April 15, 2002

EDITORIAL:
A bad report card does not signal a failing effort
___The Baptist General Convention of Texas just received its report card for 2001, and the numbers do not look good.
___By many measurements, the BGCT declined in size last year, according to a study of Annual Church Profiles prepared by Clay Price, the BGCT's research and information manager. (See a report on Price's study on page 2 of this paper.)
___For example:
___ The total number of congregations affiliated with the BGCT shrank from 5,994 to 5,708.
___ Resident membership fell from 1,755,453 to 1,593,252.
___ Baptisms dropped from 64,943 to 53,364.
___ Average Sunday School attendance declined from 641,405 to 592,062.
___ Total receipts fell from $1.4 billion to $1.3 billion, while total missions contributions dipped from $152 million to $149 million.
___Other benchmarks for convention involvement fell similarly, offset slightly by promising upward swings in involvement in missions projects and enrollment in Texas Baptist Men.
___Many of the losses can be attributed to one factor--growth of the 3-year-old Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. The new convention was created by people who were dissatisfied that the BGCT did not follow the increasingly fundamentalist trajectory of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention has been recruiting heavily in Texas. Its surrogates have attempted to convince churches to leave the BGCT for the new convention, often by utilizing misinformation, innuendo and guilt-by-association. The net result last year was 447 churches reported that they left the BGCT to align uniquely with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
___The loss of those 447 churches accounts for most of the declines in the BGCT's numbers. So, while fewer people attend BGCT-affiliated churches, which allocated a smaller amount to missions and trained fewer people in Sunday School, that does not mean a smaller number of Baptist churches spent less on missions and taught fewer people in Sunday School. It just means less did so through BGCT churches. The real tragedy is that churches that have left the BGCT no longer support the ministries connected to the BGCT, such as eight universities, four child-care agencies, three aging ministries, six health-care systems, ministry on college and university campuses statewide, River Ministry, Texas Partnerships and a range of other ministries that would not exist but for the BGCT's support.
___The BGCT's report card leaves us with two options. We can yield to defeat and frustration, claiming the obstacles are too great and the challenges too daunting. Or we can, like our Texas Baptist forebears, rise to the occasion and forge ahead to witness coming years of growth in evangelism, ministry and missions for God's glory. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as we press on:
___ We are not alone. First and foremost, we're in this with God. It is the Lord's will that people should be saved and lives touched. When we partner with God, we can expect miracles beyond our imaginations, and we need to live and work in the expectant reality of that fact. Also, others are working this mission field called Texas. We may not agree with them on some things, but Southern Baptists of Texas are reaching people with the gospel. And so are sisters and brothers of other denominations. Sometimes Baptists think we're the only ones doing the Lord's work, but that's not true. God is working among others.
___ This has happened before. About a century ago, Texas Baptists were fractured, at least as badly as we are today. Yet the BGCT relied on God, told the truth and trusted the people, and God and the people responded. In the following decades, the BGCT saw great advances. What has happened before can happen again. We won't live in the quagmire of this moment forever. If we look to God and remain faithful, we will persevere.
___ The needs remain. Texas is home to more than 20 million people, and more than half of them profess no relationship with Jesus. Whatever our internal challenges, we live on a mission field. All around us, people need Jesus. Our churches sit among hurting, seeking people. As we share God's love expressed in Jesus, they will be changed. And we will, too.
___Acknowledge a sad report card. Look to the future. And vow, with God's help, we will do better in 2002.

___ —Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

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