As our churches partner together to serve our city, we can more effectively show and share the love of Christ with our neighbors. To God be the Glory!
After George Floyd’s murder sparked a renewed urgency in calls for societal change, pastors from around the Greater Houston area gathered to think spiritually and to collaborate strategically in this race conversation. Together, we developed five action items toward racial reconciliation.
For step one, we pray that you would consider joining in a sermon series as we seek to serve our city.
Some say, "a good friend is hard to find." But with over 300 diverse churches in our association alone, that shouldn't be the case for pastors and ministry leaders in Houston. One great example of pastoral friendship is that of Parris Patrick and Kevin Rizer. What began as a simple invite to lunch quickly became a true, lasting friendship.
Most of what we experienced this year echos a sense of loss—the fading music and the constant erosion of things we took for granted. I know I'm not alone in feeling the strain. Fortunately for me, however, God's grace in 2020 has reminded me of the things that are most important—and all the things that are not.
As a diverse association of churches committed to the equality and dignity of all people, the churches in the Union Baptist Association condemn the racism and injustice that has plagued our nation and harmed our African Americans brothers and sisters for far too long. We grieve the death of George Floyd, who was was a Houstonian, and our city feels his loss on a personal level. Let's seek justice, be humble, and answer hate with genuine love and peace.
Personal conviction and church autonomy have long been distinctives defining who we are as Baptists. That means each church is going to have its own flavor, and that's (usually) a good thing—much like the mouth-watering diversity found in Houston. When we're bound together by the truth of the gospel, our different perspectives and approaches can help us innovate well. But how different is too different? Does unity in the church have to come at the cost of good decision-making or orthodoxy?
