Gospel Campaign Seeks to Raise 100,000 Disciple-Makers for Texas

By Eric Young, Christian Post Reporter Sunday, June 14, 2009

With less than a year left before the conclusion of their Texas Hope 2010 campaign, the largest Baptist group in Texas is striving to reach the goals they have set before they attempt to share the gospel with every Texan by Easter 2010.

Leaders of the Baptist General Convention of Texas are currently looking for 300 congregations that will serve as lead churches for Texas Hope 2010 by hosting seminars, recruiting three lay leaders who will be trained to lead the seminars, and finding 30 additional people who are willing to be trained to be disciple-makers.

In total, the BGCT aims to train at least 100,000 disciple-makers through their recent partnership with the International Evangelism Association ("Operation Multiplication"), an intentional strategy and mentoring ministry for making disciples.

"BGCT Executive Director Randel Everett noted Christ commands His followers not only to share the gospel, but to make disciples as well," reports John Hall, news director for the BGCT. "This partnership with the International Evangelism Association will strengthen Texas Baptists' ability to do that in the wake of Texas Hope 2010."

Last year, shortly before being elected to lead the BGCT, Everett had brought up the ambitious evangelism challenge to give every person in the Lone Star State the opportunity to respond to Christ by Easter 2010.

"By Resurrection Sunday 2010, give every person living in Texas the opportunity to respond to Christ in his own language and context," Everett told the BGCT Executive Board just prior to his election on Feb. 28, 2008, according to the Associated Baptist Press.

"If we are not operating in the arena where great failure is a possibility, we are not operating in the arena of faith," added the church pastor, who hopes Texas Baptists will unite behind the campaign regardless of whether they are affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, or another group.

To reach every household in Texas with the Good News, the BGCT has first asked at least one church per county to take the lead in raising the money necessary to buy a gospel presentation CD for every household in their county before August 2009. In 2008, there were reportedly 8.3 million households in the state of Texas, and as of last month, leaders have stepped forward in 235 or Texas's 254 counties. The cost of each CD is $1.

After the funds are collected, the CDs will then be delivered to the partnering church in each county for them to distribute door to door or by mail to every household in their community in January 2010.

The 100,000 disciple-makers will then follow up on spiritual decisions made during the outreach throughout the year 2010 and beyond.

Billie Hanks, Jr., founder of the International Evangelism Association, "believes training more than 100,000 disciple-makers will have an impact on Texas for years to come," reported Hall.

"They will be leaders in their congregations and will reach out to share the gospel with those around them," the news director added.

This fall, the International Evangelism Association will lead its first wave of lay-led quarterly seminars that will be held across the state. During these teaching times, Texas Baptists will be trained on how to engage in one-on-one discipleship with new believers, according to Hall.

With 2.3 million members, the BGCT is the largest Baptist convention in Texas and the largest state Baptist convention in the nation.

Baylor University, the largest Baptist university in the world by enrollment, is affiliated with the BGCT.