Southern Baptist TEXAN staff

GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) – A new church-planting collaboration with the North American Mission Board, the election of two ministry staff leaders and the posthumous conferral of the Leaders Legacy Award upon Jimmy D. Pritchard highlighted the Tuesday (Aug. 24) meeting of the executive board of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC).

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – Nathan Lorick, SBTC executive director-elect, knows the challenges of sharing Christ in areas of the country lacking a wealth of Southern Baptist churches. He returned to the SBTC after serving more than three years as executive director of the Colorado State Baptist Convention. On April 20, Lorick proposed to the SBTC Executive Board a plan to endow a fund to help state conventions outside the South. The plan was approved.

GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) -- The executive committee of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention's Executive Board has approved a policy related to sexual abuse and affiliated churches, the Southern Baptist TEXAN reported April 4. Based on an interpretation of the SBTC's faith statement, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the policy would disallow new or continued affiliation by a church whose senior pastor has been convicted of sexual abuse of a child. The policy also prohibits new or continued affiliation by a church that is found to be "indifferent in their response to child sexual abuse."

HOUSTON (BP) -- One year later, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Executive Director Jim Richards and other SBTC leaders plan to commemorate the anniversary of Hurricane Harvey with prayer and fellowship gatherings scheduled for Aug. 25-27. Hurricane Harvey devastated the southeast coast of Texas and portions of Louisiana, dumping as much as 60 inches of rain in less than a week. Damage was estimated at more than $125 billion and one million cars were flooded beyond repair. Within days, Southern Baptist volunteers began mobilizing to meet the physical and spiritual needs of residents overwhelmed by flooding and wind.

FORT WORTH (BP) -- Hundreds gathered for a multi-church, community-wide pro-life rally after six women decided they had to "do something" tangible to stand for life. The event, organized by the group Locals for Life, was hosted at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. The group, led by Ella Bullock and Rachel Miller of Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, include stay-at-home moms, a first-grade ...