DALLAS (ABP) — A recent e-mail appeal from six former Baptist General Convention of Texas presidents encouraging attendance at the state convention’s annual meeting in McAllen and an announcement regarding a new blog devoted to historic Baptist principles marked the first — but not the last — efforts of Texas Baptists Committed to reconnect with Baptists in the state, said Michael Bell, chairman of the group’s board of directors.
“Texas Baptists Committed is alive and well,” said Bell, pastor of Greater St. Stephen First Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
Some Texas Baptists had wondered if the organization — formed two decades ago to resist a “fundamentalist takeover” of the BGCT — was alive at all after its executive director, David Currie, stepped down last year and the board closed the group's office in San Angelo.
At the high point of its influence, Texas Baptists Committed mobilized thousands of messengers from churches around the state to attend BGCT annual meetings and elect a series of officers endorsed by the group — including the state convention’s first Hispanic, African-American and female presidents. In recent years, Texas Baptists Committed experienced financial hardship and endured questions about its continued reason for existence with the BGCT firmly in non-fundamentalist hands.
While Texas Baptists Committed wants to retain its “edge” in speaking out regarding historic Baptist principles, Bell said, the organization now primarily wants to be a resource to help Baptist churches in the state.
“We have evolved. This is a new day,” he said. “This is the next level.”
The organization wants to be a positive voice in encouraging the BGCT and Texas Baptist churches, Bell insisted.
“We don’t think we are running away from our roots,” he said. “Different times call for a different approach. This is a new day, and we want to approach issues and challenges in a way consistent with the current context.”
Texas Baptists Committed has set up a blog, but the organization will be more than just an Internet presence, Bell insisted.
The board is involved in a “thoughtful process” searching for an executive director, he said, and the Texas Baptists Committed offices probably will reopen somewhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“David Currie served Texas Baptists well, contrary to the preachments of some,” Bell insisted. “We don’t run away from the positive things he has done. We are not going to fail to recognize our past and the gigantic, monumental contributions he made. But David Currie is not part of our leadership, and he is not on our board.”
-30-
Ken Camp is managing editor of the Texas Baptist Standard.
Previous ABP story:
Update: Currie resigns as Texas Baptists Committed leader (9/29/2009)