HOUSTON—Few topics are as polarizing in America, even among Christians, as the subject of illegal immigration. But Christians, of all people, should be offering solutions that “embrace the tension” between loving compassion and the rule of law, said one pastor during a Criswell College-sponsored panel discussion on the issue at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, Nov. 10.

The diverse panel included Andrew Hebert, pastor of Taylor Memorial Baptist Church in Hobbs, N.M.; Felix Cornier, pastor of El Companerismo Biblico El Camino in Lewisville and SBTC Field Ministry Strategist; Roland Johnson, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Keller; and David Fleming, pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston.

Despite a diversity of views on the matter, the pastors agreed on two significant points: the U.S. immigration system is broken and Scripture must guide any resolution.

Forum moderator Barry Creamer, president of Criswell College, asked the panelists what they want believers to understand about illegal immigration.

The subject pits two diametrically opposed ideologies against each other—deportation or amnesty for all—with neither side willing to break ranks, Fleming said. That has left the nation floundering with no reform and a growing illegal population. By “embracing the tension” between love and compassion and justice and the rule of law believers can find common ground for reconciliation.

Hebert said such a dialogue could begin as believers submit their views about immigration and those in the country illegally to the authority of Scripture. That, combined with personal relationships with undocumented immigrants, will give Christians a better understanding of who and what is at stake in the debate.

“The world has come to our doorstep,” Johnson said, noting the number of undocumented immigrants ranges from 11-30 million. “What an opportunity to share the good news of the gospel.”

Cornier simply asked that pastors not forget their calling as ministers. It is not their job to act as politicians or police. Instead their role affords them unique access into the lives of those living in the shadows.

But what should a pastor do when he discovers a church member is in the U.S. illegally, Creamer asked?

No one on the panel would report the person to the authorities, but Fleming and Cornier acknowledged the difficult situation a pastor is placed in with such a revelation.

Cornier said while ministering to the needs of the individual is paramount, he also encourages them to be truthful and Christlike.

“What they do with that information is up to them,” he said.

Hebert used to take a “hard right” political view on immigration and did so without being able to put a name or face to the issue. But once he took his current pastorate he came to know and befriend undocumented immigrants.

“And they joined my church. And I baptized their children. And I began to shepherd them,” Hebert said.

Citing the story of the Good Samaritan, Hebert said if someone confides they are in the country illegally, “You show them the love of Jesus Christ. We’re not the police. I feel no compelling responsibility to report them.”

Fleming agreed to a point. He said, “We would, and have done, whatever we can to meet the immediate needs and to love that person to Christ and be a community and a faith family for them.”

But, he added, knowing an individual is actively breaking the law puts Christians, particularly pastors, in a different situation. The same Scripture that teaches the lesson of the Good Samaritan also teaches, in Romans 13, submission to governmental authorities.

Unjust laws notwithstanding, Fleming said he wants to help the individual “make this right.”

But making it right is part of what is wrong with the immigration system, the pastors contended.

Their concerns included: efforts to rectify a person’s illegal status while remaining in the country with their U.S.-born children is virtually impossible; 40 percent of the undocumented immigrants are here with expired visas; employers and government tax coffers benefit from the labor of illegal immigrants whose status is often exploited by employers.

Each pastor emphasized the need for believers to treat all people, even those in the country illegally, with compassion. Despite their immigration status they have needs the church can and should meet, most notably an introduction to the gospel.

The pastors said racism cannot be tolerated in any discussion of immigration. They acknowledged it is a aggravating factor in some people’s opposition to reforming the system.

Cornier concluded, “It’s such a touchy subject, and all the wrong people are talking about it. We need to get the right people to talk about it.”

HOUSTON—Southern Baptists of Texas Convention President Jimmy Pritchard welcomed representatives from the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas to a historic joint worship service Nov. 10 on the closing night of the annual meeting of SBTC at Champion Forest Baptist Church.

In addition to sharing in the support of two institutions, Pritchard told messengers from both groups, “We share a mutual commitment that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God, hold to the truth that marriage is defined in the Bible as one man and one woman mutually committed in relationship till death parts them, are together on the right of the unborn for life, and are both confessional fellowships.”

He reminded those gathered that “a cord of three strings is not easily broken,” and added, “SBTC and BMAT together with the Lord Jesus Christ can be really strong in this difficult day in which we live, sharing the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

BMAT was founded in 1899 by 45 churches that left the Baptist General Convention of Texas over a perception that the board structure might override the autonomy of local churches. Five years ago BMAT and SBTC approved a working ministry relationship based on their shared affirmation of a high view of Scripture and basic Baptist distinctives.

Farmersville pastor Bart Barber, in a video presentation, traced the historical context for the reunion 116 years later “Having learned we can live without one another for a century, we are learning we can actually live with each other today. God is making friendships between our two groups of Baptists,” he stated, adding, “God loves to beat swords into plowshares, tilling the ground of the gospel today and beyond.”

Messengers from both conventions heard reports from the two entities they both support—Texas Baptist Home for Children and Jacksonville College.

