Last week, I mentioned that this year is our 140th anniversary as the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Those leaders and churches who first established the BGCT did so for the purpose of cooperating in evangelism, missions, benevolence and Christian education.

Part of our legacy as Texas Baptists has to do with what we call institutions. By that we mean universities, seminaries, colleges, academies, hospitals, human care agencies and others. Currently, Texas Baptists collaborate with 30 institutions and ministries.

This includes 15 educational institutions, 5 hospitals, 4 human care agencies, 2 financial services organizations, 1 news publication, 2 missions organizations, 1 ethics ministry and 1 global Baptist body. This is in addition to Baptist encampments in Texas and local associations.

No other state convention relates to that many institutions. In fact, there are many national Baptist conventions that do not either. That makes Texas Baptists a very unique convention.

We believe that these institutions and ministries are key partners in living out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

Through Christian higher education, theological education, healing ministries, hospital chaplaincy, the care of vulnerable children and senior adults, the sharing of information and engagement in missions, we are loving God, loving our neighbor and making disciples!

Some of the institutions with which we cooperate are older than 140 years, such as Baylor University and Buckner International. Others were started by the BGCT. Did you know that Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was started under the auspices of the BGCT in 1908¹?

During the first few years of the 20th century, San Marcos Baptist Academy (1907); Wayland Literary and Technical Institute, now Wayland Baptist University (1910); and the College of Marshall, now East Texas Baptist University (1912) were established.² Many others were established during the rest of the 20th century.

Most, if not all, of the institutions that Texas Baptists relate to have grown and matured in multiple ways. They have developed excellence in their mission and work. They have developed donors and grown their campuses. This evolution over the decades has led to multiple developments in the way BGCT relates to them.

BGCT does not control nor own any of these institutions. They each have their own governing board. In some cases, BGCT elects a simple majority of the institution's trustees. In other cases, messengers elect a small minority.

Financial support from Texas Baptists varies according to the nature of the relationship and agreement. In some cases, the support consists of scholarships or advertising. In other cases, there is no financial support. And yet in others, the BGCT is the recipient of financial benefit.

That is another way in which Texas Baptists is different from many other state conventions. Our relationships are based on agreements between the organizations to collaborate for the sake of God’s Kingdom. The Great Commandment and the Great Commission advance as we cooperate together.

When churches give through the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program, they get to have a part in these great ministries of evangelism, missions, benevolence and education. We get to do more together for the glory of God.

That’s our legacy – 140 years of loving God, loving people and making disciples through education, human care, information, finances and missions! Thank you for being a part of that.

¹McBeth, H. Leon. Texas Baptists: A Sequicentennial History. 1998 (Baptistway Press).
²McBeth.

Texas Baptists institutions and our legacy