For the majority of our missionaries, moving halfway across the world for the sake of the gospel started out as a desire they shared with us one day. Shortly after that conversation, our journey to send them started. There is a lot of work that goes into preparing families and singles for the mission field. As sending churches, it is important to follow through as they return as well.

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.

As churches begin to reopen in the coming weeks, we support leaders making decisions to remain online as well as those reopening their church buildings—assuming necessary precautions are being taken. Our churches are represented in each of these camps. But now our attention turns to how a church can prepare for a true celebration with all its people.

It seems the emotional divide between churches that choose to reopen and those that are waiting is growing wider. This division within the larger body of Christ will only serve to distract us from our mission and tarnish our witness if we cannot choose to compassionately and gracefully disagree with one another’s tactical choices right now. Right now, it concerns me that what threatens the extension of grace between believers may come down to a face mask.

As Italy began to loosen its restrictions, an NPR reporter reminded listeners of the early days of the lockdown when Italians lifted their spirits by singing from their balconies. But the reporter noted that patience was wearing thin, and concluded, “Now the singing is over.” I recognize the emotions because I feel them myself. When I hear about the “endurance phase,” I want to grit my teeth, not burst out in song.

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?

No debemos resistirnos al cambio, debemos fluir con él, guiados por los principios incambiables de la Biblia y con la mirada puesta en Cristo. Aprovechemos para reordenar nuestras vidas de adentro hacia afuera. Es una oportunidad que Dios nos está dando para estar en comunión con El, para reordenar nuestras vidas.

I was recently interviewed as part of a panel for re-opening the church in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is really not an expert on this topic, but we have a Good Shepherd. As we are all thinking through the tactical issues of reopening the doors of the church, I wanted to reveal three lessons I learned through Hurricane Harvey that will apply to our leadership during and after COVID-19.

UBA will celebrate its 180th birthday in October, and throughout all of those decades, we’ve been dedicated to strategically advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ—no matter what the circumstances. Even though our usual May meeting has been canceled, we still want you to hear the good work our ministries and subsidiary partners are doing to advance the gospel throughout Houston.

Cuando hay cambio, la mente de la gente se abre para explorar territorios que antes no le interesaban. Por consiguiente, la apertura de mente que la gente está experimentando es una oportunidad doble. Por un lado, para renovar la iglesia y por el otro para proclamar el evangelio. Admitiendo que es más fácil hablar que actuar, le comparto tres ideas para aprovechar el cambio en que estamos entrando.