Chaotic culture needs compassionate Christians, Reeves tells Executive Board

Members of Birdville Baptist Church and Haltom Road Baptist Church in northeast Tarrant County presented a $29,345.33 check for the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering to leaders of the convention’s Christian Life Commission and Executive Board May 23. The congregations, both strong ongoing supporters of the hunger offering, went over and above this year to provide the lead gift for the Lott Carey Mission water tower project in Liberia. The churches sponsored volleyball tournaments, a walkathon and other events to raise the funds. Kris Drees is pastor of Haltom Road, and Tom Howe is pastor of Birdville. (Photo by Jordan Parker / Texas Baptists Communications)

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Christians should counter cultural chaos with acts of compassion, Baptist General Convention of Texas President Danny Reeves told members of the BGCT Executive Board during their spring meeting May 22-23.

“The world is a mess. … Our world is in chaos,” claimed Reeves, pastor of First Baptist Church in Corsicana. To illustrate, he cited racial unrest, terrorism, moral depravity and U.S. political upheaval.

“We’re seeing the sudden and violent overturning of everything,” he said. “In the midst of chaos, what are we supposed to do? What are God’s people supposed to do? Stay compassionate.”

Reeves read the Apostle Paul’s advice to first century Christians, emphasizing, “May the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes on everyone around you” (1 Thessalonians 3:12).

“In this difficult day of chaos, there’s going to be stress and tension,” he said. “We can double down on love, patience, kindness, forgiveness—compassion. We can choose with all our heart, soul, mind and strength to love.”

Of course, “compassion isn’t logical,” Reeves acknowledged. “Want to know why? It doesn’t come from us. It comes from the Holy Spirit.” Nevertheless, it produces “devoted followers of Christ who are at their best when the clouds come out.”

That’s what the world needs, Reeves said, asking, “If these are the chaotic days the Bible describes, couldn’t it be true—wouldn’t it be true—the world needs us now, more than ever?”

Covering a light business agenda, the Executive Board:

  • Elected five new members to fill vacancies on the Executive Board for the balance of this year—Daniel Ho of Chinese Baptist Church of Houston, Dale Pond of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Lee Laine Terry Willis of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston, Lance Wood of First Baptist Church in Clarendon and Kevin Woolley of Mount Sylvan Baptist Church in Tyler.
  • Converted two positions on the Howard Payne University board of trustees from board-elected to BGCT-elected. Those positions are held by Steve Ellis and Leonard Underwood, both of First Baptist Church in Brownwood.
  • Named three members to the convention’s Evangelism Strategic Planning Council—Jerry Joplin of Bacon Heights Baptist Church in Lubbock, Carl Love of First Baptist Church Moffat in Temple and Vince Smith of Murphy Road Baptist Church in Murphy.
  • Allocated an additional $100,000 for demolition of the former campus of Baptist University of the AmĂ©ricas in San Antonio, which now is owned by the convention. Bids for asbestos abatement and demolition remained under the original $400,000 allocation, but costs related to vandalism—security, fencing and generators—caused the project to exceed that amount.
  • Changed a governance policy for the convention’s Hispanic Education Initiative Council, allowing the chair of the council to be a member who is not also a director of the Executive Board.
  • Revised a personnel policy that will allow non-ministry support staff of Baptist Student Ministries on college campuses to be people who are not members of BGCT-affiliated congregations. These positions are not funded by the convention’s Cooperative Program unified budget.

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