Month: May 2026

When vision fades: the quiet crisis facing churches

I am convinced the root issue most churches face today is that they have lost their vision.

By this, I don’t mean they have no calendar or programs. I mean they do not have a clear understanding of God’s direction for their future. In my experience working with dozens of congregations, churches without vision operate on repetition, not expectation. They march through ministry from year to year without asking whether what they do helps the church become more faithful to Christ’s calling.

A church stuck in repetition simply reproduces last year’s calendar. Ministry leaders gather, adjust dates, and call it progress. Churches that lack vision rarely ask whether an event reached new people, produced disciples, or advanced the mission of Christ. Completion becomes the metric of success, not obedience.

A cycle of repetition leads to comfort and resistance to change. When fresh ideas surface, people protect what feels normal, often saying, “That’s not the way we’ve always done it.” Churches need a vision that calls them into the discomfort of obedience. Vision pushes congregations beyond what was comfortable into what God is calling them to become.

One reason churches lack vision is they misunderstand where vision comes from. Many believe it originates with the pastor. When the pulpit is vacant, ministry stalls. Activities decline. Decision-making is deferred. Members wait for the new guy to arrive with a vision message.

This dynamic resembles Israel at Mount Sinai. God invited the people to meet Him, but they refused, saying, “You go to the Lord … and bring back to us what He says” (Exodus 19). Israel preferred a messenger over a personal response to God’s calling. Similarly, churches often treat pastors as the source of vision rather than seeking Christ together under Scripture.

Churches need a vision that calls them into the discomfort of obedience. Vision pushes congregations beyond what was comfortable into what God is calling them to become.

Anthony Svajda Tweet

Pastors are under-shepherds, not vision originators. Jesus is the head of the church and the source of its direction (Ephesians 1:22–23). When churches look to Christ first for vision, they move beyond pastoral personality to missional obedience.

A church without a clear, God-given vision is stagnant at best and spiritually dead at worst. It may retain comfort-seekers who are satisfied with maintaining the status quo. But maintenance is not a mission and comfort is not obedience. Visionless churches carry on activities without kingdom outcomes.

Here are five questions to help you discern the health of your church’s vision:

  1. Can our leaders clearly describe where Christ is leading our church beyond simply sustaining current ministries? If vision is present, it can be articulated. If it cannot be named, the church may be operating on habit rather than direction.
  2. How do we define success—by faithfulness and fruit, or by attendance and completion? When events are evaluated primarily by whether they happened, vision has likely given way to routine.
  3. If pastoral leadership changed tomorrow, would the church continue moving forward, or pause and wait? A church that stalls without a pastor may be revealing dependence on personality rather than submission to Christ’s headship.
  4. Are we willing to stop good programs that no longer serve our God-given calling? Vision provides guardrails. Resistance to releasing familiar ministries often signals a preference for comfort over obedience.
  5. Do our people understand how their serving, giving, and discipling connect to God’s larger purpose for  this church?

When vision is clear, participation has meaning. When it is unclear, the ministry feels disconnected and obligated.

Does your church need help developing a clear vision to experience health and renewal. Sign up for the SBTC’s Regenesis process today!

Everything is discipleship

Editor’s note: This column was written by a member of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Shepherds Collective. For more information, visit sbtexas.com/networks/shepherds-collective.

When I was in high school, the Lord began stirring in my heart a desire to pursue vocational ministry. For me, that started in music ministry. I was heavily involved in my local church: there on Sundays, Wednesdays, camps, retreats, small groups—all of it. I loved the church and wanted to serve.

But honestly, I don’t think I really understood what was happening in those environments.

In my mind, Sunday mornings were times when we gathered to worship. Wednesday nights were for youth ministry and Bible study. Small groups offered connection with other people. Leadership opportunities were for learning how to serve. I saw all those things as important ministries of the church, but I didn’t really connect them to discipleship. I didn’t fully understand how those environments were shaping me spiritually.

Looking back now, I can see God was using every bit of it.

