If Texas Baptist churches follow SBC instructions, missions and ministries will be hurt

If churches reduce funding to Texas Baptist ministries, as suggested in a mailing from President and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, missions and ministries will suffer.

Total cost could be $13,362,515.

Texas Baptists support these ministries alone. None of the following are supported by the SBC budget:

$3,917,393 less for Texas Baptist Educational Institutions —

Baylor ($953,695)

Dallas Baptist University($395,304)

East Texas Baptist University ($336,146)

Hardin-Simmons ($375,830)

Houston Baptist University ($381,048)

Howard Payne University ($338,474)

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor ($401,619)

Wayland Baptist University ($487,738)

San Marcos Academy ($117,989)

Valley Baptist Missions Education Center ($58,550)

Hispanic Baptist Theological School ($71,000)

$1,043,886 less for Texas Baptist Childcare Institutions

Buckner Children and Family Services ($251,919)

Baptist Child & Family Services ($255,771)

South Texas Children’s Home ($268,098)

Texas Baptist Children’s Home ($268,098)

$1,194,322 less for Collegiate Ministries in Texas — including salaries for Baptist Student Ministers, student mission programs, on-campus Bible studies, evangelism efforts on more than 130 campuses throughout Texas.

$934,905 less for Church Missions and Evangelism — including funding for new church starts, Mission Service Corps, Texas Partnership missions, River Ministry, Lay Ministry Development, Missional Church Strategy, the Center for Strategic Evangelism and Prayer and Spiritual Development

$1,338,935 less for Church Health and Growth ministries — including Bible Study training and materials, Minister Counseling and Psychological Services, Minister of Church Relations, Texas Baptist Leadership Center, Church Personnel Information Services, Church Membership Resourcing, Church Music, Personal and Church Stewardship programs, Church Facilities, Preaching and Proclamation ministries

$483,143 less for Associational Missions and Administration — including African American Ministries, Hispanic Work, Intercultural Initiatives, Bivocational/ Smaller Church ministries, and committee work

$193,181 less for Texas Baptist Men — including disaster relief and retiree builders

$417,554 less for Texas Baptist Healthcare and chaplain ministries at Baptist hospitals — including chaplain support, patient care, outpatient care, charity care for needy families, worship services and pastoral visits by chaplains

$370,211 less for Aging Care and other human welfare ministries

$752,871 less for Theological Education — including lay education and ministerial scholarships

$220,914 less for Christian Ethics and Public Life Ministries — including the Christian Life Commission and Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, Hope for Home projects, Annual Senior Adult and Single Adult conferences

$471,482 less for Additional New Church Support

$443,748 less for Ministers Protection Plan

$117,287 less for BGCT regional offices

$581,867 less for BGCT operations — including communications, news and information, human resources and the offices of the executive director and associate executive director

$880,815 less for BGCT financial operations — including building services, Texas Baptist Historical Collection, Texas Baptist Missions Foundation, computer support

April 2002