• EDITORIAL: ’04 decisions will impact decades_92004

  Posted: 9/17/04

  EDITORIAL:
  '04 decisions will impact decades

  2004 will get a dog-eared and tattered page in Texas Baptist history books. Generations from now, our descendants will pore over these months, evaluating their impact on all that follows.

  Next week, the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board will consider the most significant reorganization of the BGCT in at least five decades. The board will act on new mission, vision, values and priority statements that place the health and vitality of local churches at the center of everything the convention does. It will vote on governance proposals that drastically reduce the size of the BGCT's rambling decision-making apparatus and make the convention more accountable to the churches. And it will review strategies that will outline how the convention will serve churches to make them stronger so they can bring people to Christ and minister in Jesus' name.

  If the Executive Board approves, then messengers to the BGCT annual session this fall will vote their approval or disapproval. And if the messengers ratify the changes, BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade will begin the vital task of assigning staff to new responsibilities and allocating budget dollars to make it all happen.

  09/16/2004 - By John Rutledge

• EDITORIAL: Contest: Care for the poor_92004

  Posted: 9/17/04

  EDITORIAL:
  Contest: Care for the poor

  Like the tides, phases of the moon and the Texas Rangers' inevitable September nosedive, some events are predictable.

  Take the responses that arrive every time an editorial calls on Texas Baptists to advocate government support for poor people. Say restoring funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. Or helping the elderly and chronically ill with their prescription costs. Or maybe ensuring a basic level of education for all children, no matter where they or their parents were born.

  Some responses are worse than others. Nobody these days enjoys being called a socialist. Most Christians don't appreciate their faith being called into question.

  09/16/2004 - By John Rutledge

• 

  Six BGCT-related schools post increases in fall enrollment; three universities show drop_92004

  Posted: 9/17/04

  Six BGCT-related schools post increases in
  fall enrollment; three universities show drop

  By Ferrell Foster

  Texas Baptist Communications

  Six schools affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas reported student enrollment increases this fall.

  09/16/2004 - By John Rutledge

• 

  Reorganization will help BGCT meet Texas churches’ needs, leaders agree_92004

  Posted: 9/17/04

  Reorganization will help BGCT meet
  Texas churches' needs, leaders agree

  By Marv Knox

  Editor

  Reorganization of the Baptist General Convention of Texas is long overdue, BGCT leaders agree, but they predict the changes will enable the BGCT to improve its ability to meet the needs of Texas Baptist churches.

  09/16/2004 - By John Rutledge

• Executive Board will consider streamlining BGCT governance_92004

  Posted: 9/17/04

  Executive Board will consider streamlining BGCT governance

  By Marv Knox

  Editor

  A streamlined Baptist General Convention of Texas decision-making structure and an emphasis on accountability are the key ingredients in a historic proposal to reorganize the convention.

  09/16/2004 - By John Rutledge

• Group accuses two churches of endorsing Democratic candidates_92004

  Posted: 9/10/04

  Group accuses two churches
  of endorsing Democratic candidates

  By Robert Marus
  

  ABP Washington Bureau
  

  WASHINGTON (ABP)—A religious-liberty group often accused of attacking conservative churches for political activity has criticized two progressive Baptist congregations for Democratic advocacy.

  09/10/2004 - By John Rutledge

• 

  ‘Uncle Charlie’ leading Ugandan orphans to Christ_92004

  Posted: 9/10/04

  'Uncle Charlie' leading Ugandan orphans to Christ

  By Leann Callaway
  

  Special to the Baptist Standard
  

  Five years ago, musician Charlie Bancroft picked up a nickname while on a mission trip to Uganda, and it’s stuck with him.

  09/10/2004 - By John Rutledge

• 

  Floaters puzzled but happy with free water ministry on Guadalupe River_92004

  Posted: 9/10/04

  'Tubers' puzzled but happy with
  free water ministry on Guadalupe River

  By Craig Bird
  

  Special to the Baptist Standard
  

  CANYON LAKE—Every summer, the Guadalupe River becomes an international waterway. Mike Bates thinks that makes it a prime location to tell folks about a God who loves the whole world.

  09/10/2004 - By John Rutledge

• Texas Baptist Men teams race to work between Florida storms_92004

  Posted: 9/10/04

  Texas Baptist Men teams race
  to work between Florida storms

  By John Hall
  

  Texas Baptist Communications
  

  MOBILE, Ala.—After days of waiting on Hurricane Frances to move through Florida, Texas Baptist disaster relief volunteers and their Southern Baptist counterparts from other states raced to meet needs in the storm-ravaged state.

  09/10/2004 - By John Rutledge

• 

  Cybercolumn by Brett Younger: Like no one’s watching_92004

  Posted: 9/03/04

  CYBERCOLUMN:
  Like no one’s watching

  By Brett Younger
  

  Alfonso Soriano and I were on television together—sort of. On Staff Appreciation Day—which ought to rank just behind Easter and Christmas among church holidays—my family hit the jackpot. We received tickets to a Texas Rangers’ game.
  

  When I buy tickets we, sit close to teenage fans with painted faces, pigeons and God. Since “bleachers” and “upper bleachers” are about the same, I don’t pay much attention to where our seats are located. But on this occasion, I noticed “VIP infield, Row 1.” I thought our friend was kidding when she handed me the tickets and said: “Dress well, because you’re right behind the plate. You’ll be on TV the whole time.”

  09/10/2004 - By John Rutledge

• 

  Outreach ministries take many forms_92004

  Posted: 9/10/04

  Outreach ministries take many forms

  By Craig Bird
  

  Special to the Baptist Standard
  

  CANYON LAKE—Giving away bottles of water and soft drinks to sunburned tubers may be the most unusual outreach project at First Baptist Church in Canyon Lake, but it is certainly is not the only one.

  09/10/2004 - By John Rutledge

• 70-year-old swims English Channel for missions_92004

  Posted: 9/10/04

  70-year-old swims English Channel for missions

  RIDGEFIELD, Conn. (ABP)—George Brunstad of Wilton, Conn., gives new meaning to the term “putting feet to your faith.” In fact, he also put his arms and his legs into it. In an effort to raise awareness for his church’s ministry in Haiti, the 70-year-old Baptist layman swam the English Channel.
  

  His swim set a new record, not for speed—he finished in 15 hours, 59 minutes—but because he is the oldest person ever to tackle the channel. He broke the record of Bertram Cliffort Batt of Australia, who was 67 years old when he made the journey in 1987.
  

  “His inspiration for the swim came when he went with our church last November on a mission trip to Haiti,” said Bob Guffey, Brunstad’s pastor at Wilton Baptist Church. “George swam to raise awareness of and money for the Center of Hope orphanage and school project that (the church) sponsors in Hinche, Haiti.”

  09/10/2004 - By John Rutledge