Posted: 6/23/06
Texan places first at national tournament
By Elizabeth Staples
Communications Intern
Jessica Jones of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano won first place in the National Invitational Speakers Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., the fourth consecutive year the winner of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Speakers Tournament took top honors at the national level.
Jones represented the BGCT at the national tournament, along with Iwalani Caines from Westside Baptist Church in Killeen, who won first place in the state junior high Bible Drill division, and Jacob Eunice, a member of Northside Baptist Church in Del Rio, who won first in the senior high Bible Drill division.
“Preparing for this competition really helped to develop my leadership skills. I feel more grounded (in the Bible) because of what I’ve learned,” Eunice said.
All high school drillers and speakers who participate in the state finals are eligible for scholarships to Texas Baptist universities.
More than 1,500 Texas Baptist students participated in Bible Drill/Speakers Tournaments across the state. More than 85 Texas Baptist churches took part in the competition.
Competitors ranged in age from fourth to 12th grade. They began early in the fall working with leaders in their local churches.
Bible drillers pass through three levels of participation. The church drill is held each spring one or two weeks before the associational drill. Children who make no more than 12 mistakes are eligible to participate in the associational drill. At the associational drill, a child who makes no more than 16 mistakes advances to the state drill.
The BGCT offered state drill sites for qualifiers in Abilene, Dallas, San Antonio Arlington, Austin, Pasadena and Plainview.
Every participant received a certificate from the BGCT Bible Study/Discipleship team and a seal corresponding with their score. The 207 participants who did not make a mistake received a certificate with the seal of “State Perfect.” They also received the Bible with which they drilled with an inscription from the BGCT.
See the complete list of children who qualified as “state perfect” participants here.
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