BGCT opens first regional service center in East Texas
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___The Baptist General Convention of Texas has opened an East Texas service center in Tyler and named Paul Saylors, director of missions in Smith Baptist Association, as regional director.
___The East Texas office is a pilot project, designed to place BGCT Executive Board staff in close proximity to the churches they serve and make resources accessible to them, according to Lynn Eckeberger, coordinator of the BGCT church health and growth section.
___Saylors will report directly to Bill Tinsley, new associate executive director of the BGCT. He will work with churches in two dozen associations east of I-45, excluding the Dallas and Houston areas and the coastal region.
___The regional director will not duplicate the work of associational and area directors of missions but will complement their role, Eckeberger emphasized.
___"The regional director's primary function will be to discover needs the churches may have and help them find the resources available through the BGCT to meet their needs," he said.
___While the BGCT is committed to improving its website so that church leaders will have 24-hour access to all the resources available from the convention, BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade noted the importance of personal contact.
___"Nothing can take the place of a gifted and caring person who can be available to the churches and to the associations," he said.
___Wade praised Saylors as an "outstanding director of missions" who is well-suited to the regional director's role. "He has a passion for reaching people and developing churches. He will be a good friend to every pastor, church and association."
___Offices for Saylors and Randy Gilchrist, Church Starting Center consultant for East Texas, will be at Two American Center, 821 Loop 323E in Tyler.
___Saylors has served as executive director of Smith Baptist Association since 1996, working with about 100 churches and missions in the Tyler area.
___He was pastor of Southern Oaks Baptist Church in Tyler from 1989 to 1996. Prior to that, he served 10 years at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, including time as director of admissions and as associate vice president for development.
___While the East Texas service center is the only BGCT office served by a regional director, several other BGCT Executive Board staff are working in offices outside the Dallas area.
___The office of River Ministry is relocating from Dallas to San Antonio to provide easier access from all points along the Rio Grande. Dexton Shores of River Ministry, David Guel in church starting and Patty Villareal in community ministries will work from a new office in San Antonio.
___Loren Fast with the River Ministry field office has relocated from Harlingen to First Baptist Church in Pharr. The new phone number is (956) 782-6551.
___Susan Paynter, director of public policy and citizenship education with the BGCT Christian Life Commission, already is working from an office near the state capitol at 814 San Jacinto, Suite 301 in Austin.
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