My Baptist roots run very deep. As I have mentioned before, Robert Morrison Currie – my great-great-grandfather – came to Texas in about 1857 and founded the First Baptist Church of LaVernia. A few years back, the members of that church honored me by asking me to speak at the celebration of its 150th anniversary.
This was the “mother” church of that area – it sponsored churches such as First Baptist Church of San Antonio. My great-great-grandfather was the first moderator of the San Antonio Baptist Association.
His son, David Blont Currie, came to Paint Rock in 1879 – he and his two brothers, Cyrus and Joe, are buried there. They were all Confederate veterans.
One of David’s children was Anne, who was W. A. Criswell’s mother; and another was my grandfather, William Glosson Currie.
Mother’s sister, Jewette, was married to Charles C. McLaughlin, who was Texas Baptist director of missions for many years and, I believe, actually played a huge part in starting the River Ministry, as well as what we know today as Baptist University of the Americas in San Antonio. Many of you reading this knew Uncle Charlie and remember him well as being a “prince of a man.” If you want to know why there are over 1,300 Hispanic churches that relate to the BGCT, I can tell you in two words: Uncle Charlie.
So, as you see, Baptist ministry both runs in my blood and beats in my heart. Yet, no matter how long I’m in this work, I’m always learning new things. The ministries of the BGCT are sort of like the old song most of us sang as children in Sunday School – “Deep and Wide” – and I’m continually amazed to learn about the impact of its ministries.
This week, we held the fourth and fifth of what we plan to be an ongoing series of meetings around the state, jointly sponsored by TBC and the BGCT, under the title “Hope for the Future: Supporting the Baptist General Convention of Texas.” I have been amazed at how much I have learned – just during these five meetings – about Texas Baptist institutions and ministries.
For example:
- Did you know that Wayland Baptist University teaches students on 13 campuses, including campuses outside the continental U. S. and internationally? Examples are campuses in Alaska, Hawaii, and Kenya.
- Did you know that Buckner International has placed thousands of children in adoptive families – or, as Ken Hall calls them, “forever families” – over the past 130 years and will unite another 200 children with their new families this year alone? Yet no SBC agency can help you to adopt a child.
- Did you know that the Fifth Great Awakening is happening around the world, and America is missing it? More Muslims are coming to Christ EVERY day than at any time in history. Some say that over 1 million people are coming to Christ EVERY day in the underground church in China.
- Did you know that the largest single gift every year to Howard Payne University is the money provided by the BGCT?
- Did you know that a graduate of the Baptist University of the Americas is the leader of ethnic ministries in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida?
- Did you know that 95% of the BGCT’s new church starts are successful?
I could go on and on.
You would have learned these things, too – and much more – if you had attended any of the five “Hope for the Future: Supporting the BGCT” meetings we have had in Dallas, Azle (Fort Worth area), Brownwood, Austin, and San Antonio. Actually, I have been very pleased with the attendance, but I’m anxious for even more people to hear the great things we’re hearing at these meetings.
The BGCT is a convention that no other Baptist convention in the world can match for the breadth, depth, and effectiveness of its ministries. We support more institutions than the SBC supports as a national convention. We can do all of this because we are free and faithful – and that is because YOU have supported TBC.
These meetings have fed me spiritually so much. They have said to me, over and over, that my ministry has counted for much and resulted in some very good things. I appreciate that.
But TBC is not the issue – the issue is supporting free and faithful Texas Baptists. We are the light of the world for Baptists who believe in freedom and Baptist principles, and we must protect that at all costs. I know I can count on you who are reading this to do that, and I thank you for that.
But I still must urge you to start making plans now to come to Houston for this year’s BGCT Annual Meeting on November 16-17. Don’t leave any doubt that you love and cherish – and will do whatever it takes to protect – our Texas Baptist freedom.