Family Bible Series for Dec. 4: Manger and Mission: Why Care?

Posted: 11/21/05

Family Bible Series for Dec. 4

Manger and Mission: Why Care?

• Jonah 4:1-11

By Donald Raney

11/21/2005 - By John Rutledge

Explore the Bible Series for Dec. 4: Need for Mercy

Posted: 11/21/05 Explore the Bible Series for Dec. 4 Need for Mercy • Romans 9:1-6,14-24 By Trey Turner Canyon Creek Baptist Church, Temple Sometimes it would be great to get…

11/21/2005 - By John Rutledge

Texas Baptist Men involved in ‘God’s activity’

Posted: 11/18/05

Texas Baptist Men involved in 'God's activity'

By Emily Row

AUSTIN–God has placed Texas Baptist Men squarely in the middle of his activity in the world, TBM Executive Director Leo Smith told a rally prior to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.

Volunteers at the Nov. 13 event shared stories of ministering around the globe through TBM, focusing particularly on encounters with the victims of hurricanes Emily, Katrina, Rita and Stan. The vast needs spread disaster relief teams thin, leaders said.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge

WMU board cancels Texas Leadership Conference

Posted: 11/18/05

WMU board cancels Texas Leadership Conference

By Teresa Young

AUSTIN–After more than a half-century, Woman's Missionary Union of Texas has held its last annual statewide Texas Leadership Conference in Waco.

The Texas WMU board of directors voted Nov. 12 to cancel the conference–originally known as the WMU House Party at Baylor University–along with the WMU Associational Summit for 2006 and 2007 in favor of conducting regional training events around the state.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge

BGCT officer elections reflect convention’s diversity

Posted: 11/18/05

BGCT officer elections
reflect convention's diversity

By Miranda Bradley

AUSTIN–The Baptist General Convention of Texas elected Michael Bell, pastor of Greater St. Stephen First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, as president–the first African-Amer-ican to hold the position.

Bell defeated Rick Davis, pastor of First Baptist Church in Brownwood, 1,278-310 in a ballot vote. Annual meeting messengers responded to the result with a round of applause.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge

BGCT approves sweeping change in governance structure

Posted: 11/18/05

BGCT approves sweeping
change in governance structure

By Teresa Young

AUSTIN–Messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting overwhelmingly approved a revised constitution and set of bylaws that streamline its governance structure and make the convention's Executive Board more directly involved in the decision-making process.

The decisions set in motion “the most sweeping changes in BGCT governance since 1959,” said Wesley Shotwell, pastor of Ash Creek Baptist Church in Azle and chair of the Executive Board's Governance Commit-tee.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge

Rogers kept SBC’s steering wheel turned to the right

Posted: 11/18/05

Rogers kept SBC's steering
wheel turned to the right

By Bob Allen

EthicsDaily.com

MEMPHIS, Tenn.–Three-time Southern Baptist Conven-tion President Adrian Rogers, whose 1979 election sparked a revolutionary leadership change in America's largest Protestant denomination, died Nov. 15.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge

Texas WMU celebrates 125 years of missions service

Posted: 11/18/05

Texas WMU celebrates
125 years of missions service

By Teresa Young

AUSTIN ­ Woman's Missionary Union of Texas celebrated the mission organization's 125th anniversary with a program weaving history and service.

The program relayed much of Texas WMU history through dramatic vignettes presented by Janna Walker and her daughter, Caroline, of First Baptist Church in New Braunfels.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge

Historic Texas Baptist church ‘still alive and growing,’ pastor reports

Posted: 11/18/05

Historic Texas Baptist church
'still alive and growing,' pastor reports

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

AUSTIN–Texas' oldest continuously active missionary Baptist church is “still alive and growing,” Butch Strickland told the Texas Baptist Historical Society.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge

Ministers, layman honored at banquet

Posted: 11/18/05

Ministers, layman honored at banquet

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

AUSTIN–A retired children's home administrator, a dentist involved in missions construction and a bivocational pastor committed to helping immigrants gain legal status in the United States received Texas Baptist Ministry Awards at a banquet held in conjunction with the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge

Varied evangelism methods can be effective, Shuffield says

Posted: 11/18/05

Varied evangelism methods
can be effective, Shuffield says

By Emily Row

AUSTIN–When he was 8 years old, Wayne Shuffield thought becoming a Christian was all about going to heaven. He was ready for Christ to welcome him into heaven at that very moment. Only later did he realize that God leaves people on earth to help bring others to know Christ.

Shuffield, director of the missions, evangelism and ministry team of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, believes God creates divine appointments for Christians to share their faith with non-Christians.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge

Worship should unify, not divide, educator insists

Posted: 11/18/05

Worship should unify,
not divide, educator insists

By Craig Bird

AUSTIN–The one thing that should be the most unifying feature of congregational life–worship–often becomes the most divisive element, because churches ask the wrong questions, an East Texas educator told participants at a seminar held during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.

Thomas Webster, dean of the school of fine arts at East Texas Baptist University, led a session on how to develop creative worship.

11/18/2005 - By John Rutledge