Posted: 6/25/04
Southern Baptist withdrawal from BWA
not reflective of BGCT, executive director says
By Ken Camp
Managing Editor
The Southern Baptist Convention's decision to cut ties with the BWA “does not represent the vision of the Baptist General Convention of Texas,” said BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade.
“We regret their decision in this matter, but we will continue to pray for them. The BGCT encourages our churches to be supportive of the BWA because we celebrate the unity we have in Christ in the larger Baptist family,” he said.
The BGCT appreciates the opportunity the BWA provides Baptists in North America to have fellowship with members of Baptist Unions who “have known severe persecution and poverty … but … have been steadfast in their loyalty to Christ and to one another,” Wade added.
“We honor our Baptist brothers and sisters from all the nations and cherish our opportunities to encourage and to stand with them. They are a great blessing to Texas Baptists.
“As we have gotten to know one another better over the past few years, we are humbled by their faith and courage, by their fidelity to Christ and their firm support of Baptist principles and doctrine.”
Wade expressed his hope that hundreds of Texas Baptists will attend the Baptist World Congress centennial in Birmingham, England, in 2005, and he pledged the BGCT will continue to “work cooperatively with Baptist churches everywhere to provide opportunities for meaningful mission involvement on the part of our Texas Baptist churches and people.”
Through its Texas Partnerships Resource Center, the BGCT has worked with the BWA to support church-starting initiatives in Eastern Europe. The new WorldconneX missions network, launched by the BGCT, also works closely with Baptist unions affiliated with the BWA.
The Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger–promoted by the BGCT Christian Life Commission–provides a significant percentage of the funding for Baptist World Aid, the Baptist World Alliance's relief and development agency.
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