|
|
TBC Newsletter | |
| March 2006 |
SERVING TEXAS BAPTISTS COMMITTED |
Serving on the Board of Texas Baptists Committed provided several learning opportunities for me over the last six years. My service on the board almost parallels the first seven years of my tenure as president of Baptist University of the Americas. During this time I was also privileged to serve as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. In this brief article I would like to share my pathway to TBC, my experience on the board of TBC, and the value of relationships for the Texas Baptist family.
My Path to Texas Baptist Committed
The first contact I had with TBC was a conversation with David Currie. I wanted to learn about sheep and goats since one of my mentors recommended that I walk alongside a modern day shepherd to learn lessons that would apply to the pastorate. It seemed like a good idea to me so I began to inquire about people who had sheep. The first name that surfaced was David Currie so I called him. We talked and he was very open to inviting me to his ranch. He inquired as to my ministry and the name of the church I was starting in El Paso, Texas. I told him that the name of our church was Pueblo Nuevo Community Church, a Southern Baptist Congregation (in small print). David wasted no time by responding “Oh, Albert, you will want to reconsider that name.” I responded by asking “What part of the name do you think is problematic.””He said, “You don’t need to use the “Southern Baptist” name. David went on to bring me up to date regarding the progression of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) controversy.
Our conversation was not long but what he had to say was etched into my mind. The Southern Baptist name did not help us in El Paso. In fact, the only time the name Baptist was used in the press was when the press was pointing out what we were against or parading the latest fight we were engaged in. Frankly, the Baptist name put us at a disadvantage as a new church attempting to reach out to its predominantly Hispanic community. We eventually dropped the subtitle from our name but we held on to traditional Baptist theology and distinctives.
(continued)
I would like to make a few observations concerning my path to TBC. First, I was really not aware of the implications of the SBC controversy for local churches or our beloved Baptist General Convention of Texas during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. I was not aware of the desire of the SBC leadership to takeover and control our churches, our institutions, and our resources. I was only vaguely aware of the treatment that our BGCT leaders were receiving and I was not aware of the larger issues at stake like traditional Baptist distinctives. I was like most pastors in the 1980’s and 1990’s who were primarily focused on the local church ministry and not engaged in what the larger Baptist family was going through. Second, it is tempting to judge another person’s motives or loyalties when you only have limited knowledge of a person’s convictions. I remember’individuals who called into questions my loyalty to Texas Baptists. Since I was not aware of the issues and had not publicly taken a stand I was perceived as one who could not be trusted or one who had questionable loyalty to Texas Baptist life. Nothing could be further from the truth. I cannot think of one part of my ministry that has not been heavily impacted by Texas Baptists. In fact, a casual review of my personal history1 reveals Texas Baptist roots extending back to the late 1880’s. I am deeply indebted to Texas Baptists going back at least three generations in our family’s history. Wisdom and caution should be employed when gauging one’s theological or denominational persuasion. The truth is there are many good Baptist friends who have a low level of awareness of the issues we are still working through as a Texas Baptist family, especially the Hispanic part of the family. Texas Baptists Committed’s future will require an intentional effort to provide information to those of our friends who remain uninformed about the issues we continue to struggle with. I meet good Texas Baptists all the time that are not aware of what has been made painfully clear to those of us in the struggle. Patience, time, and perseverance will help us include others in our journey to preserve traditional Baptist distinctives.
(continued)
Service on the TBC Board
In 1999, David Currie approached me about serving as a board member of TBC. I was delighted by the opportunity to serve. Later he encouraged me to be nominated for service a BGCT representative to the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs (now called the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty). I served one term on the BJC board while serving on the TBC board. One of the greatest benefits of serving on the TBC board was the education I received about the issues at work in the SBC controversy and the orientation to Baptist distinctives. Through service at the BJC I learned about the value of religious liberty and separation of church and state. The mission of TBC is to support and encourage the work of the BGCT. I learned what it meant to be a Texas Baptist. I met several new like-minded friends. I came to realize that TBC exists to serve and support not only the BGCT but its affiliated institutions, like Baptist University of the Americas. Another highlight of my service on the board was David Currie’s invitation to speak at the TBC breakfast in Amarillo. The board members became friends to BUA and to me personally. Good board members provide the three W’s: Wealth, Wisdom, and Work. I made it habit to participate financially to the work of TBC, to offer my best insight to our conversations, and to attend meetings and work toward the advancement of the TBC mission. In doing so, I received great satisfaction knowing that I was working to preserve and support the Texas Baptist family and the BGCT. My ultimate privilege was the honor of being invited to serve as President of the BGCT. My year as president of the BGCT, six years as a TBC board member, and three years as a member of the BJC have been the best experiences in denominational service in my life.
It’s All About Relationships
A colleague of mine has begun to explore the notion that life is all about relationships. By far, the greatest benefit of serving on the TBC board has been the development of new relationships. Getting to know David Currie as a friend and colleague has been a tremendous blessing to me. You never have to guess what David is thinking and I like that about him. I have learned that David is a friend to Texas Baptists. He loves our convention and works relentlessly to preserve the heritage passed on to us. I am tempted to mention names of board members that have enriched my life but they are too many to enumerate here. I want to close by inviting you to stay informed of the issues that affect our BGCT family, stay connected to TBC, and support TBC with your presence, your pocketbook, and your prayers.
(Footnotes) 1 For my personal history in Texas Baptist life see “Unification to Integration: A Brief History of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas” Baptist History and Heritage Journal, Vol. 40, Winter, 2005, No. 1, 44-55
