CLYDE GLAZENER: nominee for president
By Marv Knox,
Editor, The Baptist Standard

Clyde Glazener, pastor of Gambrell Street Baptist Church in Fort Worth, will be nominated for president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas when it meets in El Paso Nov. 8-9.

Glazener will be nominated by Rudy Camacho, president of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, who announced his intentions last week. “Clyde Glazener is definitely a Texas Baptist friend,” Camacho said. “He has vision. He is a very cooperative person and has proven his fairness as chairman of the (BGCT) Executive Board.” He has demonstrated his desire to reach all Texans with the gospel, Camacho said. As an example, he cited Glazener’s participation in an intensive Spanish-language program at Hispanic Baptist Theological School this summer. “

A lot of Hispanics have moved into the neighborhood. He took this course in order to minister to them in their language,” Camacho explained.

Glazener expressed honor at being nominated. “I am deeply grateful to Texas Baptists for giving me a place to serve the Lord Christ in concert with historic Baptist principles and distinctives,” he said.

A key task of the next president will be to aid in the transition of a new BGCT executive director.

“I would hope I would be able to help the new executive director to continue to work with Texas Baptists in such a way as to allow us to accomplish our mission,” he said.

Texas Baptists have stayed on course, despite critics’ claims, he added. “We have not distanced ourselves from the Southern Baptist Convention. We have stayed who we are. All the historic Baptist principles are still intact in Texas Baptist life.”

As goals, he cited “presenting the gospel to every ethnic group in Texas,” developing the Hispanic Baptist Theological School and providing education in “Baptist principles and biblical doctrine” for laypeople

Glazener, 63, has been pastor at Gambrell Street since 1992. He has been pastor in Arizona, Arkansas and Oklahoma. He is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In addition to serving as chairman of the BGCT Executive Board, he has been trustee chairman of Grand Canyon College, associational moderator and member of the Human Welfare Coordinating Board.

He and his wife, Kaye, have five adult children. Glazener’s nomination by the president of the Hispanic convention “proves our partnership with the BGCT,” Camacho said.

October 1999