February 5, 2001
Hispanics kick off conference with crusade
___By Ferrell Foster
___Texas Baptist Communications
___SAN ANTONIO--While much of the world watched the Super Bowl on television, about 2,000 Hispanic Texans gathered to hear the gospel preached in Spanish on Sundaynight, Jan. 28. Forty made decisions to follow Christ.
PEOPLE GATHER at the altar to pray as evangelist Luis Palau conducts a one-night evangelistc crusade at First Baptist Church of San Antonio. Forty people made professions of faith in Christ at the event, held the night before the Baptist General Convention of Texas Evangelism Conference. (Photo by Ferrell Foster)
___Luis Palau, a worldwide evangelist from Argentina, preached a one-night evangelistic crusade at First Baptist Church of San Antonio on the night before the Baptist General Convention of Texas Evangelism Conference. Crusade organizers brought extra chairs to the auditorium, but many people still had to stand along the auditorium's walls.
___Palau presented the gospel with both gravity and humor, telling his testimony and other stories along with the simple truth of salvation through Christ.
___In addition to the 40 professions of faith, 20 people recommitted their lives to Christ and five others reported a call to special service, said Wayne Shuffield of the BGCT's evangelism division.
___The two-hour service also featured music provided by a praise team put together fromvarious Hispanic churches in the San Antonio area. The team included nine singers and eight musicians, plus a 100-voice choir.
MORE than 2,600 Texas Baptists participated in the Hispanic Evangelism Conference.
___The next day, at least 2,600 people heard Palau and other speakers at the Hispanic Evangelism Conference. A team of Hispanic leaders from across the state planned both events, and the Mexican Baptist Association of San Antonio encouraged the participation of area churches, Shuffield said.
___In recent years, the BGCT Evangelism Conference has been held in Fort Worth. Its move to San Antonio this year brought with it other related meetings, such as the Hispanic Evangelism Conference.
___"I think it probably would not have happened like it did" if the events had not been held in San Antonio, Shuffield said of the successful Hispanic events.
___Having 40 people profess faith in Christ at the crusade made all the changes worthwhile, he said.
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