May 7, 2001

BGCT missions study committee
recommends modest changes
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___Although expressing significant concerns about some aspects of missions work done by the Southern Baptist Convention, a study committee of the Baptist General Convention of Texas has recommended few changes on the BGCT's part.
___The most significant recommendation of the BGCT's Missions-sending Agencies

_ The complete text of the Missions-sending Agencies Study Committee is available on our website here.

Study Committee report, released May 3, is to retain in Texas about $1.28 million of Cooperative Program money that is sent to the North American Mission Board and then spent by NAMB in Texas.
___Such a concept already is practiced by the Mississippi Baptist Convention.
___Making this change would not constitute "defunding," the committee's report says, "but simply is administering more efficiently that portion of Texas funds which would be returned to Texas under the current agreement."
___The BGCT would continue to forward to NAMB about $4.6 million in Cooperative Program funds for use in North American missions outside Texas. This would not decrease Texas funding of mission work outside Texas.
___The committee cites numerous concerns about the effectiveness and efficiency of NAMB, which was created by a merger of the SBC's former Home Mission Board, Brotherhood Commission and Radio & Television Commission in 1997.
___The mission study committee's report does not recommend any change in funding for the SBC's International Mission Board. Nor does it recommend adding any direct BGCT funding of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
___The 19-member committee, created by vote of messengers attending the BGCT annual session in 1999, is chaired by Jim Denison, pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.
___Denison presented the committee's final report to the BGCT Administrative Committee in Dallas May 4. The same report, along with any additional input from the Administrative Committee, will be presented to the BGCT Executive Board May 22.
___The report strikes a much more cautious tone than many critics of the BGCT had predicted. Its recommendations also are far less dramatic than those of a similar Seminary Study Committee that reported to the BGCT last fall.
___Unlike the Seminary Study Committee, which reported difficulty in obtaining full cooperation from the six SBC seminaries, the missions study committee reported full and gracious cooperation from all three agencies it studied--the IMB, NAMB and CBF.
___The missions committee's 21-page report includes seven recommendations:
___ That the overall missions efforts of the BGCT, though strong and exemplary, should be strengthened, "focusing on connecting Texas Baptists with Baptist groups around the world" and involving more people in volunteer missions.
___ That the BGCT make no change in its current budgetary relationship to the IMB, although several areas of concern are noted.
___ That a new cooperative agreement be negotiated between the BGCT and NAMB no later than next January, with multiple areas of concern noted.
___ That an amount of Cooperative Program funding equal to what NAMB currently spends on BGCT cooperative projects in Texas be retained for use in Texas by the BGCT, thus "reducing paperwork, bureaucracy, time-consuming documentation and delays."
___ That the BGCT "continue to honor the designations of affiliated churches which wish to contribute to and partner with CBF." Currently, the BGCT only funds CBF through designated contributions from churches. This recommendation would not change this pattern or expand it.
___ That the study committee disband after adoption of its report and that a monitoring group be named by the BGCT president, Executive Board chairman and executive director.
___ That leaders of the SBC be urged to include more individuals supportive of the BGCT to serve on trustee boards of the IMB and NAMB.
___Other members of the Missions-sending Agencies Study Committee are Betty Law of Fort Worth, Al Burns of Dallas, Carol Carter of Deer Park, John Chavarria of El Paso, Bud Hudgens of Houston, Ophelia Humphrey of Amarillo, Doug Jackson of Corpus Christi, Ron Lyles of Pasadena, Bill Noble of Lubbock, Nathan Porter of Waco, Paul Powell of Tyler, Beth Pratt of Floydada, Mitch Randall of Bedford, Paul Saylors of Tyler, John Cash Smith of Orange and Presnall Wood of Dallas. Two original members--Betty Andrade of Lubbock and Andy Davis of Belton--were unable to serve due to personal and family demands.
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