TBC and the BGCT:
a blessed partnership
Both BGCT & SBTC:
(continued)
Texas Baptists Committed (TBC) is an
independent organization that relates to,
supports, and partners with the Baptist
General Convention of Texas (BGCT).
 Support missions & causes of the
national Southern Baptist Convention.
(In 2011, the BGCT reported
$26.8M, the SBTC $24.8M.)
 Support the sanctity of human life.
 Uphold, promote, & teach the biblical
view of marriage & biblical teaching
that homosexual actions are sinful.
TBC’s relationship with the BGCT is built
on a mutual commitment to historic
Baptist principles – principles that are
rooted in Scripture and in the life,
ministry, and teaching of Jesus Christ.
From our beginnings in the 1980s, TBC
has been a watchdog, not a lapdog. We
hold our friends accountable for adhering
to our shared principles.
Our friends at the BGCT have proven
themselves worthy of our trust and our
partnership. However, in 1998, a group
of churches – frustrated over their
inability to persuade BGCT messengers
to reject historic Baptist principles – left
the BGCT to form a separate state
convention, the Southern Baptists of
Texas Convention (SBTC).
This brochure explains the reasons that
TBC (1) continues to support & partner
with the BGCT; and (2) strongly advises
churches to learn the truth about the
BGCT & SBTC before considering
alignment with the SBTC.
Both BGCT & SBTC:
 Support the Baptist Faith & Message
statement about the Bible:
“It has God for its author, salvation
for its end, and truth, without any
mixture of error, for its matter.
Therefore, all Scripture is totally true
and trustworthy.”
(continued next column)
So let’s compare a few BGCT &
SBTC ministries & services
 Advocacy
BGCT Advocacy | Care Center and
Christian Life Commission advocate
Baptist causes to Texas & U.S.
government officials, which includes
providing testimony & filing briefs on
issue positions, such as opposing:
o Expansion of legalized gambling
o Unregulated proliferation of
predatory payday & auto-title
lenders
SBTC – no public advocacy agency
 Chaplaincy
BGCT sponsors & endorses over 700
chaplains (military, nursing home,
hospice, & police chaplains).
SBTC – none
 Church starts
In 2010, BGCT started 302 churches,
more than any other state convention.
SBTC – 27 from 9/1/10-8/31/11
 Education
BGCT provides Christian-based
education to over 27,000 students in
10 institutions, plus two seminaries.
SBTC – approximately 700 students
in 2 institutions
(continued next column)
So let’s compare a few BGCT &
SBTC ministries & services
(continued)
 Health care in the name of Christ
o BGCT has six hospital systems.
SBTC – none
o In 2010, BGCT-supported hospitals
cared for over 190,000 patients.
SBTC – none
o In 2010, BGCT-supported hospitals
treated over 3.2 million outpatients
SBTC – none
 Poverty & hunger initiatives
In 2011, BGCT collected & distributed
$829,459 to help the victims of poverty
and hunger through the Texas Baptist
Hunger Offering.
SBTC – SBTC does not administer an
offering directed at hunger/poverty
 Student Ministries
BGCT Baptist Student Ministries
(BSM) provide a Christian witness and
missions opportunities to students on
public & private campuses throughout
Texas
SBTC – no coordinated college
ministry
But most importantly . . .
Simply put, the
SBTC restricts a church’s freedom,
whereas the BGCT respects it.
Local church autonomy is inherent in
Baptist life. The BGCT is built on
voluntary cooperation between churches
to share Christ with the world. The SBTC
is built on mandated agreement on
narrow theological issues.
(continued next column)
But most importantly . . .
(continued)
The BGCT respects and honors the
autonomy & freedom of every Texas
Baptist church.
 BGCT accords each church the right
to give nationally as God leads it,
either to the Southern Baptist
Convention (SBC), the Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship (CBF), or both.
SBTC – prohibits its affiliated
churches from giving to CBF
 BGCT is the only state convention in
the U.S. that honors each church’s
right to determine how it will split its
offering percentagewise between
national and state entities.
SBTC – mandates a specific
percentage split between SBTC &
SBC; no options permitted
BGCT recognized around
the world for family
ministries
The BGCT is recognized in Texas &
around the world as a leading provider
of child and family ministries –
including children’s homes, retirement
facilities, and adoption services –
through:
 Baptist Child and Family Services
 Buckner International
 Children at Heart Ministries
 South Texas Children’s Home
How do you build
a state convention?
The BGCT & SBTC have chosen vastly
different paths.
 BGCT starts hundreds of new
churches, year after year.
o 2010 – 302 new churches
(vs. 27 started by SBTC from
September 2010 – August 2011)
 SBTC has built its convention
primarily by persuading existing
BGCT churches to forsake ministries
& missions that they have helped to
start & fund, all to align with a state
convention (SBTC) that (1) provides
vastly fewer ministries, missions, and
services; and (2) restricts the freedom
of member churches.
If your church is
pastorless or approached
by the SBTC . . .
Please contact one of the following for
assistance:
 Joe Loughlin, Director,
What Every Texas
Baptist Church
Should Know:
Critical differences
between the BGCT
& the Southern
Baptists of Texas
Convention
BGCT Pastor/Church Connection
214-887-5475
[email protected]
 Karl Fickling, Coordinator,
BGCT Interim Church Services
214-887-5491
[email protected]
 Bill Jones, TBC Assoc. Exec. Dir.
214-986-7136 [email protected]
For additional information &
pastor search resources, go to
www.txbc.org.
© 2012 Texas Baptists Committed