SAN ANTONIO (ABP) — Messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas gave initial approval to the convention's most significant reorganization in almost five decades and elected its first non-Anglo president.
At the BGCT's annual meeting in San Antonio Nov. 8-9, 82 percent of messengers approved the first reading of constitutional amendments to reduce the size of the convention's Executive Board from 234 to 90 members and streamline the convention's decision-making structure.
Coupled with new mission, vision, values and priorities statements, the changes are designed to make the convention more efficient and accessible to churches. It eliminates two coordinating boards, two commissions and the convention's Administrative Committee.
Albert Reyes, president of Baptist University of the Americas, an Hispanic school in San Antonio, was elected without opposition as the first non-Anglo president of the BGCT. Michael Bell, African-American pastor of Greater St. Stephen First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, was elected first vice president and Stacey Conner, pastor of First Baptist Church in the Panhandle town of Muleshoe, was elected second vice president. All three top officers were elected by acclamation without opposition.
The elections and restructuring reflect the BGCT's goal of increasing ethnic participation in response to the state's shifting demographics. “I don't think there's any question that as we project the future we have to be inclusive,” outgoing president Ken Hall, president of Buckner Baptist Benevolences in Dallas, said during a press conference.
The role of Hispanics in the state and BGCT was front and center during the two-day convention, which met under a Spanish-language theme of “Celebrando la Familia de Dios” (“Celebrating the Family of God”).
“I sense as we as Texas Baptists are becoming aware that the world around us is changing, we are changing,” newly elected president Reyes told reporters.
Reyes, Hall and BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade each indicated they want ethnic voices to play a larger role in BGCT affairs. About 2,200 of the 5,700 BGCT churches are non-Anglo congregations.
During debate on the restructuring plan, messengers — especially those from West Texas and smaller congregations — worried they will lose representation on the smaller Executive Board. “I seriously question whether the wide variety of voices will be represented,” said Howard Rhodes of First Baptist Church in Dimmitt.
Instead of allowing at least one representative from each of the BGCT's 117 associations, the new structure would divide the state into sectors, with representation distributed in proportion to church membership. The result would be more representation from metropolitan areas. Because there is greater ethnic diversity in those areas, leaders expect more ethnic representation on the Executive Board.
During discussion, proponents said the restructuring would make the BGCT more responsive to the needs of congregations. “I'm not so concerned about representation as relevancy for the BGCT,” said Josh Stowe of First Baptist Church in Rule.
Proponents said the Executive Board's mammoth size works against good governance, preventing the board from being knowledgeable about issues.
Messengers turned down an amendment to limit Executive Board representation to churches affiliated solely with the BGCT. While apparently intended to exclude churches affiliated with the conservative Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, the move also would have excluded many African-American and ethnic congregations that are aligned with other groups.
BGCT leaders also avoided a motion to postpone the vote for a year by promising to launch an extensive effort to inform churches of the implications of the new structure before the convention is asked to approve the plan for a second time at the 2005 annual meeting.
Convention leaders also will use the time to draft new bylaws and procedures to complete the “nitty-gritty” of reorganization, Hall told a breakout group.
San Antonio pastor Charles Johnson, who nominated Reyes, said the president of an Hispanic university is a perfect fit for a convention ministering in a state quickly becoming predominantly Hispanic. The BGCT is at a “historic crossroads” where churches must minister among a multitude of cultures, Johnson said, and Reyes can help congregations do that.
Reyes served as first vice president of the convention last year. Prior to becoming president of Baptist University of the Americas, Reyes was the founding pastor of Pueblo Nuevo Community Church in El Paso. He was appointed by President George W. Bush as chairman of the Hispanic Outreach Task Force of the White House Initiative for Hispanic Academic Excellence.
Reyes is a board member of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs and Texas Baptists Committed. He earned master's and doctoral degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Messengers approved resolutions supporting traditional marriage and public schools, but those statements make no mention of gay marriage or a proposed “exodus” of Christians from public education. Messengers also rejected a motion to withhold funding for Baylor University, which is currently embroiled in a struggle over its leadership.
A BGCT budget of $47.3 million was adopted for 2005, an increase of $1.5 million over 2004. The BGCT-suggested giving plan for churches continues to allocate 79 percent of funds to Texas Baptist ministries and 21 percent of receipts to worldwide causes.
The BGCT's new mission statement says: “We are a fellowship of transformational churches sacrificially giving ourselves to God's redemptive purpose. Continually being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ, we join together to transform our communities and the world.”
The new vision statement depicts congregations that engage the culture of the world and share their faith, teach believers and meet needs. The statements indicate BGCT congregations will value the diversity of believers.
There are eight adopted values of the convention: The Bible is God's written word; churches are to transform the world; intimacy with God forms the “image of Christ in us”; servant leadership is valued; Texas Baptists are to love each person as Christ does; the convention holds to Baptist beliefs; integrity is needed in congregations; and the convention values the ethnic and cultural diversity of all of its constituency.
— Based on reporting by John Hall, Teresa Young and Marv Knox.