July 31, 2000
BGCT Laity Institute seeks mentors
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___The first mentors trained by the Texas Baptist Laity Institute are not exactly like the characters in the folk tale--a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker. But close.
___Among those completing the first sessions of training are an artist, an engineer, a saleswoman, an insurance salesman, a writer, an attorney and a couple of retired church workers.
___The Laity Institute was started in 1996 to provide quality educational opportunities to laypeople of churches affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
___It is now up and running, said President Dan Williams, and is seeking individuals to be trained as mentors.
___The first pilot courses have been conducted and evaluated, and the materials are available for the first three classes--"Understanding the New Testament," "Our Heritage in Christian History" and "Understanding our Baptist Heritage." Other classes are in planning stages for launch later in the year.
___"We are still brand-new," Williams told the first training class for mentors, held at Summers Mill Conference Center near Belton.
___"Our idea is to train mentors who will then go back to the churches and associations, where they will train people in small groups as to what it means to be a believer and how to practice their faith," he said.
___Williams added that the concept is to offer challenging course material to help church members grow in their knowledge of Scripture, Baptist distinctives and church history. The courses are aimed at the college level, he said.
___"There are many ways this can occur, with membership drawn from a single church, a group of churches or an association or area. Mentors are asked to recruit their own class members," Williams said, adding that a charge of $100 per parti-cipant, plus a modest amount for materials, makes this an educational bargain. Mentors are paid by the institute.
___Initial classes for mentor training were offered this summer. Several churches will host the classes this fall.
___Other training events are scheduled. The first will be a one-day session from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 26 at First Baptist Church of Richardson.
___Bill Pinson, retired executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, will train mentors to teach Baptist distinctives; Joe Blair, professor at Houston Baptist University, will work with New Testament; and Rosalie Beck, professor at Baylor University, will train mentors in the church history materials.
___Similar training will be offered in a one-day event in Houston in the fall.
___A different kind of training event is scheduled Oct. 6-7 at the Holiday Inn Select at North Central Expressway and Royal Lane in Dallas.
___Rather than training mentors, this event will be a weekend of learning for Baptist laity. Russell Dilday, who recently retired as a professor at Truett Theological Seminary, will teach in the area of biblical interpretation. The retreat will begin at 7 p.m. Friday and end with lunch Saturday.
___Additional information is available by calling Texas Baptist Laity Institute at (214) 820-3935.
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