Why State Missions is just as Important as Foreign Missions

When God first called me to Brownwood, Texas, to start a new church, I felt silly explaining my call to others. I didn't call myself a missionary, because I didn't feel worthy to have the same title as the men who went to foreign countries to preach the Gospel, some in the face of persecution. Explaining my calling to those who are not members of a local New Testament church was equally odd, because, after all, doesn't Brownwood have enough churches? (At one time, Brownwood had more churches per capita than any other city in Texas).

In some circles, state missions is seen as a second-tier priority, because they believe that people in America have had ample access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have a friend in another Baptist association who once told me that "The sun never sets on our mission programs" (meaning the association had missionaries worldwide), but "We're not that good at state missions."

So, why should we give state missions and state missionaries the same consideration we give foreign missionaries? Here's why.

In my two years I have been in Brownwood (it'll be two years come June), I have observed that despite the large number of churches (and buildings with "church" on the sign), there is a large percentage of the population that (a) has not heard the true Gospel (the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins according to the scriptures), (b) have not been reached out to with the Gospel, and (c) many do not have ready access to solid teaching of the whole counsel of God. This is in Brownwood, Texas, a hub for various Baptist groups, and home to many Charismatic churches and organizations as well.

I'm not going to criticize these groups because I have no knowledge of what they teach or how they endeavor to spread the Gospel. What I am saying is that despite the presence of these churches, and a theological school at Howard Payne University, many in Brownwood still live without having heard or without knowing or understanding the Gospel.

Over Spring Break, Jessica and I were priviledged to travel to Corpus Christi (pictured above). We passed through cities like Llano, Fredericksburg, Boerne, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass and Port Aransas, as well as Ingleside, Goliad, Gonzales, Austin, Leander, Lampassas and Goldthwaite. What kept pressing on my heart were the multitudes of people in these towns that still had not been reached with the Gospel.

I understand that many will not receive the Gospel, I recognize that most will reject Christ. Still, we must be busy reaching people with the Gospel because (a) we were commanded and (b) some will receive.

Corpus Christi alone has more than 200,000 residents, all without the lighthouse of an ABA church. McArdle Road MBC was there at one point, but a series of unfortunate incidents led to the church's disbanding a few years ago. If we can find those who still need to be reached in Brownwood, Texas (population 24,000), think of how many need to be reached in Corpus? Yet it seems difficult to get anyone to go there with the Gospel.

It's not just Corpus. Aransas Pass and Ingleside both have populations at approximately 10,000 people, plus a few thousand more in nearby Port Aransas. All three of these cities are within a 10-mile radius of each other. Look at all the growth around Austin. Thousands live there unreached.

There is a great need for state missionaries in Texas, and missionaries all over the U.S. There is a great need for missionaries worldwide. Don't discount the value of a mission work based on its location. Evaluate it based on what the Spirit is leading you to do in regard to supporting it, or even going to the field yourself.

Monday Mission Fields - Waco, TX

Waco, Texas, (pronounced WAY-co not WACK-oh) sits in the center of the Texas population. A short drive to the north will land one in the DFW Metroplex, a short drive to the south lands one in Austin and San Antonio. Just a few hours to the southeast is College Station, Houston and Galveston. To the west, Brownwood.

The Waco metro area is home to more than 228,000 people, and is rapidly growing. Cities like Woodway, Bellmeade, and even McGregor are springing up and developing places where previously there were corn or cotton fields.

The rapid rise in population is due partly to the favorable Texas economic climate as well as the proximity to Fort Hood. Expect that trend to continue as the Federal Government continues to consolidate military installations. Fort Hood will gain soldiers, who bring family with them. Often, merchants also set up shop nearby hoping to make a fortune selling wares to American Soldiers. Face it, U.S. Military and economic prosperity go hand in hand. Look at the prosperity that surrounds our bases in Colorado Springs, San Diego, Irvine (CA), and even overseas. Yes, the presence of the military brings prosperity to areas in the Middle East (just look at Saudi Arabia and the nations surrounding Afghanistan.) So, the presence of the military, the favorable economic climate (Texas has fewer taxes and employer fees than many states in the union), and low cost of living will continue to fuel growth in Waco.

