West Texas, here we come!

In July, my wife June and I traveled across a portion of West Texas in seven days. We started out in Abilene at Elmcrest Baptist Church meeting with a group of pastors and church leaders. This was followed up with a dinner in Stamford. The next day I preached three times on Sunday morning at Broadview Baptist Church in Abilene. Pastor Wes Terry and the wonderful folks there made us welcome. God’s Spirit was evidently present. Sunday night I preached at Midway Baptist in Big Spring. Four sermons in one day is a challenge but an awesome privilege.

Pastors and church leaders meetings followed over the next five days. We were in San Angelo, Odessa, Lamesa, Lubbock, Amarillo, Pampa and Childress. Believe it or not, we drove through rain each day. Pastor Randy Davis at Lifeway Baptist Fellowship, Amarillo, was kind enough to allow me to preach on Wednesday night. Randy was one of the founding board members of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

One reason for going to West Texas was to encourage the faithful in carrying out the Great Commission. Instead of providing encouragement, June and I were greatly encouraged. Pastors and church leaders are seeking to please our Lord Jesus in small, out-of-the-way places and oil boom cities. The commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture is strong. Care for fellow believers is evident. Compassion for those who need to know Jesus is being practiced and proclaimed. June and I were humbled and uplifted by the loving SBTC folks in West Texas.

Another reason for going to West Texas was to invite everyone to the celebration at the Annual Meeting. We will be at the Amarillo Convention Center, Oct. 27-29. The Bible Conference led by Pastor Gil Lain of Paramount Baptist Church, Amarillo, precedes the convention, starting Sunday night and wrapping up Monday afternoon. A Spanish-language session is on Sunday night too.

SBTC President Terry Turner will preach on Monday night accompanied by his talented choir. He will preside over the sessions, concluding his second year of service. Pastor David Wilson of Southcrest Baptist in Lubbock will bring the convention sermon on Tuesday morning. His church will provide music in that session. Other brief biblical expositions will be interspersed with praise and worship.

There are two small segments of business. The Executive Board will bring recommendations on Tuesday morning. The Resolutions Committee presents their report that afternoon. Some people do not care for resolutions but they are extremely helpful. While resolutions are not binding on any church, they do give a snapshot of the opinion of the messengers for that convention. Current resolutions allow convention staff to appropriately represent the churches’ opinions on certain issues. During the recent debate in the Texas Legislature about restricting abortion, SBTC staff were able to speak definitively in favor of life because of our faith statement (BF&M 2000) and recent resolutions.

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is comprised of churches. You are the convention. Come to Amarillo! You will be amazed to hear what the 2,415 churches are doing together. Working together and giving together makes it possible to reach Texas and touch the world.