August 21, 2000
Foundation nurtures Baptist witness in Texas Panhandle
___By George Henson
___Staff Writer
___AMARILLO--Contrary to some reports, there is not a Baptist money tree in Amarillo. For one thing, there aren't many trees in Amarillo.
___But there is a well-nurtured and thriving supplier of funds for a number of Baptist ministries and churches in the Panhandle region.
___High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation was established with proceeds from the merger of High Plains Baptist Hospital and Saint Anthony's Health System in 1996. When the two entities merged, the Baptist hospital's assets were greater than those coming from Saint Anthony's, so Incarnate Word Health System paid Baptist Community Services a sum of money to equal out the two contributions. That money was used to begin the foundation.
___In 1999 alone, the foundation provided more than $200,000 for new church starts. That included 11 church starts in the Amarillo/Canyon area that received monthly support, as well as seven other church starts in the region. These included 11 Hispanic missions, a Chinese mission and a deaf mission.
___The amount given to church starting has grown from $6,250 in 1996 to the current level.
___"We're pleased to do that," said President Tim Holloway. "That's one of the most satisfying parts of my job."
___The foundation has an agreement with the Baptist General Convention of Texas that it will fund any new church start in the area that the BGCT Church Starting Center normally would fund.
___"When the state decides it is something they would support, they turn to the foundation," explained Roy Kornegay, director of missions for Amarillo Baptist Association. "This is a direct savings to Mary Hill Davis offerings that can then be spent in other parts of the state. The people here are very, very grateful."
___The foundation also helps a number of churches with repairs and renovations that could not be done otherwise. Among the 19 projects in 1999 were aiding Bethel Baptist Church in Canyon in making its restrooms and classrooms accessible to the handicapped; helping fund roof repairs for Faith Baptist Church in Amarillo; replacing pews for First Baptist Church in Panhandle after a fire raced through the church; and helping to fund a new air conditioning system for Eastridge Baptist Church in Amarillo. Those repairs and renovations amounted to $108,000.
___This is done primarily through matching grants. The foundation pays the first $1,000 of the project. Whatever amount is left to complete the project is split evenly between the church and the foundation.
___Projects the foundation helps with are not cosmetic things nor are they for churches that can afford to pay for the work themselves, Holloway said. Rather, these grants are for churches that have legitimate needs but cannot come up with the funds to make them happen.
___"A financial statement from the church is required so we can be sure it is something that can't be done without our help," he said. "We do require that they come up with that 50 percent after the initial grant, however, because we think it is a healthy thing for the church to bring something to the table."
___James Rankin, pastor of Eastridge Baptist Church, said the foundation's help with his church was crucial.
___"We went through one summer without air conditioning, and we finally decided we weren't going to be able to replace it on our own," Rankin said. "We went to the Christian Ministries Foundation. Their help was a big encouragement to our church."
___The Foundation also provided $421,000 to other Baptist causes in 1999, including the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation, the Texas Baptist Men Mission Equipping Center, the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions, a retirees' retreat supported by the BGCT, the World Hunger Offering, the Pinson Baptist Distinctives Lectureship and the Edward Schmeltekopf Servant Leader Scholarship.
___In addition, the foundation established a BGCT executive director discretionary fund in the amount of $50,000 per year in honor of Bill Pinson, retired executive director.
___The Foundation also provided Panhandle associations with video projectors and screens and Amarillo Association with $28,000 for a remodeling project.
___In most cases, grants from the foundation don't just free up existing funds to be used elsewhere, they allow projects to be done that would not be done otherwise, Kornegay said.
___Larry Heard, director of missions for Top 'O Texas area, agreed that projects the foundation has funded there chiefly were things not in the association's budget.
___Speaking particularly to the PanFork Encampment projects the Foundation has helped with, he said, "It alleviates our having to jump up and try to take up a special offering."
___The foundation also aided the Baptist Student Ministry at West Texas A&M University and Westark College in Arkansas, among others.
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