Panhandle pastor nominee for BGCT president

Panhandle pastor David Lowrie, who garnered 48 percent of the votes cast for president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas last year, will be nominated again at the 2008 annual meeting in Fort Worth.

Bruce Webb, pastor of First Baptist Church of The Woodlands, announced his intention to nominate Lowrie, pastor of First Baptist Church in Canyon.

David Lowrie

That follows the announcement last month by veteran seminary professor Bill Tolar, who said he plans to nominate Stephen Hatfield, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lewisville, for president.

For the first time in more than two decades, the presidential race apparently will not be influenced by Texas Baptists Committed—a political group created to protect Texas from fundamentalists who gained control of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The organization endorsed every winning BGCT presidential candidate for more than 20 years, including Joy Fenner, who outpolled Lowrie by just 60 votes last year and who has said she will not seek a second term. But Texas Baptists Committed Executive Director David Currie indicated his organization does not plan to endorse a candidate this year.

Webb stressed his decision to nominate Lowrie is not in opposition “to any candidate or group within Baptist life.”

“I am nominating David because he is a sincere Christian, a great pastor and a courageous Baptist statesman,” Webb said. “History has shown David is—and has been—a strong supporter of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Reach beyond labels 

“I believe if elected he will reach beyond the labels that so often unnecessarily divide us, and he will inspire those of us who love our great convention to fix our eyes on Jesus and reach the lost world for Christ.

“I have long believed and often told others we need our leaders to be strong and committed supporters of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, but we also need our leaders to have the courage to think independently rather than always toe the party line. David has unquestionably demonstrated both qualities.”

If elected, Lowrie said, he wants to support Executive Director Randel Everett and the Texas Hope 2010 emphasis—an initiative to give every Texan the opportunity to respond to the gospel by Easter Sunday 2010 and to ensure basic human needs in the state are met.

“It’s a bold vision that challenges us to take seriously our responsibility to share the gospel with every person in Texas,” he said.

Spreading the gospel in Canyon 

First Baptist Church is working on a strategic plan to “knock on every door in Canyon and the surrounding area” to offer a Christian witness in response to that challenge, he noted.

“When we keep the Great Commission before us and are focused on that vision, then we (as Texas Baptists) will not be consumed with the things that divide us,” Lowrie said.

“At the same time, we must be involved in meeting human needs. We know with gas at $4 a gallon, things are getting harder and harder for people. We need to find ways to meet the needs of people in our state if we are going to be the presence of Christ in Texas. That is unquestionably the calling God has given us.”

Although he serves a rural West Texas community, Lowrie stressed the needs of urban areas in Texas.

Impacting the cities 

“A key issue for the BGCT is how are we going to make a meaningful impact on our cities in Texas, particularly the inner cities,” he said.

Last year, First Baptist in Canyon worked with several Amarillo congregations to sponsor Camp Discovery—a Christian camp for low-income children offered at High Plains Baptist Conference Center. The camp involved 70 children who speak seven languages, he noted.

Lowrie emphasized his desire to see the BGCT accentuate “the good things that are happening” in Texas Baptist life, continue to start new congregations and reach out to churches that have disengaged from BGCT life to varying degrees.

“We need to build bridges. Some of our churches are not as engaged as we need them to be. I believe we can get churches and their leaders back involved,” he said.

“We’ve had a rough ride the last several years. We need to encourage churches to step up and be more involved, including financially. … As we recast the vision and regain the sense of trust, I believe we can get them back on board.”

Potential to unify 

Webb emphasized his belief Lowrie could unify the BGCT.

“I believe David would bring instant credibility to the BGCT. He is a person clearly committed to Jesus Christ, the authority of Scripture, personal evangelism and the Baptist principles I—along with most Texas Baptists—hold dear.  Most of all, I believe his election as president would signal to all of our churches there is a place for them in the BGCT,” Webb said.

“In the midst of the convention controversy, too many of us began to focus more on what we were not than what we were. David did not allow himself to do that. He is clearly one of us, but he has stayed positive. He has been running the race for Jesus Christ while others have been under the stands fighting.  He has his own scars from the controversy, but rather than nurse them, he has chosen to run the race. 

“Randel Everett is trying to lead the BGCT to focus positively on reaching our state with the hope of Christ by 2010. It is what we should be talking about and working toward, and I believe David’s election as president will help Randel and our convention in this endeavor.”

Responding to a loss

Webb first considered nominating Lowrie after seeing how he handled his narrow defeat at the 2007 BGCT annual meeting in Amarillo.

“I think you often learn more about a person when they lose than when they win. David consistently demonstrated the fruit of the Spirit in the loss,” Webb said. 

“He was gracious in his support of Joy. He didn’t take his ball and go home. He encouraged those who voted for him to support the BGCT, even though he didn’t win. He personally never wavered in his support of our convention. It is the way all of us should be, but sadly it is rarely the case—even among ministers. 

“When I watched David’s reaction to the loss, that is when I was sold on his being the kind of winner we need as president of the BGCT.  David is the real deal.”

If elected, he would become the first second-generation BGCT president. His father, D.L. Lowrie, long-time pastor of First Baptist Church in Lubbock, was president of the state convention in 1982-1983.

Lowrie has been pastor of five Baptist churches since he entered the ministry in 1982—First Baptist of Canyon in West Texas, First Baptist of Mabank in East Texas, Timbercreek Baptist in Flower Mound, First Baptist in Roanoke and Northwest Baptist in Milwaukee, Wisc.

In 2007, First Baptist Church in Canyon had 1,442 resident members, averaged 713 participants in Sunday morning worship and baptized 18 new Christians.

It had $2,205,031 in total receipts, $1,638,216 in undesignated receipts, $351,341 in total missions expenditures and $174,450 in Cooperative Program allocations.

Lowrie is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he earned his doctorate from Bethel University.

He is a member of the Howard Payne University board of trustees and the BGCT Future Focus Committee. He was president of the Panhandle/Plains Pastors’ and Laymen’s Conference in 2006. He was second vice president of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Con-vention and has been involved in various Baptist associational and civic activities.

He and his wife, Robyn, are the parents of four children—Kalie, Lorin, Jamie and Madison.