The worship gatherings were shaping my view of God. The preaching was forming how I thought about truth. Small groups were teaching me community and accountability. Older believers were modeling faithfulness and consistency. Serving in ministry was teaching me humility and dependence on the Lord. Even just being around the people of God week after week was forming me in ways I didn’t recognize at the time.

Fast forward more than 20 years into ministry, and I think very differently now.

I used to think of discipleship as one ministry among many. Now I believe everything the church does is discipleship.

The worship gathering disciples people. Life groups disciple people. Midweek ministries disciple people. Prayer gatherings disciple people. Evangelism training disciples people. Even the way a church communicates, organizes itself, and prioritizes ministries is shaping people spiritually.

Whether we realize it or not, churches are always forming people into something. That realization has changed the way I think about pastoral ministry. It has caused me to think less in terms of programs and more in terms of formation. Not just, “What are we offering?” but “What kind of people are we helping produce?”

That has become an ongoing conversation among our elders as well. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the purpose behind everything we do as a church. What is the purpose of the worship gathering? How should it shape our people? What is the purpose of life groups? Midweek ministries? What are we aiming for spiritually through those environments?

Those conversations have also forced us to identify areas where our people may not be growing as they should. If we see weak prayer lives, limited biblical knowledge, shallow community, or a lack of evangelistic boldness, we have to ask whether we are being intentional enough in how we are discipling people.

I think that has been one of the biggest shifts in my theology and ministry philosophy over the years—moving from seeing discipleship as a program of the church to seeing it as the mission underneath everything the church does.

I still have a lot to learn, but I’ve become increasingly convinced that it’s critical for churches to think carefully about how every gathering, every ministry, and every rhythm is shaping the people God has entrusted to them. Because whether intentional or not, we are forming disciples. The question is whether we are helping form people who increasingly look more like Jesus.

Churches are formulating outreach plans as World Cup draws closer

CONROE—The Church at 242 doesn’t have a lot of members who are soccer fans or who know much about the sport, according to its pastor, Dennis Parish.

That didn’t stop the church from jumping at the chance to get involved with a statewide outreach planned to coincide with the FIFA World Cup this summer.

“Our church is not a soccer church,” Parish said. “We don’t have a lot of folks who play soccer, but for us, the idea is to make connections with folks who do.”

The Church at 242 participated in one of two outreach trainings hosted in April by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. The trainings provided churches with tools and training needed to conduct outreaches in the Dallas and Houston areas, where World Cup matches will be held in June and July.

The arrival of the World Cup has energized local fans, and officials are estimating more than 1 million people from around the globe will come to the Lone Star State to watch matches. It creates a unique opportunity to make a global gospel impact without leaving the state.

“People from every corner of the globe will be in Texas,” SBTC Missional Ministries Senior Strategist Tony Mathews said, “and churches have a rare opportunity to share the hope of the gospel face-to-face with those who might never walk into our buildings on a normal Sunday.”

Hosting a World Cup block party will allow The Church at 242 to connect with people in the rapidly expanding city of Conroe, where some sources have estimated a 40% population surge since the 2020 census. That has pushed the city’s population to well over 100,000 residents.

“We’ve got 6,000 new homes being built as fast as they can be built,” Parish said. “Two weeks ago, we connected with 19 new homes where people moved in just over the past three weeks. I met a family that had just moved here from Coppell, but they’re from Africa. I met a man who just moved here from Hershey, Penn. The world is coming to us, and we just have to be ready.”

Parish added that church members plan to use the new GOAL evangelism tract developed by the SBTC to share the gospel with block party attendees.

Farther north, Genuine Faith Community Church in Greenville is among the churches planning an evangelistic soccer camp. Church members have been learning how to start spiritual conversations and how to use the one-verse evangelism method to share the saving message of Christ. As a follow-up, camp attendees and their families will be invited to participate in a Bible school at the church later this summer.

“There is an excitement here,” said Mark Bird, a member at Genuine Faith who is heading up the effort to host a soccer camp. “It’s all been very positive, and that’s a good thing.”

Mathews said it’s not too late for more churches to get involved with the effort to host or participate in a World Cup outreach. Interested churches can:

  • Explore training videos and browse evangelistic resources at the SBTC Resource Webstore to begin shaping a World Cup outreach project.
  • Connect with an SBTC regional project manager who can walk alongside your church, whether you’re planning your own event or partnering with another church, by emailing tmathews@sbtexas.com.
  • Complete an interest form to get started. Indicate your interest in a missional grant on the form if your church would like additional support for outreach efforts.

SBTC Executive Board advances proposed Constitution and Bylaws amendments to messengers

GRAPEVINE—In August 2025, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) Executive Board authorized the creation of a special Constitution and Bylaws Review Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the convention’s governing documents. The committee was charged with reviewing the documents in their entirety to ensure the convention’s polity and affiliation requirements are clearly stated, particularly regarding the office and title of pastor.

The committee consisted of Denny Autrey (chairman), Deron Biles, Dalia Gonzales, Jason Gray, James Jordan, Amy Joslin, Aaron Kahler, Averri LeMalle, and Spencer Plumlee. SBTC Executive Director Nathan Lorick and Executive Director Emeritus Jim Richards served as nonvoting, ex officio members.

The SBTC has a longstanding practice of periodically reviewing and updating its constitution and bylaws, with the most recent revisions adopted in 2020. These reviews help ensure that the convention’s governing documents remain clear and effective.

“It has been an honor to chair this committee to review and update the SBTC constitution and bylaws,” Committee Chair Denny Autrey said. “Our diverse team was diligent in their efforts to bring greater clarity to our governing documents by reinforcing our commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture, as well as providing language to produce a spirit of unity among the churches within the SBTC and for those churches that desire to affiliate with the SBTC.”

After months of study, discussion, and prayer, the committee presented its recommendations to the SBTC Executive Board. On April 28, 2026, the Executive Board unanimously approved the proposed amendments at its spring meeting and voted to recommend them to messengers at the 2026 SBTC Annual Meeting, to be held in October at First Baptist Church Forney. The proposed amendments include procedural and operational updates, as well as clarifying language. All proposed changes have received legal and parliamentary review.

A few areas of focus include:

  • Affiliation Qualifications: The proposed language for Article IV, Section 1, Item (d) of the constitution “affirms the office, function, ordination and title of pastor/elder/overseer to be limited to men as qualified by Scripture. Title shall include any equivalents of the words pastor/elder/overseer, and preaching to the assembled congregation shall be an exclusive function of pastor/elder/overseer or biblically qualified men.”
  • Representation at Meetings: The amendment grants every affiliated church at least two messengers for any convention meeting, while churches that contribute through the Cooperative Program or to SBTC ministries during the current calendar year can receive up to eight additional messengers (for a maximum of 10).
  • Termination of Affiliation: The proposed language clarifies three options for affiliation termination, including an avenue for termination by the messengers available only after the Executive Board termination process. Written notice for a motion to terminate a church’s affiliation is required. The “Challenged Church” is given an opportunity to respond. If adopted, the matter is placed on the agenda for the following annual meeting.

The complete proposed amendments to the constitution and bylaws can be found here.

To provide further clarity and instruction to the Credentials Committee, the Executive Board authorized the development of an operating guideline containing affirmations and denials to establish the intent of the proposed affiliation qualification amendments.

“On behalf of the Executive Board, I wholeheartedly affirm the recommendations from the Constitution and Bylaws Review Committee,” Executive Board Chairman Wes Hinote said. “We are grateful for the prayerful and diligent work of the committee in bringing forward these recommendations with clarity, conviction, and faithfulness to Scripture. We also want to recognize the faithful service of the Credentials Committee, whose work through the years has helped strengthen and support our convention. As the Credentials Committee continues to work graciously with churches seeking or maintaining affiliation, I believe the proposed revisions provide much-needed clarity and consistency as we move forward together in cooperation and doctrinal unity. I am very thankful for Dr. Autrey, Dr. Criner, and the committees they lead for the time and effort supporting our convention.”

Amendments to the SBTC Constitution require approval by a two‑thirds vote of messengers at two consecutive annual meetings, whereas bylaws amendments may be approved by a two‑thirds vote at a single annual meeting. To allow both constitutional and bylaws changes to take effect simultaneously, the Executive Board will recommend that, if approved, bylaws amendments be held in abeyance during the first year and implemented following final constitutional approval at the second annual meeting.

“I am grateful for the spirit, unity, and diligence this committee has demonstrated in bringing forward these proposed changes,” SBTC Executive Director Nathan Lorick said. “In today’s cultural climate, clarity is essential, and these changes provide our convention with a meaningful opportunity to continue moving forward in doctrinal unity, strengthening our shared missional focus. I am encouraged and excited about what God has in store for the SBTC.”

The proposed amendments to the constitution and bylaws will be printed in Issue 4 of the Texan magazine, scheduled for release in June.

God is moving in mighty ways

God has done tremendous things through the churches of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. From 120 churches in 1998 to almost 2,900 churches today, we are continuing to grow as a network. 

As that growth happens, our staff is always asking how we can serve churches more effectively and efficiently. We consider it a high honor to be able to come alongside churches and serve. 

As I did in our last issue, I want to highlight a couple of SBTC ministries that are doing a great job serving across Texas. 

Disaster Relief

Our SBTC Disaster Relief ministry, led by Scottie Stice, is second to none. I believe Scottie is the best DR director in the country, and we have an incredible group of volunteers. Whether it’s through feeding units, chainsaw units, shower units, mud out, or any of the other ways our teams serve, SBTC DR is willing and ready. For our DR team, it’s not just about crisis—it’s about sharing Christ in the midst of
crisis. If you have a desire to meet people in their moments of great need, reach out to Scottie and become part of seeing those needs met and sharing the gospel. 

SBTC En Español

This is another great and growing SBTC ministry. Luis González leads these efforts alongside Jesse Contreras, Juani Shelton, and Arlene Sanabria. They are leading the way in assisting Spanish-speaking congregations to fulfill the Great Commission. Through conferences, trainings, and planting new churches, this team is eager to walk alongside SBTC churches with excellence. If you want to find out how to be a part of this exciting ministry, Luis would be delighted to talk to you. 

The SBTC exists for the churches by the churches. We are so thankful for the opportunity to serve churches across our great state. We believe God is moving in mighty ways—and the best is yet to come! I love you and consider it a joy to serve you.

To connect with one of our ministry associates, contact the SBTC at 817-552-2500.

God puts people in our lives to help us

Editor’s note: Chip Parmer is pastor of First Baptist Church in Marlin. He recently shared part of his testimony with the Texan’s Gary Ledbetter.

Every church I’ve pastored for my 19 years has been a revitalization effort. We’ve been here [First Baptist Church of Marlin, southeast of Waco] for nearly two years. The church was running about 50 people at the time. One of the first things we noticed about the ministry was the church had no children’s ministry or youth ministry; they hadn’t for a long time. 

That was something we wanted to address, because if we’re going to try to reach our community, we need to reach younger families. That means we had to have something for their kids. 

Right away, we reached out to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and they put us in contact with Lexi Hood, who is a consultant for the convention. Lexi came in and worked with us, helping us develop a plan and a system for our first year of children’s ministry. 

That was about the time we met Janet Evans. Janet was from Marlin, but she had been with Cru for 40 years working all around the country, though mainly in New York. She was an amazing woman, a godly woman of prayer. And though she never had really worked with children, she said, “There’s a need and I’m going to step in.” 

Janet became our children’s director and she was faithful, plugged in. She helped so much in making sure the structure was there and that everybody had what they needed. And we started to see some slow growth. Last year, we probably ran two to three kids (after having no children’s ministry previously), but we were faithful with it. This year we transitioned to Awana, and Janet became our Awana director. And again, she just went all in, making sure we had well-equipped teachers and doing an amazing job helping everything run smoothly and on the right track. Once again, we saw some growth so that we now were seeing five or six kids each Sunday night. Janet was a way that God had answered a new pastor’s prayers. Overall, our church attendance had also risen by 10-15, and we’d even had some baptisms following our second VBS. 

