By Bob Allen
Messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas meeting Nov. 16-18 in Waco approved a 2015 basic budget of $35 million, more than $2.1 million below this year’s spending plan.
A grand total budget of $37,784,297 represents reduced spending of $2.62 million in the coming year.
In other business Texas Baptists elected a woman as president for the second time in history. Kathy Hillman, the incumbent first vice president and past president of Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas, defeated Ronny Marriott, pastor of First Baptist Church in Temple, in the first contested presidential race since 2008.
The first female to serve as BGCT president was Joy Fenner, former executive director-treasurer of Texas WMU, who held the office in 2007-2008.
Other action included removal of the physical street address for the BGCT principal office from the constitution. In May the BGCT Executive Board voted to sell the Baptist Building in Dallas to Baylor University for its Louise Herrington School of Nursing. Members of the BGCT staff are scheduled to move to a new, still-to-be-determined location within the next year.
— Condensed from reporting by Ken Camp of the Baptist Standard.