TOGETHER: God answered prayers in Amarillo

Posted: 11/02/07

TOGETHER:
God answered prayers in Amarillo

Occasionally, you will hear people say: “People can’t be moved by preaching anymore. Drama, music and video are the way to go.” While I acknowledge the power and value of music, drama and visual images and the blessing and benefit they bring to worship and presentations, I have never believed preaching has lost its power to move people.

Sure there are times when a spoken message can cause my eyes to glaze over and my mind to check out. But when it is done right, when the Scripture draws a passionate, intelligent, spiritually sensitive and honest presentation out of the preacher, it captivates hearers and changes lives. Of course, when you add great music to open the hearts, and stand a family with a beautiful baby before the congregation and show visual images of people in whom God is working, you add to the power of a message.

Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

Michael Evans preached at the African American Fellowship’s preconvention meeting on Sunday evening and had us on our feet in happy testimony to the truth and joy of his message. Carlos Navarro challenged the Hispanic rally to get outside the walls of their churches and do evangelism where people are hurting. Steve Vernon, David Coffey, Rick Warren and Howard Batson all moved BGCT messengers and visitors forward spiritually, calling for a greater commitment to missions (Vernon), to our world (Coffey) and Warren’s liberating news that God’s purpose is to reconcile the world to himself. The joy the Father feels when he adopts his children was caught in the tears of the mother and father who stood beside Howard Batson with their smiling baby boy.

Excerpts from the messages will be reported elsewhere in this paper, and you can get the full texts, audio or video, by completing the order form at www.bgct.org/annualmeeting.

God answered the prayers of our Committee on Convention Business, led by Philip Wise. They had prepared faithfully for this meeting, and as the time for the sessions to begin arrived, we all prayed that God would do a special thing for us as we focused on the mission vision of our convention.

Vernon, who served us magnificently as president, had announced his goal that we make this year a mission-emphasis year. In my judgment, God answered those prayers, and I believe a vision of the world and Texas Baptists’ part in evangelism, missions, church planting and touching a hurting world all came into clearer focus for all who were there.

The new missions website, www.beonmission.org, was introduced as a part of helping to connect churches and individuals to mission opportunities in Texas and around the world. If you want information about how you can pray, give, go and/or partner, go to this site and check in with us about how you can be involved.

It was my last annual meeting as executive director, and I was grateful that it was one of the best meetings we have had. We are looking to the future and what God has before the BGCT and the churches and institutions that partner together in this great adventure.

We are loved.

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