Waco and the surrounding areas are well populated by people, but are home to relatively few ABA churches. While the area is home to Baylor University (another driving force for economic development), we can not just sit back and assume the Southern Baptist Convention will handle all the evangelism, discipleship and mission work in Central Texas.

So, with all that in mind, will you consider Waco, Texas as a state/interstate mission field?

Monday Mission Fields - West Central Texas

As Grace Pointe MBC works toward organization, I would like to share my burden with you. My goal for Grace Pointe, even before we arrived in Brownwood, was to see a church established that in turn, planted other churches by sending out missionaries. West Central Texas, also referred to as The Big Country and The Heartland, is home to thousands of people, many sizeable towns, all located hours away from the nearest Missionary Baptist Church. If you don't think it matters, think again. I have met many who hope for and pray for Missionary Baptists or like-minded Baptists to come to their towns.

That being said, let's look at some of these towns, located near Brownwood, which are towns that I'd like to see missionaries go to. My plan is for Grace Pointe to send men to these towns as missionaries, but if some other ABA church beats us to the punch... PRAISE THE LORD!

Coleman, Texas

Coleman is a town of 5,000 people, with 10,000 residing in Coleman County. (In West Texas, county names make sense. Coleman is in Coleman County, Comanche in Comanche County, and Brownwood in Brown County, contrast that to Athens being in Henderson County, Henderson being in Rusk County, and Rusk being in Cherokee County.)

The population of Coleman County peaked at 30,000 back during the Great Depression, and has slowly declined ever since.

Coleman is home to five independent Baptist churches, three of which I would consider viable. Aside from that, Coleman lives on poverty. The city has several public housing projects and millions are paid to Coleman County every year through federal programs. Drug use is rampant, as is alcoholism, and the county jail only holds 9 inmates, all of which must be adult men.

Hopelessness also reigns in Coleman. The Texas Historic Commission recently offered to restore the county courthouse, offering to pay 80%, but as of yet, the commissioner's court hasn't accepted the offer. Two main points of contention are, (1) Coleman County will still have to pay 20% and (2) What's the point?

Coleman is a tough place to live, work, sell advertising, and maintain hope. Still, they need a good, doctrinally sound church to spread the Hope of Christ throughout the city. Coleman is 35 miles west of Brownwood.

Brady, Texas

Boasting a population of 5,500, Brady is already home to two Missionary Baptists. Not Missionary Baptist Churches, no, Missionary Baptists. These two individuals are core members of Grace Pointe, but I would like to see them be able to take part in a new mission work in Brady in the next few years.

In so far as socio-economics, Brady fares better than Coleman by way of chain retailers, restaurants, hotels and FM radio, as well as a Country Music Hall of Fame type museum. Still the problems that plague Brownwood and Coleman are also persistent in Brady.

Abilene, Texas

Yes, there is economic growth in West Texas, and Abilene is getting the lions share. There are also two ABA churches in Abilene, both located on the southside. Both of these churches, Wyndrock MBC and Texas Ave. MBC, are great churches with great men pastoring them. However, with a population of 158,000, more evangelical, dare I say missional, effort needs to be spent on Abilene than these two churches can do alone. Again, it's not that these churches aren't good, evangelical and missional churches (they are), it's just that there is so much population that a third, possibly fourth ABA church is warranted, in my opinion. (I also think Brownwood needs a second church, plus one in Early).

Abilene is home to three universities, McMurray, Hardin-Simmons, and Abilene Christian University, plus has a campus of Cisco College. The universities are Division II and Division III schools, but rank on the larger end of those divisions. All three are religiously affiliated. Hardin Simmons is Southern Baptist, Abilene Christian is Church of Christ, and I think McMurray is Methodist. Education ranks supreme in Abilene, as the city ranks 17th in the nation for public education.

Abilene is also the birthplace of Jessica Simpson... we'll forgive her for Tony Romo's bad football play. hehe.

