July 30, 2001
TOGETHER:
BGCT workers serve 2.5 million Baptists, 5,500 churches
___In the next few days, the 300 men and women who serve Texas Baptists on the Baptist General Convention of Texas staff will meet for one of three annual staff weeks. One hundred are the directors of student ministry on 130 campuses, and 25 serve in regions across the state.
___The other 200 people serve Texas Baptist churches from the Baptist Building in Dallas. They assist in Bible study and discipleship, stewardship and finances, music and church facilities. They provide ministerial counseling, conflict management and leadershipdevelopment. They counsel search committees. They offer prayer development, evangelism strategies and resources for church health. They train and mobilize volunteers in missions and help churches start churches. They coordinate and help to develop the work with 116 associations of churches and with African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and others. They seek to respond to the special needs of bivocational ministers and smaller-membership churches. They preserve Baptist heritage, history and distinctives. They assist churches in developing ministries for community, family and home. And they help Texas Baptists address issues related to living the Christian life in the world.
CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___One of our most crucial offices handles the financial contributions of Texas Baptists, maintaining thorough accountability with all our constituents. The growth of the Cooperative Program is built on information, trust and promotion. Communications personnel help Texas Baptists know what is going on and how they can make a difference in the world. Human resources attend to the care and development of our staff.
___Then there are staff who help to coordinate and strengthen the work of our 23 Texas Baptist ministry institutions for higher education, theological education for ministers and laity, children and family ministry, elder care and ministry to the sick.
___Staff leaders of Texas Baptist Men and Woman's Missionary Union of Texas work out of the Baptist Building as well.
___This may sound like an overwhelming roll call of people. But they seek to serve 2.5 million Baptists in 5,500 churches and missions. In a state with 20 million people, it is a small corps of dedicated men and women who work strategically to assist your church. Not all the BGCT staff put together can do what must be done to reach the lost of Texas, build up churches and prepare us to be on mission for God in the world. But we can help, and we want to be the best partners your church could have as your people seek daily to put their arms around your community and hug it up close to God.
___Pray for us as we do our work. And especially know that we pray for you.
___This staff week, we have taken a cue from the disciples who said to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).
___We have asked Paul Cedar, executive director of Mission America, author and retreat leader Jeanne Miley from River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston, and Don Guthrie, pastor of First Baptist Church in San Antonio, to help us learn more about prayer and to pray. We will begin each morning with a faith focus and at noon will meet in small groups for a "brown bag" lunch to discuss what we are learning and to pray.
___Pray that God will touch our entire staff--convicting, refreshing, empowering and blessing us all that we might serve God and you out of the resources he so fully supplies to those who call upon him.
___We are loved.
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