Month: July 2025

Reaching Europe: In England, a rich Christian history that’s nearly been forgotten provides incredible gospel opportunity

Few noticed when a group of about 75 tourists learning about London’s Christian history grew by two.

As the tour group, consisting mostly of pastors and church leaders from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, ambled down the city’s bustling streets, a pair of local teenagers began walking with the tour and asked one of its participants what all the fuss was about.

“We’re a group of Christians from churches in Texas learning about Christian heritage in London and the U.K.,” said Matthew Hamline, who was with his wife, Stacia. “Do you know about your country’s Christian heritage?”

No, the teen said, he didn’t.

“Well,” Matthew continued, “what do you know about Christianity? What do you know about Jesus?”

“I know Christians believe in a guy named Jesus, that He died, and it had something to do with a cross,” the teen said.

“He did die on a cross,” Matthew responded, “but do you know what happened after that?”

No, the teen said, he didn’t.

Most on the tour didn’t even know the interaction happened. But for Matthew and Stacia—members of First Baptist Church in Academy and part of the SBTC contingent—it lingered and brought with it another puzzling question.

“How have things gotten so bad that this is the standard here, not only in London but all across England?” Matthew said later. “I was just heartbroken that, here we are, meeting people in the shadows of these massive cathedrals that were at one time dedicated to the gospel and Jesus Christ, who know nothing about Jesus.”

“I was just heartbroken that, here we are, meeting people in the shadows of these massive cathedrals that were at one time dedicated to the gospel and Jesus Christ, who know nothing about Jesus.”

—Matthew Hamline Tweet

“The hardest thing for me to see was just how prevalent the symbols of Christianity are here, but how dead spiritually many people seem to be,” Stacia added. “We looked at some beautiful churches, but we found out from the missionaries here that some of the churches are being used as night clubs, some have become drug distribution centers, some as shopping centers—completely throwing away these buildings that were meant to be glorifying to God, to be places of worship.”

In May, the SBTC led a vision trip to kick off its Reach Europe initiative. The trip introduced pastors and church leaders to missions opportunities across the continent with the hope of facilitating long-term partnerships. The SBTC, in partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board, is targeting seven European cities including Leeds, one of the largest cities in Northern England.

Leeds is a microcosm of what is found not only across the United Kingdom, but all of Europe—which is to say, it’s a city with a rich Christian history and monumental church landmarks, yet almost completely devoid of actual Christians. Beau Bevers, who pastors First Baptist Church in Madisonville and was on the SBTC’s Leeds team, noted the evangelical Christian population in Northern England barely tips the scale at 0.5%. It’s one of the reasons the IMB considers all of Europe an unreached continent.

“It’s extremely dark spiritually,” Bevers said. “Not only would they call themselves non-religious, but they are actually very antagonistic toward Christianity.” As such, Bevers noted, it’s a very tough place to do gospel ministry.

Even so, there are pockets of pastors leading churches in Leeds who are faithfully working to reclaim territory for Christ. While in Leeds, pastors and church leaders met with a number of local pastors and missionaries who shared how SBTC churches can partner with them. Those opportunities include doing door-to-door evangelism and hosting events such as holiday clubs, which is equivalent to vacation Bible school in the U.S.

“It was really heartwarming and really refreshing to see entire congregations [in such a lost place] passionate about Jesus and the gospel. It’s exciting.”

—Matthew Hamline Tweet

The partnership seems to be happening at just the right time. Baptist Press recently reported that the UK-based Bible Society is reporting an increased receptivity to Jesus and spiritual matters. Recent studies revealed an increase in church attendance among 18- to 24-year-olds (up from 4% in 2018 to 16% in 2024) and an increase in the number of churchgoers who read the Bible at least weekly (54% to 67%).

Bevers said pastors in Leeds are hoping to develop years-long partnerships with SBTC churches to maximize gospel impact and develop much-needed relationships to provide support and encouragement. He said the average missionary in this part of England doesn’t last longer than about three years.

The Hamlines—Matthew, a 24-year-old firefighter, and Stacia, a 22-year-old middle school teacher—are considering their own long-term commitment. Even before they had heard of Reach Europe, they had been praying for the spiritual situation in the U.K. and considering a career as missionaries with the IMB. The vision trip only intensified their desire to team up with the small-but-faithful band of Christians there to make Jesus’ name known across the country.

“Every one of the churches we saw was filled with people who are passionate about the gospel and passionate about knowing God and studying the Scriptures,” Matthew said. “It was really heartwarming and really refreshing to see entire congregations [in such a lost place] passionate about Jesus and the gospel. It’s exciting.”

After dark valleys and a dry season of ministry, FBC Mexia is experiencing a wave of new life

When dirt becomes a deluge

Earlier this year, there was dirt in the baptistery at FBC Mexia. That’s how long it had been since it had been used.

The church had lost about 100 people per decade since the 1990s, and they were down to about 115 when Robert Blackmon arrived to pastor the church last fall. All the ministerial staff had left, as well as the audio/visual team and the praise team.

The search committee chairman was honest about the church’s situation, but Blackmon saw potential.

“I had read a lot about churches in this situation and done a lot of case studies and written about church revitalization,” Blackmon said, “but the reason I came here was because it seemed like God was giving me an opportunity to put that study into practice and see if God’s Word could actually do what I thought it could.”

Over the past few months, God’s movement at FBC Mexia has been no more evident than inside that same baptistery—where a custodian recently spent three hours vacuuming and scrubbing to prepare for what would become 12 successive weeks of baptisms at the newly revived church.

“It reminded them that even though they’d gone through a dark valley, God hadn’t left them in the process and He still had a plan for them and they could still make a difference in their community.”

—Robert Blackmon Tweet

‘We just want somebody to love us’

There were still people in the congregation who remembered the church’s better days, and Blackmon said they did not want to see that completely fade away. At the same time, some expressed to Blackmon that they “kind of felt like God had abandoned them a little bit, or that He had removed the lampstand, if you want to use Revelation language,” he said.

“Preacher,” someone in the congregation told him upon his arrival, “we just want somebody to love us.”

“To have somebody here who was excited about what God could do, it reminded them that even though they’d gone through a dark valley, God hadn’t left them in the process and He still had a plan for them and they could still make a difference in their community,” Blackmon said.

Nathan Lino, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Forney, mentored Blackmon through the North American Mission Board Leadership Institute for five years and sent his resume to the FBC Mexia pastor search team. Blackmon graduated from Southwestern Seminary in 2024 with a doctorate in church revitalization.

He started with a commitment to pray, preach the Word, and love God’s people, he said. A monthlong sermon series through Haggai tackled the topic of church revitalization.

“I was really honest about where I thought the church was and what some of [the] issues were and how God’s Word could address those things,” Blackmon said.

People who had been hurt by recent conflict in the church needed their new shepherd to listen to them as they processed what had happened. They loved their church and wanted to move forward, but pain was a hindrance at first.

The church began praying together more faithfully, and Blackmon started making a lot of hospital visits. “People have responded well to that because they know that I love and care about them,” Blackmon said. “I think they feel God’s love and care through that kind of attention.”

A brighter future

About 200 people now worship at FBC Mexia each Sunday, and the children’s ministry has grown from around five to more than 30. On Easter Sunday, the 350 people who attended marked the largest attendance at any service since the 1990s, the pastor was told.

“To have somebody here who could lay out a plan and say, ‘You’re not the only ones who have ever gone through this, this is really common, even in Southern Baptist churches, and God has turned those churches around and He can do the same thing here,’ that gave them a lot of hope that was lost over the last few years,” Blackmon said.

Church members have begun the image repair needed in the community, now spreading excitement about FBC Mexia, as well as sharing the Three Circles evangelism method to spread the name of Jesus. It has become unusual for the church to have a worship service that doesn’t include a baptism.

“My job is really to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, and they are the ones who are out there doing it.”

—Robert Blackmon Tweet

“We had a young man in his 20s who was coming from a life of sin, and he started coming on Sunday mornings and felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit,” Blackmon said. “He was baptized. I started a discipleship group with young men in the church, and he meets with us every week, goes through a Bible reading plan, keeps a journal, prays with us.”

Giving has increased enough for the church to consider hiring additional staff members.

“I think a lot of people have been faithful here for a very long time and just needed a little bit of direction and vision, but now that they have that, they are the ones jumping in and making ministry happen,” Blackmon said. “My job is really to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, and they are the ones who are out there doing it.”

Five minutes with Kam Risby

Hailing from East Texas, Kam Risby came to Christ as a student at Sam Houston State University. Following college graduation in 2019, he served in a campus outreach ministry in the Houston area before becoming college pastor at Coastal Community Church in Galveston. Risby is married to Leny and they have a 10-month-old son, Rome.

What victories has the college ministry at Coastal been able to celebrate lately?

One of the biggest victories we have seen in the past two years is the reach our ministry has had not only at Texas A&M Galveston, but also through the baseball and softball teams at Galveston College. Team members from GC make up about half of our Thursday night college worship services. … The student leaders in our ministry have been so faithful, keeping attitudes of perseverance and staying zealous in using their gifts and relational skills.

What’s one thing you are praying will happen over the next year among the students?

With our college outreach expanding to Galveston College and still in its early stages of ministry at a new campus, there tends to be a disconnect between students from GC and TAMU. Students from both schools don’t hang out a lot. I am praying that relational cohesion will develop, that the culture would shift. … I pray they would make the most of their time here and see the importance of investing in relationships and their Christian walk.

What’s something surprising you have learned about this generation of college students?

This generation feels so disconnected and isolated. I think back to when I was experiencing college ministry as a student. Students would gather on campus and hang out. COVID hit and messed that up. There’s comfort in isolation, and this leads to a lack of student involvement on campus or in coming to events. Students seem more reluctant to branch out these days. We have noticed this when we recruit students for ministry involvement. Campus organizations suffer from that, too.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned to this point of your life and ministry you know you’ll never forget?

The harvest is truly plentiful. There’s always going to be work you can do. Always things to do. Always more hangouts, more meetings, more one-on-one time, more Bible studies. It can easily become more about doing the ministry, and we can lose sight of the ones we are doing ministry for. Eternal life is about knowing God and making His name known. Out of the fullness of just taking care of our relationship with God, cultivating it, growing deeper … we have this desire to make Him known to others. It’s helpful to keep that order.

How can other SBTC churches be praying for you?

That the Lord would raise up laborers in our midst to go out into the world and make His name known. Students are not at Coastal very long: two years at junior college or four if they are maritime students at TAMU. Many transfer to College Station after two years. We have them for a very short time. We want to equip them to understand the gospel, to read the Bible, to do evangelism—the essentials of the Christian faith—before they leave us. And we pray that when they do go off, they will be lights and laborers on the campus.

Pastor exposes Satan’s ‘fake news,’ exalts God’s unchanging truth in new book

The truth seems to be more hotly debated now than ever, leaving people around the world confused about how to live their lives. In his book, The Devil’s Newsroom: Muting Satan’s Fake News & Tuning in to God’s Truth, Jeff Schreve, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Texarkana, identifies the source of all lies—Satan—and exposes his tactics. At the same time, The Devil’s Newsroom exalts the supremacy of God’s Word and Christ’s victory over the sin and lies that enslave millions. Schreve recently shared with the Texan why the battle for truth is so urgent and about the incredible opportunity that exists for the church today.

“Fake news” is an oft-used term these days, and it seems harder than ever to know what is actually true. How do you believe Satan has counterfeited seemingly helpful tools such as mass media, educational systems, social media, and even AI to discredit the idea that absolute truth exists?

Jeff Schreve: The devil is not just one liar among many liars. He is a master liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). It has been said that the enemy works to deceive us not between right and wrong, but between right and almost right. Thus, we must be careful with mass media, social media, and AI to check and double-check to see that what we are being told is indeed accurate and true. To be sure, the devil wants us to think truth is subjective (residing in the subject) rather than objective (residing in the object). Objective truth is absolute, whereas subjective truth is basically personal opinion. God’s Word gives us objective truth, a truth that is universally true and one that sets us free (John 8:32).

While Satan’s tactics haven’t changed, it can often feel like the battle to proclaim the truth of God’s Word is more fierce and urgent than ever. How have you seen this battle change in our culture over your more than two decades of ministry, and why do you believe this battle is as urgent now as it has ever been?

JS: The battle for truth has definitely heated up over the years. When I first began in ministry, virtually everyone in the church and in the country agreed that homosexuality was sinful. Now it is a different ballgame, as more and more people turn aside from the truth to embrace myths and falsehoods (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Sadly, people want God to be who they want Him to be. The Lord told Moses at the burning bush, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). It is critical that we accept the truth of God’s Word as it is given to us. We are to believe it, walk in it, and preach it without stutter, stammer, or equivocation if we want to experience the power and blessings of God.

You write in detail about Satan’s many lies, but there’s one you single out as “the world’s most believed lie.” What is that lie and why do you feel it, more than others, is one of Satan’s most effective tools of deception?

JS: The world’s most believed lie is simply this: Good works, in whole or in part, determine a person’s eternal destination. Many people believe that faith in Jesus is optional—it is not. They believe that all “good” people go to heaven. What they fail to realize is that there are no “good” people. All of us are hopeless, helpless sinners in desperate need of a Savior—and that Savior is Jesus. The Bible is crystal clear that good works have nothing to do with salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. And once a person is truly saved by Jesus, good works are a natural outgrowth of that relationship. But good works are not the root of salvation. Good works don’t produce saving faith; saving faith produces good works.

What are a few practical ways followers of Christ can shield themselves and those they love and care about against Satan’s lies?

JS: The only way to combat the lies of the devil is with the truth of God’s Word. Jesus prayed to His Father in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth.” The more time we spend reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on the truths of Scripture, the more we will be able to recognize the subtle lies of the devil. Spiritual babies can only tolerate the milk of the Word—the basics of the Christian life. God wants us to grow from a milk diet to a meat diet. Hebrews 5:14 tells us, “Solid food is for the mature who, because of practice, have their sense trained to discern good and evil.” As we spend time each day in the Word of God, we become adept at sniffing out the devil’s lies—lies that come only “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).

Though statistics regarding Christians deconstructing their faith are prevalent and troubling, you also point out the incredible opportunity that exists regarding an increasing number of people—especially younger generations—being open to spiritual things. Why do you believe this opportunity exists right now, and what can pastors and church leaders do to seize upon it?

JS: There are great numbers of people today who have drunk liberally from the devil’s well of lies and find their lives the poorer for it. Many are searching for real truth that can bring hope, genuine fulfillment, and satisfaction. Since that hope can only be found in Jesus, we have a great opportunity to share Him with people disillusioned and depressed by the lies. It has well been said, “You’ve got to get folks lost in order to be saved.” Once a person realizes they are lost and in great need, they are much more receptive to the truth that can set them free. Our job as Christians is to speak the truth in love to a lost and dying generation. As we shine for Christ—walking the talk—and share the good news of Jesus, those who are open and ready to hear are much more likely to respond to the Lord and come to Him.

A heart of gratitude

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were able to get away for a few days. It was an incredible time to rest and reflect on all God has done and continues to do. One morning as I sat on the patio of the place we were staying, all I could think about was how grateful I am for the churches that make up the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

I first became acquainted with the SBTC in 2001 as I began serving in my first ministry position. I was immediately drawn to the mission and unity of this network of churches. I have always loved and appreciated being part of a convention that stands on the Word of God without compromise. In my wildest imagination, I could never have dreamed of God one day leading me to be the executive director of this incredible organization.

After these reflections, I want to simply thank the churches of the SBTC for a handful of things:

Commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture

I have never been more grateful to stand shoulder to shoulder with pastors and leaders who without a doubt believe in the inerrant and infallible Word of God. In a culture that always struggles to define things, the churches of the SBTC have always stood on the Word of God. I am thankful to stand with you and drive that stake in the ground.

Commitment to evangelism and missions

There are a lot of things that can distract churches and organizations from the mission. At the SBTC, we have always made missions and evangelism our top priorities. Whether through disaster relief, equipping churches to engage their communities with the gospel, mobilizing churches toward mission opportunities, or planting new churches, SBTC churches have always remained steadily focused on moving the needle forward. For that I am grateful.

Commitment to the Cooperative Program

Ever since our inception in 1998, SBTC churches have been extremely generous in CP giving. I believe this is because we truly understand we are better together. There is no better way to get the gospel to the ends of the earth than the Cooperative Program. As I sat on that porch and reflected, I was filled with gratitude for the consistent generosity of SBTC churches.

Commitment to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000

I have always believed our network is missionally unified because we are doctrinally unified. We are a confessional fellowship of churches. Our statement of faith guides us in our efforts to reach Texas and the world together.

Commitment to our mission focus

The SBTC’s mission focus is “Mobilizing churches to multiply disciple-making movements in Texas and around the world.” We realize we are not the local church—we serve the local church. You have been so gracious to allow us to serve and mobilize SBTC churches to change the world together.

While this list is certainly not exhaustive, these are things I am eternally grateful for. You have been kind, generous, and partnered with the SBTC so well. I want you to know you have a phenomenal staff who desires to serve you well. I love you and am so grateful to serve you.

San Saba residents assess losses, welcome Southern Baptist DR volunteers

SAN SABA—A welcome sign off U.S. Highway 190 identifies San Saba as the “Pecan Capital of the World”—a claim hard to deny. The Central Texas town of just over 3,000 is surrounded by pecan orchards and boasts numerous shellers, packers, retailers, and distributors.

People around here say this is a community on the rise. Actor Tommy Lee Jones owns a large ranch in the county. An enormous western store covers half a city block, which is also graced by restaurants, shops, a restored historic hotel, and a world-famous olive oil company.

But on July 4, the only thing on the rise here was the San Saba River, which overflowed its banks, swamping buildings, flooding the city’s Mill Pond Park, and filling homes with water, mud, and debris—sending residents scurrying to pull their soggy belongings curbside.

Unlike Kerr County to the south, there was no weather-related loss of life in San Saba on Independence Day 2025. But still there was loss.

Getting to work

The city of San Saba’s website is anchored with emergency messages instructing property owners needing help to come to First Baptist Church San Saba, where Southern Baptist Disaster Relief resources can be accessed.

Flood survivors first fill out requests, and then trained assessors determine if DR crews can help—work always done without charge. As of July 10, about 30 Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief volunteers from across the state and a dozen from Oklahoma Baptist DR are at the FBC site, busy with assessment, chaplaincy, and mud-out efforts. More workers are expected to arrive over the weekend.

Teams also include volunteers from the church trained only last Sunday by Lowell Warren, SBTC DR’s incident leader, also known as a “white hat.”

July 10 found the church parking lot filled with SBDR trailers and a shower-laundry unit. The church is letting volunteers bunk inside and use its kitchen facilities. Fellowship areas have been transformed into a DR command central.

SBDR is a cooperative effort involving churches, state DR teams, and the North American Mission Board’s Send Relief and its partners. SBTC DR volunteer Lynn Eastepp praised the cooperative spirit, noting that church and DR admin teams are working closely together. “They know the survivors. A lot of them are members of the church,” he said, adding that the cooperation facilitates getting assessors to the proper homes efficiently.

‘You lose everything’

Eastepp said he and fellow SBTC DR volunteer Pat Pryor determined water had risen five feet over County Road 200, more than 25 feet up to the bridge and above that.

“The damage is pretty significant, with a lot of flooding along the river and in low-lying areas,” Pryor said.

Assessor Wade Billingsley, a retired insurance agent who had lost homes to hurricanes and floods before, observed, “Eight inches of water is as good as eight feet of water. You lose everything.”

Billingsley told the story of one elderly San Saba ranch wife—her husband in a local nursing home—who faced the flood alone. The ranch house was located beside the river but atop a 30-foot embankment. The floodwater rose more than 30 feet, the force of the raging torrent sending a large log crashing through and shattering a 12×12-foot plate glass window.

Water crested five feet inside the home, Billingsley said. The women’s sons told him the ranch had never flooded before.

Most people approached by SBTC DR chaplains Jerrie and Andy Reynolds said the same. People who had lived in the area for 50 years said the river had never gotten that high before.

One woman told the chaplains her husband had been home alone when the storm struck. He moved vehicles to higher ground and drove back to the house, planning to transfer some items to the upper story. By the time he walked back downstairs, the river was there, his 4×4 vehicle flooded. He was rescued by boat.

Attitudes remain positive on their first deployment, according to Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds. “People are really optimistic,” Jerrie said. “We ask them if they have a relationship with Jesus, and they say yes. It’s really encouraging to us. We weren’t sure what to expect.”

Still, the needs are great. “Most don’t have flood insurance,” Jerrie added. “Many are counting on us to help.”

Reflecting the gospel

At the request of San Saba native and FBC member Debbie Shahan, Jim DeLaPlaine, a semi-retired civil engineer, examined the historic Old Mill House at Old Mill Park, near the center of town, which had been flooded. The assessment provided Shahan with information the city needed to salvage the 19^th century structure. Inside Old Mill House, a thin sheet of mud coated the floors. Walls and countertops indicated the water had risen five feet or more.

Shahan’s son’s home had been flooded, as well. Like the Old Mill House, the Shahan home—dating from the days of E.E. Riesen, the Victorian Englishman who pioneered the San Saba pecan industry in the 1870s—was constructed of cement floors and rock walls to ward off floods.

The river came anyway.

“It is great to see a church and community pull together to meet the needs of survivors. The energy at the base of operations, FBC San Saba with Pastor Alan Arthur, reflects the gospel,” said Scottie Stice, SBTC DR director. “We are excited to work and serve with FBC and the residents of San Saba.”

SBTC DR begins helping survivors, first responders navigate the emotional toll following deadly floods

KERRVILLE—A lost kitten proved one thing too many for a Kerrville area homeowner with whom Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief chaplain Debby Nichols spoke in the days following the July 4 flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country.

The man told Nichols he was at home when the Guadalupe River began rising. As he walked toward his truck, the deafening sound of the raging storm and roaring water overwhelmed him. The kitten didn’t answer his calls. He broke down. He knew his losses were not as significant as those of others, but the weight of grief still rested heavy on him.

This dreadful thing had happened in his community, in his backyard.

As of Thursday morning (July 10), historic flash flooding in the region had claimed more than 120 lives, with 160 people still missing. Among those killed were 27 girls and counselors at Camp Mystic in nearby Hunt.

Nearly as quickly as the floodwaters rose, they subsided within a few days, leaving unthinkable destruction: foundations bereft of buildings, RVs crushed, and structures swept away.

“We cannot comprehend the force of the water,” Nichols said.

She and fellow chaplains and volunteers, part of the larger Southern Baptist DR response, are in Kerrville and Ingram to prepare and serve hot meals, pray with and for all they meet, and provide hot showers and laundry services to first responders.

And to listen.

Ears to hear

“Most of the first responders I have talked to are still in work mode,” Nichols said. “They have not stopped to reflect on what is going on here. They are on automatic pilot. They are just working. At some point in time, they are going to rest, step back, take a deep breath, and think, ‘My word, what just happened here?’”

Nichols noted that sometimes even chaplains need to talk, noting that a Dallas-Fort Worth area fire department chaplain shared his experience with her. Monday was a really hard day, the chaplain explained to her. Rescuers had found 20 bodies, bringing them up one at a time.

“I’m doing fine. I see this stuff all the time,” a state trooper told the fire department chaplain.

“No, you don’t. You don’t see this every day,” the chaplain replied. The trooper paused.

“I was OK … until that mother fell on her knees praying over her deceased daughter,” he admitted.

Nichols assured the fire department chaplain that when any of the rescue workers needed a quiet place to rest, eat a hot meal, and get away for a short while, the parking lot of First Baptist Kerrville—where SBTC DR volunteers had set up an operations hub—offered a shady spot for a respite.

“I invited them to the church. We’ll feed them and talk to them and let them be alone. It’s comfortable, quiet, and safe,” she said.

