June 24, 2002
TOGETHER:
Hispanic Convention is vital to Texas
___Hispanics have been a part of Texas Baptist life for more than 100 years. But there was a time in Texas when our English-speaking and Spanish-speaking congregations were very separate. As recently as 50 years ago, Hispanic churches were not welcome in some associations.
___Thanks to the hard work and vision of key Hispanic and Anglo leaders among Texas Baptists, efforts were made to bring the Baptist General Convention of Texas and what is now called the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas into harmony. In the early 1960s, a unification agreement was reached, and it became the foundation of the cooperation that exists today. Jimmy Garcia, director of the BGCT office of Hispanic work, serves as liaison between our conventions.
___Today,several Hispanics serve on our Executive Board staff. Hispanic churches are represented in leadership roles on committees and boards of the convention and its institutions. All Texas Baptists are well served by the faithful and loyal service of our Hispanic members.
CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___We can rejoice in the growing numbers of Hispanic Texas Baptist churches--61 new churches started since January. This represents almost 60 percent of the new Texas Baptist churches started this year. Cooperative Program mission giving by our Hispanic congregations grew about 11 percent last year and has grown nearly 12 percent in the first five months of this fiscal year.
___Antonio Estrada from Houston is the president of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, which is meeting this week in El Paso. Last year in Abilene, the "convencion" set an ambitious mission challenge growing out of its vision and mission statement. Hispanic Texas Baptists want to work out meaningful ways that they can partner with Baptists in Mexico to reach Mexico for Christ. I am hopeful this will also be a high priority in the report our Mission Review and Initiatives Committee will bring forward later this summer.
___The vision of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas is "to become a united family of diverse, spiritually healthy churches networking and developing resources, leaders and organizational systems to impact Texas and the world with the presence of Christ." Growing from this far-reaching vision are three priorities: Identify and develop transformational leaders. Identify and network resources to serve all churches. Equip churches by providing tools to help them contextualize ministry to their communities.
___There are many things all of us can do to help encourage our Hispanic brothers and sisters within the Texas Baptist family. Learn Spanish. Reach out to Hispanics and invite them to church. Help start new churches that are designed especially to reach the Hispanic population. Pray that our churches will not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make significant contributions to reaching out to the Hispanic population of Texas. Recognize that Baptist Hispanics have a long and gracious history in Texas. Work to make our unity more complete and more helpful than it has ever been.
___There is a frank awareness that the future of Hispanic work in Texas and around the world can be heavily impacted by what happens at the Hispanic Baptist Theological School in San Antonio over the next few years. The BGCT is committed to telling the story of this Texas Baptist institution. We want to encourage increasing support so the school can be accredited by this time next year and be fully focused on equipping the next generation of Hispanic Baptist leaders.
___Pray for this harvest. It is white for harvest. And brown. And black. Every hue.
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