IN FOCUS: Starting churches is a BGCT priority

The Southern Baptist North American Mission Board recently honored Texas Baptists for starting more congregations in 2009 than any other state group. This was the second year in a row the BGCT led all state conventions in church starts and the third year out of the last four.

In 2009, Texas Baptists helped to establish 262 congregations out of a total of 1,364 churches started by the Southern Baptist Convention. Eighty-four of these were church-sponsored, and the rest were organic. In 2008, the BGCT started 251 congregations out of a total of 1,578 conventionwide. These included eighty-two that were church-sponsored.

Even during difficult economic times, church starting continues to be a key priority for Texas Baptists and is supported through gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions and through the Texas Baptist Cooperative Program, the convention’s primary giving channel. More than $3.2 million is projected for church starting in the proposed 2011 budget. One and a half million dollars will come from CP gifts and more than a million dollars from Mary Hill Davis. The remainder will come from NAMB and donor-designated gifts.

Much still is said about mistakes made in starting new churches in the Valley several years ago. Without a doubt, mistakes were made, and a lot of money was misused. However, the BGCT learned from this tragic situation. The staff and Executive Board implemented policies that administer these funds and also encourage new churches to grow into strong congregations. Paul Atkinson, who leads our Texas Baptist church-starting efforts, said 95 percent of the churches facilitated by the BGCT continue to share the hope of Christ within their communities. This is a much higher survival rate than recorded by most groups involved in starting congregations.

Some of the success comes from mentorship of sponsoring churches. Our church-starting staff does a wonderful job meeting with leaders of new congregations, encouraging them and holding them accountable. The Executive Board mandates quarterly personal visits with these congregations. Yet churches start churches. The state convention can provide funding and supervision, but churches provide the models, leadership and often even members that give these new churches life.

As we all consider the Acts 1:8 mandate, are there ethnic or affinity groups that are unreached in your neighborhood or community? Can your church buildings accommodate multiple language groups? Are there high-density housing facilities that offer unique opportunities to take the church to the people? Are our institutions offering training throughout Texas for every pastor God calls to lead these churches? Is God calling you to be a part of one of these new congregations?

Despite the success, Atkinson believes God is calling Texas Baptists to do much more. He is working toward a goal of starting 1,000 congregations a year by 2018. “With 3,500 colonias in Texas, each with 500 homes and no Christian witness, I’ve got three years of work right there,” he said.

Randel Everett is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board.