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Volunteer Mission Teams
Hardin-Simmons Cowboy Band (2001)FBC Mineral Wells TX (2006)VOLUNTEERS, MASS EVANGELISM AND GOSPEL DISTRIBUTIONS IN SPAIN
David personally planned and executed these major evangelistic campaigns using international volunteers:
| FBC Richardson TX in Vienna (1990) |
The 300 voice choir and 50 piece orchestra under the direction of Dr. Bill Green performed in the Austria Center in Vienna beside the United Nations along the shore of the Danube river. The choir booked a 1000 seat auditorium with the help of Dr. Royce Dowell. This was very ambitious at a time when there were only 750 Baptists in all of Austria. The choir printed tickets in Texas and David printed 10,000 flyers in Vienna and enlisted 90 volunteers to distribute flyers around the city. David also received special permission to distribute free concert tickets at the information desk inside the United Nations. The week before the concert 1100+ tickets had been distributed so a larger hall had to be rented by the choir. On the evening of Aug. 1st, 1990 the Vienna center filled with 1300+ in the audience plus the large Richardson choir and orchestra altogether filling the hall with around 1700+ people. Packets of Gospels and tracts were distributed in seven languages. The international multicultural audience throughly enjoyed the dynamic instrumental and choral program which included traditional hymns and gospel music as well as popular broadway hits. Horst Fisher, the president of the Austrian Baptist Union at the time, preached to the large crowd and 28 people turned in decision cards indicating their desire to receive Christ as their personal Saviour. Hundreds of other decision cards requested more information.
| FBC Mineral Wells, TX (1996) |
Volunteers spearheaded the first Baptist evangelistic crusade in Cáceres and the first and only evangelistic campaign of the Spanish Baptist Mission. As a result of a letter of introduction and a gift presented to the mayor of Cáceres, First Baptist was officially invited to participate in the cities Holy Week festivities by city hall and even the Catholic church. Twenty-two volunteers led by Clinton Watson, Mayor Myron Crawford, and Steve James were joined by over forty missionaries and Spaniards from three Baptist churches. The mayor provided a theater and a medieval palace built before Columbus discovered America. The largest regional bank sponsor the Baptist team, by printing posters and hanging banners over the streets. Even more incredible was how the Catholic bishop gave Baptists exclusive use of a Catholic church in the heart of the historical monumental city. Over a thousand Spaniards attended indoor and outdoor events. Lasting relationships were forged with Spaniards which have since resulted in two Baptist church locations in the city and a dynamic prison ministry (see details below.) FBC Mineral Wells won the hearts of Spaniards and paved the way for the following volunteer teams. The mayor was not only eager to invite Baptists to his city, he contributed thousands of dollars towards the expenses of other teams and encouraged other mayors in all the surrounding cities to welcome Baptists too. More...| Dr. John Campbell, Hardin-Simmons U. (1998) |
Dr. Campbell was invited by the mayor and the bishop of Cáceres to perform in two cathedrals, a large Roman Catholic church and in the Spanish Conservatory of Music. Dr. Campbell's concerts on the "Life of Christ" included biblical readings of the "Four Spiritual Laws" and other salvation passages. More...| Singing Men of North Central Texas (1999) |
Directed by Don Blackley brought a VIP team consisting of Dr. Russell Dilday (President of BGCT at that time), two mayors (from San Antonio and Corsicana, TX) and Ret. General Tom Stone representing George W. Bush (then the Governor of Texas). More than twenty-three indigenous groups, including mayors, the president of Extremadura and even the bishops and archbishops provided Texas Baptist their finest theaters and churches to perform in.(including the largest cathedral in Spain and a Roman theater built in 25 B.C.) Local banks voluntarily printed full-color advertisements, programs and distributed thousands of tickets across the region. The Texans including the President of the BGCT, two mayors (Corsicana and San Antonio 1995-1997) and a representative of Gov. George W. Bush were officially received by eight mayors. Three mayors personally attended the concert. One mayor even paid over $1,400 to lodge Baptists in his city! The immediate results were that the volunteers performed eleven concerts before large enthusiastic audiences and on television and twelve Spaniards made professions of faith in Jesus Christ. Over one thousand families submitted their names and address to receive a copy of the Baptist choir's Christian music. Those families are being individually surveyed in their homes by missionaries and local churches. More...| Southwest Baptist Church De Soto, TX (2000) |
The mayor of DeSoto (Dallas) Texas and members of Southwest Baptist church choir led by Gordon Moore were invited by five Extremaduran cities. Cáceres, Mérida, Badajoz, Barcarrota, and Jerez de los Caballeros. They were received by the mayors of each of these cities, performed in their finest theaters and appeared on television, radio and in newspapers across both provinces. The Caja de Extremadura bank printed posters, programs and distributed complementary tickets in their bank outlets. More... | Hardin-Simmons Cowboy Band (2001 ) |
The mayor of Cáceres provided all in-country transportation, lodging and meals for the band. The band performed nightly in the municipal pavilion of the annual regional fair. The city council even gave Baptists the bull ring one night of the fair with over three thousand in attendance.| FBC San Marcos and Lake Arlington Baptist church (2001) |
These two churches sent volunteers to follow up the Cowboy Band. Together both teams distributed over 500 Jesus videos and gospels. FBC San Marcos sent a music ensemble which performed concerts in our church and neighborhood.
| Reina-Valera Bible Exposition (2002-2003) |
The 400th Anniversary of Spanish Bible. During the Spanish Inquisition Bible translators Cassiodoro de Reina and Cipriano de Valera were burned at the stake in effigy and their premiere edition of the Bible in Spanish was condemned by the Catholic church and placed on the Index of forbidden books until after Vatican II. David, working with the local evangelical council, persuaded the mayor to host the first public celebration and Bible exposition of the Reina-Valera Bible in the hometown of its authors. In August 2002, the mayor of Fregenal de la Sierra (birthplace of Valera) provided the stage, lights, sound and 2000 seats in the cities largest plaza. He paid for a renowned Spanish evangelical Bible historian to speak and for a world famous Christian guitarist to perform. David visited the mayor of Montemolín (hometown of Reina) and encouraged him to collaborate fully in the Bible Exposition held in Fregenal April 2003. The city of Fregenal sponsored the exposition. The Catholic church provided the venue and publicly endorsed the Reina-Valera translation as the Word of God. David persuaded both mayors to host Samuel Escobar, President of the United Bible Societies (representing 123 countries), and Jose Luis Andervert the director of European and Spanish Bible Societies.| Louisiana College Chorale in Spain |
April 2005 - Cáceres, Coria, & MéridaFive hundred families requested and received the Gospel of Mark and the Bible on CD ROM during four concerts in Extremadura, Spain.
LC Chorale, directed by Dr. Kurt Hamlet, performed in the Roman Theater in Mérida (built in 25 B.C.) and in two medieval catherdals in Cáceres and Coria, Street kids were warmly greetings and accepted Gospels during a special open air concert organized by the Barrio President Guadalupe in Sta. Barbara barrio.
In the castle city of Cáceres, Mayor Jóse María Saponi officially welcomed the group Spanish knight Raimundo Holgado treated everyone to special banquet a lively flamenco fiesta. Full color posters and programs for the concerts were sponsored by the Caja de Extremadura bank.
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