African American Fellowship elects new officers, casts vision

Posted: 7/27/07

African American Fellowship
elects new officers, casts vision

By Barbara Bedrick

Texas Baptist Communications

AUSTIN—The African American Fellowship of Texas elected a slate of officers during the organization’s 15th annual conference at First Baptist Church in Austin.

Fellowship Vice President John Ogletree, pastor of First Metropolitan Church in Houston, was elected president. Ogletree assumed the president’s post after Ronald Edwards, who was president of the fellowship, died May 31.

Michael Bell, pastor of Greater St. Stephen First Baptist Church in Fort Worth and former president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, was elected as the fellowship’s vice president. 

The fellowship re-elected Michael Evans, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, as secretary and Marvin Delaney, of South Park Baptist Church in Houston, as treasurer.

The body also elected Steven Young, pastor of New Generation Baptist Church in Tyler, as assistant secretary and Elmo Johnson, pastor of Rose of Sharon Baptist Church in Houston, as assistant treasurer. 

In memory Edwards, the fellowship voted to lend as much support as possible to the former president’s church, Minnehulla Baptist Church in Goliad.

“We plan to provide pastors who will rotate every Sunday to preach and help lead the congregation during this difficult time,” Ogletree said. “We also plan to assist the church in finding a new preacher.

In other action, the group voted to support and be a part of the New Baptist Covenant celebration, scheduled for January 2008 in Atlanta.

Announcing his vision for the year ahead, Ogletree stressed a “focus on making the fellowship a strong viable organization for Texas pastors and serving the needs of churches belonging to the fellowship and the BGCT.” He added that the African-American group wants to secure feedback from the local fellowships in an effort to sharpen African-American leaders. 

The fellowship’s leaders plan to ask veteran pastors to help support pastors of new churches by volunteering to coach and mentor them in their ministries, Ogletree added.  

In other business, the fellowship named Ryan Edwards, nephew of the late president, as the recipient of the Michael Evans Scholarship, a $1,000 college scholarship.