Hello, Texas Baptists. I want to thank our Baptist General Convention of Texas second vice president, Byron Stevenson, pastor of The Fort Bend Church (www.thebend.org) in Sugar Land, for preaching at our August chapel service here in our building. We are blessed to have leaders like Byron. Also, I want to thank Joseph Parker, pastor of David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Austin (www.davidchapel.org) and an Executive Board director, for allowing me to preach in his absence not long ago. This is a wonderful church doing great work.
Troy Allen, pastor of First Baptist Church of College Station (www.fbccollegestation.com), allowed me to speak to the church on Texas Baptists' work in evangelism and missions. I so enjoyed my time in First Baptist. Troy has been serving there for over a year and is a real blessing to that congregation, as they are to him!
On Aug. 7, we were so delighted to welcome 45 pastors to your Baptist Building for a time of information and affirmation. Your entire Baptist Building staff, led by Associate Executive Director Steve Vernon, did a wonderful job sharing who we are and what we are doing as a convention. In addition, everyone was given a Baptist Building tour. I was so pleased to have them here, and we look forward to doing this again in January.
Amarillo was another stop on my "tour of Texas" recently, and I want to express appreciation to Steve Dalrymple, CEO of Baptist Community Services (www.parkcentral.org), a complete care and retirement community located across the street from First Baptist Church. I was given a great tour of their large facility and of the Baptist St. Anthony Hospital as well. Texas Baptists elect seven board members for this ministry, and I was pleased to meet the people there and see the scope of their work. While I was there, I had the opportunity to speak to a number of pastors and church leaders from the Panhandle, and I thank Amarillo Baptist Association (www.amarillobaptist.org) Director of Missions Bryan Houser for putting this luncheon together and for the folks at Park Central for hosting us.
Tallowood Baptist Church (www.tallowood.org) in Houston was so gracious to me as I preached in their Saturday night and Sunday morning services. Pastor Duane Brooks continues to lead so very admirably. In addition to their own services, Tallowood hosts six other language congregations each weekend. I was so delighted on Sunday morning to have a few minutes to speak to the Chinese Church of Tallowood, where Jason Lee is the pastor.
Please join me in praying for our Baptist Student Ministry leaders on our Texas college and university campuses as they welcome 1.5 million students back to campus this month. This is a mission field, and your Texas Baptist campus ministers are trained and ready!
God bless you all. More next time.
David Hardage is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board.
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