BGCT missions network chooses its name, leader

DALLAS — Nearly a year after the Baptist General Convention of Texas voted to create a new missions network, the entity now has both a name and a staff leader.

Meeting in Dallas Oct. 23, the entity’s board adopted WorldconneX as its corporate name and elected Bill Tinsley, the BGCT’s current associate executive director, to lead the new network.

Tinsley, 56, has been BGCT associate executive director for two years. Previously he was executive director of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention from 1993 to 2001.

Messengers to the 2002 BGCT annual meeting approved recommendations calling for the creation of the missions network. It was established as a separate not-for-profit affiliate of the BGCT “to help churches, associations, institutions and individuals fulfill their missions calling through both short-term and long-term missions endeavors across the United States and the world.”

“We do not intend to be a reactionary replacement of traditional Baptist missionary entities,” officials said, “but want to offer an additional way to help churches who want to administer and support their own missions personnel and projects.”