Executive board, convention and leadership: three prayer points this week

Next week, our Executive Board will be meeting for its regular September meeting. It is sobering to remember that a year ago, during its September meeting, the board voted to hire me for the role of Executive Director/CEO. Although I did not officially begin until November 30, time has passed quickly, and it has been very exciting.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to lead Texas Baptists and for the privilege of seeing what God is doing across our state and beyond in our churches, communities, associations and institutions. God has been so good to us! There is so much work to be done, and there are challenges to overcome, but God is on the move and Texas Baptists are joining Him!

I would like to ask you to pray in three areas this week: (1) pray for our executive board as it meets, as well as for the committees, councils and commissions, so that everything we do will honor God and move us forward in his mission; (2) pray for our annual meeting, which will be in Waco on November 10-12 (more about this below); (3) pray for me as I seek God’s wisdom and the Spirit’s anointing in providing leadership to our staff and our convention.

The theme for our 2024 Texas Baptists Annual Meeting is “His Kingdom Agenda” and it is based on Luke 4:16-18:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

At the onset of his ministry, Jesus declared that this prophecy from the scroll of Isaiah was fulfilled in Him. He announced what his ministry would consist of. This was his agenda. It was a Kingdom agenda. The Kingdom of God would be introduced and advanced as Jesus would proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for the captives, recovery of sight for the blind and liberation to the oppressed.

Jesus’ ministry agenda ought to be our agenda as Texas Baptists. We constantly have to examine our personal agendas, the agendas of other people and other entities and make sure that they align with His. We need to abandon any agenda that does not line up with Jesus’. 

As we gather in Waco, some of our affinity groups will have rallies on Sunday afternoon (November 10). Then our first plenary session will be a worship celebration that same evening. Meetings will continue on Monday and Tuesday morning. We will conclude with a panel conversation about women in ministry on Tuesday. (We will provide box lunches for the first 500 people who arrive.)

There will be great worship and excellent speakers, the business of the convention, relevant breakout sessions, a minister spouses dessert fellowship, meals and receptions by our various ministry centers and institutions, exhibits, meaningful fellowship and so much more.

I encourage you to download the Texas Baptists mobile app, where you can keep up with the schedule and documents related to the convention, pre-register online and pray for an edifying and God-glorifying annual meeting.

See you there!