A hometown tragedy

Originally the plan was for Nichols and others to minister to people as they came to the church for food. When fewer than expected came, church member Helen Starek, whose husband is a volunteer firefighter, stepped in to arrange for the distribution of meals.

“She knew where to go and who needed help,” Nichols said. Helen suffered no property loss, but she wanted to help. With her teenage children and friends, she has stayed busy delivering three SBTC DR-prepared meals a day since the tragedy.

“Many of these we are seeing were not affected physically. They didn’t lose property or even electricity, but it’s their hometown, their backyard. Everyone is grieving,” Nichols said, adding that DR volunteers had talked to some whose homes had flooded and informed them of ways SBTC DR can help, free of charge, to remove the sodden damage.

“We are here searching for the needs,” said Terry James, who arrived in Kerrville on July 8 as part of the SBTC DR administrative team. “So many places we cannot get into yet.”

“So many of the victims were vacationers and campers,” added Debra Britt, SBTC DR incident leader.

Meeting needs

Volunteer C.J. Terry, on her first SBTC DR deployment, is helping staff a shower and laundry unit based in Ingram, next to the fire station. The unit has provided dozens of showers and done multiple loads of laundry, mostly in support of search and rescue volunteers and officers on horseback.

“Where we are [in Ingram] was underwater five days ago,” Terry said. “The horseback riders come off the river and are looking for a shower and clean clothes. One officer said he had packed for three days and had been here five. He was grateful for clean clothes and a shower yesterday.”

Meanwhile, the gym area at FBC Kerrville has been established as a Federal Emergency Management Agency resource center that will serve as a base of operations for numerous aid agencies, Britt said.

“Everybody wants to do something and they don’t know what to do,” Nichols said. “Prayer is our first defense. Everyone can pray.”

And there’s lots to pray for. On Wednesday, SBTC DR volunteers witnessed a helicopter airlifting yet another victim.

“I do fine when I am in the situation,” Nichols said, “but when I get back, when I go to my church and they ask me to tell them about what happened down here, I am going to say, ‘Give me a week.’”

There was one bright spot, she added.

The lost kitten was found.

Texan Q&A w/ Grant Byrd: Moment + Mission = Movement

A busy summer is providing opportunities for the SBTC to pour not only into students, but those who lead them

Grant Byrd sensed a call to ministry as a teen, but there was a problem: After God called him, he wasn’t quite sure what to do next. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s student ministry associate says that’s what motivates him—to make sure students understand what it means to be called. Byrd recently spoke with the Texan about a busy summer, the importance of networking with other student leaders, and investing in the future of the church.

By the time people read this, you’ll be well into the middle of a busy summer leading M3 student camps that will minister to thousands of students. But your position as the student associate at the SBTC probably includes a lot more than that. Can you talk about your role?

Grant Byrd: Well, the part I enjoy most is shepherding our student ministers. They often get siloed, and it can be hard for them to meet other student ministers. So for me to get to come in and encourage them or maybe give them some insight from my experience and some of the mistakes I’ve made is important to me. I really feel like I’m in a great position to serve people and connect them to networks, because some of these guys just don’t get that a lot. Sometimes I feel like a salesman, but I’m not selling anything and I’m not saying I have better ideas. I just love being able to talk to guys because I know most of them are hungry for that kind of connection.

As far as M3 camps, right now we’re approaching 5,000 students and adults [registered to attend]. When you go back and talk to adults who are following God and ask them what impacted their lives the most, they’ll most often mention camps and retreats. Camps can provide one of those spiritual marker moments. When kids come to camp, we’re going to preach God’s Word. We’re going to be very clear that Jesus is the only way. We’re going to teach them what discipleship means and give them tools for that. We’re going to encourage and bless student ministers. And when they leave here, they’re going to remember this camp—not because of anything we’re doing, but because Jesus spoke to them. We’re just kind of setting the table. When they go back home, we believe they are going to make a difference for God.

You’re passionate about helping students understand what it means to be called to ministry. Where does that passion come from and how can you impact that particular area in your role at the SBTC?

GB: Man, that is my heart—the ones who are called to ministry. When I was called as a teen, I had a lot of people praying for me, a lot of people shaking my hand, but no real guidance. Nobody really knew how to help me or give me any wisdom about it. So what we’ve got to do is offer more training to our students about it. We have no problem asking them if God wants them to be a teacher or a doctor or a lawyer, but what about a minister? That needs to be a part of their thought process rather than something we never mention when we’re having those kinds of conversations.

For a long time, I taught a “Called to Ministry” group track when our students went to camp. But however we address it … I just think if we don’t start talking about calling with our kids, we’re going to soon be in a bind. We’ve got to talk about it more. It’s got to be an option for our kids. I’m not talking about talking them into thinking they’re called—that would not only be completely wrong, but it could mess up their whole life. But if God calls you, you’re not going to be happy doing anything else, and that is amazing.

We’re going to be offering a “Following Your Calling” retreat Aug. 1-2 at Southwestern Seminary. It’s going to be a great opportunity for high school and college students who feel like they may be called to understand a little bit more about it. It will include great speakers and breakouts about different ministry areas that kids can attend—16 or 17 ministry areas—and we’ll have interactive table talks. I believe it will be great.

"Camps can provide one of those spiritual marker moments. When kids come to camp, we’re going to preach God’s Word. We’re going to be very clear that Jesus is the only way."

Grant Byrd Tweet

You’ve got a team of leaders from across the state helping churches advance the mission through student ministries. Who does that team consist of and how does it help you?

GB: That team consists of Brandon Pittman (Great Hills Baptist Church, Austin), Cameron Crow (First Baptist Church, Farmersville), Corbin Hill (Paramount Baptist Church, Amarillo), Derek Husband (Emmanual Baptist Church, New Caney), Drew Bowsher (Spring Baptist Church), Hayden Gilliam (First Baptist Church, Glen Rose), Jason and Shanna Daniels (First Baptist Church, Friona), T.J. Lewis (Lake Church, Arlington), Tim Rose (First Baptist Church, Odessa), Trent Murray (First Baptist Church, Iowa Park), Thomas Causey (East Paris Baptist Church), and Zach Whitlow (Nolan River Road Baptist Church, Cleburne).

This team brings so much to the table. They’re made up of people of various ages, from various size churches, and they’re from all over the state. We have some who are just starting out and some who are [ministry] veterans. We talk a lot on the phone and text all the time, and we get together on a monthly Zoom call. We talk about things that are coming up and share all kinds of insights—“Hey, what about this? What if I tried that? What about these ideas?” When we need a great breakout speaker or a worship band, they give me names and suggestions and I can ask them for [breakout] topics based on what their kids are needing or what they may be going through. But they don’t just help me—they help each other. And beyond that, it gives us access not only to them, but to the student ministers across the state they’re networking with. Boy, they’re such a big help to us.

What kinds of networking opportunities do you offer for those who are not on your lead team?

GB: Well, those on the lead team will rotate on and off, so we’ll have chances to connect with different people over time. And I’m always available on an individual basis to help with training, encouragement, a little consulting, and things like that. But we also do something called ReZoom, which gives any student minister anywhere in the state a place to connect. Every Thursday morning at 9:30—except for the summer, when youth ministers are busy with camps and trips and things like that—we jump on a Zoom call and talk about ministry. My first question is always, “OK, what went well last night?” because Wednesday nights are big nights for our youth. Then we talk about things that maybe didn’t go so well, and then I’ll ask how people in the group can help. That could be help through prayer or just help figuring out what to do about something. [Student ministers and leaders] are just giving, giving, giving all the time, and sometimes they just want someone to listen to them, but sometimes they don’t want to talk at all—they just want to listen. We absolutely welcome that. I believe that as long as you’re willing to laugh at yourself and you’re willing to learn, you’re gonna love it.

Reaching for the stars together

Editor’s note: In celebration of the Cooperative Program’s 100th anniversary, each issue of the Texan this year will include a testimony from a pastor explaining why his church gives through and believes in CP.

Wally Schirra was one of the Mercury Seven, NASA’s first crop of astronauts who tackled the new frontier of space. Decades later, we continue to benefit from their achievements in countless areas—material sciences, engineering, communications, biomedical developments, and beyond. Our lives would look much different without the early contributions of the Mercury Seven and the later lunar missions.

However, Schirra recalled a different—but perhaps even more impressive—contribution of the space program. Writing in the late 1980s, he said, “I’d go so far as to say that the most significant achievement of the space program was [the] concept of teamwork.”

Teamwork.

Seven astronauts, each of them highly decorated and respected, came together for a mission none of them could accomplish alone.

As believers, we have a call and commission that dwarfs the efforts of NASA in the 20th century. We have been tasked with making disciples for the glory of Jesus from our neighbors to the nations. Thankfully, 100 years ago Southern Baptists devised their own significant achievement—a tool of teamwork for this very mission: the Cooperative Program. Of course, it’s not the only avenue for gospel advance, but it is an incredibly accessible, vetted, and fruitful one. And it’s one my church is glad to participate in as we mobilize our financial resources alongside other Southern Baptist Convention churches to reach, serve, equip, and disciple those beyond our specific context.

This, of course, is no excuse to believe the work of disciple-making ends with the writing of a check. Not at all. Be committed to your local church. Lean in during sermons. Make the first move to introduce yourself to someone new at church. Read the gospel of Mark with a new believer. Share the gospel with that coworker. Encourage those young parents. Pick up that elderly saint who can’t drive to services. Pray fervently. Sing loudly.

But God also calls each of us to be interested and invested in the spiritual good of those beyond our immediate locale. What does this look like? And how can you be involved?

One way is by giving to your local church so your local church can give through CP. In doing so, you are immediately invested in ministries and efforts beyond you and your church’s individual capacity. Like the Mercury Seven coming together to pool resources and expertise for their mission, CP allows churches to do the same for ours.

Jesus did not institute the Cooperative Program, but He did institute the Great Commission, and we are compelled to carry this mission out under His authority and by His power until the end of the age. The scale is massive, but together, through teamwork, it’s our moonshot to tackle by the grace and the power of our risen Lord. The Cooperative Program is a fantastic tool that helps get us closer.

As recovery effort continues, a prayer request from the Hill Country: ‘For endurance … because it’s going to be a journey’

KERRVILLE—Joey Tombrella’s cellphone has been in a constant buzz over the past few days.

Tombrella, pastor of First Baptist Church Kerrville, has fielded calls, texts, and emails from countless people asking how they can help in the wake of historic flooding in the Texas Hill Country that, to date, has left more than 100 people dead with many still missing.

FBC Kerrville’s facility was not damaged—a blessing, as it is now serving as an operations hub for Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief. Even so, the still-unfolding catastrophe is deeply impacting the congregation. One member is still unaccounted for, and families in the church are grieving the deaths of loved ones, friends, and neighbors.

“Our people are just processing all that,” Tombrella said. “It’s just so fresh and so new. … It doesn’t feel like we’re living this. I just got off the phone with someone and it’s like, ‘Is this really happening?’”

A hushed hesitation has set in among some flood survivors, the pastor said. Many who sustained property damage may be conflicted about whether to ask for help because their problems seem minor in comparison to the staggering loss of life that has included at least 28 children, he added. Identifying and meeting needs will be part of the challenge in the days and weeks to come for church members who are eager to help people begin the recovery process, as well as for DR volunteers who are ready to help in any way needed.

“I can tell you this: This [disaster] is pulling on the heartstrings of people across the country,” SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice said Monday afternoon. “I’m literally getting calls from people all over the country. I just did an interview with someone from Atlanta.”

SBTC DR teams began arriving in Kerrville on Friday, July 4. That day, the city had planned to host its annual Independence Day celebration, “Fourth on the River,” at Louise Hays Park. The park, located about a mile from the church on the west bank of the Guadalupe River, has been, for the most part, washed away, Tombrella said.

SBTC DR has sent chaplains and damage assessors to get a more detailed understanding of the short- and long-term needs that will exist in the area. In the meantime, a quick response unit mobile kitchen, also known as a QRU, has been activated and can serve hundreds of meals at a time. Volunteers fed FBC Kerrville members on Sunday morning, July 6.

That morning, Tombrella canceled the church’s regular community group meetings in lieu of a prayer meeting.

“I didn’t have time to prepare, so we said, ‘Let’s just start praying,’” he said. “We started praying for the victims and praying for families in need and praying for first responders. It just kind of turned into this spontaneous time of prayer where people began to pray out loud—without asking, without prompting, without anything. People just began to pray and pour their hearts out to God.”

Later, a church member texted Tombrella and said the prayer meeting was a healing experience that she needed badly. He added, “People just needed to come together and pray and seek God’s face and just worship Him in the midst of all this.”

Mobilizing to respond

Not long after word spread about the flooding, the SBTC began receiving a large volume of calls, emails, and messages on social media from churches and individuals asking how to help.

For those requesting assistance: Call 855-728-2374 or fill out the SBTC DR Property Owner’s Request for Assistance.
Those who wish to donate—“our most urgent need,” according to Stice—can do so here.
In-state individuals or churches that want to serve are being directed to complete the SBTC’s online Intro to Disaster Relief course to begin the process of becoming a credentialed DR volunteer. Volunteers must be 18 or older and a member of a Southern Baptist Convention church.
Uncredentialed volunteers may also be considered with limitations through Texas Relief. Contact Texas Relief Task Force Director Wally Leyerle at 214-460-6311 or email wleyerle@sbtexas.com.
Out-of-state teams are encouraged to contact their state’s Baptist disaster relief team.
SBTC DR volunteers with current certifications/badges are asked to fill out the SBTC Disaster Relief Deployment Form.

In addition to the response in and around Kerrville, DR volunteers from Oklahoma are expected to arrive early this week in San Saba, about 95 miles to the north, to begin mud-out work from storms in that area that also led to historic flooding, Stice said.

As flood survivors receive the practical help of repairing homes and clearing debris, Tombrella said people also need to hear about the hope that is only offered through a relationship with Jesus Christ. He said he’s been encouraged to see church members so willing to reach out and contact not only each other, but their friends and neighbors, to check on them and be a continuing source of hope.

That’s something he knows his church—and community—will need long after the media attention subsides.

“I would just [ask churches] to pray for endurance and that we stay focused on giving out the hope of the gospel,” Tombrella said. “We need to be bold and we need to proclaim and give grace … because it’s going to be a journey.”