Sam Houston, 1861I hope you’re attending the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting this year at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas. It will be a great time of fellowship, learning more about the ministries of the SBC, some important votes, and hearing some great singing and preaching.
You may not know that Houston, TX is named after a Baptist, a Southern Baptist. It is named for Sam Houston.
Sam Houston (AD 1793-1863) is the only man who served two states as Governor, Tennessee and Texas. For a time he lived among the Cherokee Indians and had great respect for American Indians when few others did. Previous to his arrival in Texas he served in battle with General Andrew Jackson and they remained lifelong friends. Houston served in Texas as General, President (before Texas became a state of the USA), Senator, and Governor. He opposed the Civil War and Texas succeeding from the Union, and was deposed as Governor. Often drunk before his conversion, he later became a temperance speaker.
Influenced for Christ by his wife, and Baptist preachers George W. Samson and R. C. Burleson, he accepted Jesus as his Savior and was baptized in a creek at Independence, TX in 1854. He became a very dedicated Baptist layman.
While in Houston, be sure to visit the San Jacinto Battlegrounds where Texas won it’s independence from Mexico under the leadership of General Sam Houston in 1836. It also includes the Battleship Texas.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/san-jacinto-battleground
You might also be interested in eating at the Monument Inn, by the San Jacinto Monument and Park:
http://www.monumentinn.com/romantic-waterfront-dining-at-houston-seafood-restaurant.html
The Monument Inn is right next to the Houston Ship Channel and the Lynchburg Ferry. Be sure to go across the Ship Channel on the Ferry; the kids will enjoy it. The Lynchburg Ferry begin in 1820, but its boats have been updated a little since then. And, it is free!
If you are arriving early for the SBC, you may want to attend the Southview Bible Conference June 7-9.
Preaching: Paige Patterson, Phil Hoskins, Jeff Schreve, Malcolm Ellis, Jerry Vines, Bill Harrell.
http://www.sview.org/ministries/conference/
Your kids might also like driving through the Washburn Tunnel, the only one in Texas. It goes under the Houston Ship Channel. Take Federal Road south off of Interstate 10 on the east side of Houston:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washburn_Tunnel
One final note. Some feel they have to be an official, elected messenger from their church in order to attend the SBC or Pastor’s Conference. That is not true. Anyone is welcome to attend, whether or not you are a messenger. If you live in the area, go to one or two of the sessions. Check out the Display Area with displays and booths from a number of our SBC seminaries, mission boards, and agencies. It can be a real education. Go to sbc.net for more details on the convention, or look for them in your state Baptist paper.
Hope you have a great trip to Houston this year. While you’re here, tell someone about Jesus. Give them a good tip and a Gospel tract. Pray that God will do great things in Houston, the SBC, and our nation.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, May 14, AD 2013.
Note: More information on Sam Houston is found in The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow. Click book cover in right margin.
Other articles in lower right margin.
A number of years ago I participated in a "Baptist History tour," which included a trip to a cow pasture where Rufus Burleson baptized Sam Houston. I believe it was George Washington Baines, Burleson's predecessor at the Independence Church, who was a major influence on Houston rather than G. W. Samson. Baines, interestingly, was an ancestor of President Lyndon Baines Johnson.
ReplyDeleteGeorge W. Samson influenced Sam Houston for Christ while Houston served in Washington DC as Texas Senator.
ReplyDeleteSam Houston became nationally well known during this time.
David R. Brumbelow
R. L. Vaughn,
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out the additional influence of George W. Baines. And I should have mentioned Sam Houston's wife's name, Margaret. These, along with Samson, and probably others, pointed Sam Houston to Christ.
It is another example of how when someone is led to Christ, it is often the result of a number of people pointing the way.
David R. Brumbelow
Thanks, David. I did a poor job of saying what I meant -- I should not have said Baines "rather than" Samson. It is "both and" not "rather than". But even then my memory was slightly off. I was thinking about events immediately preceding Houston's baptism. No doubt Baines influenced Houston over an extended period as pastor of Independence Church. Going back and reviewing the timeline, though, what I was thinking about re Baines was this. After Houston had already professed faith in Christ to his wife Margaret, he was equivocating on baptism and church membership. Her biographer tells that after Sam told her he "would think about it," Margaret saw G. W. Baines out the window, going by on horseback. She flagged him down and they invited him to spend the night. The next day Houston accompanied Baines on business to Brenham. During this time of traveling together Baines was able answer Houston's questions or quell his doubt, and convince him that he should be baptized as an expression of his faith. James L. Haley put it this way, "Reverend G. W. Baines, whose counsel won Houston for the Baptist church..." Judge R. E. B. Baylor's name also comes up in regard to influencing Houston.
ReplyDeleteSome planted, some watered and God gave the increase!
R. L.,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the additional information. Interesting stuff.
David R. Brumbelow