TOGETHER: ‘We will bring credibility & integrity’

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Posted: 11/17/06

TOGETHER:
‘We will bring credibility & integrity’

Getsemani Baptist Church in McAllen has been in the news lately, and it has not been an enjoyable experience for this committed congregation. Financial dealings of the church’s former pastor, Otto Arango, have been called into question by an independent investigation commissioned by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Arango, however, has not been pastor of the church for about three years.

Messengers from Getsemani Church, including Pastor Thomas Whitehouse, were at the BGCT annual meeting and spoke openly to a group gathered with me for a question-and-answer time. They shared about their situation, their hurt and their desire to make sure all Texas Baptists and others are aware that the church did not know of the matters identified in the investigators’ report.

wademug
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board

This church also gave more money through the BGCT Cooperative Program last year than any other Texas Hispanic church—$31,220.

The Executive Board and I want to express our deep appreciation for the work of the churches and pastors in the Rio Grande Valley. Our Baptist work in the Valley related to the accusations of fraud has been in the media, and our brothers and sisters in the churches there have felt wounded and embarrassed. We are working with them to help deal with the media perceptions and to tell the wonderful stories of Baptist life in the Valley.

Remember, there were only three pastors out of more than a hundred in the Rio Grande Valley who apparently misused funds. And one of those three has expressed remorse and a desire to make restitution.

On a related matter, the BGCT Executive Board met Monday morning, Nov. 13, to discuss the response they needed to make to the investigation. There was a very thorough discussion, and five motions were passed that were reported on Monday afternoon to convention messengers.

We now have begun to respond to the matters identified. A draft of proposed new church starting policies will be sent to the Missions and Ministry Committee of the Executive Board by mid-December in order to allow time for adequate discussion and formulation of a report to the whole board in its February meeting.

We also are moving forward to establish an internal audit function, with the Audit Committee making a final decision in January and reporting to the board in February.

Discussions with our attorneys are under way as to the best way to pursue recovery of funds misused in the Valley and/or to gain justice where there may have been criminal behavior and/or to work for opportunities of healing and restoration where possible.

I pledge to Texas Baptists that we will bring credibility and integrity to our church starting process and to all functions of the BGCT.

The church starting investigation has required a lot of our attention lately, but the annual meeting also helped us see beyond the difficulties. The worship experiences that moved and blessed us were highlights for me. The sermons of Michael Bell, our president and pastor of the Greater St. Stephen First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, and Duane Brooks, our convention preacher and pastor of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston, were blessed and spiritually anointed occasions.

I commend our Committee on Convention Business, chaired by Patty Villareal, and BGCT staff who made this one of the most informative and attractive annual meetings ever.

We are loved.

Charles Wade is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board.

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