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CORPUS CHRISTI?Messengers to the sixth annual meeting of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention adopted a $16.3 million budget for 2004 and marked the SBTC’s fifth anniversary, which included a surprise greeting via fax from President Bush.

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The convention elected its officers unopposed, including Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist Church of Bryan, as its president. The convention elected Dt1:PersonName>avid Galvan, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida in Garland, as first vice president for a second term and elected first-termers Bill Sutton, pastor of First Baptist Church, McAllen, second vice president, and Brenda Wills of First Baptist Church, Fort Worth, as recording secretary.

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Osborne succeeds George Harris, who retired last year as pastor of Castle Hills First Baptist Church in San Antonio.

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In nominating Osborne, Gil Lane, pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, said Osborne has many admirable credentials, “but it’s not his credentials that impress me; it’s his character,” Lane said. Osborne served as SBTC Pastors’ Conference president in 2003.

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The convention registered an attendance of 1,370, including 831 messengers and 539 visitors. The SBTC has 1,380 congregations.

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The SBTC’s 2004 budget of $16,339,576 is an 18 percent increase, or $2.47 million, over 2003. The majority?52 percent?will go to Southern Baptist Convention causes, such as the International and North American mission boards and the SBC’s six seminaries. The remaining 48 percent will fund church planting, missions and related ministry within Texas, reported Joe Davis, the SBTC’s chief financial officer.

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No other Baptist state convention sends a higher percentage of receipts to Southern Baptist Convention ministries through the SBC’s Cooperative Program missions funding channel than the SBTC, Davis noted.

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The 2004 budget is “aggressive,” Davis said?requiring $68,000 more per month in Cooperative Program receipts than in 2003?and we “believe this budget continues our practice of being good stewards with your Cooperative Program gifts and we are anxious to see what God will do in 2004.”

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Of the SBTC budget, 29.49 percent will go to missions and 9.29 percent for evangelism (formerly part of the missions category). The remainder includes 14.19 percent for minister/church relations; 13.78 percent for church ministry support; 11.57 percent for affiliated and fraternally related ministries; 10.93 percent for operational and financial services and 10.75 percent for communications.

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Gerald Smith, outgoing executive board chairman, reported to messengers that because of the “generous gifts of God’s people” the SBTC is building debt-free a 30,000 square foot office on 3.8 acres in Grapevine, set for completion next April. Owning a building will save the convention about $200,000 a year, according to a feasibility study, Smith said.

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Throughout the two-day gathering, which featured the theme “Victory in Jesus,” numerous platform guests noted the SBTC’s fifth anniversary. The convention began in 1998 with 120 congregations and now has more than 1,370 affiliated churches.

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During the Oct. 28 session, SBTC Executive Director Jim Richards stepped to the podium and read a greeting from President Bush, congratulating the convention on its five-year anniversary. The fax was to be accompanied by an official letter being sent by mail from the White House.

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“I send greetings to those celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention,” the president wrote.

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“Faith plays an important role in the lives of many Americans and in the fabric of our country. Throughout our history, people of faith have helped shape our character and have contributed to the vitality of our Nation.

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“By celebrating and sharing your faith, you help to sustain a spirit of compassion in our country. Your dedication to loving and serving others reflects the strength of America.

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“Laura joins me in sending our best wishes for a memorable event. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless America.”

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Richards remarked to the convention, “That was quite a surprise and I think Dr. (Richard) Land may have had his hand in that. We appreciate anyone who was responsible for notifying the president of our fifth anniversary celebration and we do thank the President of the United States for thinking of us at our time o