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IRVING—The ballots given to 901 messengers were never needed at the 14th session of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. With overwhelming unity on display, raised hands were sufficient for messengers to approve a $26.2 million budget, elect Mesquite pastor Terry Turner as president, and pass five resolutions on topics ranging from the personhood of the unborn to biblical gender roles.
With another 875 guests registered at the Nov. 14-15 annual meeting, total attendance set an all-time high with a focus on “Praying and Going” based on Acts 13:2-3.
The climax to the meeting came on the closing night as 126 church leaders walked the aisle to signal their intent to lead their churches to “embrace” an unreached, unengaged people group (UUPG), part of an SBTC challenge to Texas Southern Baptists to work toward engaging with the gospel 1,000 of the estimated 3,800 UUPGs worldwide.
Turner, the first African American to hold that office, is a trustee of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and was described by his nominator, Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson, as a commendable servant, a courageous supporter of the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement “and in the continuing history of great and godly presidents of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.”
With an undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism, Patterson said Turner “is ready to broadcast the gospel to the world” and with two master’s degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary, “he knows what to talk about.”
Patterson also praised Turner, a Guthrie, Okla., native, as a missions advocate, having spread the gospel in Zambia and Belize, and a church planter who led Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church to grow from five families when it began in 1991 to a membership exceeding 2,100. The church has also helped plant five other congregations.
Loui Canchola, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church, an eight-year-old congregation in McAllen, was elected to a second term as SBTC vice president. Canchola, also elected by acclamation, has led Cornerstone to plant five churches, said his nominator, Jim Sherwin, pastor of Celeste First Baptist Church.
James Nickell, pastor of First Baptist Church of Quitman, was elected unopposed as recording secretary, praised by his nominator, Bob Pearle, pastor of Birchman Baptist in Fort Worth, as a former church planter in British Columbia. FBC Quitman leads its association in Cooperative Program giving, Pearle said.
EMBRACING PEOPLE GROUPS
Hearing from retired and current missionaries as well as IMB President Tom Elliff via videotape, the churches responded to the call to embrace at least one UUPG. Prior to the meeting, about 75 churches had agreed to engage a people group, said John Meador, pastor of First Baptist Church of Euless, and outgoing Executive Board chairman.
“Why 1,000? Because to whom much is given, much is required. God has given us incredible favor, harmony and focus, providing resources for us,” stated Meador, appealing for the missionary response. ” If we don”t lead the way, who will?” ”
Meador added, “I”m thrilled to be part of the army of God of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and I want to answer my commanding officer who says, “Go,” with a resounding, “Yes, we”re going. Yes, I will lead my church to go . . . to the ends of the earth, reaching unengaged, unreached people groups with the gospel of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.””
While much of the focus in the closing session was placed on India, Embrace is a global effort and churches are encouraged to seek God”s leadership as to where they will embrace a UUPG, said SBTC Missions Director Terry Coy. Existing SBTC international partnerships and the new Embrace strategy are “separate but not totally distinct strategies,” he explained.
“Our partnerships are in locations where there already is engagement, working with IMB and/or national Baptists on the ground. However, the two emphases do dovetail, because in some cases (such as India and Turkey), there will be opportunity to work with UUPGs,” he said.
BUDGET
The 2012 budget of $26,274,704 is a 3.16 percent increase over 2011. On behalf of the SBTC Executive Board, Meador related, “God has blessed us in great ways. This budget is a prudent approach to take advantage of the opportunities and be wise with the resources God has provided for us for the year 2012.”
“We are called to walk by faith, but also walk in such a way that when we look back we could say we were wise,” he added, expressing appreciation for the convention”s generosity in giving $1 million in reserve funds through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions earlier this year.
Of the 45 percent of undesignated receipts retained for in-state ministry, about 36 percent is earmarked for missions and evangelism; 9.94 percent for facilitating ministries; 13.03 percent for church ministries; 10.64 percent for operational and financial; 9.94 percent for facilitating ministries; 9.5 percent for communications; 7.94 percent for minister/church relations and 7 percent for multi-ethnic ministries. The Minister”s Outside Retirement and Protection Benefits special allocation amounts to 5.97 percent.
The SBTC forwards 55 percent of Cooperative Program funds to Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministry worldwide. The convention is ranked fourth in funds given through the CP allocation budget, behind much older state Baptist conventions in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
Messengers also approved a motion bringing the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation into compliance with recent changes to Texas non-profit law, increasing representation from five to seven members over the next year.
Recommendations from the committee on nominations as well as the committee on order of business were approved without objection, affirming David Fleming, pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, to preach the convention sermon at Castle Hills First Baptist Church in San Antonio, Nov. 12-13, 2012.
PRESSLER AWARDS
Two SBTC area coordinators were honored with the H. Paul Pressler Award”T.C. Melton of Abilene, who covers West Texas, and Casey Perry of Malakoff, who covers East Texas. They were recognized for their extensive service pastoring and mentoring church leaders statewide.
