TOGETHER: Mandate & mission push Texas Baptists

Posted: 3/03/06

TOGETHER:
Mandate & mission push Texas Baptists

Texas Baptists are a special kind of people. We believe God has given us a great mandate and a great mission—to love him as we love nothing else, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves and in that love to go everywhere calling people to follow Jesus Christ. And we believe that if God is in something, then he will provide a way to get it done.

Quite simply, Texas Baptists like being on the cutting edge of God’s purposes in the world. I was reminded of that this past week. It was an emotional and intense time.

Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

It may seem a bit mundane, but the reorganized Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas met for the first time Feb. 27-28. We had dreamed of an Executive Board that would be more actively involved in directing the activities of our convention, and at this first meeting, we began to see that dream come to life.

This change signals a new day in which Texas Baptists continue their long-established pattern of innovating and working to meet the ever-changing needs of our churches and the mission fields around us.

Texas Baptists also are “big tent” Baptists. We do not try to stand alone. Rather, we enjoy working alongside fellow Baptists throughout the United States and around the world.

Our new Executive Board illustrated this as it voted to begin a partnership with the fledgling Baptist General Convention of Missouri. We share a passion for helping churches reach the world for Christ.

But the BGCT tent is even bigger still. We have room inside for Baptists from throughout the world, as our membership in the Baptist World Alliance happily proclaims.

David Coffey, the new president of the BWA, came to Texas last week on his first major trip in his new role. David preached in three churches, two Baptist universities and at three BGCT events. Each time I heard him, I thanked God for preparing this man to lead the world Baptist family these next five years.

We had two goals in mind when we became part of the Baptist World Alliance:

One, we wanted to let the Baptists of the world know that we love them, believe in them and want to be full partners with them in evangelizing the world.

Two, we wanted the Baptists of Texas to know the Baptists of the world and experience how big our Baptist family truly is.

The BGCT believes in missions, evangelism, Christian education and benevolent ministries in the name of Jesus. We always have. And we are committed, as our constitution says, “to advancing all the interests of the Redeemer’s kingdom.”

The unity we feel with the Baptists of the world inspires and encourages us as we make new friends and share in the passion and pain, vision and victories of our brothers and sisters on every continent.

Texas Baptists are on mission to touch the world for Christ. We are not isolated. We are not content to care about Texas alone, even though it remains a great mission field with at least 10 million people who have no church home. We know that the lostness of the world is deep and tragic. And we are grateful for all those everywhere who want to see the love of Jesus Christ touch every life, every community, every people, tribe and nation of the world.

We are all loved.

Charles Wade is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.