“We cherish our relationship with both of you,” shared TBH President Eddie Marsh. He told of 32 children placed in permanent homes through adoption during the past year and 34 children professing faith in Christ.

“You have partnered together to love these children. It delights my heart when I hear representatives from both groups refer to this ministry as ‘our children’s home.’ Thank you for loving my kids.”

As the only two-year, faith-based Christian college in Texas, Jacksonville College reported 74 graduates last May, the highest number on record. This fall’s enrollment of 640 students marks another milestone.

“We’re seeing a real movement of God these last two months,” stated Jacksonville College President Mike Smith, describing the 100 students who professed faith in Christ as the beginning of revival on campus.

Smith said, “For a long time Jacksonville College was viewed as a place where BMA churches would send their young people. Now our students are from all walks of life, and most are not from a Christian background,” he reported. With 56 students from 24 different countries, Smith added, “Many never owned a Bible or heard about Jesus,” providing a mission field on the campus.

Criswell College President Barry Creamer described the kind of student the Dallas-based school is recruiting—those who are committed to lifelong service to Jesus Christ in full-time ministry or other vocations and “radically committed to laying down their whole lives for Jesus.”

In terms of curriculum, Creamer said the school requires 42 hours in biblical theology and ministry for every undergraduate degree. The school offers bachelor’s degrees in biblical studies, church planting and revitalization, ministry, psychology, the combination of philosophy, politics and economics, as well as education. In each of those degree plans, he said, “Our desire is for our students to leave Criswell College with the same kind of education you would expect your own preacher to have.”

While tuition and fees for students amount to $8,230 per year, Creamer said the actual cost to the school is $23,500, making it necessary to raise twice as much for each student’s needs. “We give thanks to God for you for the substantial support we receive from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention when you give to Criswell College.”

Wes Pratt, pastor of the BMAT-affiliated Northside Baptist Church in Conroe, delivered the evening’s message from Psalm 66, and the worship team of the SBTC-affiliated West Conroe Baptist Church led music along with the choir from Jacksonville College.

“As a BMA pastor who has a lot of Southern Baptist friends, I am glad we are on the same team for Jesus Christ,” Pratt said. “If there is anything that we can get excited about it is that we serve an awesome God.”

He alluded to Barber’s recollection of a fight that broke out a century ago between feuding editors from each Baptist camp who were riding on a train bound for the annual meeting of Southern Baptists in Hot Springs, Ark., prompting one of the men to fire his pistol. The contrasting harmony of the two Baptist groups meeting in Houston led Pratt to praise their shared evangelistic mission of reaching Texas for Christ. He drew laughter from the crowd when he said, “If we can’t get together on that then shoot me, okay?”

He combined SBTC’s theme of “Walking in Unity” with the BMAT meeting theme of “In All Judea, In All Texas” to express his prayer for unity. “I thought about how we could mold those together and pray we would unite together as Baptists to reach Texas for Christ, run our race well during our watch, and that we would finish exhausted for Christ in a good way.”

Pratt spoke of the Psalmist’s description of the awesome power and work of God and expressed gratitude for believers who in earlier days fulfilled the Great Commission by sharing that message with Baptists who gathered for worship.

“That my friend is worth shouting about, singing about, and being unified about,” he said. “We have an awesome privilege to be a part of this work together for Texas.”

HOUSTON—Mark Estep, senior pastor of Spring Baptist Church of Spring, Texas, delivered the convention sermon during the 2015 annual meeting of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, Tuesday, Nov. 10. Preaching from Luke 7, Estep discussed the unifying power of love, urging attendees to see people the way Jesus sees them and to love them the way he loves them.

Estep cited a recent study that found 37 percent of non-church goers say they do not attend because the “people there don’t really care.” Estep challenged the 772 messengers who had registered for the meeting at that point and 700 guests to change the way they interact with people so that Christians may indeed be known by their love and so that through that love, many will come to know the saving love of Jesus Christ.

“It is guesstimated that there are 183 million lost people in the United States of America, and I guess the follow up question would be this: Who cares?” Estep said. “Jesus does. he cares, but do we care? Does it matter to us? We get stuck inside the walls of the church, and we fail to really see. We fail to really engage.”

True love, Estep said, sees people and responds to suffering.

“Let us show the truth by our actions,” Estep said. “We’ve gotta quit just giving lip service, folks.”

Ignorance and indifference, he said, do not put love into action. Rather, they keep church members in their pews and keep churches from growing and reaching people.

“It keeps us ordinary instead of extraordinary,” Estep said. “Doctors don’t care about their patients, teachers don’t care about their students, politicians don’t care about the country. But the saddest thing is, Christians don’t care about the lost.”

True love not only sees people and responds to suffering, he said. True love responds to needs. It doesn’t just form committees or talk about it.

“Jesus sets the example of involvement,” Estep said.

And that involvement, he continued, must look loving, not hateful. No one gets argued into becoming a Christian or name-called into being saved, he explained.

“People don’t respond to hatred, they respond to the love of Christ,” Estep said.