Southern Baptists of Texas Convention

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) is an association of conservative Baptist churches in Texas. It was established in the context of disagreements within Texas Baptist life and the broader conservative resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention. Its constituent churches sought a closer relationship with the national Southern Baptist Convention and its agencies than they believed was available through the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The movement that led to the SBTC began with the Conservative Baptist Fellowship of Texas. In 1995, members of that fellowship joined other conservative Southern Baptists in forming the Southern Baptists of Texas, initially operating within the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Differences over theological direction and the degree of cooperation with the conservative leadership of the national Southern Baptist Convention eventually led the group to organize an independent state convention. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention was founded in November 1998. Although autonomous as a state convention, the SBTC developed close partnerships with the Southern Baptist Convention and related entities. Its stated purpose is to facilitate, extend, and enlarge the Great Commission work of the Southern Baptist Convention, its churches, and Texas Baptist associations. Rather than functioning as a conventional consumer brand, the SBTC operates as a cooperative religious network. It supports affiliated congregations through denominational cooperation, ministry relationships, church-planting and church-strengthening activity, missions support, and connections with Southern Baptist institutions. Affiliation is conditioned on a church's agreement with the convention's theological and organizational requirements. The convention adopted the Southern Baptist Convention's 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as its statement of faith. The requirements described in reference material include affirmation of the statement of faith, consent to operate within the convention's legal and cooperative framework, support for a male-only pastorate, and rejection of affirming the LGBTQ community. These criteria distinguish the SBTC from Baptist bodies with more moderate or progressive theological positions. The convention does not own or operate a university system or a broad portfolio of ministry institutions. Instead, it maintains affiliations and partnerships with institutions associated with the Southern Baptist Convention or with related Baptist organizations. Examples identified in reference material include an affiliative relationship with Criswell College in Dallas and a relationship involving Jacksonville College, which is operated by the Baptist Missionary Association of America rather than by the SBTC itself. The SBTC's network has expanded since its creation. Reference material reported approximately 2,300 affiliated churches in 2011. Some SBTC churches have also helped form Baptist associations, including the North Texas Baptist Association serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area, although the convention itself does not generally promote the creation of new associations. Many affiliated congregations continue to participate in long-established Baptist associations. The organization remains a Texas-focused cooperative body within the wider Southern Baptist ecosystem.

The SBTC emerged from theological and organizational tensions among Texas Baptists during the conservative resurgence of the Southern Baptist Convention. Its earliest identified precursor was the Conservative Baptist Fellowship of Texas. In 1995, members of that fellowship joined other conservative Southern Baptists to establish the Southern Baptists of Texas. At first, this body operated within the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the historically established Texas Baptist convention. The group's central objective was closer cooperation with the national Southern Baptist Convention and its agencies. Conservative Southern Baptists believed that the Baptist General Convention of Texas did not sufficiently endorse the increasingly conservative direction of the national denomination's leadership. The disagreement was not simply about administrative structure; it involved the theological identity and institutional commitments that should govern cooperative Baptist life. These differences culminated in the creation of a separate state convention in November 1998. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention was organized as an autonomous Texas body but immediately pursued strong partnerships with Southern Baptist Convention entities. This arrangement allowed the new convention to function independently at the state level while participating in the wider Southern Baptist cooperative network. As the organization developed, it adopted the Southern Baptist Convention's 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as its own statement of faith. The convention's affiliation standards also reflected its conservative identity. Churches were expected to affirm the statement of faith, agree to work within applicable legal and cooperative frameworks, support a male-only pastorate, and reject affirming the LGBTQ community. These standards provided a formal basis for determining which congregations could participate in the convention. The SBTC grew through church affiliation and ministry cooperation rather than through ownership of a large institutional system. It does not own and operate institutions of higher education or other broad ministry organizations. Instead, it maintains affiliations and partnerships with Southern Baptist or related Baptist entities. Criswell College in Dallas is identified as one such affiliative relationship. Jacksonville College is also mentioned in connection with the convention, although that institution is operated by the Baptist Missionary Association of America rather than by the SBTC. The convention's network has also intersected with local Baptist associations. Several associations have been formed by SBTC churches, including the North Texas Baptist Association in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The SBTC itself has not generally promoted the formation of new associations, and many of its churches remain members of long-established associations. This reflects the convention's role as a coordinating and cooperative body rather than a replacement for every existing local Baptist structure. By 2011, reference material described the SBTC as having approximately 2,300 affiliated churches. The organization continues to present itself as a Texas-based partner for conservative Baptist congregations seeking participation in the Southern Baptist Convention's mission and institutional network.

• 2011

  Reported network of approximately 2,300 churches

  [1]Southern Baptists of Texas Conventionen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reported that the convention had approximately 2,300 affiliated churches.

• 2000

  Adoption of the Baptist Faith and Message

  [1]Southern Baptists of Texas Conventionen.wikipedia.org

  The SBTC adopted the Southern Baptist Convention's 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as its own statement of faith.

• 1998

  Independent state convention established

  [1]Southern Baptists of Texas Conventionen.wikipedia.org

  In November 1998, the Southern Baptists of Texas organized the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention as a separate, autonomous state convention aligned closely with the Southern Baptist Convention.

• 1995

  Formation of the Southern Baptists of Texas movement

  [1]Southern Baptists of Texas Conventionen.wikipedia.org

  Members of the Conservative Baptist Fellowship of Texas joined other conservative Southern Baptists to form the Southern Baptists of Texas, initially within the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

A conservative, Texas-based Baptist convention positioned as a cooperative alternative for churches seeking close alignment with the Southern Baptist Convention, its theology, and its national entities.

Product categories. Church cooperation and denominational networking · Missions and Great Commission support · Church planting and church-strengthening assistance · Ministry partnerships and institutional affiliations · Theological and organizational resources for affiliated Baptist congregations

• 2000

  Formalization of theological alignmentStrategy

  Background

  The convention needed a clear doctrinal basis for church affiliation and cooperation.

  Action taken

  The SBTC adopted the Southern Baptist Convention's 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as its statement of faith and used conservative affiliation standards.

  Aftermath

  The convention's identity and membership framework became more explicitly tied to conservative Southern Baptist theology.

  Source

• 1998

  Creation of a separate conservative Texas conventionStrategy

  Background

  Conservative Texas Baptists sought closer cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention and believed that the Baptist General Convention of Texas did not sufficiently support the national body's conservative direction.

  Action taken

  The Southern Baptists of Texas established an autonomous state convention in November 1998 while maintaining close partnerships with Southern Baptist Convention entities.

  Aftermath

  The new convention became a distinct Texas-based network for churches aligned with conservative Southern Baptist theology and cooperation.

  Source

1. 1Southern Baptists of Texas Conventionen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Southern Baptists of Texas Convention official websitesbtexas.com