President Barack Obama (The first African American President in American history), in his first appointment to the Supreme Court, has chosen to nominate federal appellate judge Sonia Sotomayor (The first Hispana to be nominated for this position in the history of the United States). These headlines are key checkpoints that tell us we are watching history being re-written before our very eyes. The 99th Annual meeting of La Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas (Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas) will be held in Dallas at Park Cities Baptist Church this Sunday. This year’s annual meeting will most likely be marked by rumors and speculation of the future of HBCT. Some say it is time to retreat, some say it is time to re-negotiate, and some say it is time to re-affirm the 1963 Unification Agreement between the BGCT and the HBCT.
Retreat
Those that wish to see the HBCT separate from the BGCT claim that 1200 churches of the HBCT would be better off. After all over the past 99 years, the HBCT created three key institutions for education and human welfare and lost two them with Baptist University of the Américas as the only remaining institution devoted to ministry leadership development. Those of the retreat movement feel that autonomy would be the better route for this family of Baptists. I seriously doubt it. Motives exposed may reveal self-serving ambition. Are there things that need to improve related to Anglo and Hispanic Baptist relationships and other issues such as power, control, shared governance, and shared leadership in the BGCT and its institutions? Of course. Does that mean that retreating is the way to get this done? Obviously not.
Re-Negotiate
Some leaders say it is time to re-negotiate the terms of the Unification Agreement. Folks in this camp suggest that the Unification Agreement is out-dated and the terms have not been kept according to the spirit and intent of the agreement. Well, maybe not but I strongly believe that the goals of the Unification Agreement have been met. An effort to re-negotiate seems plausible if it appears that the Unification Agreement did not work. In the winter 2005 volume of the Baptist History and Heritage Journal (Volume XL, winter 2005, Number 1, page 44), I wrote an article entitled “Unification to Integration: A Brief History of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas.” The article was a brief recounting of the history of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, (HBCT) since 1910. The article explored the Unification Agreement between the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the HBCT established in 1963 and explored the future of the HBCT. This article will demonstrate that an effort to re-negotiate is not the best use of time or effort.
Re-Affirm
Another group of Hispanic Baptist leaders suggest it is time to consider reaffirming the original Unification Agreement. I believe this is the most credible path. To affirm the original agreement is to affirm the faith, sacrifice, and boldness of those that came before us, both Mexican/Mexican-American and Anglo, and it is also to affirm the gains and progress Tejano Baptists have experienced as a result of Unification. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. Baptist University of the Américas and Buckner are the only institutions of the 23 institutions affiliated with the BGCT that feature Hispanic executive leaders at the highest level of the institutional management structure. Bucker affirms a culturally diverse work-force and so does BUA, at all levels of the organization. The BGCT has also diversified it staff in non-executive level positions and 25% of its governing members are Hispanic as well. Is there room for improvement? Once again, yes, since the stated goal and standard is 30%. But remember, we are family and there is always room for improvement. I would rather work with the family to help it become its best for the Kingdom than retreat or re-negotiate. It is time to re-affirm the best in us that looks like the Kingdom and seek to improve in areas that have yet to demonstrate Kingdom ethics. It is time to celebrate 1910, not re-create it.
What does this have to do with social justice? Everything!
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