Woodlawn youth go to school on BGCT annual session_111703

Posted: 11/14/03

Woodlawn youth go to school on BGCT annual session

By Ken Camp

Texas Baptist Communications

LUBBOCK–Teenagers' passions run strictly toward pizza and paintball, not Baptist polity and practice, right?

Not necessarily, according to Bryan Hall, youth minister at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Austin.

Eleven high school and college students from the church attended the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session in Lubbock last week. And they came away from the two-day meeting energized by the idea that their church can have a part in worldwide missions and they individually can have a voice in setting the direction of the state convention.

Clifton McClain (left) and J.T. Mackey attend a BGCT workshop.

“It's not just about advancing Texas Baptists. It's about spreading Christ around the world. It's not just about making Texas better, but about making sure the world knows Jesus. That's not what I expected, but it's what I've experienced here,” said Benjamin Young, a college freshman.

Several years ago, when the BGCT was meeting in Austin, Hall brought to the convention a couple of young people who had committed their lives to vocational Christian ministry. The students ended up eating lunch with then-Executive Director Bill Pinson.

That experience was so encouraging for the young ministers, Hall started bringing one or two young people to the convention each year.

“The three who went last year developed such a passion for the convention, they started talking it up and encouraging others to come this year,” Hall said.

Those three brought home a copy of the humorous theme interpretation video, “We Don't Dance.” They used it as the centerpiece of a Wednesday evening youth-led worship service focusing on Baptist polity and practice.

“We had such a good time and learned so much, we opened it up for others to come,” said Josh Smith, a high school junior. “I didn't know all the resources for missions that are available. It's just huge what our churches can do when they all come together.”

Nine of the 11 Woodlawn students at the BGCT were Jason Baker, J.T. Mackey, Ben Young, Ryan Wood, Chase McClain, Ashley Miller, Tammy Smith, Amanda Vasquez and Josh Smith.

The teenagers enthusiastically embraced the idea of learning more about how Baptists make decisions corporately, and they were eager to attend workshops on Baptist heritage, history and doctrine.

“One of the coolest things about it was finding out that the convention exists to serve the churches, not the other way around. And with the church autonomy thing, we can make our own decisions under God,” said J.T. Mackey, a high school senior.

Two-thirds of the young people attending the BGCT from Woodlawn were not brought up in a Baptist church, but they came to faith within the last few years.

“If we are going to be future leaders, we need to be able to tell others what we believe and why we believe it,” Smith said.

The students also enjoyed visiting the exhibit hall–particularly the booths from the Baptist universities, which some of the teens hope to attend–and attending the workshops on various BGCT-related ministries.

“It really opened my eyes to the passion the people have for their different ministries,” said Tammy Smith, a high school senior.

The Austin teens–who received an excused absence from school to attend the BGCT–expressed enthusiasm about the future of Texas Baptist missions and ministry. And they were touched by the reaction of other messengers to their presence at the convention.

“We were walking by the registration booth,” Young said. “I noticed some of the people were kind of watching us as we went by. Then I heard one older lady who was working turn to the person next to her and say, 'That's our future.'”