Month: July 2025

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.”

‘We are ready for anything’: SBTC DR teams deploy to catastrophic Hill Country flooding

KERRVILLE—Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief teams are on the scene ministering in the Texas Hill Country, where catastrophic flooding over the past few days has claimed the lives of more than 80 people—including dozens of children attending a Christian camp. An unknown number of people are still missing.

Flash floods struck the region early July 4. At the time of this report, 68 of the deaths—40 adults and 28 children—have been recorded in Kerr County, according to Sheriff Larry Leitha. Some of the children came from Camp Mystic near Hunt, where 10 children and one camp counselor are still missing as of this morning (July 7). Camp co-owner/director Richard Eastland, 70, died attempting to rescue campers, according to multiple news reports over the weekend.

As soon as reports of the Hill Country tragedy rolled in, SBTC DR teams geared up to deploy.

“A feeding team with a QRU [quick response unit mobile kitchen] arrived in Kerrville on July 4 and began preparing meals for the community and first responders on July 5,” SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice said.

An incident management team has also deployed to Kerrville. Chaplains and damage assessors began arriving Sunday.

SBTC DR volunteers are working closely with First Baptist Church Kerrville and its pastor, Joey Tombrella. The church has opened its facilities to DR teams.

“In a disaster like this, there’s often a lot of uncertainty. We are ready for anything,” Stice said, praising the assistance of the church and pastor. “We will send mud out and recovery teams as soon as the work orders appear and the floodwaters recede, and we will provide food and water as long as the needs exist.”

In addition to ministering in Kerr County, an SBTC DR team staffing a shower unit is open in San Saba, where flooding also occurred on Independence Day. A QRU arrived July 6, Stice said, adding that assessors, chaplains, and mud out volunteers are also en route or recently arrived at the Central Texas town, where they are based at San Saba’s First Baptist Church and the community center.

Meanwhile, SBTC DR chainsaw, recovery, shower and laundry, and feeding operations in response to a major wind event in Fannin County are due to end soon, Stice noted. Teams handled a little more than 50 chainsaw jobs and were housed at Boyd Baptist Church in Bonham.

“These devastating floods have affected so many in the area,” Stice said of the Hill Country disaster. “We are here to provide hope in the recovery process and remind people that they are not alone.”

The Cooperative Program isn’t just a funnel for financial resources, but a ‘facilitator of relationships,’ pastor says

More than money

United City Church has been known by a few names over the years.

“They had three different names for the church in a period of 15 years, and each one of those names kind of carried with it different levels of baggage or expectations or positives,” United City Lead Pastor Chris Kouba said.

But the church that started in 1906 as First Baptist Church in this Northeast Houston suburb now carries a name that fits not only its mission, but the mission of Southern Baptists everywhere. To effectively spread the gospel both locally and across the world, a united effort is needed.

Through cooperative work, United City has developed partnerships with at least six church plants in Send Cities through the North American Mission Board and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, and it has started a Spanish-language service on campus with the help of such contacts.

“The Cooperative Program is not only a facilitator of money, but we’ve found it’s a facilitator of relationships,” Kouba said.

United City has been able to have the impact it does, in part, by standing on its legacy as one of the top state and national CP supporters.

Weathering the storm

United City—like many churches in the region—fell on hard times in 2018 when Hurricane Harvey flooded the campus, as well as up to half the homes of church members. Those members remember that it was Southern Baptist Disaster Relief that set up on its campus after Harvey and got to work—yet another example of cooperation that helped the church recover and reach a new season of health.

By Easter Sunday 2020, the church had gone through a yearlong study that included the planned rollout of another name change, updated core values, and a new mission statement to correspond with the unveiling of a building renovation. Then came COVID.

“We were able to make some adjustments, and the church is unrecognizable now,” Kouba said. “The name change was over five years ago, and now it’s not about what it used to be. The church is more about what it’s becoming.”

Baptisms are a high point, with United City on track to “shatter our record that we shattered the year before,” said Kouba, who has been pastor since 2019. About 250 people were baptized at United City last year, and this year the church is on pace to reach 300. Sunday attendance is about 2,200.

“It’s a lot of true life-change that’s happening everywhere, from our prison ministry to our men’s ministry to our kids and youth,” Kouba said.

A priority for the church has been involvement in local schools, which has become a strong connection point with the community. The church provides a chaplain for four football teams, and several coaches, teachers, and administrators attend United City.

“In Houston, there’s a church on every corner and there’s a Mexican food restaurant on every corner,” the pastor said. “What we’ve found is there are a lot of people who have a place they may write down if they’re asked on a form what church they go to, but there’s not a lot of people that necessarily go to church.”

Another inroad to the lost is the prison ministry, which includes streaming worship services on the PandoApp—“the first Christian app available behind bars”—as well as sending volunteers to engage in evangelism.

“It’s a lot of true life-change that’s happening everywhere, from our prison ministry to our men’s ministry to our kids and youth.”