Anyway, a large, growing population, combined with an active and mobile student population and a favorable economic atmosphere make Abilene a promising mission field.

Early, Texas

It's hard to say whether Early is Brownwood's suburb, or if Brownwood is Early's suburb. Sure, Brownwood has the population (20,000 vs. 4,000), but Early has the commerce (Heartland Mall, Humphrey Petes, Scott's Western Wear, Brownwood Muffler and Mi Familia Restaurant, among others.)

The Early Longhorns are also one of the most perennially feared 2A football teams in the state as well as softball. Last year, both made the state semifinals, if my memory is correct.

A good strong church in Early could evangelize that growing community, help Grace Pointe reach Brownwood, and be the spring board to Comanche, Texas.

Comanche, Texas

Comanche, Texas is home to 4,400 people, with 14,000 in the county. The nearest ABA church, other than Brownwood, is in the Fort Worth area.

Comanche is a typical small West Texas town, with signs celebrating the girls' basketball teams' state championships in the 1950s still hung on the courthouse square. Unlike Coleman, there are no independent or Missionary Baptists churches in Comanche.

Comanche is a good mission field to evangelize as we begin to work not only outward in West Texas, but also back toward Forth Worth.

Other local fields

Lake Brownwood
Stephenville
Cisco
Rising Star
Cross Plains
Baird
Goldthwaite

What to do about what to do

If you feel drawn to any of these fields, call me at (325) 200-8531 or email gracepointembc@aol.com. I'd like to discuss your burden, my burden, and how we can possibly reach these fields together.

Monday Mission Fields on Friday (yeah, how's that for punctuality) - San Marcos, Texas

The Missionary Baptist Association of Texas is missing the state missions boat. The Texas Hill Country, along with all of the areas between the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Waco, are among the fastest growing places in America... even in the midst of this recession/depression that we are in.

My first experience with San Marcos came in the summer of 1994, when my high school debate coach sent me to a two-week debate camp at Texas State University (then called Southwest Texas State). Evidently, my 3-14 record as a sophomore didn't impress her. At that time, San Marcos boasted a population of 28,000, with the university boasting an enrollment of 20,000. Today, San Marcos has a population that exceeds 50,000, with the university having almost 30,000 students enrolled, for a total of 80,000 souls that can be reached for Christ (plus or minus, these are estimates).

The rapid growth of San Marcos is typical of Hill Country/Southwest Texas cities. Check out New Braunfels, Marble Falls, Round Rock, and of course, Austin and San Antonio. In fact, it is getting to where you can drive I-35 from Austin to San Antonio without leaving "the city."

San Marcos, like other Hill Country cities, is a tourist stop. Visitors can rent inner tubes and float the San Marcos river for just a few dollars. (Access to the river is free, the tube rental is what cost money.) San Marcos is also a destination for those taking jobs at Apple Computer in Austin, Toyota in San Antonio (who is opening a new plant there), or one of the many local school districts who can not afford Austin or San Antonio housing.

So, why is the San Marcos population and economy growing exponentially without the presence of a Gospel preaching ABA church? It's not the money. The Missionary Baptist Association of Texas already has the fund balance to finance a missionary's endeavor there. Is it the lack of sponsoring churches? Probably not. I know of one church that is getting serious about Hill Country Missions, while another is looking to plant sister churches in the same area. No, the lack of an associated work in San Marcos is due to one reason, and one reason only. Few men are answering the call to go to the state mission fields.

So, I'm going to pray for God to call men to these fields, and that these men will man-up and go whole heartedly.

Monday Mission Fields - El Paso, TX

Sitting between the Franklin Mountains and the Rio Grande River, El Paso is a major economic and cultural center for West Texas, New Mexico, and even the nation of Mexico. It's population is more than 606,000 people, and the nearest ABA churches are hours away in Roswell, NM; Hobbs, NM; Albuquerque, NM; Clovis, NM; Odessa, TX and Midland, TX.

