African American Fellowship called to be relevant_72803

Posted: 7/25/03

African American Fellowship called to be relevant

By Ken Camp

Texas Baptist Communications

HOUSTON–Christ's church must “take off the garments of her irrelevance” and boldly address issues such as AIDS, abuse in families and teen pregnancy, Beecher Hicks told the Texas Baptist African American Fellowship.

“There is something radically wrong if in the church, we are afraid to speak to the critical issues of our day,” said Hicks, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

“How long will the church remain silent about the HIV-AIDS pandemic in Africa and epidemic in the United States?” he asked, challenging Christians not to shy away from sensitive issues, including matters of human sexuality.

“Somebody ought to say something. The church should take off its blinders and not only say something but do something.”

Hicks was a keynote speaker at the 11th annual African American Fellowship. The fellowship meeting and a related Church Health and Growth Conference with more than 80 special-interest seminars were held July 9-11 at Brentwood Baptist Church in Houston.

At its annual business meeting, the fellowship elected as officers President Jerry Dailey, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in San Antonio; Vice President Ronald Edwards, pastor of Minnehula Baptist Church of Goliad; Secretary Michael Bell, pastor of Greater St. Stephen First Baptist Church in Fort Worth; and Treasurer Marvin Delaney, pastor of South Park Baptist Church of Houston.

The fellowship approved a constitution citing as its organizational purpose to work in harmony with the Baptist General Convention of Texas in fulfilling the Great Commission through support of the Cooperative Program; to sensitize the BGCT and its entities to the concerns of the African-American community; to provide mutual support in evangelism, church planting and church growth; and to provide training and leadership development opportunities for pastors and laity.

The newly adopted constitution names five objectives for the fellowship:

To encourage and maintain a spirit of fellowship and cooperation among predominantly African-American churches.

Crawford Kimble

To help the BGCT gain a better understanding of African-American churches.

To encourage African-American churches to participate in and support the programs and ministries of the BGCT.

To serve in an advisory capacity to BGCT entities.

To promote the appointment of African-American leadership to the staff, boards and committees of the BGCT and its entities.

The fellowship recognized six African-American congregations as the top Cooperative Program giving churches in different resident membership categories: Good Shepherd Baptist Church of Lubbock, Faith Missionary Baptist Church of Garland, Disciples of Faith Baptist Church in Houston, The Lord's Baptist Church of Kingwood, Cornerstone Baptist Church of Dallas and Brentwood Baptist Church of Houston.

In one of several worship services during the conference, President-elect Dailey described the African American Fellowship's relationship to the BGCT.

“We're here to complete one another, not to compete with one another. Great as the BGCT is, you can't play music with just white keys. You need black keys to make the full melody,” said Dailey, who is the first African-American to serve on the BGCT Administrative Committee.

Johnson Omoni, a Nigerian-born Texas Baptist pastor serving in Grand Prairie, encouraged African-American Texas Baptists to participate in a partnership the fellowship has established with the Nigerian Baptist Convention.

“We have the opportunity to be the presence of Christ in the world, including our motherland, Africa,” he said. “We have a duty, a responsibility, a call from God Almighty to respond to the spiritual needs of our people. After all these years, it's about time.”

Crawford Kimble, pastor emeritus of Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, urged the group to consider the “down agenda” of God.

Officers for the African American Fellowship of Texas include Treasurer Marvin Delaney, Vice President Ronald Edwards and President Jerry Dailey. Not pictured is Secretary Michael Bell of Fort Worth.

“The Jews were not ready to accept a God whose feet got dirty, but God came down,” he said, describing the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.

Kimble told how God in Christ slowed down, reached down, laid down his life and went down into the grave.

“But God didn't stay down. Early Sunday morning he got up. Then he went up. But he's coming down again,” Kimble said.

Lacey Curry, pastor emeritus of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Chicago, led a pastors' conference workshop on communications.

Instead of chasing after fads, Curry told the pastors they could reach the greatest number of people by avoiding extremes in communication.

“Stay in the middle of the road. You're not going to wear it out,” he said.