—Chris Kouba, United City Lead Pastor Tweet

Diversity on display

“My prayer for the first few years of being here was that we would have unity and diversity—unity in our vision, unity in our mission, unity in where we’re going, but diversity in the sense that we would look a lot more like our community,” Kouba said. “I was thinking in my head racially, but what I think the Lord has done is really answered that in so many different ways.”

Racial diversity has been part of the progress, but age has been another.

“We are very young, but we’re not only young,” he said. “We get grandparents who join our church all the time. We’ve got prisoners, and we’ve got executives. It’s not uncommon for us to meet someone who watched us online in prison, got out, and showed up a month later.”

The Spanish service on campus averages 175 on Sundays two years after its start. United City partnered with Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston to gain a Spanish pastor who “is as much a part” of the church staff as anyone, Kouba said.

“I threw a vision out there three years ago that I wanted to have the largest growing Spanish ministry in Northeast Houston, and I asked the church to pray with me because I had no idea how to do that,” Kouba said.

One of United City’s core values is “better together,” and that means participation in small groups, but it also includes planting churches and sending missionaries.

“I’ve found no other organization, no other program that does it more effectively than the Cooperative Program,” Kouba said. “If I find one, I’ll go to that, but at the end of the day, I don’t think there’s anything close.

“There are a lot of trendy things out there that get attention, but they all kind of rise up and then they all kind of fall down,” he added. “I’ve just found the consistency of the Cooperative Program to be something that is worthy of not only the investment, but it’s also something that will pay a lot of dividends through the relationships.”

Iglesia Redes está lanzando una gran red para alcanzar a tantos como sea posible para Jesús en Lewisville

La historia de Orbe Pérez es una de redención, fe persistente y una vida profundamente impactada por la misión de Dios.

A lo largo de 33 años de matrimonio y casi tres décadas en el ministerio, él y su esposa, Lázara Sosa, han visto la fidelidad de Dios manifestarse desde su natal Cuba hasta Texas.

“Conocí a Jesús gracias a una mujer de fe: mi abuela,” dijo Pérez. “Ella me llevaba a la iglesia hasta que tenía cinco años, pero después de eso, [otras personas] me dijeron que no hablara más de Dios.”

Al crecer en Cuba, su educación fue intencionalmente atea. Ese entorno eventualmente marcó su vida.

“Tomé decisiones que me alejaron mucho de Dios,” contó, “pero mi abuela nunca dejó de recordarme que Jesús me ama.”

Quebrantado por su pecado y enfrentando una crisis que amenazaba su matrimonio, Pérez se encontró una noche sentado en su sala, mirando al techo.

“Dios,” dijo, mirando hacia arriba, “si eres real, te necesito.”

Esa noche él la recuerda que fue como un nuevo comienzo.

Poco después, su abuela invitó a Pérez y a Lázara a un evento evangelístico.

“Cuando empezaron a cantar, todas las canciones de mi infancia volvieron a mi mente—no podía dejar de llorar,” dijo.

Él fue el primero en responder al evangelio esa noche, y poco después, también lo hizo Lázara. No pasó mucho tiempo hasta que descubrieron que esperaban a su hija, Elianys Beatriz, a quien ahora llaman su primer milagro.

Con un corazón renovado, Pérez se sumergió en el ministerio. Dijo que sirvió en todo lo que podía—barriendo, acomodando sillas, y ayudando en lo que hiciera falta. Seis meses después de entregar su vida a Cristo, fue llamado a servir como diácono en su iglesia.

“Comencé a sentir un fuego por predicar,” dijo Pérez. “Estaba en el trabajo, pero en mi mente, predicaba sermones a una congregación invisible.”

Un día, su pastor se le acercó en la calle con un desafío: “Necesito a alguien que predique en una misión. ¿Puedes ir?” Esa misión se convirtió en su primer campo ministerial.

En el 1995, Pérez ingresó al seminario y se graduó en el 1998. Durante su segundo año como estudiante, fue enviado a pastorear una iglesia en un pueblo espiritualmente oscuro.

“La gente estaba sumida en la idolatría y el sufrimiento. Fue uno de los lugares más difíciles en los que hemos servido, pero Dios obró allí,” contó Pérez.

Después de tres años, Pérez y su esposa se mudaron a otra iglesia en crisis. Pasaron siete años allí, plantando cinco iglesias misioneras. Luego, en el 2006, Dios los llevó a Placetas—el lugar donde nació la convención bautista en Cuba.

“Fue una etapa de gran crecimiento para nosotros y para la iglesia,” dijo Pérez.

Nueva etapa, nueva ubicación

Después de 17 años de servicio pastoral en Cuba, Dios abrió la puerta para que los Pérez Sosa vinieran a los Estados Unidos. En el 2012, se mudaron al área de Dallas-Fort Worth, y Pérez comenzó a servir como pastor asociado del ministerio hispano en Prestonwood Baptist Church en Plano.

Al año siguiente, una creciente carga por las comunidades no alcanzadas llevó a Pérez a comenzar a evangelizar en Lewisville.

“Empezamos caminando por las calles y orando,” dijo. “Un día, alguien abrió su casa para un estudio bíblico. Allí comenzó la visión.”

