October 7, 2002
TOGETHER:
Network can enable mission action
___A Texas pastor said, "Our goal is to have every member of our church go on a mission trip at least once in their lifetime."
___Another pastor said: "We have members who have family in a part of Southeast Asia where no one knows about Jesus. Our church wants to help them go and start a church in that village."
___A financially successful Baptist deacon was asked why he gave so much of himself in helping to start a church for both English- and Spanish-speaking people in his city. He replied, "I've never done anything in my life where I could see that what I was doing made such a difference in the lives of people."
CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___Mexican Baptist leaders told a group of us from Texas: "We want to work together recognizing abilities and gifts on both sides of the Rio Grande. We want friendships to be developed that will prevent paternalism. We want to develop a partnership structure that will be big enough to include all that is already being done and lay groundwork for much more to be done."
___I prayed last week with three African-American pastors and three Nigerian Baptist leaders. Some of our African-American leaders went to Nigeria recently to visit the mission field and to hear the heart of the Nigerian Baptists. They came back with a burning desire to help mobilize African-American churches in Texas with a mission vision for Nigeria. These brethren believe their churches can make a hands-on difference in getting the gospel to the peoples of the earth.
___These are some reasons the Missions Review & Initiatives Committee felt compelled to place before our convention the proposal that we step forward with a new initiative in world missions. The committee found that the churches in Texas want the help a world missions network can provide them in linking their churches with other churches, other mission efforts and the needs of Baptist churches around the world to reach people.
___This proposal grows out of a deep sense that God is moving in our churches in fresh and powerful ways to connect our people to the needs of a world in desperate need of Jesus Christ. We will work with International Mission Board missionaries, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionaries, North American Mission Board missionaries and other Christian missionaries where possible, and we will encourage new initiatives when God presents them to our churches, associations or institutions.
___The proposed world missions network will have a relatively small staff because we will be linking churches and institutions to resources that are already available. Where new resources are required, we will contract with those who can help us provide the help the churches need. This is not in competition with or a substitute for all the other ways that Texas Baptists have done missions across the years. It is a new paradigm, a fresh response that some of our most mission-minded churches already have been modeling.
___The world is so lost and the needs are so great that every effort that can be made to connect our churches and our people to the peoples of this earth with the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ must be attempted. In Jesus' own words: "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
___We are under a mandate. And we are loved.
Send this story to a friend
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook
