Jason Burden, pastor of First Baptist Church in Nederland and incumbent first vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, will be nominated for president of the convention.

Adam Pardue, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Lubbock, will nominate Burden at Texas Baptists’ annual meeting, Nov. 15-17 in Waco.

Pardue, who grew up at First Baptist Church in Nederland and served as associate pastor there, called Burden “a gentle giant” who has the ability to “speak peace” into difficult situations.

“He has the right temperament to lead in difficult times,” Pardue said, noting Burden has led his congregation and community through times of hurricanes and a pandemic.

“He is a man of great character and resolve who leads and loves his family as a great example,” Pardue said. “The man absolutely loves Jesus, and he’s a walking example of what it means to live like that.”

Appreciates Texas Baptists’  ‘relational richness’

Burden, who is completing his second one-year term as first vice president of the BGCT, said he is willing to allow his nomination for president because he wants to “give back” to Texas Baptists.

“When there is a crisis, Texas Baptists rise up to help out,” he said. “That relational richness has been shown to us in Southeast Texas.”

The generosity and cooperative spirit of Texas Baptists clearly was evident when Nederland and the surrounding area went through Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda, he noted.

“I feel like I’ve been a pastor in disaster ever since 2017,” he said. “In the process, I’ve learned the importance of being flexible in chaotic times.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Texas Baptists helped meet crisis needs, and churches have benefited from the collective wisdom that comes from sharing ideas and experiences, he added.

“There’s a lot of intentionality required to help people connect heart to heart” when limits are placed on physical connections, he noted.

If elected, Burden said, he wants to deepen the connections between Baptists around the state and “highlight the power that comes from being connected to one another.”

He expressed appreciation for the opportunity to “have a seat at the table” as a convention officer the past two years and for the friendships he has developed around the state.

Burden, a graduate of Tarleton State University, earned both his Master of Divinity degree and Doctor of Ministry degree from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.

He has been pastor of First Baptist Church in Nederland since 2011. Previously, he was pastor of churches in Trinity and Chilton.

In addition to serving two terms as first vice president of the BGCT, he has been moderator both of Golden Triangle Baptist Association and Falls Baptist Association.

He and his wife Kristi marked their 25th wedding anniversary this week. They have three children—Hayden, Hallie and Rylie.

The death of George Floyd while in police custody and the outrage it sparked across the nation prompted Texas Baptists to use social media to express their pain and call for justice, peace and prayer.

Michael Evans, president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, posted a June 1 video on Facebook, saying he had “let a few days go by and I tried, the best that I could, to put a rein on my emotions.”

Evans spoke transparently of “the deep sense of hurt that I continue to feel” as the parent of two African American sons. He described instructing his sons how to deal with people in positions of authority.

“I taught them how to say ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir.’ I taught them how to put their hands on the steering wheel when they get stopped. I taught them how to put their hands out of the window,” he said. “I taught them how to act when you’re driving while black.”

‘I am hurting … America is hurting’

Evans, who is running for mayor of Mansfield, said he knew his comments likely would cost him votes.

“I am a Black man who has learned how to quote-unquote ‘behave.’ Something is wrong with that,” he said. “I am praying to God for a system that will recognize our humanity. So, no, I can’t be politically correct. I am hurting. My boys are hurting. My community is hurting. America is hurting.”

Evans described his desire “that there might be justice for all and not just justice for the few.”

“America is not America if everybody doesn’t have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” he said.

‘Racism is … perfect fear casting out love’

Steve Wells, pastor of South Main Baptist Church in Houston, addressed reconciliation and systemic racism in his Pentecost Sunday sermon streamed on Facebook.

“What do you do when the one who needs grace—the one who needs forgiveness—is our whole nation?” he asked.

The previous seven days had been among the most painful days in the history of the United States, Wells asserted. In spite of deaths due to a global pandemic and suffering due to extraordinary levels of unemployment, neither was the headline on Pentecost Sunday, he noted.

“Racism is the consummate expression of perfect fear casting out love,” Wells said. “Therefore, if we are going to overcome racism, we have to have a love that is greater and stronger than fear. Only Jesus offers that kind of love.”

Since the Holy Spirit gave the mission of the church to everybody in the church at Pentecost, that means every Christian has work to do, he insisted.

“Remind yourself that the mission of the church is to bring about a forgiveness that leads to reconciliation, and it makes no sense to be reconciled if you think that the future in front of you looks like the past that hurt you,” Wells said. “Something has to change.”

When it is safe for churches to reassemble as they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wells announced that he and Ralph West, pastor of The Church Without Walls in Houston, plan for members of their congregations to meet together in small groups around tables for fellowship and meaningful conversation.

“We need to listen with open ears,” he said. “We need to hear how this culture in which we live—in which we have power—has been hurting and even killing people. We need to take responsibility for the way that our blindness and our silence has been complicit in this violence, and we need to make a commitment to change.”

‘Listen more than you speak’

Ellis Orozco, pastor of First Baptist Church in Richardson, likewise posted a Facebook video message in light of the circumstances surrounding the death of George Floyd and the response it prompted across the country.

Orozco noted he had waited several days before speaking publicly on the subject to collect his thoughts and allow his own emotions to subside.

He said would address the pertinent issues more thoroughly in a blog article, but in a seven-and-a-half-minute video posted on Pentecost Sunday, he urged his church to reflect on James 1:19.

“I want to ask you to listen more than you speak. … We who are not Black must be quick to listen and slow to become angry,” he said.

Orozco challenged each member of his church to “search your own heart and your own soul before you say a single critical word against anyone.”

“This is not a time for those of us who are not a part of the Black community to point fingers and to accuse,” he said.

Orozco concluded by encouraging his church to “pray like you’ve never prayed before.”

“For now—just for now—I’m asking you to put your own preconceived notions aside. I’m asking you to dismiss for a moment whatever narrative you have chosen to believe,” Orozco said. “And I’m asking you to silence all the voices in your head except one—the voice of God’s Holy Spirit speaking to you. And what the Holy Spirit speaks to you is peace and love and mercy and forgiveness.”

‘Senseless killings’

The Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission issued a statement on human dignity May 29 addressed both Floyd’s treatment by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minn., and the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor by police in Louisville, Ky.

The video footage of the police officer who put his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes depicted “a cruel and completely unnecessary act,” the CLC stated.

“People are hurting, grieving and enraged by these senseless killings,” the statement continued. “As Christians, we band together and call for justice, regardless of the color of our skin. …

“The Christian Life Commission promotes the love of Christ in all we do. We denounce the racism, inequality and violence that again grips our country. We grieve alongside our brothers and sisters who are hurting. We implore all people of faith to adopt the spirit of solidarity to call out these egregious acts and speak for human life, worth and dignity.”

David Hardage, executive director of the BGCT, tweeted on June 1: “Heartfelt sadness for the family of George Floyd following his senseless death at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis…Prayers for justice…Life is precious.”

On May 29, Hardage had posted a brief video and tweeted, “Please join me in praying for justice and peace for our country today.”

A prayer request for Mexican pastors who face economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 crisis led to a partnership between the Baptist General Convention of Texas and Baptist associations and conventions internationally.

In a recent Texas Baptist River Ministry meeting, missionary Abraham Cervantes mentioned his prayer concern, noting many pastors in Mexico typically live week-to-week and have lost their jobs at factories and local businesses.

Josue Valerio, director of Texas Baptists’ Missions Team, sought to find a way to help the ministers in need. In the process, he learned about other pastors internationally who are struggling to minister in the midst of a global pandemic.

Pastors in Mexico, Peru and Sierra Leone assisted

As a result, Texas Baptists joined resources with associational and convention partners to assist 206 pastors’ families in Mexico, 81 pastors’ families in Peru and 25 pastors’ families in Sierra Leone. Texas Baptists’ gifts to pastoral families were made possible through gifts to BGCT Worldwide and individual donations.

“It made me realize, some of the practices that we have right now—because of the crisis—are going to shape the way that we minister,” Valerio said. “We are focusing on our core values—making disciples, planting churches and caring for those in need. Those in need right now are pastors and their families, and this is a way we can help.”

Valerio challenged ministry partners in Mexico, Peru and Sierra Leone to match the donations given by the BGCT or contribute a portion of the funds to each pastoral family in need.

Most of the funds were used to purchase immediate essentials like food. In Peru, additional funds were provided for ministry to Venezuelan refugees who fled persecution in their home country.

“I can say that all of them have responded very positivity to the point of matching what we are giving or going above and beyond what we are giving,” Valerio said.

Ministers and families express appreciation

Texas Baptists received several notes from pastors and convention leaders who expressed gratitude for the gifts provided during a difficult time.

“The help you all provided to pastoral families in Monterrey is a confirmation that our Lord cares for his children. Thank you for your generous heart that has made this possible and exhibited God’s love,” said Martin Suarez, president of Convencion Regional Bautista Santiago Hickey in Monterrey, Mexico.

Several Texas Baptist churches also reached out to the River Ministry and Missionary Adoption Program missionaries to meet needs in local communities.

First Baptist Church of The Woodlands recently partnered with River Ministry missionary Cristina Lambarria to provide food for 33 pastoral families and several other families in Matamoros, Mexico.

“We are so appreciative to Juan Lambarria, minister of Missions at First Baptist Church in The Woodlands, and our River Ministry missionary Cristina Lambarria for being the feet on the ground to deliver the food and words of encouragement to these families,” Valerio said.

First Baptist Church in El Paso also provided essential food and necessities to pastoral families and church members across the border in Juarez, Mexico.

“This is a time when we have a great opportunity to be present and to be a comfort to others in the name of Jesus,” Valerio said.

To learn more about ministry opportunities or send letters of encouragement to pastors, contact the Missions Team at txb.org/missions, Mario Alberto Gonzalez at marioalberto.gonzalez@texasbaptists.org or call (214) 828-5389.  

SAN ANTONIO—Like any mother, Cameron Mason Vickrey wants the best for her three young children. But when it comes to education, she rejects the idea they should benefit at the expense of others.

“I don’t think my kids deserve better than others just because they are my kids,” she said. “Education should benefit all children, not just my own.”

Every child bears the image of God and holds great potential, she noted. And justice demands support for the place where the vast majority of Texas children receive their education—the public schools.

Co-founder of school advocacy network

That conviction—and sense of divine calling—led Vickrey to become co-founder of RootEd, a parent-led network that promotes San Antonio-area public schools through storytelling, advocacy and education.

“We see value in being rooted in a neighborhood and rooted in community,” she said. “That includes affirming neighborhood schools in the community whenever possible.”

Too many parents look to public schools as the least-preferred option for their children—an unwelcome alternative if they cannot homeschool their kids, cannot afford to send them to a private school or cannot get them into a charter school, she said.

“They see public schools as a last resort. We want to see neighborhood public schools put at the top of people’s lists for their children,” Vickrey said. “We want to tell positive stories about the good things happening in public schools.”

RootEd seeks to enlist a parent representative in every neighborhood school who will accept the responsibility to post encouraging stories about their local school on social media.

“School districts do a good job of communication, but there’s nothing like the peer perspective. Parents want to know the recommendation of another parent. Social media is a more powerful storytelling venue, because it’s empowering parents to tell the stories,” she explained.

Associate director of Pastors for Texas Children

Vickrey’s commitment to public education recently led her to accept the position of associate director of Pastors for Texas Children, an organization that mobilizes faith leaders and congregations to support neighborhood public schools.

Vickrey is a minister who holds a Master of Divinity degree from Wake Forest Divinity School, as well as both the daughter and wife of pastors. Her father, George Mason, is pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, and her husband, Garrett, is pastor of Woodland Baptist Church in San Antonio. She has worked in the past with the Dallas Faith Communities Coalition, and she continues to serve with Faith Commons.

“Cameron grew up in the church, understands the Scriptures and knows the teachings of Jesus. Out of her deep faith comes her commitment to public education … She is an incarnational presence in her local neighborhood school,” said Charles Foster Johnson, executive director of Pastors for Texas Children.

Her personal experience as a volunteer at Oak Meadow Elementary School and advocate for public education makes her “a natural fit” for her new role with Pastors for Texas Children, Johnson continued.

“She is an actual incarnational example of exactly what we are asking every pastor and every Christian leader in Texas to do,” he said.

‘That sealed the deal’

Because of Vickrey’s proven commitment to public education, Johnson called on her a few years ago to testify in Austin before the House Public Education Committee.

“At the time, I had a 7-week-old baby, and my other two children were preschoolers,” she recalled. “So, Garrett and I took all three girls took all three girls to Austin, where we spent the day—and into the evening.”

After waiting 11 hours to testify, Vickrey finally was granted the opportunity to address the committee.

“By that time, my 4-year-old had melted down. So, she came up with me to the microphone,” Vickrey recalled. “There was nothing remarkable about anything I said, but it was such an affirming experience. One of the representatives on the committee said, ‘We’ve seen you here all day with your babies.’ He noticed and expressed appreciation.

“That sealed the deal for me. From that point, I felt God pushing me toward this.”

Johnson affirmed her sense of calling and applauded her effectiveness.

“There is no advocate more powerful than a minister mom,” he said.

Teachers and administrators need support

Public schools faced unanticipated challenges in the last two months of the recently completed school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they face uncertainty as they plan for the next school year, Vickrey noted.

Churches have “stepped up to feed children” who typically depend on school lunch programs and meet other needs, she said. Now, congregations can lift up school administrators and classroom teachers during an unprecedented time, she added.

“School superintendents and administrators have never faced decisions like this before,” Vickrey said. “We can be flexible, patient and supportive of them in their decisions.

“We should be praying—a lot—for leaders of our schools and for teachers whose jobs have changed drastically.”

Congregations that have provided in-person mentoring and tutoring programs may have new opportunities to offer those services through video conferences and other remote methods, she added.

Public schools serve all children and represent the broad scope of humanity, Vickrey said. They have the responsibility to educate every child, regardless of special needs, ethnicity or socio-economic background, and to prepare them for society.

“We can show love for all God’s children by working in support of public schools,” she said. “We should pour all the resources we can into public schools. It’s a way to look out not only for our children, but for all children.”

When a tornado packing 100 mph winds hit an area on the northwest side of San Antonio, Texas Baptist Men volunteers from the area stepped up to meet their neighbors’ needs.

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado touched down in northern Bexar County after 7 p.m. on May 24, and straight-line winds caused additional damage. The storms left more than 40,000 residents without electricity on Sunday evening.

Trained TBM disaster assessors went to work on Memorial Day, surveying damage and determining areas of greatest need.

The next morning, TBM chainsaw volunteers from the region began removing tree limbs from rooftops and clearing downed trees and other debris from the homes of residents affected by the storm.

TBM volunteers from First Baptist Church, Shearer Hills Baptist Church and First Chinese Baptist Church in San Antonio; First Lockhart Baptist Church and Mineral Springs Baptist Church in Lockhart; and First Baptist Church in Kenedy participated on May 26.

Dwain Carter, TBM state disaster relief director, expressed appreciation for the contributions of volunteers willing to work all day and then drive for an hour to get home at night.

Under normal circumstances, Texas Baptist churches often house out-of-town TBM disaster relief teams in their facilities. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions in place to prevent its spread, TBM is seeking to rely on disaster relief volunteers within a reasonable driving distance from affected sites whenever possible, he noted.

Carter anticipated the TBM chainsaw volunteers likely would continue to serve in San Antonio three or four days.

Other TBM crews worked five hours to the north in Montague County over Memorial Day weekend. Chainsaw, food-service and shower units responded to needs in Bowie, where an EF1 tornado hit on May 22, damaging about 200 homes.

To support TBM disaster relief financially, click here to make an online donation, or mail checks designated “disaster relief” to Texas Baptist Men, 5351 Catron Drive, Dallas, Texas 75227. All donations made to TBM disaster relief support disaster relief ministries.

BOWIE—Two days after a tornado stormed through Bowie, the town of 5,000 was quiet on a Sunday afternoon. Residents worked diligently to remove fallen limbs and sort through debris, knowing they have a long process ahead of them.

But they are not facing the challenge alone. Residents see the men and women in yellow shirts serving across the city as godsends—literally.

Responding to God’s call to minister to people after disasters such as this tornado, Texas Baptist Men chainsaw, feeding and shower units continue responding to needs after a storm damaged 200 homes and affected 50 businesses.

TBM chainsaw teams from Collin and Denton Counties are going house to house clearing and removing fallen trees, many of them over 25 feet tall and three feet in diameter. The teams prioritize the most vulnerable residents such as senior citizens and people with health issues.

The TBM Rapid Response Feeding Unit also is in Bowie providing free meals. On Sunday, volunteers offered hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and sides.

In days to come, they will continue serving the community. A TBM shower unit also is in use in Bowie. TBM teams are headquartered at First Baptist Church in Bowie.

“In some of the toughest days of people’s lives, we’re offering help, hope and healing,” said TBM Chief Executive Officer Mickey Lenamon. “Our teams provide an extra hand in removing a tree, a warm meal and prayer. We try to remind people that God loves them.”

Working through increasingly hot, humid afternoons, volunteers are unphased by the weather. No matter how hard the task in front of them, they continue to smile through arduous projects. They encourage one another and homeowners.

As some team members work on trees, other volunteers use the time to get to know residents better, offering prayer and giving survivors an opportunity to decompress from what they’ve experienced.

“Going through a disaster affects a person on multiple levels,” Lenamon said. “It impacts a person physically, emotionally and spiritually. We seek to meet people’s needs on each of those levels, as Jesus modeled for us in the New Testament.”

To support TBM disaster relief financially, click here to make an online donation, or mail checks designated “disaster relief” to Texas Baptist Men, 5351 Catron Drive, Dallas, Texas 75227. All donations made to TBM disaster relief support disaster relief ministries.

Texas Baptists’ Bounce Student Disaster Recovery program is promoting the Bounce Back Home Day of Service on June 27.

The event provides a one-day, at-home opportunity for churches to engage students in community service projects.

Bounce is dedicated to offering opportunities for students to participate in community service through disaster recovery projects, while also providing worship and reflection time to aid in students’ spiritual growth.

To keep students and leaders safe and comply with state health advisories related to the COVID-19 outbreak, all summer mission trips were canceled. Instead, Bounce is providing resources for churches to host a community mission opportunity locally.

“This is a great opportunity to serve your Jerusalem. We get excited about going to different places and serving there, but there’s so much to do at home too,” said David Scott, director of Bounce. “Even though this is not what we initially planned, we are still making an effort to encourage kids and youth groups to be on mission in their communities. And that’s a big deal.”

Each church selects a local project

Each church will select a mission idea or organization for its youth to assist, and Bounce will provide resources and livestream a worship service to wrap up the day.

Churches will have the best knowledge of their community’s needs, Scott explained. So, leaving the mission project to their discretion allows them to do the most good for their area.

For project ideas, Scott recommended partnering with the church’s mission team, a mission center in the community or a Texas Baptist ministry such as the River Ministry. For additional suggestions, click here.

Bounce will provide resources for the student ministries, such as a suggested schedule for the day and devotional material for the students.

In the evening, churches can tune in to a livestream worship service featuring Mike Satterfield of Field of Grace Ministries as speaker and Landon Wolfe, a recent Dallas Baptist University graduate who will join Passion City Church in Atlanta, Ga., as worship leader.

A youth group reflection guide will be available for use following the service.

Missions ‘in your own backyard’

The flexibility of the schedule and resources will allow each church to serve its community and enable their students, while also giving the church freedom to comply with whatever health and safety precautions it deems necessary during the pandemic.

Scott hopes student ministries use this opportunity to see the needs in their own neighborhoods and bring healing to their local communities. He also sees this as a unique chance for families to serve alongside their students, and he encourages leaders to consider involving students’ families in the service day.

Bounce events emphasize teaching students the importance of missional living. The Bounce Back Home Day of Service will help students understand living on mission as a daily choice, Scott said.

“We hope that as a result of this, youth will realize that a missional life isn’t just going on a trip, but it’s looking for a chance to reflect Christ right there in your own backyard,” Scott said.

Registration is $25 per church, with an additional $5 per bandana-style face covering. The registration fee covers the shipping and handling fee for face coverings, youth group reflection guide and other resources.

The registration deadline is June 12. For more information, click here or email David Scott at david.scott@txb.org.

Multiple agencies have predicted a particularly active hurricane season in 2020. Dwain Carter with Texas Baptist Men prays the experts are wrong.

Carter, state disaster relief director for TBM, recognizes the challenges of providing help and hope to hurricane survivors in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve put into place a new set of guidelines for volunteers,” Carter said.

TBM also has been busy working through the logistics of providing disaster relief in a time of social distancing, he added.

The Atlantic hurricane season—which includes the Gulf of Mexico—begins June 1. More than a dozen government, university and private agencies have predicted a season of above-average activity, and some forecasts call for an extremely active season with nine or more hurricanes.

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst

“We’re praying that nothing takes place,” Carter said.

But TBM is preparing to serve in a far-from-normal environment, he added.

“When a disaster happens, the closest units will go first,” he explained.

Whenever possible, trained disaster relief volunteers from within a two-hour driving radius of the disaster site—two and a half hours at the most—will be the first teams deployed.

Ideally, volunteers will live close enough to drive back and forth to their homes each night, he explained.

Typically, churches have opened their facilities to house TBM volunteers during disasters. However, at this point, some church facilities remain closed due to COVID-19. Churches that have opened their facilities for worship have been urged to follow strict protocols to keep them sanitized and reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

So, TBM will find other lodging, when necessary, Carter explained.

“If necessary, they will be housed in multiple locations rather than one centralized location,” he said.

When a deadly tornado hit Onalaska in April, the needs were greater than what nearby TBM volunteers alone could meet. Trinity Pines Camp and Conference Center, about 20 miles to the northwest of Onalaska, housed the TBM crews.

Protecting volunteers and the public

To provide proper social distancing, TBM will permit no more than two volunteers to travel together in one vehicle, Carter said. Cooking teams will be limited to 10 volunteers. Cooks will be required to wear masks, and other volunteers will be urged to wear face coverings when appropriate.

Volunteers will have their temperature checked every morning, and directors will keep a log detailing that information. Anyone exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 is not allowed to work on a TBM project.

Carter recognizes a significant number of TBM disaster relief volunteers are retired individuals who likely are in a high-risk category for COVID-19. TBM continues to remind them if they are not comfortable serving at this time, they are not obligated to do so, he said.

Typically, TBM disaster relief volunteers cook hot meals in a field kitchen and put the food in large insulated containers that the American Red Cross distributes to shelters and affected areas.

“Right now, Red Cross is not feeding in the normal way,” Carter said.

During the pandemic, Red Cross is housing displaced disaster survivors in hotel rooms rather than congregate shelters. The agency is providing food in vendor-style box meals rather than filling plates and bowls in a serving line.

TBM is adjusting to the new requirements, preparing to serve individually packaged meals rather than pouring large quantities of food into insulated carriers.

“It will be very labor intensive,” he acknowledged.

TBM responds to COVID-19 crisis

While preparing for “traditional” natural disasters, TBM also has responded specifically to the COVID-19 crisis.

TBM provided 15,000 N95 masks and 2,000 biohazard suits to medical professionals and first responders around the state. TBM mud-out crews normally use the protective devices when they are disinfecting a home that has been flooded.

Next, TBM delivered 1,200 pairs of protective glasses and four pallets of plastic sheeting to the Baylor Scott and White Health Faith in Action Initiatives.

Most recently, the group launched a TBM Feeding Texans initiative to multiply the capacity of church-based food pantries and Christian ministries around the state to provide meals to unemployed Texans. Initially, TBM committed to provide 50,000 meals. The response was so great, TBM doubled that number.

To give online to support TBM disaster relief, visit TBMTX.org/donate. To contribute financially by mail, send a check designated “disaster relief” to Texas Baptist Men, 5351 Catron Dr., Dallas, TX 75227.

Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary plans to launch an extension campus for the San Antonio region in 2021, seeking to reach students who cannot pursue traditional, in-residence theological education.

The proposed extension campus will offer Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and Master of Theological Studies degrees beginning in the summer of 2021, with occasional courses beginning in spring of that year, said John K. Burk, Truett’s assistant dean for strategic initiatives and director of Truett’s extension campus in Houston.

The new campus will be housed at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio.

Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon Seminary began offering classes at Trinity Baptist Church in 2011, and it dedicated a 3,500 square-foot designated area for the seminary in April 2018. In February, HSU trustees voted to close Logsdon Seminary.

The opening of Truett’s San Antonio extension is contingent upon external review and approval from two accrediting agencies—the Association of Theological Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The degrees will focus on—but not be limited to—three groups of potential candidates: recent college graduates; practitioners of Christian ministry who do not yet have formal theological training or are unable to leave their ministry to pursue in-residence theological training at Truett’s main campus in Waco; and laity with theological and ministerial interests.

‘Both informative and transformative’

Dean Todd Still said Truett particularly is grateful to partner with Pastor Les Hollon and others at Trinity Baptist Church “to provide a rigorous, relevant theological education that is both informative and transformative.”

“Furthermore, we are eager to join hearts and hands with other Christian congregations and organizations in San Antonio and South Texas to provide the knowledge and skills as well as to model the attitudes and habits necessary to flourish in ministry in both the short and long term,” he said.

“We are buoyed by the strong support that we have already received from so many friends and supporters regarding this proposed collaborative endeavor and are hopefully looking toward and leaning forward into God’s good future.”

Strategic opportunities in San Antonio area

Coupled with the offering of classical theological education to students, due to the city’s location, heritage and demographics, Truett’s extension in San Antonio also will be able to offer a rich variety of field education opportunities. In addition to ministry in local churches, opportunities for field placement might also include ministry among the homeless and among refugees seeking asylum status from politically unstable countries.

Because San Antonio is home to seven major military installations, another possibility for field education might be military chaplaincy. Mentoring opportunities might also be available for students who are interested in hospital and sports chaplaincy.

While there are a number of other seminaries in the San Antonio area, most are in the Catholic tradition. As of June 2021, the city will have no seminary embedded into a major research university offering extension graduate theological education in the Baptist tradition, although San Antonio is home to scores of Baptist and other evangelical congregations.

“Additionally, given Baylor’s emphasis on meaningful research, scholarship and service in Latin America in its Illuminate strategic plan, San Antonio is an especially attractive location for Truett’s next extension,” Burk said.

‘Investing in contextual, theological education’

Elizabeth Le’anani Coffee, South Texas regional coordinator for Texas Baptists and a member of the seminary’s board of advocates, praised the effort.

“As Baylor University and Truett Seminary look to the future, stretching their imaginations regarding higher education and our own, I am excited that Latin America and our country’s relationship to it remain a central value as well as a strategic initiative,” she said.

“As a native to San Antonio and South Texas, I believe the realities faced by communities in this region will continue to be the norm for urban areas in our country and certainly our state. Knowing that Truett is investing in contextual, theological education here thrills me, especially for those who will learn in and from San Antonio.”

Hollon, senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, said the congregation is honored to partner with Truett.

“God is calling men and women—from various ages, stages and backgrounds—to vocational ministry,” he said. “This opportunity in seminary education also will benefit lay leaders in their growth as servant leaders. Through this endeavor, we commit to honor God by helping to shape gospel leaders for local and global ministry.”

With additional reporting by Managing Editor Ken Camp. 

Editor’s Note: Wayland Baptist University in San Antonio, a Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated school, offers several graduate Christian ministry degrees: the Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, the Master of Arts in Theological Studies, the Master of Divinity and the Master of Divinity/Master of Business Administration.

After an encouraging first quarter in Cooperative Program giving, the Baptist General Convention of Texas operating budget took a significant COVID-19-related hit in April, the BGCT Executive Board learned in a May 19 meeting conducted by video conference.

In fact, the board took the unusual step of entering into executive session to discuss the implications of a drop both in Cooperative Program giving and income from investments and other sources.

A statement released by the BGCT communications office later in the day said the board approved a plan to offer a voluntary retirement package to eligible staff. Details of the plan will be available after all eligible staff have been notified.

“As has been said by so many recently, we are experiencing unprecedented times and what is ahead of us all is somewhat uncertain,” BGCT Executive Director David Hardage said. “As a part of our response to these times, the BGCT is providing a positive and proactive offer for many of our longtime, faithful staff to retire if they feel like this is the right thing for them at this time.

“This offer is a generous but completely optional aspect of our plan. We are preparing to reset the BGCT for great days ahead as we emerge from this pandemic and prepare to do even greater missions and ministry work.”

April CP and first quarter investment income down

Ward Hayes, BGCT treasurer and chief financial officer, reported $7.76 million in Texas Cooperative Program receipts from Jan. 1 to March 31, or 104.4 percent of budget. That represented a $400,000 increase in Cooperative Program giving compared to the same period last year, Hayes noted.

However, Hayes reported a $16.5 million market loss in investments—a 9.3 percent decrease—in the first quarter, which will result in lower distributed investment income. And preliminary reports from April—when most Texas Baptist churches were not meeting for in-person worship—show a significant drop in Cooperative Program giving.

The 2020 BGCT operating budget calls for $27.5 million in Texas Cooperative Program giving, which accounts for 78.4 percent of the budget. Anticipated investment income of $5.1 million accounts for 14.5 percent of the 2020 BGCT operating budget. The BGCT depends on another $2.5 million—7.1 percent of the budget—from revenue generated by conferences, events, product sales and other sources.

Texas Cooperative Program gifts in April were 82.7 percent of receipts for the previous year. Year-to-date Texas Cooperative Program giving stands at 98.9 percent of the same period in 2019.

The BGCT applied for a Payroll Protection Program loan from the Small Business Administration and was approved April 15 for a $4.7 million loan, he reported.

At least $3.5 million will need to be spent on payroll and related expenses between April 15 and June 10, with no more than $1.2 million spent on rent and utilities in order for the loan to be forgiven. Any funds not spent on qualifying expenses will remain as a loan repaid at 1 percent, and $700,000 is being held in reserve as a contingency for loan repayment, Hayes said.

Hardage reports on Pastor Relief Grants

In his report to the board, Hardage said the BGCT has provided $1,000 Pastor Relief Grants to about 320 bivocational and small-membership church pastors who have been severely affected economically by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted 116 individuals and churches contributed toward the Pastor Relief Grants, and the Executive Board authorized up to $500,000 in funds from the J.K. Wadley Missions Endowment.

The BGCT also provided funds to River Ministry missionaries who supplied 165 Baptist pastors in Mexico with grocery money for two months and assisted 81 pastors in Peru who are ministering to refugees from Venezuela, Hardage said. Texas Baptists also provided funds to help pastors in Sierra Leone.

Convention leaders are working on “a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C” for the BGCT annual meeting, scheduled Nov. 15-17 in Waco, depending on the state of the pandemic at that point and on public health protocols, he said.

Currently, most of Texas Baptists’ staff tentatively are scheduled to return to their offices June 1, with personnel divided into a Monday/Wednesday workforce and a Tuesday/Thursday workforce to allow for social distancing.

Employees age 65 or older and those who have underlying health conditions that place them at risk will not be asked to return to their offices yet, Hardage added. He said to his knowledge, no BGCT employee has tested positive for COVID-19.

In his report to the board, Christian Life Commission Director Gus Reyes introduced Michael Evans Jr. as public policy director. Evans, a graduate of Morehouse College with a degree in political science, is completing his Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Reyes also noted Texas Lottery sales for the week ending May 2 totaled $146 million, with scratch-off tickets accounting for $128.8 million in sales, according to CLC consultant Rob Kohler. The past three weeks—when many citizens received government stimulus checks—ranked No. 1, No. 3 and No.4 in all-time sales, he said.

In other business, the board:

• Elected Clint Davis, pastor of First Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, as vice chair. He succeeds Donna Burney from First Woodway Baptist Church in Waco, who became chair when former chair Hayes was named treasurer and CFO.
• Approved a special project fund to use when occasions arise outside normal budget allocations that require attention. Financing for the fund will come primarily from budget stabilization charges to budget centers that have employee vacancies.

BELTON—The stage was set, the cast was prepared, and the Carousel was ready to turn. Then a global pandemic broke out, and the show could not go on.

Last week, the cast of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s cancelled spring musical, “Carousel,” released an online recording of the show’s finale “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” produced via the Zoom meeting app.

Students were cast for this spring’s production of Carousel during the fall. Before spring break, they had been rehearsing multiple days a week. Each of the show’s musical numbers had been choreographed, and every scene had been blocked.

“All of the preparation was really paying off,” said Isabelle Smith, a senior cast in the role of Nettie. “We were getting ready to start running the show before everything hit with COVID-19.”

The cast was devastated to learn the premiere they had been envisioning never would occur.

“I was really heartbroken when I heard it was being cancelled,” freshman Kyle Parsons said. “It felt like all the efforts my cohorts and I had put in were wasted.”

The show’s director, Michelle Haché, was just as upset.

“It’s going to take a while to get over the pain of not getting to do the show,” Haché said.

‘Comfort some people during this strange time’

Haché was committed to finding a way to make something of the show. Inspired by artists around the world who were producing content online, she sent a message to the cast with a plan. She asked the students to record a portion of the show’s final song, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and send it to her.

Erik Vose, director of operations and technical director of the Sue & Frank Mayborn Performing Arts Center at UMHB, was serving as Carousel’s technical director and set designer before the cancellation.

Haché asked him to take the individual videos and make something special. It was a serious undertaking, requiring him to cut together clips that had been recorded at differing tempos, sometimes with a delay, but Vose was motivated.

“My hope is that the finished product can help comfort some people during this strange time,” Vose said. “I know a lot of people out there are feeling isolated, and this particular song is actually very fitting.”

‘I felt a sense of peace’

Haché shares his hope.

“It’s not just for our own local area,” she said. “It’s for the world.”

For Smith, who opens the recording, the choice of song was perfect.

“Carousel is a show about redemption,” Smith said. “Times of hardship come in life, and you get to decide how you handle them. The song encompasses that message, and I believe it’s perfect for the world we’re living in today.”

Watching the finished video was a special moment for Smith, who recently graduated.

“Honestly, I felt a sense of peace,” she said. “It felt like things were resolved. Even though we didn’t get to put on a physical production, we were still able to reach people with that song.”

Haché said she learned a great deal from the process of creating the video, and she hopes to tackle similar but more ambitious projects in the future.

WACO—Baylor University regents adopted a $679.9 million annual operating budget for 2020-21—down $14.2 million from the most recent academic year’s budget and $70 million below the pre-pandemic projected budget for next year.

Regents also passed a resolution supporting the university’s continued commitment to its mission, while seeking to ensure the health and safety of the Baylor campus community in the midst of the health risks caused by COVID-19.

Making budget adjustments in light of COVID-19

The operating budget approved by the board incorporates $30.3 million in cost reductions, $18.5 million in cost avoidances and $24.5 million in one-time funding reallocations from reserves.

Rather than “across-the-board” adjustments, the board-approved budget reflected strategic planning and review undergirded by a strong desire “to protect the academic core,” President Linda Livingstone said in a videoconference with reporters after the board meeting.

While the academic division’s operating budget was cut by 4.2 percent, other areas took larger reductions—student life, 5.7 percent; athletics, 8.8 percent; and administration and support functions, 19.7 percent.

The budget actions involved suspending merit increases for faculty and staff until at least January, reducing Baylor’s employee retirement contributions and reducing staff positions in some areas, Livingstone reported.

“These are certainly difficult decisions, but necessary for the greater university given this time of significant uncertainty and to fulfill our mission and aspirations of becoming a preeminent Christian research university, she said.

Livingstone noted about 50 unfilled staff positions have been eliminated. “Strategic position reviews” are ongoing, and Baylor is reducing the number of adjunct faculty and temporary employees, she said.

Board authorizes president to prepare for safe return

The board-approved resolution regarding Baylor’s response to COVID-19 expressed appreciation to faculty, staff and administration for remaining committed to the “spiritual, intellectual, emotional and physical development and well-being” of students while moving “quickly and efficiently” to a distance learning model during the spring and summer semesters. It also praised Baylor students for their “commitment, resilience and flexibility.”

“The board remains focused on preserving and strengthening the university’s core academic and Christian mission while ensuring the continued health and safety of our campus community,” Board Chair Jerry Clements said.

The resolution authorized Livingstone and university administration to “take all necessary actions to ensure a return to a safe and educationally fulfilling on-campus environment” in the fall.

In particular, the resolution granted authority to:

• Study and, when appropriate, implement systems for testing for the COVID-19 virus for members of the Baylor community using on-campus facilities.
• Work with the Baylor University Health Services and the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District to establish contact tracing, isolation and quarantine processes for the Baylor campus community.
• Accommodate in a reasonable and practical manner the health needs of students, faculty and staff who are at-risk for the COVID-19 virus.
• Study and, if appropriate, implement occupancy limits, sanitation standards, social distancing measures, the application of face coverings and any other government recommended or mandated processes for Baylor facilities and buildings.
• Study, research and implement academic schedules that, while consistent with all federal and state medical and health guidance and accreditation standards, provide for enriching and rewarding learning experiences in each class taught at Baylor.
• Explore creative and innovative measures to preserve Baylor’s traditions to enrich and supplement the university’s educational and residential experience.
• Receive and study guidance from athletic conferences, federal and state medical and health officials for the return of intercollegiate athletics for the benefit of the university’s student-athletes and community overall.

President updates board

In her quarterly report to the board, Livingstone noted the growth in research at Baylor. Research expenditures shifted from a 10 percent annual growth rate to 30 percent over the past year, and research awards grew to $22 million, a 21 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

Baylor’s Give Light philanthropic campaign raised $864.3 million toward its $1.1 billion goal as of April 30, she reported.

A campus-wide team is working with the Provost’s Office, Division of Student Life and other groups to develop and evaluate plans and decision timelines for the start of the fall semester on Aug. 24, Livingstone said. Plans depend on the continued decline in the number of COVID-19 cases within the greater Waco area, as well as guidance from federal, state and local government and public health officials, she added.

“While we cannot eliminate all risks, we intend to mitigate these risks in every reasonable way we can,” she said. “Over the summer, we will work diligently to refine our preparations to create a safe, productive educational environment, but above all, the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and guests must lead our decision-making regarding all activities. These include adapting our classroom and residential life models and on-campus activities, as needed, while continuing to offer the distinct on-campus college experience for which Baylor is known.”

In other business, the board of regents:

• Approved three new graduate degree programs: the Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders; the Ph.D. in School Psychology, a five-year full-time program with the fifth year consisting of a yearlong internship; and a dual-track Master of Arts in School Leadership, a hybrid program of on-campus and online learning in conjunction with Baylor’s Center for Christian Education that will allow leaders to remain in their current professional roles while completing their degree and culminating research project in 18 months.
• Elected Mark Rountree of Dallas as chair. The board also elected Larry Heard of Houston, Melissa Purdy Mines of Austin and Dennis Wiles, pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington, as vice chairs.
• Elected three new at-large regents: Paula R. Hurd, of Atherton, Calif.; Todd Patterson, of Richmond; and Melissa Purdy Mines of Austin.
• Welcomed to the board as an alumni-elected regent Kristina Doerner Guidi of McLean, Va.
• Re-elected to three-year teams as regents Mark E. Lovvorn of Dallas; Neal Jeffrey, associate pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano; Jill Manning of Dallas; and Alicia D.H. Monroe, of Missouri City.
• Confirmed as regents elected by the Baptist General Convention of Texas last fall Michael Evans, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, and Dennis Wiles, pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington.
• Approved as a regent nominated by the Baylor Bear Foundation Faith Beaty of Highland Village.
• Confirmed as a faculty regent for a three-year term Sara L. Dolan, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience.
• Approved as a voting member of the board student regent Sher Isada, a junior University Scholar from Euless.

The article includes information provided by Lori Fogleman, assistant vice president for media and public relations at Baylor University.