Religion

By PATRICK BUTLER
Religion Editor

Randall Everett wants to start a wildfire in Texas — a wildfire of hope, a “fresh flowing of the Holy Spirit,” he said, that’s going to sweep the state by 2010.

The goal of Texas Hope 2010, an initiative of the General Baptist Convention of Texas is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to every Texas regardless of race, social status, income level or age, by 2010. The Rev. Dr. Everett, the convention’s president, was in Tyler Wednesday at First Baptist Church addressing a lunchtime gathering with the ambitious vision and details of Hope 2010.

“It’s not enough to love and feed people,” he said. “As Baptists, we ought to say, by 2010, that every person in Texas has had a chance to respond to the hope of Christ.”

What society needs now is hope from a supernatural source, said Everett.

“We need something supernatural and transformational that only comes through the Holy Spirit, that only comes through prayer.”

There are some conditions to accomplishing Hope 2010, he said. One is to address the issue of hunger in Texas. Another is not to duplicate efforts already undertaken by other denominations. The other is asking God about what to do and when to do it, he said. The three conditions are met in the “prayer, care and share” three-pronged thrust of Hope 2010.

“We’ve got to show people the genuine love of Christ,” he said. “I don’t believe we have a right to tell hungry people about the love of Jesus. Feed them first. Three of the most poverty-stricken counties in America are in Texas. Surely, with the resources available to us, Baptists can get together and make sure they’re fed. Two million Texans are ‘hunger-challenged’ and don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”

Working with other denominations and agencies is important, he said.

“We don’t want to reinvent ministries. Let’s find the food banks already in place and find a way to support them.”

Relevant communication to non-Baptist society is another key, he said.

“The country is becoming increasingly secular. When did Baptists fall asleep as this was happening? Here we are living as Baptists in a whole new world. Can we communicate with them? Some of us are still arguing ‘who is the best Baptist’ as society is increasingly out of touch with Christ.”

The number of “unchurched” people in Texas is staggering, he said.

“You could fit them in a line across the Texas border with Mexico and still have enough people to populate a town the size of Austin,” he said. “If we’re not caring or sharing with these people, what does it really mean to do anything else? It’s not enough to love and feed people. There comes a time when we must verbally share the hope of Christ.”

Baptists can’t go it alone on this one, he said.

“We need to ask ourselves how we can join with Methodists, Episcopal, the Church of Christ and others. How are we going to reach the 200 languages people speak in the state of Texas?”

Pulling out an MP3 player with headphones, Everett addressed a daunting illiteracy rate in Texas.

“The entire New Testament is on one of these,” he said. “By listening just 28 minutes a day, you can hear the entire New Testament in 40 days. It’s available right now in 350 languages. By December 31, it will be available in 400 languages.”

Hope 2010 is going to cost money, he admitted.

“The good news is that we have all the money to fund Hope 2010,” he laughed. “The bad news is that you’re sitting on it.”

“But seriously,” he said, “let’s find the resources already out there. Let’s pray for a fresh flowing of the Holy Sprit. I believe Texas Hope 2010 will spread like wildfire as it gets going. Let’s join with other followers of Christ to bring hope.”

For more information about Texas Hope 2010, visit the Web at www.bgct.org.