I’ve been reading the history of San Antonio Baptist Association in a book titled: A Baptist Century Around the Alamo 1858 – 1958 by Ramsey Yelvington. SABA was organized at the New Salem Church in 1858. The geographical boundaries, at the time of the first annual meeting, were “from the Guadalupe to the Rio Grande, from the Mountains to the Gulf Coast.” We thank God for the pioneers of the faith who have gone before us. They prayed fervently, gave faithfully, and worked diligently to start new churches and see them develop into stable congregations, which have lasted for many generations.
SABA was formed in 1858 with 14 churches spread out over an area of 50,000 square miles - one church for every 3,500 square miles. The development of SABA progressed over time. Here is a snapshot of our history: - 1883 - 26 churches over 34,182 square miles - 1908 - 36 churches over 28,000 square miles - 1933 - 48 churches over 4,000 square miles - 1958 - 68 churches over 1,700 square miles You can see a growth pattern emerging with at least four main factors at work. First, as SABA decreased in geographical size, other Baptist Associations were birthed to help cover the vast areas of this region of Texas. Second, each new Association gave rise to a more focused strategy of missions in a smaller geographical area. Third, new churches were started as part of a long-term growth strategy. Fourth, developing new church starts into enduring congregations was a focus of SABA in its Great Commission efforts. Back to the future, a 157-years later, the 2015 challenges have not changed. We still need a focused strategy of making disciples of all the people groups living in this geographical area. In the months ahead, we will be assessing our efforts and our effectiveness in assisting churches as they make disciples.
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Darrell L. HornArchives
January 2016
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