A pesar de no tener un lugar permanente para reunirse, ese estudio bíblico floreció y se convirtió en un servicio de iglesia completo en el 2017. Poco después, la iglesia encontró un hogar cuando Pérez se enteró de que una iglesia en Lewisville, Northview Baptist, quería iniciar un ministerio hispano.

En el 2024, Prestonwood comisionó a Pérez para lanzar una iglesia hispana autónoma en Lewisville. En colaboración con Northview Baptist Church y con el apoyo de Send Network SBTC a través de evaluaciones y mentoría para plantadores, Iglesia Redes fue oficialmente fundada en noviembre de 2024.

Iglesia Redes is casting a wide net to gather as many as possible to Jesus in Lewisville

Orbe Perez’s story is one of redemption, relentless faith, and a life deeply impacted by the mission of God.

Throughout 33 years of marriage and nearly three decades in ministry, he and his wife, Lázara Sosa, have seen the faithfulness of God unfold from their native Cuba all the way to Texas.

“I was introduced to Jesus by a woman of faith—my grandmother,” Perez said. “She took me to church until I was five years old, but after that, I was told [by others] not to talk about God anymore.”

Growing up in Cuba, his education was intentionally atheistic. That environment eventually impacted his life.

“I made decisions that led me far from God,” he said, “but my grandmother never stopped reminding me that Jesus loves me.”

Broken by his sin and facing a crisis that threatened his marriage, Perez found himself sitting in his living room staring at the ceiling one night.

“God,” he said, looking up, “if you’re real, I need you.”

That night, he now recalls, served as a new beginning.

His grandmother soon invited Orbe and Lázara to an evangelistic event.

“When they started singing, all the songs came back to me from my childhood—I couldn’t stop crying,” he said.

He was the first to respond to the gospel that night, and shortly after, Lázara did, too. Not long after that, they discovered they were expecting their daughter, Elianys Beatriz, whom they now call their first miracle.

Fresh off his new beginning, Perez dove into ministry. He said he served in every way he could—sweeping, setting up chairs, and doing anything else that was needed. Six months after giving his life to Christ, he was called to serve as a deacon at his church.

“I began to sense a fire to preach,” Perez said. “I would be at work, but in my mind, I was preaching sermons to an invisible congregation.”

One day, his pastor approached him on the street with a challenge: “I need someone to preach at a mission. Can you go?” That venue became Perez’s first mission field.

In 1995, Perez entered seminary and graduated in 1998. During his second year as a student, he was sent to pastor a church in a spiritually dark village.

“The people were steeped in idolatry and suffering. It was one of the hardest places we’ve ever served, but God worked there,” Perez said.

After three years, Perez and his wife moved to another church in crisis. They spent seven years there, planting five mission churches. Then, in 2006, God led them to Placetas—the birthplace of the Baptist convention in Cuba.

“It was a season of great growth for us and the church,” Perez said.

New season, new location

After 17 years of pastoral service in Cuba, God opened the door for the Perezes to come to the U.S. In 2012, they moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Perez began serving as associate pastor of the Hispanic ministry at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.

The next year, a growing burden for unreached communities led Perez to begin evangelizing in Lewisville.

“We started walking the streets and praying,” he said. “One day, someone opened their home for a Bible study. That’s where the vision began.”

Despite not having a permanent meeting place, the Bible study blossomed into a full-fledged church service by 2017. The church would soon find a home after Perez learned that a church in Lewisville, Northview Baptist, was looking to start a Hispanic ministry.

In 2024, Prestonwood commissioned Perez to launch an autonomous Hispanic church in Lewisville. Partnering with Northview Baptist Church and supported by Send Network SBTC through church planter assessments and coaching, Iglesia Redes was officially born in November 2024.

“Our vision is clear: relationships, evangelism, discipleship, sending, and serving. That’s why we’re called ‘Redes,’” Perez explained, noting the Spanish word for “networks.” “We want to cast our nets for people and disciple them into maturity.”

Iglesia Redes has grown into a thriving congregation with around 400 members and an average attendance of 200. During the first three months of this year, the church had 13 baptisms and 27 professions of faith. “We give all glory to God. We’re just available and obedient,” he said.

One of the ways Iglesia Redes connects with the community is through a ministry called Heart of the City, which provides people with food, clothing, prayer, and friendships. “It’s not just service,” Perez said. “It’s love in action.”

God is using the church’s faithfulness to transform lives. Perez recalls an encounter with a woman and her grandson while he was walking in a Lewisville park. The woman’s husband had been in an accident, and during the conversation, she asked for prayer. Later, Pérez and his wife visited her home to pray for her husband. They became the first family they led to Christ.

“That family opened their house to us,” Perez said, “and now they are leaders in the church. I recently had the joy of baptizing one of their daughters.”

Iglesia Redes meets often: Sunday worship services, Wednesday Bible studies, Thursday home groups, Tuesday morning intercession, and monthly prayer meetings on Friday nights. The church also offers Zoom Bible studies during the week.

“We just want to be present in the community,” Perez said. “Our model is Jesus—He walked with people, He listened, He loved, and then He spoke truth.”