Richards: Praying, listening tops staff agenda for 2011

CORPUS CHRISTI?"Your SBTC staff exists to assist the local church in accomplishing the Great Commission," SBTC Executive Director Jim Richards reminded messengers and guests at the convention's annual meeting.

During his annual report, Richards said plans are being made for a series of praying and listening sessions, continuing this year's annual meeting theme, at venues across the state in 2011.

"The greatest need we have today as the people of God is to humble ourselves before the Lord," Richards said. "Praying and then listening for his voice will enable us to go in the right direction, do the right things and be the right person."

Stemming from a senior staff retreat last spring, "What surfaced in our hearts through our prayer times in that retreat was a desire to honor God even more as a staff and as a convention," Richards explained.

Many of those staff members will travel the state in the concentrated prayer emphasis next year. The "Praying and Listening" 2010 meeting theme is being carried into 2011 with the prayer meetings and a series of regional dialogues with churches about how the convention can best serve them as they fulfill the Great Commission.

"Let's pray together. Let's get a vision together. And let's go forward and let's present the gospel of Jesus Christ across Texas for his glory," Richards said.

FINANCIAL BLESSINGS

Unlike many other state conventions contemplating budget cuts and layoffs, the SBTC, blessed by faithful church giving and fiscal restraint, ended 2009 with a budget surplus. The executive board, Richards said, voted to distribute the surplus to a broad range of ministries, including budgeted and non-budgeted efforts and institutions.

One surplus funding recipient was SBTC Disaster Relief. Those resources were tapped as several hurricanes and tropical storms blew through Mexico and torrential rains along the Texas-Mexico border caused flooding. Because of $220,000 available from the surplus, Richards said the SBTC was able to assist churches ministering to those affected by the storms.

Other areas of ministry receiving a boost from the surplus were: the Black Church Equipping conference, $6,000; deaf leadership training, $10,000; God's Plan for Sharing (an outreach to Laredo), $125,000; Hispanic Initiative, $90,000; Asian ministries, $20,000; Lottie Moon house restoration, $5,000; Transitional pastor training; $10,000; prayer ministry, $13,000; International Mission Board, $100,000; Affiliated Partnerships, $150,000; Criswell College, $100,000, and the SBTC Foundation, $300,000.

The SBTC Foundation, still in its early growth, is subsidized partly by the convention. The Affiliated Partnerships is a coordinated effort between the SBTC and Southwestern Seminary that places interns in churches to assist the church in educational ministry.

"Without your participation [in Cooperative Program giving], no coordinated state-wide mission effort among Southern Baptists committed to biblical inerrancy would exist," Richards reminded the convention.

CORE VALUES, MISSION

Noting the importance of the SBTC's mission and vision statements, he said unless those values are kept at the fore, what began on Nov. 10, 1998 might be lost.

The core values emphasize that the convention is biblically based, kingdom focused and missionally funded.

Richards said the SBTC affirms the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message not because the BFM is equal to the Bible, but because it is a clear statement about the Bible and its teachings that the churches can affirm.

From its inception the SBTC has focused on kingdom work. In the budget, the largest line items are for new church plants and missions?about 36 percent of the in-state budget. The SBTC forwards 55 percent of undesignated CP giving on to SBC missions and ministries.

"We are keeping the main thing the main thing," he said, adding that a lean number of full-time ministry staff?28 people?services 2,280 churches across Texas.

LAREDO OUTREACH