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

Clyde Glazener

Mark Newton

Joy Fenner

Two pastors and a veteran missions leader will be nominated for the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ top elected positions when the convention holds its annual session in Corpus Christi Oct. 30-31. Incumbent President Clyde Glazener, pastor of Gambrell Street Baptist Church in Fort Worth, will be nominated for re-election, announced Doug Tipps, pastor of First Baptist Church in San Marcos, who plans to nominate him.

Mark Newton, pastor of Baptist Temple in San Antonio, will be nominated for first vice president by Phil Lineberger, a former BGCT president and pastor of Williams Trace Baptist Church in Sugar Land.

Joy Phillips Fenner, retiring executive director-treasurer of Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas, will be nominated for second vice president by Albert Reyes, president of Hispanic Baptist Theological School in San Antonio.

Tipps listed five reasons for nominating Glazener for a second one-year term as president.

“First, Clyde leads Texas Baptists with a clear understanding of our purpose,” Tipps said. “Nothing is more important in leadership. If you are confused about purpose, you are confused about everything.”

Second, Glazener “places Jesus in the preeminent center of his life and leadership,” Tipps added. “Clyde leaves me with no doubt about the supremacy of Jesus in what he values.”

Glazener also provides principled leadership, Tipps added. “For that reason, the strength he has demonstrated in leading us during the past year has not one time been self-serving or controlling. In sensitive discussion during Executive Board meetings (over which Glazener presided as chairman before he was elected president), Clyde has been absolutely ethical and fair.”

Fourth, Glazener’s relationship to the BGCT staff and particularly to new Executive Director Charles Wade “means that we will continue our pursuit of purpose with increasingly rare but valued harmony.”

Finally, “it is not insignificant to say that I enjoy being led with humor and joy,” Tipps concluded. “Have you ever seen anyone who has more fun while doing a great job?”

Glazener noted he would accept a second term if he can be helpful.

“I’m happy to do whatever I can to help our convention move forward with the gospel and help Texas Baptists remain free and faithful,” Glazener said.

Glazener, 64, has been pastor of 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. He has been trustee chairman of Grand Canyon College, a Baptist school in Arizona; associational moderator; and a member of the BGCT Human Welfare Coordinating Board.

He and his wife, Kaye, have five adult children.

1st Vice-President

Newton has the credentials to provide Texas Baptists with significant leadership, Lineberger stressed.

“Mark is one of our outstanding young Texas Baptist pastors, who has led his church to maintain its strength and vitality in a transitional neighborhood,” Lineberger said. “Because of his vision and compassion, Baptist Temple has continued a positive outreach ministry to a socially and ethnically diverse community.”

Newton also has demonstrated an ability “to establish trusting relationships based on a genuine desire to serve,” Lineberger added. “He relates positively with people from diverse backgrounds and on all age levels.

“Mark Newton holds strong appreciation for traditional Baptist beliefs—salvation by faith alone, baptism by immersion, autonomy of the local church, priesthood of the believer, and separation of church and state.

“Mark possesses the abilities and qualities Texas Baptists need during these critical days in convention life. His vision, compassion, integrity and humor will serve us well.”

“I’m always willing to serve Texas Baptists,” Newton said. “I believe the greatest days are ahead for us.”

Newton’s desire is to “work with our new leadership to do all we can to reach Texas for Christ,” he said.

In addition to the San Antonio pastorate, Newton, 38, has been pastor of First Baptist Church in Chilton and First Baptist Church in McGregor. He has served associationally as an executive board member and on several committees.

In the BGCT, he currently is chair of a special committee that is studying the basis of associational formation and has served on the convention arrangements committee.

He is a graduate of Baylor University in Waco and Southwestern Seminary.

Newton and his wife, Aurelia, have two young children, Adolynn and Truett.

2nd Vice-President

Fenner is uniquely qualified to lead Texas Baptists as a convention officer, Reyes pointed out.

“As we look at the challenges we face in the next few years here in Texas, the area of missions will be strategically important,” Reyes said, citing Fenner’s years as state leader of Woman’s Missionary Union and previous experience as a foreign missionary. “I can’t think of a more qualified person who has a legacy of missions and has kept our focus on missions like Joy Fenner.

“I know that personally, because of our involvement here” at Hispanic Baptist Theological School, Reyes said, expressing appreciation for “her energy and enthusiasm for what we do here San Antonio.” “She has a lot of wisdom and a good history of leadership in Texas,” Reyes added. “She is well-respected and is a visionary as well. She will be excellent for this time in history.”

Missions is Fenner’s motivation for serving the state convention in yet another capacity, she said.

“I am willing to serve because I have a commitment to help Texas Baptists keep the whole world in view,” she explained. Fenner, 65, has served as chief executive for Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas since December 1980. She announced last spring that she plans to retire Feb. 28, 2001.

Previously, she worked more than seven years as Girls’ Auxiliary (now Girls in Action) director for Texas WMU. She and her husband, Charlie, served 14 years as Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board missionaries in Japan.

She is a graduate of East Texas Baptist University and Southwestern Seminary.

October 2000