
Eternity awaits new Texas churches
___Here are two words for Texas Baptists who are serious about reaching our state with the gospel of Jesus: Start churches.
___Texas Baptists worked hard to do just that during the past century. One hundred years ago, the Baptist General Convention of Texas counted about 3,000 affiliated churches. Last year, that number had increased to 5,975.
___However, the state has grown much faster than Baptists have been able to start churches. In 1900, Texas was home to 3 million people. Today, about 20 million people live here. If our congregational growth had kept pace with the population base, we would have 20,000 churches-- more than three times the current number.
___As a new century dawns, Texas Baptists are taking a long, prayerful look at closing the gap between 10 million unchurched Texans and the churches we need to reach them. For a thorough explanation of this challenge, see Managing Editor Mark Wingfield's package of articles, "New Needs/ New Churches."
___This Sunday, March 19, is Start-A-Church Commitment Day in the Baptist General Convention of Texas. It marks a time for each of us in each of our churches to take stock. We need hundreds, even thousands, of new churches for several reasons:
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New churches are crucial to the goal of evangelizing the state. Missions strategists and evangelism specialists confirm that new churches are most effective at reaching unchurched people and leading them to faith in Christ. So, as long as the ratio of congregations to Texans continues to widen, the more futile will be our claims to share our faith with every person inside our borders.
___ Many areas of Texas are under-churched. That may seem like an odd assertion about "the buckle of the Bible belt." In some communities, a Baptist steeple seems to stretch skyward on every-other corner. But it's true. In many places, particularly our fast-growing urban and suburban areas, the number of churches lags far behind the burgeoning growth. For many Texans, a Baptist church is not readily available.
___ Countless Texans do not have access to a Baptist church they would even consider visiting. This reflects demographics, sociology, economics and taste. Admittedly, some observers might claim people shouldn't be concerned with those issues when they think about church. But we're talking about the real world here. We're fooling ourselves if we think unchurched people will approach us on our terms. Our churches must express care, concern and affinity for them. So, we must start churches in which they instinctively know they are wanted and welcome.
___ Millions of Texans do not have access to churches where they can worship in a language they understand. Texans speak about 100 languages; Baptists worship in about 42. If we hope to reach these mostly new Texans whose hearts resonate with those 58 other tongues, we need to find them and offer them worship. Moreover, we need to work hard to start even more churches that worship in Spanish. Our Hispanic brothers and sisters have done a wonderful job of launching congregations, but they need help as the numbers of Hispanic newcomers multiply.
___ "A rising tide lifts all boats." Strange as it may seem, some Baptists fear new churches. They're afraid of competition and declining numbers in their own churches. This is selfish thinking unworthy of evangelistic, missions-minded Christians. First, the most aggressive church-starting congregations demonstrate that their efforts beyond their walls do not harm their own ministries. Second, to the contrary, missions-minded congregations do a better-than-average job of staying attuned to the needs of people and thus remaining open, evangelistic and growth-oriented themselves.
___Wherever you live in Texas, you're probably near a place that needs a new church. Very likely, it will look and sound very different than your church. But if people who look and sound very different than the people in your church are going to have a place where they can experience the love and the grace of God in their lives, we must provide them with those opportunities. Urge your church--through your pastor and the missions committee--to consider helping to start a church. It's not only an investment in Texas; it's an investment in God's kingdom.
___ Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com.
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