[In February], Janet had gone out to dinner with some friends and got back in her car to go home and had an aneurysm and passed away. I was at a loss. I really didn’t know how to respond. I haven’t ever experienced that, didn’t know what to do. Our adult ladies, our teachers were crying. I mean, they were just so emotional about losing Janet, losing a best friend. Janet had played an integral part in leading some of them to Christ, developing their relationship with Christ.

SBTC consultant Lexi Hood leads Awana students at FBC Marlin.

So, I started praying and the Lord prompted me to reach back out to Lexi. I made the call, and Lexi was just amazing. She was comforting. She was compassionate. She prayed with us and then she said, “I’m going to start working on some things.” Within, I want to say 24 hours, she was formulating a plan to come help us minister to our kids and to our adults, because I think that’s the thing [the adult workers] that is sometimes missed. I mean, the kids are so important, but the teachers, they had such a close relationship with Janet and they were suffering, too. 

My wife, Clarissa, and I were at the Empower Conference about a week later and Lexi introduced us to Karen Kennemur. Karen leads children’s and family ministries for the SBTC, and she was like, “Hey, let me meet with y’all in the morning.” The next morning, Karen proposed to send a counselor to come to our church to talk with the kids and the children’s workers. That’s the plan we formulated, that they were going to come in, Karen and Lexi, and Lexi would lead it and then take the kids. The kids did a painting project honoring Janet that we hung up in the church, a stained-glass cross with her favorite Scripture on there for her. Then they brought in a counselor from Houston and she talked with the adults. Our adults needed that so much.

Awana students at FBC Marlin made this stained glass art in memory of their late Awana director, Janet Evans.

It just helped remind me that God puts people in our lives to help us and to be there—that we don’t have to have all the answers because God has all the answers. We can go to Him and He will direct us. Especially for me, it solidified that our state convention cares no matter what size your church is. When there’s a need, they’re going to meet it. Jeff Lynn [SBTC’s senior strategist for Church Health and Leadership] was also helping in the background. I heard from [SBTC Executive Director] Nathan Lorick. Everybody reached out to me, and that was a blessing and an encouragement.

I think anytime you come in and start facing adversity, you can get discouraged. At the same time, God used what has taken place with Janet to bring joy and even a little bit of rejuvenation and growth out of death. I often think about that passage where Jesus is talking about how unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it doesn’t bear fruit. This is one of those instances where a death, although tragic and sudden—and we miss her—has produced spiritual fruit that I believe is going to be lasting and impactful. 

I think that’s a great testimony to a life lived for Jesus, that even when a great saint passes, God can still use that moment to bring forth more spiritual fruit. I think that’s a great testimony to Janet.

Sabbath is a person

Editor’s note: The following excerpt is being published with permission from Mark Dance’s latest book, Rest Well, Lead Well.

The Bible’s conversation about Sabbath began in creation (Genesis 2), which was ultimately fulfilled in the Lord of the Sabbath Himself—Jesus Christ. All Christians can rest in His peace because they have found eternal rest for their souls through the love of Jesus Christ.

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10, CSB).

The bottom line is that we can rest in our salvation today and forever because Jesus did all the heavy lifting on the cross. He promised to carry the weight of our worry and our sin every step of the way because He promised, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30, CSB).

Pastors believe and teach about the soul-saving, soul-quenching presence of God, but sometimes we struggle with enjoying it ourselves. He is still offering to personally rehydrate us with His living water in our daily Sabbaths (aka: quiet times), as well as our weekly sabbaths in corporate worship with our faith families.

To enjoy the peace and presence of God, we will need to consistently stop and rest.

In my awkward attempt to cry out to the Lord during my ministry meltdown 15 years ago, I reluctantly placed my church back into the capable hands of her true leader. Jesus’s yoke of grace not only lightened my load, but Jesus altogether carried it when I let Him. Today, He will likewise give you rest when you cease striving and rest in Him.

Pastor Pete Scazzero describes sabbath as “stopping to surrender to God in trust. I give up control and trust God to run His world without me.”

