Strengthening a multiplying movement of churches to live out the Great Commandment and Great Commission in Texas and beyond.
These seven values guide and inform our work and ministry. They describe our unique identity as Texas Baptists. We choose to be known by what we value. All of these values are held under the Lordship of Christ. Christ is Lord. Our mission, values, strategies and work stem from our submission to His lordship.
The Bible is the foundation of our faith, the root of our eternal hope and God’s never-changing truth without any mixture of error. It is the ultimate authority by which we joyfully build our conduct, doctrine and churches.
In both the Old and New Testaments, Scripture points to the good news of Jesus Christ. The gospel is that Christ died for the sins of the world, was buried and rose from the dead to offer the free gift of salvation to all. This is the hope we share in all we do.
The heritage of Texas Baptists stems back to church services that started in the 1820s and culminated in the official formation of the convention in 1886. We are honored to build upon a legacy of faith that has been passed down to us by passing it down to generations to come.
While God’s truth is unwavering, our methods must be adaptive. We discern the times, recognize patterns and are willing to cast the net on a different side of the boat. We approach the future with strategy and a willingness to try new things.
Texas Baptists churches reflect God’s heart to build His church from all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues. Our family of churches is made up of a tapestry of races, socioeconomics and ethnicities with over 80 languages spoken in our congregations.
Jesus is the ultimate example, coming to this earth not to be served but to sacrificially serve. He defined the heart-posture of servanthood as the way to be our very best for Him. As recipients of the gospel, we count it our honor to serve God and others with a heart motivated by love, placing others before ourselves.
While we are convinced that Christ established the local church as His instrument for God’s mission, the Bible also shows us it is His plan for churches to collaborate together. God’s kingdom is greater than any one church. Wherever His rule is established, there His kingdom is, including churches, communities, universities, Christian ministries, the public square, businesses, hospitals and wherever we serve the least of these. We see more accomplished in God’s Kingdom when we build bridges and bring people together to achieve His purposes. Texas Baptists collaborates with like-minded partners to accomplish more together than what is possible apart.
The 1963 Baptist Faith and Message has been adopted by messengers of the BGCT annual meeting. Some BGCT churches use other confessions of faith, including the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. Neither confession of faith is a requirement for inclusion in the BGCT. The GC2 Summary of Faith has also been approved by the BGCT Executive Board.