February 18, 2002
TOGETHER:
Following frustration, a new harvest
___We were putting the final touches on preparation for the Baptist General Convention of Texas Evangelism Conference in San Antonio. I was looking forward to hearing a challenge to pray for this harvest and for the lost. I preached that morning to United Baptist Church in Laredo, one of more than 2,000 new churches Texas Baptists have started since 1990. I listened with amazement to stories of ministry and compassion shown by Baptist Child and Family Services in San Antonio. I thanked God for what he has empowered churches and institutions of the BGCT to do together.
___Then I learned about a letter from the president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, asking BGCT-related churches to change their giving patterns to favor the Southern Baptist Convention. Using the BGCT giving form, the mailing showed church treasurers how to divide Cooperative Program giving 50 percent for BGCT and 50 percent for SBC, instead of following the BGCT Adopted Budget that provides about 73 percent for Texas and 27 percent for worldwide causes. Adding to this unprecedented attack on Texas missions and institutions, the mailing invited BGCT-supporting churches to join the competing convention in Texas. You can imagine how my excitement and gratitude for all that I had experienced in Texas missions that day was sorely challenged.
CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___I responded by writing to churches, explaining the BGCT cooperative giving budget. Historically, the BGCT has retained from 65 percent to 73 percent of Cooperative Program receipts for ministries and missions in Texas and forwarded the balance to the SBC for worldwide ministries. God has honored this approach, allowing Texas Baptists to minister to this state, while at the same time sending more dollars than any other state convention through the SBC to support missions and theological education.
___The approach Morris Chapman advocated could result in a decrease of more than $13 million to Texas Baptist ministries of education, compassion, healing and nurture. Texas Baptists support eight universities, Baptist Student Ministries on more than 100 campuses, church-starting initiatives, River Ministry, mission partnerships, four family and child-care institutions, an academy, facilities for the aged, hospital systems, two seminaries and the Hispanic Baptist Theological School.
___The SBC does not support one child-care institution, not one university or Baptist Student Ministry, not one hospital ministry. State conventions support these ministries. And no state does as much as the BGCT.
___After the frustration of trying to respond to the unwarranted attack on BGCT ministries, I needed some good news. Here it is: Rick Davis, director of the BGCT Center for Strategic Evangelism, was in East Texas talking to pastors about praying for the lost. He urged them in every service, committee meeting, place and time to pray for the lost. Leslie Stone, pastor at Woden Baptist Church, was burdened to ask his people to do that the next morning in Sunday worship. Four teenage girls gave their lives to Jesus Christ that day--in a church that baptized five people all last year. Members of Woden Baptist Church believe God will bless them with souls for the harvest if they will be faithful to pray.
___That is why the BGCT exists--to help churches and related ministries be the presence of Christ in the world. And as people get close to a caring congregation who will love and pray earnestly for them, they can find their way into the family of faith.
___Pray for this harvest.
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