The word “soul” is sometimes translated “life” or even “breath.” Neglecting your soul won’t cause you to lose your salvation (nothing can), but it will cause you to lose the joy of your salvation. There are occasions when a soul bound for heaven feels like it’s living in hell. Too many Christians live this way indefinitely and do not know what to do about it.

King David was very familiar with the pressures of leadership and occasionally even walked through the dark hallway of depression. His most beloved psalm shows us how to get back to where we need to be spiritually:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me besides the still waters. He restores my soul. (Psalm 23:1–3, NKJV, emphasis added)

Only God could “make” a terminally driven warrior-king like David “lie down.” For that matter, only the Lord could “restore” his soul. Like David, I am a shepherd who needs to be shepherded and a leader who needs to be led. The Lord is my Shepherd, and he restores my soul every time I “stop” to let him.

A battle plan for defeating envy

Editor’s note: This column was written by a member of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Shepherds Collective. For more information, visit sbtexas.com/networks/shepherds-collective.

Envy.

Every pastor has dealt with it. It can raise its head when a brother pastor gives thanks for a spike in Sunday morning attendance or baptism numbers. It wakes from slumber when we hear about the healthy budget of the church across town. Maybe you’ve experienced envy about a church’s location, their biblical polity, or their standing in the community.

Envy is having a feeling of unhappiness at the fortune of others. Historically, it’s considered one of the seven deadly sins. Solomon wrote this in Proverbs 14:30:

“A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.”

That’s a vivid image. Tranquility is a pond untouched by wind or waves. It’s the idea of peace and contentment. A heart that is at peace in Christ is like a still pond which gives life to the flesh. In other words, inner spiritual health brings about outer health. But envy, Solomon says, makes the bones rot. An inner corrosion through the sin of envy brings about outer wasting.

Personally, I’ve dealt with envy in ministry because I’m competitive. I grew up in Texas playing every sport I could, and an unintentional consequence of this type of raising was I brought that competitive edge into every area of my life—including pastoral ministry. I’ve felt envious in meetings when someone else receives praise. I’ve been unhappy when I’ve seen attendance spikes in places other than my church. What pastor hasn’t seen another church building and felt a tinge of jealousy and envy?

It’s sad because envy steals so much of the joy of ministry. Instead of rejoicing with others, we become a weird victim of the situation—like a child putting Band-Aids on make-believe wounds. The joy of seeing God work His kindness in the lives of others, the joy of our lives in Christ, and the joy of what we have been given are severely undermined when we host envy in our hearts. It rots our inner lives. It’s like soul termites.

So the question is: How do we slay the deadly sin of envy? How do we rid our souls of these termites?

First, it’s all about Jesus. We must cultivate a vertical life of contentment in Jesus Christ. Envy thrives when I use a horizontal measuring stick for my life: What does that pastor wear on Sundays? How much does he make? What does his welcoming center look like? Where does he office? It’s when I remember and cultivate what I have in Jesus that envy is rooted out. Every pastor needs the gospel. Every pastor needs to remember that what we have in Christ is better than what we lack in this life. Cultivate a vertical life of contentment in Jesus.

Second, we must learn to celebrate. This is a practical way to kill ministry competition and comparison. Paul said love does not envy. He also said to rejoice with those who rejoice. Every gospel believing pastor would agree they didn’t earn their salvation—it’s a gift. I hope you still rejoice at the gift of your salvation. And since we didn’t earn God’s favor or grace, we are freed to celebrate the grace and kindness of God in the lives of others. Make it a priority, a rhythm to pray for those you envy. You can rejoice with your staff by committing to only speak well of other faithful congregations and celebrate the work of God in places other than your church. Celebration might need to begin with repentance and grow into a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s work in the lives of others.

Brother pastor, you won’t age out of this deadly sin. You really can’t work your way out of it. There isn’t a dollar amount that can rescue you. There isn’t an attendance rate that can stop the rot. No amount of ministry success will eradicate this termite of the soul. What you need is Jesus, a good session of heartfelt repentance, and an ongoing rhythm of celebration. Remember the words of Solomon: A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh.