ARLINGTON—Texas Baptists’ African-American Fellowship honored the legacy of James W. Culp at the 25th anniversary banquet named in his honor.
Culp, long-time coordinator of black church development for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, died July 22.
“Dr. Culp began this ministry from nothing,” said Roy Cotton, director of Texas Baptists’ African-American Ministries. “Many of us in this room know what the struggle was, but here we are today, many years later, celebrating 25 years.”
Two of Culp’s children spoke on behalf of the family, expressing gratitude for the love and support they received.
“If we’re going to be unified, I submit we need to do three things—pray, love and build,” his daughter Michelle Culp said. “Relationships are the framework of the church, and we are stronger together building relationships.”
John Culp talked about a lesson his father taught him.
“My dad told me that sometimes you have to weep,” he said. “And though we want to look at that as a sign of weakness, it isn’t, because even Jesus wept.”
Keynote speaker Marcus D. Cosby, senior pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, preached from Acts 3, focusing on the examples of two apostles, Peter and John, who demonstrated the ability to “maintain an energy and effervescence” in tough times.
“You and I need to make up our minds today that we’re going to make prayer and priority, minister to people on the periphery and maximize our power to produce possibilities,” Cosby said.
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