Speakers

THONG LUN Senior pastor,Greater Houston Burmese Christian Fellowship Houston, TX

SUNDAY JULY 16

WM. DWIGHT MCKISSIC SR.

Senior pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church Arlington, TX

GREG AMMONS

Senior pastor, FBC Garland Garland, TX

DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE AN IMPACT WHILE

YOU'RE

In Mcallen

To see a full list of mission opportunites and learn how you can take part in serving the community visit txb.org/am or contact Cesar Zamora.

CESAR ZAMORA

MONDAY JULY 17

(214) 828-5375 cesar.zamora@txb.org

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TUESDAY JULY 18

Statewide Evangelism conference offers training for pastors, lay leaders

Saying the church’s “evangelism has fallen short of our calling,” Pastor Tony Evans urged attendees at the Texas Baptists Statewide Evangelism Conference to go and make disciples. The conference, which took place on Jan. 23, saw 1,128 pastors, lay leaders and other attendees registered for a time of equipping and training at First Baptist Church of San Antonio.

Likening the gathering to a huddle in a football game, Evans reminded congregants that the conference was not the main objective, but rather a time to come together and strategize. What was important was “what difference the huddle makes –having huddled, can you now score?” Evans said.

Evans’ exhortation, given during a sermon on the Great Commission in Matthew 28, capped the end of the conference. The event – with the theme “Can I Ask You a Question?” – was Texas Baptists’ first statewide evangelism conference following a hiatus of 15 years.

Large crowds filled the worship center for each of the seven sessions. Along with sermons and presentations, the conference included a Q&A panel with speakers, with the audience encouraged to ask their own questions.

“That’s what this conference is about,” Leighton Flowers, director of Evangelism for Texas Baptists, told attendees. “To equip you and train you, to give you tools so you can go back to your churches and to your homes and spread the gospel to your friends and neighbors.”

The 2024 Statewide Evangelism Conference will be held Jan. 21-22, 2024 at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas.

Two thousand years after Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations, there are over 2,000 people groups who do not have the Bible in their heart language – and that’s just not right,” said Julio Guarneri, Texas Baptists president, during his address at the May 2023 Executive Board meeting May 22-23. “The global church needs to step up its game, and Texas Baptists need to take their place in this mission of God that is global and that is about His kingdom.”

The meeting was conducted virtually and broadcast from East Texas Baptist University in Marshall.

In addition to Guarneri’s address, the board also heard a financial report from CFO/Treasurer Ward Hayes and an update from the Executive Director Search Committee, stating that nominations for a new executive director closed on May 7 and the search committee has prayed for and about each person who was nominated.

Business was also approved during the meeting, including a recommendation to create an Executive Board Task Force to study and recommend guidance on matters of responding to sexual abuse issues within Texas Baptists churches.

The Executive Board also ratified a Memorandum of Understanding between Baylor and Texas Baptists regarding a land gift from Baylor adjacent to the campus for the construction of a BSM building and approved a recommendation from the Finance Committee to allocate $500,000 of available investment and undesignated endowment earnings to the construction of the new BSM building.

Dick Maples and Dorso Maciel honored at 2023 Texas Baptists Legacy Awards

Dick Maples, a longtime pastor and devoted Baptist denominational leader, and Dorso Maciel, a faithful pastor and community leader, were recipients of the 2023 Texas Baptists Legacy Award. The awards were presented during a worship service on June 4 at Independence Baptist Church.

“Texas Baptists breathe easier today because of these men,” said Alan Lefever, director of the Texas Baptist Historical Collection.

Maples and Maciel were chosen by a selection committee for their lifelong Christian service. Pavers commemorating Maples and Maciel were laid in the courtyard of Independence Baptist Church.

Dick Maples

James Richard (Dick) Maples has served as pastor of four churches, including First Baptist churches of Texas City, El Paso and Bryan, and First Baptist of Waynesville, N.C. Additionally, he served in Texas Baptists staff roles including coordinator of minister/ church relations and associate executive director.

After retirement from the state convention, Maples served as special assistant to the president and adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University. He was named pastor emeritus of First Baptist of El Paso.

Maples also served Texas Baptists as Texas Baptists president and first vice president, and as a member of the Executive Board, the Administrative Committee and the Christian Life Commission, as well as a trustee for several Baptist institutions.

Dorso Maciel

Called to pastoral ministry as a teenager, Dorso Maciel was a student at Baylor University when he took his first pastorate May 30, 1959, at Primera Iglesia Bautista Marlin. Now in his sixth church, he is in his 31st year as pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Laredo.

Maciel has served on Texas Baptists Executive Board and in various capacities in the Baptist associational life (with the Blanco and Rio Grande Valley Baptist associations) and the South Texas Children’s Home. He has also served in various civic leadership roles including school boards and other civic boards. He has served with the Salvation Army, the Laredo HIV/AIDS Services Consortia and the Webb County Emergency Food and Shelter Board.

Todd Combee has joined the Center for Cultural Engagement as the new director of Chaplaincy Relations for Texas Baptists and Baptist Chaplaincy Relations.

"As we prayerfully considered who the next director of chaplaincy needed to be, it was clear the Holy Spirit was leading us to Todd Combee for this new chapter in the chaplaincy story, and I am thrilled for the days to come,” said Katie Fruge, director of the Center for Cultural Engagement.

Combee served for 34 years as a military chaplain in the Virginia Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. Combee served for 18 years as pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, Va., before retiring after 36 total years in local church ministry. Combee and his wife, Susan, have been married since 1982. They have two sons and three grandchildren.

“I am excited and humbled to be leading Baptist Chaplaincy Relations as the new director/endorser,” Combee said. My goal is really a team goal: To carry on the great work the Baptist Chaplaincy Relations has become known for and continue to build our program into the premier chaplain endorsing program in the country.”

@EHM_Apologetics Kicking off our [un]Apologetic Evangelism Conference this morning! Over 500 registered from around the state!

#apologetics #evangelism

#TexasBaptists

@congreso There were many who made decisions this past weekend. Some were to accept Christ while others accepted the call to ministry. Let us continue to pray for those who took these huge steps!

#txcongreso #txcongreso23

#illuminate #txbch

3 baptisms and celebrated VBS.

#TexasBaptists

@BOUNCE First day at the job sites went well! Great work out there BOUNCERS! Another great night of worship as we focused on God's promise to always be with us.

##txbounce2023 #txbme

Tag Texas Baptists on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and use #gc2 for a chance to be featured in our next magazine.

@ozajones

Day!! We are beyond excited to bring 4 New Pastors/ Churches into TXB_African American Ministries Texas Baptists Great days ahead for these phenomenal Leaders.

Go Now June 16, 2023

#gonowmissions #gonowsoletosoul #TXBSM