Co-workers in God’s service

I continue to travel around our great state meeting with pastors, leaders and ministry students. Since my last update, I have been in Longview, Carrizo Springs, Laredo, Sutherland Springs, Crosby, Houston and Beaumont.

I had the opportunity to be present and bring greetings at the Frio River Baptist Association and the San Jacinto Baptist Association annual meetings. They celebrated their 65th and 80th anniversary respectively.

We met with pastors over meals in several of those cities. I had the honor of preaching at the 100th anniversary celebration of First Baptist Church Sutherland Springs and at the Houston Christian University’s Convocation (chapel services). 

One of the highlights was the opportunity to visit over lunch with Texas Baptists ministry students at Houston Christian University. They are pursuing undergraduate, Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees. It was great to hear their stories.

I have been encouraged by these encounters. It has been inspiring to see how God is working in churches, associations and Texas Baptists related institutions. As I have shared about GC2 Strong and other updates, pastors have been receptive. They have asked good questions and have offered helpful suggestions. 

All-in-all, I have sensed a cooperative spirit. It is noteworthy how local associations carry out their business in a harmonious manner even while churches from two different state conventions cooperate together. As various members of the Texas Baptists staff participate in the 83 associational annual meetings, I know they observe the same.

Baptists rally around and celebrate camp and retreat centers, missionaries, Baptist Student Ministry and church planting in their immediate region for the sake of the gospel. Associations are the most immediate and most historical way in which Baptists have cooperated and continue to do so.

The work of Texas Baptists, including the GC2 Strong strategy, focuses on local churches but builds on and depends on harmonious cooperation with local associations. We are thankful for these vital ministry partners and those who lead them.

Our visits in these various cities have taken us to churches and pastors that are singly-aligned with the BGCT and sometimes with those that are dually-aligned. In the conversations about GC2 Strong, Kingscover Insurance, Pastor Strong, BSM and other Texas Baptists ministries, our desire is to serve all churches and pastors and to be kingdom-collaborative.

Continuing to appeal to the divisive tendencies of the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul reminds them that rather than giving preference to some over others, they should consider the important role of those who plant and those who water. Whatever the role, the commonality is that believers are co-workers in God’s service (1 Corinthians 3:8-9).

The Scripture reminds us, not only of the privilege of co-laboring in the kingdom of God, but also of the cooperative spirit of those who have come before us. They planted and watered. We get the benefit of their investment in the work of associations and the convention. 

Earlier this year I invited Alan Lefever, director of the Texas Baptists Historical Collection, to come and speak at our staff chapel on the occasion of BGCT’s 140th anniversary. Among other things, he reminded us that Texas Baptists have kept “The Texas Tradition.”

Quoting Baptist Historian Leon McBeth, Lefever listed the three elements of “The Texas Tradition”: (1) Intense conservatism, (2) Fervent evangelism and (3) Spirit of Independence, characteristic of B.H. Carroll, L.R. Scarborough and G.W. Truett.

That has been our heritage for 140 years. I pray and hope that it continues to be what we are known for. Being theologically conservative, passionate about sharing the gospel, while respecting the autonomy of the local church is who we are. Let’s steward well this legacy. Let’s continue to cooperate together for the sake of those who still do not know Jesus.

The business of our Annual Meeting in Waco has been posted. I encourage you to get informed, pray and come prepared to discern how God is leading us into his future.

I’ll be in San Antonio, Plainview and Midland next week. Maybe we’ll see you on the road!