The Big Bend Baptist Association is made up of 17 congregations, 4 ministry points and covers about 22,000 square miles of far West Texas. It encompasses five Texas counties and parts of one other. It reaches from the New Mexico border to the Mexico border and is situated in two time zones. A Cowboy Church is located in Alpine. Four of its 17 congregations are Hispanic. The average Hispanic population within the communities ranges from 60-95 percent. Seventy percent of the pastors are bivocational. The Director of Missions is bivocational. Average worship attendance in the churches ranges from 5 to 105 people.
Alpine is the home of Sul Ross State University. The University maintains a student population of 2,500. The Association in cooperation with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Student Ministries Division, supports a vital ministry among these students and faculty. The Baptist Student Ministry program is directed by Dan Dunagan.
Within the Association, there are four jails, two hospitals, many EMS workers and Volunteer Fire Fighters, and a high concentration of Law Enforcement Officers,. Due to these, a Chaplaincy Program is very beneficial to help deal with the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual needs that arise in these settings.
Located also within the Big Bend Association is the Paisano Baptist Encampment. This Historic Cowboy Camp offer opportunities for young people, adults and children to attend week-long camps and weekend retreats. BBBA has a 40 bed dormitory at the camp for the use of our churches and cooperating Missons Teams.
The work conducted in Mexico is done in cooperation with the Bend Bend Frontera. Assistance is provided to some 75plus congregations among Mexican nationals whose settings range from the very remote to the metropolitan areas of Mexico.
The Big Bend Frontera Coordinator Lloyd Taylor, and Phyllis his wife are Mission Service Corp volunteers, and live in Van Horn, Texas.He is assisted by Ed Jennings, Director of Missions for the Big Bend Baptist Association. The Taylors' primary support is provided by individuals and organizations who want to be a part of their ministry. Lloyd has a farming and ranching background and Phyllis is an R.N. who is employed by the Texas Department of Health. Their ministry involves assisting borderland churches in the areas of Church Extension, Leadership Training, and Community Ministries. This includes accompanying inland church mission teams in doing VBS, Construction, Agriculture, Healthcare, and Community Development projects. The provision of transportation for convention leaders, inland mission teams, and vehicle preparation and placement with church leaders, are also components of their ministry.
L.V.N. Gloria Chavira is serving as Health Care coordinator for our Mexico/Border Missions effort. Gloria assigns inland church healthcare teams to assist Big Bend Borderland Churches to provide community ministry through Medical, Dental, and Optical clinics. The preparation of medicines, glasses, and dental equipment, are also a part of her responsibilities. If medical referrals are necessary, Gloria makes arrangements with the appropriate medical personnel.
Needs always outstretch the resources. Rough roads and remote destinations take a toll on equipment, requiring constant upkeep and repair, and frequent replacement.
A Field Office complex in Van Horn, Texas, is home to a mechanical repair shop and dormitory where inland church mechanic teams are invited to help with vehicle repair.
There are also dormitory facilities in Presidio, Tx. and Ojinaga, Chih., the Davis Mountain Resort, and Paisano Baptist Encampment, where inland mission teams can stay while assisting with church projects.
Inland church mission teams of 1-25 people with skills capable of meeting the Borderland churches' requests can be used in many different projects..