Rallying under a banner of “One Family-One Mission,” messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting took decisive steps toward demonstrating the diversity of Texas Baptists.
Messengers elected the convention's first African-American president, approved a governance plan that mandates at least one-third non-Anglo representation on the BGCT Executive Board and heard the convention sermon preached by a Vietnamese Texas Baptist pastor.
Messengers elected as president Michael Bell, pastor of Greater St. Stephen First Baptist Church in Fort Worth. He succeeds Albert Reyes, the first Hispanic BGCT president.
BGCT messengers also approved changes to the state convention's constitution and bylaws that streamline governance and ensure a greater non-Anglo presence on the BGCT Executive Board.
The governance changes reduced the Executive Board from 230 to 90 members. Revised bylaws stipulate at least 30 percent of the board membership will be non-Anglo.
In his president's message, Reyes challenged Texas Baptists to follow New Testament examples rather than North American sensibilities when it comes to handling conflicting cultures. He noted a conflict in the early church between Hebrew and Greek culture was settled by giving power, authority and resources to a group that was underrepresented.
Associated Baptist Press