May 13, 2002

EDITORIAL:
First Baptist Dallas draws line down San Jacinto Street
___According to Texas folklore, Col. William Barrett Travis drew a line in the sand with his sword. All who crossed over with him remained at the Alamo. There they stood. And there they baptized the "cradle of Texas liberty" in their own blood, helping to secure independence and freedom.
___Under the leadership of Pastor Mac Brunson, First Baptist Church in Dallas has drawn a line down San Jacinto Street. The venerable old congregation will remain downtown.
___The "line" actually is comprised of thousands of lines--architectural drawings for a proposed $48 million eight-story building to be constructed on the corner of Ervay and San Jacinto streets.
___Several thousand First Baptist members recently gathered in the Dallas Convention Center and voted to move ahead with the project. In the coming months, they will seal that vote with their checkbooks. Construction will start shortly after half the money is raised, and the building will rise in the following 18 to 20 months.
___The new facility will provide a First Baptist home for a Christian book store, coffee house, sport-themed snack bar, banquet hall, classrooms, offices, parking and prayer tower. While those are significant additions, they're mere details. The main point is this: First Baptist will remain downtown. Although many churches have left the nation's city centers for the suburbs, no church is likely to walk away from a $48 million investment--at least not for decades, if not generations.
___First Baptist's decision couldn't come at a better time. Dallas' central core and its near-urban fringe are repopulating. High-rise lofts, apartments and townhome condominiums have popped up all over downtown like bluebonnets across the Texas prairie after a spring rain. Almost any trip through the area reveals new housing--brand-new buildings or residential conversions of landmark commercial facilities.
___For a few decades, close observers of the American religious scene have wondered if downtown urban churches could survive. Many of them, like First Baptist, were born in the 19th century and now face 21st century challenges. As late as a few weeks ago, as word of First Baptists' upcoming Convention Center meeting spread, some Dallasites speculated whether the church would announce a move to the populous northern suburbs.
___Fortunately, First Baptist has decided to stay put. Not just stay put, but invest in the future of city ministry. This is good news for new Mayor Laura Miller, who has vowed to revitalize downtown Dallas. It will be good news for young professionals, artists and techno-entrepreneurs, who will make the city's core their home. The old church will be there to offer them new life in Christ. And that will be good news for all of Texas, because Dallas is one of those communities whose influence ripples across the state.
___Praise for First Baptist in Dallas does not imply criticism for churches elsewhere that have decided to relocate. Each congregation is singularly unique, as is each community. No outsider can condemn a church for such a decision any more than an outsider can stand in judgment of a family's decision concerning where it will make its home. First Baptist certainly stands to benefit from growth trends in and near downtown Dallas--trends not present in many towns and cities across the state. Some churches have moved in order to do a better job of reaching their communities, whether the issue is relocating near population centers or moving away from landlocked properties. Conversely, some have refused to move when they should have relocated, through fear or inertia, diminishing their ministries and denying emerging populations a chance to receive the gospel.
___For much of the past century, First Baptist has been a bellwether congregation, an innovator in mission and ministry. In the early years of this new century, the church offers at least three lessons that can be valuable to churches everywhere, no matter the size of their communities:
___ Don't let discouragement get you down. The past few decades have been hard on downtown Dallas, as well as First Baptist. Yet the church persevered. It looked at its city and circumstances through eyes of faith and saw possibilities where others only perceived problems.
___ Know your community. First Baptist has studied Dallas. It knows the demographic data, as well as the people behind the numbers. All churches regularly ought to study the context of their ministries. They should seek to understand the forces that are impacting the people to whom they seek to minister. They should assess which ministries are effective and which are failing. They should seek God's guidance as well as courage to step in and make a difference.
___ Draw a line. OK, very few churches can afford to draw a $48 million line. But on a scale sized to match their context, many churches can make a similar statement of commitment to minister to the community. And greater than even the Battle of the Alamo, eternal consequences hang in the balance.
___ --Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com


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