TOGETHER:
Hispanic Baptist Theological School deserves support
___Not long ago, I sat down with some of our Hispanic Baptist leaders and prepared to share breakfast with them. As the waitress brought our food, Albert Reyes, the new president of our Hispanic Baptist Theological School in San Antonio, gently said: "We will pray before we eat. Is there anything we could pray for you?"
___The lady was startled and then with a sad smile asked us to pray for her family. Albert

CHARLES WADE Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

led us in prayer for our meal, our fellowship and the needs of the woman serving our table. Later, the waitress came by to thank us for praying for her and her family. She said: "God sent you here this morning. You can't know how much this meant to me. Thank you so much."
___I thought to myself, "What a great gift God has given Texas Baptists in Dr. Reyes." This man is wonderfully trained in our Baptist schools. He has been an effective pastor. But now he is where many of us believe God has uniquely prepared and called him to serve.
___For over 50 years, Hispanic Baptist Theological School has trained and equipped Spanish-speaking men and women for mission service, ministry positions and pastoral leadership. A thousand alumni have served or are serving in churches across Texas and the United States. Some are active in ministry in other parts of the world. This school has a worldwide influence.
___But, for all the good the school has done, it must do more if it is to help Texas Baptists meet the needs of Hispanic churches in the next 50 years.
___Albert Reyes speaks of the importance of preparing "the next generation of cross-cultural ministry leaders for the next generation." If we are going to help him and his faculty do that, then we must step forward with our support and prayers.
___The school never has been accredited. It must be. The school never has had an adequate library. It must have one. The school never has had enough financial reserves to pass the standard required for accreditation. It must happen.
___On-site visits from the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board are planned for the fall of 2001 and the spring of 2002.
___Help us get library books to San Antonio.
___HBTS library holdings approximate 28,000 books, but the standard requirement for Bible college libraries is 80,000. You can donate books from your own library. Ask your church library if there are duplicate books available. Network with any source available to you to find suitable books. The books needed are in the area of religion, theology, missions, evangelism, church planting and general studies subjects such as mathematics, biology, science, English, business, history, psychology and cultural anthropology.
___Call Edith Pequeno, librarian, or Jack Chew, academic dean at (800) 721-1396 or (210) 924-4338. They will be able to give you instructions as to how to get the books to them. Hopefully, you can arrange to go there with the books and see the campus yourself. But if not, they will work with you to help get the books to the campus.
___Those of you who know about libraries could volunteer a week to help in the library as they process the books.
___The Texas Baptist family could make a huge difference this spring and summer for this wonderful school and its future. You can touch eternity from here.
___Another way to help is to encourage your church to adopt the "Texas Adopted" Cooperative Program budget, which targets the Hispanic school and our two Texas Baptist seminaries, Truett and Logsdon, for funds to help them meet the challenge of theological education for the new generation of Baptist leaders.
___Finally, you can pray for Albert Reyes and his administration and faculty. Pray for the Timothy Project that is designed to increase enrollment by 100 new students this fall. Pray for the trustees, led by Charles Lee Williamson, one of Texas' greatest mission leaders.
___We are loved.
___

The Baptist Standard