SBTC to gather in Amarillo

AMARILLO?The eighth Southern Baptists of Texas Convention annual meeting will be Oct. 24-25 in Amarillo. Messengers will gather at The Church at Quail Creek (San Jacinto Baptist Church) under the theme, “Reaching Texas, Touching the World,” based on the Acts 1:8 mandate to evangelize the world locally, regionally and globally.

The 2005 convention will include nationally known speakers, such as Alabama evangelist Junior Hill, who will preach during the Tuesday night session and reports from several Southern Baptist Convention entity leaders. During the business sessions, SBTC messengers?elected by their congregations?will vote on a convention annual budget and various other matters, including proposed resolutions that aim to represent the opinion of the messengers about current cultural and church issues.

“It is exciting to be a part of the first SBTC annual meeting west of I-35,” Jim Richards, SBTC executive director, said. “As in years past, we will have a lot of singing, preaching, praying and a little business on the side. Everyone is welcome to attend. Bring a group from your church and let them experience the spirit-filled atmosphere and hear about what God is doing through SBTC.”

Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Bryan and SBTC president, will preach at 8:20 p.m. Monday and Steve Swafford, pastor of First Baptist Church of Rockwall, will preach the convention sermon at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday. Theme interpretation sermons will be preached by Nathan Lino of Houston’s Northeast Baptist Church, Mike Gonzales, SBTC Hispanic Initiative director, and Dwight McKissic of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington.

The annual Pastors’ Conference precedes the annual meeting beginning at 6:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 and concluding at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24. There is no Monday morning session of the Pastors’ Conference. This year’s speakers include host pastor, Stan Coffey; Plano pastor Jack Graham; retiring LifeWay Christian Resources President Jimmy Draper; Johnny Funderburg, First Baptist Church, Pampa, Texas; Ivy Shelton, Sherwood Baptist Church, Odessa; and McKissic.