BGCT board allocates funds, approves missions partnership, hears reports

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Posted: 2/29/08

BGCT board allocates funds, approves
missions partnership, hears reports

By Marv Knox

Editor

The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board handled a broad range of business during a day dominated by the election of a new executive director.

After the board chose Randel Everett to succeed Charles Wade as the convention’s staff leader Feb. 26, members turned their attention to an agenda that ranged from money to missions and institutions to internal audits.

Among their actions and reports, the Executive Board:

Ratified allocation of more than $3.8 million to fund church starts this year. That amount includes $890,574 from the budget for church-starting staff funding and more than $1.3 million from the budget earmarked for church starts. Other funds include $1.2 million from the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions, $250,000 from interest earned off of new-church endowment funds and $200,000 from the J.K. Wadley Mission Fund.

David Cooke of Devine raises a question at the BGCT Executive Board meeting in Dallas.

Voted to purchase a new “constituent relationship management system”—a sophisticated computer program that will track a wide array of information regarding the convention, its churches and the state. The BGCT’s current system, purchased a little more than two years ago, needs to be upgraded, but even then will not provide the convention the service it needs without additional expensive customization, said Lynn Eckeberger, head of research and development for the convention.

The Siebel CRM System is manufactured by Oracle, one of 12 vendors vetted for the project, Eckeberger said. It will cost about $1.7 million.

Some Executive Board members expressed reservations about spending that much money on a software system, especially since the board laid off about 30 staff late last year due to budget constraints.

Executive Board Chairman John Petty explained the current system must be upgraded. He also noted the money allocated for the project will come from funds designated for administrative support and could not have been used for personnel.

Harold Richardson, a certified public accountant and chairman of the board’s Audit Committee, predicted the software eventually will pay for itself in cost savings and productivity.

Learned the theme for the BGCT annual meeting Nov. 10-11 in Fort Worth will be “Texas, Our Texas.”

BGCT President Joy Fenner announced the theme. Messengers to the annual meeting will explore three sub-themes. “Why Texas?” will focus on reaching the state with the gospel and also strengthening the convention’s base for conducting mission work. “Which Texas?” will examine the diversity of people and needs in the state, as well as the ministries required to serve them. And “Whose Texas?” will acknowledge Texas belongs to God, and if Baptists don’t spread the gospel throughout the state, God will use another group to do it.

Authorized distribution of more than $13.2 million from wills and trusts to help underwrite convention budget expenses.

Renewed a partnership between the BGCT and La Convencion Nacional Bautista de Mexico—the Mexico Baptist Convention—for three years beginning March 1.

Learned the Texas portion of the Cooperative Program unified budget totaled $5,039,361 in January. That amount represents 94.75 percent of the goal.

BGCT Chief Financial Officer David Nabors announced the Executive Board would operate on 95 percent of budget to accommodate the in-state shortfall.

The worldwide portion of the Cooperative Program for January totaled $2,191,752, or 105.75 percent of its goal.

Total Cooperative Program receipts—both state and worldwide—were $7,231,113, or 103.13 percent of the goal.

The BGCT also received $6,615,765 in missions offerings, representing 98.6 percent of the monthly goal. Miscellaneous income totaled $786,273, for 93.35 percent of the goal.

Total January revenue was $14,633,151, or 100.49 percent of expectation.

Heard that President Fenner and other convention officers have named co-chairs to lead a strategy committee authorized by messengers to last year’s BGCT annual meeting. They are Stephen Hatfield, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lewisville, and Andy Pittman, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lufkin. Other committee members will be announced when their participation is confirmed, Fenner said.

Elected four members to fill vacancies on the Executive Board—Debbie Ferrier, a lay member of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston; Jo Ann Gartman, a layperson from Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen; John Wheat, pastor of First Baptist Church in Kenedy; and Darrell Miles, a layperson from Field Street Baptist Church in Cleburne.

Approved the selection of two individuals to fill vacancies on boards of BGCT-affiliated ministries. Susie Jaynes, a layperson from First Baptist Church in Waco, joins the San Marcos Baptist Academy board, and Toby Summers, a lay member of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, becomes a member of the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio board.

Elected Michael Evans, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, to a vacancy on the Christian Life Commission.

Learned a recommendation from the board’s Institutional Relations Committee to bring the salaries of Baptist Student Ministries staff within the convention’s compensation guidelines is being referred to the interim executive director and incoming executive director, as well as the Finance Subcommittee and Administration Support Committee.

Baptist Student Ministries staff were not included when other Executive Board staff positions were “graded” a few years ago, and many of those positions are compensated below levels afforded to comparable Executive Board positions.

Received an update on leadership at three BGCT institutions.

Vic Schmidt, president of San Marcos Baptist Academy, will retire this year. Craig Turner, president of Hardin-Simmons University, has announced his resignation to become president of Catawba College in North Carolina. And Pat Graham, former president of Valley Baptist Missions/Education Center, is expected to stand trial for alleged embezzlement later this year.

Heard that two motions made at the 2007 BGCT annual meeting had been referred to the new executive director for follow-up. They are proposals to study the effectiveness of the Executive Board’s outbound call center and to determine if the Executive Board needs a chief operating officer, a position that has been vacant since Ron Gunter resigned late last year.

Re-named a college scholarship program for children of staff of the Executive Board, the Baptist Church Loan Corporation, Texas Baptist Men, Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas and WorldconneX in honor of recently retired Executive Director Wade.

Received a report that the Executive Board’s new internal auditing process has been active and effective. Audit Committee Chairman Richardson provided updates on internal audits covering budget and planning, network security, events, credit card policies, database administration and church-starting.

Learned the Executive Board would discontinue its outsourcing relationship with the HR Houston firm, which has managed the board’s human resources function for several years. Interim Executive Director Jan Daehnert predicted the move would save about $100,000 per year.

Voted to pray for Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, which has experienced conflict since some homosexual members asked to be photographed as couples in the church directory.

The BGCT is on record affirming churches that minister to homosexuals but has described homosexual behavior as sinful. The convention has rejected financial contributions from a church that endorses homosexual behavior, essentially removing that church from affiliation with the convention.

During discussion of the Broadway statement, some board members expressed reservations about taking any action that might undermine the autonomy of a congregation. Chairman Petty, who proposed the statement, said the document notes the BGCT “reflects and respects the autonomy of the local church.”

Members also questioned why the board needed to make a statement, since the church had not taken specific action regarding its stand on homosexual behavior. Petty noted the situation has been covered broadly by the Dallas-Fort Worth media and suggested the convention should be proactive.

“The right approach for the Executive Board right now is to pray for this congregation as they work through their internal matters, that the Holy Spirit would lead them to a redemptive outcome,” the statement says, noting the board’s officers will monitor the situation and report back to the board.








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