Ethnic minorities to chair all seven appointed 2004 BGCT committee_32204

Posted: 3/19/04

Ethnic minorities to chair all
seven appointed 2004 BGCT committees

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS–The Baptist General Convention of Texas officers named ethnic minorities to chair all seven of the convention's appointed committees for the first time in the organization's history.

Convention officers made a concerted effort to put minorities in leadership roles so they can be more integrally involved in the convention's work, said BGCT President Ken Hall.

The variety of perspectives will strengthen the convention's work, he added.

“Until we create leadership opportunities for our broadest element–our diversity–we are not addressing it,” Hall said.

Chairpersons are: Resolutions Committee, Dan Trevino of Harlandale Baptist Church in San Antonio; Committee on Nominations for Coordinating Boards , Javier Elizondo of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio; Credentials Committee, Johnson Omoni of African Evangelical Baptist Church in Grand Prairie; Committee on Order of Business, Felipe Garza of Iglesia Christian Fellowship in Farmers Branch; Memorials Committee, Marvin Delaney of South Park Baptist Church in Houston; Committee on Committees, Carrie Tunson of Bethel Baptist Church in Mansfield; and Convention Arrangements Committee, Isaac Chu of First Chinese Baptist Church in Dallas.

The Committee on Committees names the members of the Committee to Nominate Executive Board Members and Committee on Nominations for Institutional Boards. Those groups suggest executive board and institutional board members.

The Committee on Nominations for Coordinating Boards appoints members of the Human Welfare Coordinating Board and Christian Education Coordinating Board.

Ethnic minorities comprise more than one-third of the seven officer-appointed committee members.

They also make up one-third of the four committees named by the nominating committees.

These numbers are the result of an intentional effort for the convention to reflect the many people in the state, said Dennis Young, BGCT second vice president and pastor of Missouri City Baptist Church.

“We want the committees to be more diversified,” he said.

The move is the latest step in the convention becoming more ethnically diverse, said Lorenzo Peña, coordinator of the BGCT Associational Missions and Administration Section.

This year is the first time the convention has elected two racial minorities as officers.

In addition to Young, an African American, Albert Reyes of San Antonio is first vice president.

It also is the first year for an African American to chair the executive board–John Ogletree, pastor of the predominantly African American First Metropolitan Baptist Church of Houston.

Part of the BGCT vision is to have minority leadership in at least 30 percent of convention positions as well as meeting the needs of all the ethnicities of Texas, Peña noted.

Ethnic leaders must be included in convention processes for the notion of reaching all people for Christ to be taken seriously, Peña said.

The world needs to see the convention being inclusive to believe the BGCT wants to work with everyone, he said.

“It is very difficult to validate that when people don't see we're doing our part to show that,” he said.

“Our words need to reflect our actions. We can't just talk it. We need to walk it.”

The variety of perspectives provided by ethnic minorities in leadership posts will strengthen the state convention's work, BGCT President Ken Hall said.