Evangelism Conference draws large crowds

EULESS?The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Empower Evangelism Conference, held Feb. 16-18 at First Baptist Church of Euless, drew large crowds to hear country/bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs and his Kentucky Thunder band and preachers such as Jerry Vines, Will Graham, Lee Strobel and Jonathan Falwell.

Actor Clyde Annandale performed between speakers and musicians at the conference with narrative monologues portraying biblical characters such as the Roman centurion who thrust the spear into Jesus’ side at the crucifixion and the Jewish high priest Caiaphas.

During the Grammy-winning Skaggs’ performance Feb. 16, few empty seats were visible as his mountain-style bluegrass music had conference goers clapping and a few visitors even more exuberant.

Charles Billingsley, the Booth Brothers, Dawn Smith Jordan, and the choir of Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth also sang during the conference.

The Hispanic sessions of the conference, held Feb. 15 at First Baptist Church of Colleyville and Feb. 16 at the Campus West facility of First Baptist Euless, were well attended also, with the Feb. 15 rally drawing 1,000 people and resulting in 100 salvation decisions recorded as evangelist Alberto Mottesi preached.

During the conference, SBTC Evangelism Director Don Cass presented the W.A. Criswell Lifetime Achievement Award for Pastoral Evangelism to John Bisagno, longtime pastor, now retired, of Houston’s First Baptist Church. The Oklahoma native led the Houston church for more than 30 years.

Cass presented the Roy Fish Lifetime Achievement Award for Vocational Evangelism to John McKay, a native of Turkey, Texas, who was saved at age 13 at a Southern Baptist church in Fort Worth. McKay, a member of Sagemont Church in Houston, has led revivals and crusades internationally and throughout the United States with evangelist James Robison and many others.