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God
is at Work!
God
is at work among Texas Baptists! That would be my final word as
I come to my last column as Co-Chair of Texas Baptists Committed.
I have served in this role for two years now. It has been an experience
worth my efforts because the opportunity to work with you has
enriched my life. First,
I want to say to my Hispanic brothers and sisters to keep walking
in cooperation with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Hispanics
continue to make progress as they have more opportunities for
responsibility in the BGCT. I have been humbled and honored to
be asked to serve as the president of the Executive Board of the
BGCT. I want your prayers and input. I look forward with great
anticipation to work with my friend and co-worker Dr. Charles
Wade as our new executive director. He follows a great leader,
Dr. William Pinson. Lorenza
Pena, needs our prayers as he is already at work as our first
vice president of the BGCT. He is highly respected and will influence
committees. He will further the positive direction our state convention
is making as he works with Clyde Glazener, president and Bill
Bollou, second vice president of the BGCT. It is amazing to me
to see how God is at work placing a team of leaders to work with
a continued zeal for cooperation. Second,
I would encourage all of my TBC friends to continue the push for
shared leadership among all ethnic groups in Texas Baptist life.
Jimmy Garcia did an outstanding job speaking at the TBC breakfast
in El Paso. He reminded us that 966 Hispanic Baptist congregations
now flourish with more than 100,000 members. But soon, Texas will
have eight million Hispanics and together we must respond quickly
with even greater intensity and financial commitment. Other ethnic
groups are growing and need similar attention as well. Third,
we must continue to expand opportunities for education to grow
leaders in the coming generations. We need more scholarships to
make education available in our Baptist universities. Albert L.
Reyes will be a fine president of the Hispanic Baptist School
in San Antonio, but we all must do our part to support this institution
for it to fulfill its role in our future. Thank
you for the opportunity to serve beside my friend and co-worker,
Jerold McBride as Co-Chair for TBC. Thank you David, Charlie and
Charlotte for your leadership, spirit and hard work. Thanks to
my church, First Mexican Baptist Church in Dallas for supporting
me in this additional role of service. December 1999 |