El Paso makes my short list of mission fields I'd like to see developed due to it's seemingly limitless evangelism opportunities (with more than 600,000 people, several missionaries could go there without stepping on each other's work), it's cross cultural influence (with Anglo and Hispanic American populations) and it's access to Mexico could spearhead another foreign missions movement. In fact, many Mexican school children actually come into Texas to go to school. Many Mexican people have jobs in El Paso, some of whom are professionals. So, the opportunities to reach into Mexico can spring up any number of ways.

El Paso would be a great field for a bilingual missionary, or a missions team that could minister to the English and Spanish speaking communities. It would also be great for one who has an international vision for missions. El Paso would also be a great starting point for launching a church-planting movement in Southern New Mexico (which includes Las Cruces, population 74,000).

Drawbacks to El Paso are mainly safety related. As drug cartels ramp up violence along the border, local law enforcement has found themselves outgunned in some cases. Still, for the God-called missionary, this is a good field.

Funding for a mission work in El Paso would be relatively easy to come by. I would encourage Grace Pointe to support such a work, and with good reserves in the state and interstate missions funds, missionary salary could be obtained with the right sponsoring church and matching funds (You'll need approximately $700 for interstate, $800 for state) funds. These funds can be provided by a plurality of supporting churches.

Please pray for someone to answer the call and go to El Paso. There is no reason this field should go unevangelized.

Good News

Mission: Brownwood is now an official state missions project as I was approved for half-salary by the messengers of the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas today.

In other news, Market Place had 17 in my absence with Bro. John Kight preaching a message on Jesus walking on the water.

Status Report

I seem to be falling off my blogging lately, hopefully you'll understand that I am working to honor my commitments to the Lord, my brethren, my employers and my family.

For those who are wondering how things are going, here are some highlights and lowlights:

• Home Bible Studies are going horribly. Attendance is non-existant. My neighbors have been experiencing health problems which has been preventing their attendance, and we have been unable to draw anyone else in. We have moved the studies to the evenings to allow for people to get up in the morning. We are also trying to bribe them with dinner, but to no avail.
• The results of home Bible studies have flustered my Sunday morning plans. The idea was to assemble a few (2 or 3, including my own) families, then launch. However, since this has not materialized, I am forced to adjust my plans. Today, I will be meeting with the manager of an apartment complex to see about having Sunday services in their community room.
• I am meeting with a prospective helper/partner next week about helping us reach the people of Brownwood.
• Market Place services seem to be rebounding, with 17 in attendance last Wednesday, with a visiting minister. Something about me leaving draws numbers.... (that's an inside joke, those who know my history with Denson Springs will get it.)
• Work is going well, but the recent downturn in the economy and the presidential race has stifled any revenue growth I thought I would bring to the table so far. If things don't get better soon, my 4th quarter revenues may actually come in behind last year's, which will be a huge embarrassment for me. Other than that, things are going well. I am planning on partnering with the Cub Scouts for a food drive utilizing the radio's airwaves to drum up support.
• I will be seeking half salary at the state meeting in Henderson in November. I look forward to seeing you and fellowshipping with you there. If anyone has any questions about my work, I am available to discuss them with you between now and then. Just call me at 325-200-8531, or email gracepointembc@aol.com. Or, you can ask me on the floor of the meeting. It's just that the latter option makes me nervous.

Mission: Brownwood has added some supporting churches over the past couple of months. I would like to welcome Bassett Road MBC of Palestine, Memory Lane MBC of Palestine and Salmon MBC of Elkhart. I enjoy a friendship with the church at Bassett Road which dates back to my days as youth director at Vanderbilt Baptist Church in Tyler, a mission co-sponsored by Bassett Road. I have enjoyed a friendship with Memory Lane since preaching there one Sunday during my second year of seminary.

Salmon MBC of Elkhart, TX will always be special to me, as that church partnered with us for Vacation Bible School and nursing home ministries when I pastored at Denson Springs MBC. I have never seen two churches that were such close friends.

Pre-Associational meeting

The pre-associational meeting in Hillsboro was rather harmonious with brethren congenially asking questions and missionaries giving reports.

For those who would like to know that happened, here is the rundown.

Bro. Paul Clark, pastor of Walnut St. MBC of Hillsboro, gave a devotional, noting how Paul and Barnabas split, but meybe they were both right. Maybe both men had God's will in mind.

After that, the missionaries gave their reports and requests. Those proceedings went as follows:

Life Touch MBC in Irving is requesting support for Pastor Larry Chalker.
Bro. Chalker gave his report. Bro. Rusty Denny from Mt. Pleasant MBC in Dennison spoke to Bro. Chalker's report, noting that Bro. Chalker, like most pastors, is experiencing a lot of turnover in his congregation. Bro. Chalker agreed, saying that new people will be reached, but other members will leave.

Alto MBC in Alto is requesting support for Missionary Jose Estrada.
Bro. Charles Williams spoke for Bro. Estrada, who then gave his report. Bro. Estrada is working with the Hispanic people in Alto and Price. I don't think anyone asked him any questions.

Corinth MBC in Timpson is requesting support for Missionary Mario Gamez.
Bro. Tom LeBreton spoke, then Bro. Gamez gave his report. Bro. Gamez is in the process of turning over the work in Center to a local pastor, while he continues to work in Tatum at Bethel (where they are about to acquire a building in town) and is about to start a new work with Bro. Ray Williams at Unity MBC in Longview. No questions were asked.

Bethel MBC in Huntsville is requesting support for Missionary Marvin Gardner.
Bro. Donny Howard spoke for Bro. Gardner, who then gave his report. He was questioned by Bro. Michael Roberts as to why Vanderbilt was holding off on organizing until they could support a full-time pastor. Bro. Gardner said that he knew the day was coming when we "wouldn't be here no more" and wanted the church to be able to call a fulltime pastor. When asked why couldn't he organize and then request support like Bro. Chalker or Bro. Ricky Payne. Bro. Gardner said that he didn't want to do that.

Meadowbrook MBC near Wills Point is requesting support for Pastor Rickey Payne.
Bro. Payne reported that he has gotten a part time job, but the church needs support at Wills Point. He noted that offerings are steadily improving, he just needs one more year. Bro. Bobby Sparks asked Bro. Payne why he was up again this year after saying he wouldn't last year, then said that Meadowbrook should begin to pay their own way (It wasn't in those words, but that was the jist of the comment).

New Requests
Rocky Springs MBC in Dialville is requesting support for Missionary Leland Acker.
Bro. Swilling spoke for me, I gave my report, no one said anything.

First MBC in Mabank is requesting support for Pastor Robert Boone.
First MBC went through a split a while back (maybe a year or two? I don't know.) and Bro. Robert Boone was called to be their pastor afterward. He requested support so he could spend more time on the field. He was questioned by a brother whose name I do not know, and was told that the membership of churches should step out on faith and pay their own way.

Tyler Road MBC is requesting support for Missionary Ricky O’Neal – Berean Ministries
Bro. Ricky O'Neal gave his report, which was spoken to by Bro. Reed (not Bro. Marion Reed, but another Bro. Reed from Arkansas). Some of the brethren were complimentary of his work, but questions were raised as to whether this would fall under "state missions" seeing how his ministry extended beyond the borders of Texas.

Rocky Springs MBC in Dialville is requesting support for Jim Slocumb – TMD
Bro. Swilling spoke for Bro. Slocumb, who then gave his report. A few brethren spoke on his behalf, no one asked any questions and no issues were raised.

After the meeting with missionaries, Bro. Marlin Freeman from Heritage MBC in Center spoke, saying that there were two ministries and two TBI students requesting funds. He went out of his way to say that he was not disparaging them, but would rather see a new mission policy enacted that would allow for the current strategies in state mission work. Bro. Marion Reed said he will present a new mission policy to the messengers at the meeting in Henderson, which will be referred to the churches to be reviewed for one year. It will likely be voted in in Dennison in 2009. We thanked Walnut St. MBC and Bro. Clark for hosting us, and went to eat at the Black Eyed Pea.