As a pastor at Elmcrest Baptist Church in Abilene, Melton mentored numerous younger men, including Golden Gate Seminary President Jeff Iorg and B&H Publishing Group President Brad Waggoner, both of whom served under him, as well as pastors now serving across West Texas.
Perry has been a leader among Southern Baptists for many years and was involved in the SBTC”s formation. He has served on numerous denominational boards, most recently as a trustee at Southern Seminary. Perry pastored in Malakoff, Mercury, Muleshoe, Terrell and Arlington, as well as churches in North Dakota and Kansas. “
In making the awards, Pressler honored “distinguished couples,” noting that in both cases the husband and his wife “have worked so hard together to exalt the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
EXECUTIVE REPORT
SBTC Executive Director Jim Richards told messengers the convention would continue to adapt to the churches” needs. He recounted the insights gleaned from a series of “Praying & Listening” sessions in the first half of 2011, noting recurring requests for help in leadership development, discipleship, technology and other areas.
The mandate from SBTC churches has been to keep church planting a priority, which is reflected in the annual CP budget. Accordingly, “We will keep it a centerpiece of our efforts and energies,” Richards said.
Richards encouraged churches to continue reaching Texas while also engaging the world. Noting the challenge from the convention for churches to engage unengaged, unreached people groups, Richards said Peter”s vision in the book of Acts that led to his engagement of Gentiles with the gospel required overcoming some obstacles. Yet Peter obeyed God, leading to his witness with Cornelius.
There are Corneliuses everywhere responding to the light of natural revelation, and “God is touching your heart to answer the call” to offer the gospel, Richards said. “The question is who? Who will go for us?”
RESOLUTIONS
While no new motions were introduced from the floor, messengers did approve an amendment to one resolution to make the language conform to an article of the Baptist Faith & Message confession.
The resolution on biblical manhood and womanhood affirmed the “equal worth and value” of men and woman in creation and in Christ while noting distinct biblical roles “in the life and function of the church” and in the home. The resolution affirms “the call of women to many ministries in the church, but recognize that the office of pastor is limited to men.”
The resolutions committee, chaired by Pearle, the Fort Worth pastor, had no objection to the substitute language offered by Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmersville, who replaced the committee”s phrasing of “role of senior pastor” with “office of pastor.”
The personhood resolution came after Mississippi voters defeated a referendum that would have legally recognized the personhood of the unborn beginning at conception. The SBTC resolution noted, “We affirm that all human life in the womb should have the protection rights of personhood under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.” The resolution also affirmed states with personhood amendments under consideration, and “we encourage our elected Texas legislators to adopt an amendment that would affirm the personhood of the unborn.”
The Israel resolution affirmed that “one of the promises of the Abrahamic covenant concerns the land of modern-day Israel” and that the state of Israel has a right to exist in its current location. Also, “we call on both the Jewish and Palestinian people to pursue and adopt policies that cultivate genuine peace between themselves and their neighbors.”
Financial stewardship was addressed by a resolution calling the tithe “the biblical model” and lamenting personal debt and statistics showing the median giving for American Christians is “slightly over one-half of one percent of after-tax income.”
The full text of resolutions may be read online at sbtexas.com.
OTHER BUSINESS
SBTC President Byron McWilliams, pastor of First Baptist Church in Odessa, urged the convention to follow John the Baptist”s lead in seeing that “He must increase but I must decrease.” Jesus” cousin was fulfilled in his subservient role to the Christ, McWilliams said.
“May we as the SBTC always properly handle the glory of God because he must increase and we must decrease…. We are the little servants of an illustrious Savior,” McWilliams added.
Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church of Humble, delivered the convention sermon from Psalm 95. Warning against the unfaithfulness of the ancient Israelites in the wilderness, Lino pled in light of the challenge to engage unreached peoples, “All we are saying today is, if you hear the voice of God about the mission of the church, will you harden your heart or will you trust and obey?”
Biblical challenges were offered throughout the sessions by Robert Welch Jr., pastor of Rock Hill Baptist Church, Brownsboro; Juan Sanchez, pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin; and Glynn Stone, pastor of Mobberly Baptist Church, Longview; with Michael Dean, pastor of Travis Avenue Baptist Church, Fort Worth, giving the closing challenge Tuesday night.
Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., preached a guest sermon during the closing session, urging messengers to see the theological significance in messages such as the one he preached on David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17.
“This story is not about the power of David, the little guy, it”s not a story about the underdog who won. ” This is a story about the God in whom David trusted,” Dever reminded. He warned preachers not to brag on themselves or their institutions but in the God who blesses.
In addition to SBTC missions and ministries challenges, messengers and guests heard from Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land; SBC Executive Committee President Frank Page (by video); LifeWay Christian Resources consultant Pat Ford; GuideStone Financial Resources President O.S. Hawkins; North American Mission Board Associate Vice President Shawn Powers; and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Phil Roberts on behalf of all six SBC seminaries.
