Baptist Briefs

Texans inducted into Hall of Faith. Six Texas Baptists garnered spots among 30 heroes of the faith honored as the inaugural class of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists Hall of Faith. The inductees, 12 honored posthumously, were elected by their peers after the conference’s executive committee voted to launch the Evangelists Hall of Faith this year in conjunction with the group’s 50th anniversary. Among those being honored were Billy Graham, George Beverly Shea, Cliff Barrows and the late T.W. Wilson, all of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Texas Baptists inducted were Walter K. Ayers, Manley Beasley, Ron Rudy Hernandez, all deceased, along with Freddie Gage of Euless and Homer Martinez of Dallas.

Evangelists elect officers. New officers for the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists—elected at their annual meeting in Indianapolis—are President Ron Herrod, Grace Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tenn.; Vice President Phil Glisson, Leawood Baptist Church, Memphis, Tenn.; Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Allen, Edmond's First Baptist Church, Edmond, Okla.; Recording Secretary Braxton Hunter, Two Rivers Baptist Church, Nashville, Tenn., and a student at Trinity Theological Seminary in Evansville, Ind.; Music Director Bob Smith, Farley Community Church in Huntsville, Ala.; and assistant Music Director Reggie Lafaye, Heartland Worship Center, Paducah, Ky.

Lottie Moon cumulative gifts top $3 billion. The $150.4 million Southern Baptists gave to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions in 2007 brought the cumulative total since the offering’s inception in 1888 to more than $3 billion. Gifts in 2007 were more than $231,000 above the record 2006 offering of $150.1 million but fell short of the $165 million goal.

No BGCT reps on SBC nominations committee. Nathan Lorick, pastor of First Baptist Church in Malakoff, and Clyde DeLoach from MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church in Irving were named to serve on the 2008-2009 Southern Baptist Convention’s Committee on Nominations. Both are members of churches uniquely aligned with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

SBC honors former BWA president. Billy Kim, former president of the Baptist World Alliance, received the distinguished Baptist Statesman Award from Morris Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee at the SBC annual meeting. Kim, a former pastor in South Korea and president of the Far East Broadcast Company, also received a resolution of appreciation from the SBC Executive Committee.

Arlington pastor named conference officer. Newly elected officers for the 2009 Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference are Bruce Schmidt, pastor of Lamar Baptist Church in Arlington, vice president; Ed Litton, pastor of First Baptist Church in North Mobile, Ala., president; and James Peoples, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Keystone Heights, Fla., secretary. Elections took place June 9 at the 2008 Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference in Indianapolis.