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Everything you need to know for SBTC AM 2025
IMB Sending Celebration, CP100 reception among highlights at this year’s annual meeting
In Acts 11:19-30, God’s Word presents a beautiful picture of multiplication: As followers of Jesus scattered because of increasing persecution, God used their circumstances to spread the gospel in all the places they traveled. Along the way, those disciples “proclaimed the good news about the Lord Jesus” to Jews and Greeks alike.
As a result, Scripture says, “large numbers of people were added to the Lord.”
The theme of this year’s Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Annual Meeting is “Mobilize to Multiply,” based on that passage in Acts 11. The meeting will be held Oct. 27-28 at Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock.
For more than a quarter century, SBTC churches have been faithful to the command to make disciples in Texas and around the world—not only in going, but in giving through the Cooperative Program. Each year’s annual meeting provides opportunities for messengers to celebrate all that God has done over the past year, network with other pastors and church leaders, and help direct the future of convention work.
This year’s meeting will also include several special events. Three of the Southern Baptist Convention’s entity heads—SBC Executive Committee President/CEO Jeff Iorg, North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell, and International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood—will be present on Monday night. Ezell will speak during a church planting commissioning service, while Chitwood will lead an IMB Sending Celebration where the next wave of missionaries from SBC churches will be sent out to take the gospel to the nations.
Later that evening, a reception will be held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Program. Messengers will have an opportunity to meet future IMB missionaries at the reception. On Tuesday, SBTC President Danny Forshee will moderate the President’s Lunch Panel featuring Chitwood and SBTC Missional Ministries Associate Colin Rayburn on the topic of, “How your church can engage with the IMB.”
The annual meeting will also feature the launch of a new SBTC network, the Shepherds Collective, for lead/senior pastors.
SBTC officer nominations announced
Michael Criner, senior pastor of First Rockwall, has announced his intention to nominate Caleb Turner, senior pastor of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, as president of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention at its annual meeting in October.
Turner has been Mesquite Friendship’s senior pastor since 2023, having previously served as the church’s equipping/teaching pastor, assistant pastor, and co-pastor.
“If you were to visit [Mesquite Friendship] on a Sunday, you would find a church that is in love with the Lord, but a church that trusts their pastor,” Criner said. “ … I believe [Turner] has the strength of character, wisdom, and leadership experience to serve well as our president.”
Turner has held multiple leadership positions in Southern Baptist life, including his service as a trustee for the North American Mission Board. He was also the youngest person and first African American to serve as chairman of the SBTC’s executive board.
Turner said he would be grateful for the opportunity to serve as president, if elected.
“It is my belief that the SBTC is the greatest state convention in the country,” he said. “God has used godly, capable, and gifted men to lead our convention, and it would be an honor to follow in their footsteps.”
Mesquite Friendship gave $205,100 through the Cooperative Program in 2023 and $181,650 in 2024.
Turner and his wife, Tamera, have three children: Caden, Cason, and Camden. Turner’s father, Terry—Mesquite Friendship’s founding pastor—served as SBTC president from 2011- 2013.
Ed Johnson III, lead pastor of Harvest Fellowship Baptist Church in DeSoto, will be nominated to serve as SBTC vice president, having served in the role this past year. A bivocational pastor, Johnson also serves on the convention’s executive board and will be nominated by Averri LeMalle, senior pastor of The Church at Jersey Village. The convention vice president fulfills the duties of the president in the president’s absence or when requested to do so by the president.
Amy Hinote, a member of First Baptist Church Justin and the wife of its pastor, Beaux Hinote, will again be nominated to serve as convention secretary. She will be nominated by Kason Branch, senior pastor of Creekstone Church in North Richland Hills. The convention secretary’s duties include receiving copies of motions offered for consideration at the SBTC Annual Meeting.
The secretary and vice president also serve on the credentials committee, as outlined in Article III of the convention’s constitution and bylaws.
Meals & Events
Meal registration is required at sbtexas.com/am25.
At a Glance
Messengers to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Annual Meeting will gather for a powerful time of prayer, worship, and fellowship at Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock on Oct. 27-28.
Sagemont Church, Houston
11300 S. Sam Houston Pkwy E Houston, TX 77089
Main Sessions
Monday evening 6:15-9:00 p.m.
SBC greetings
Jeff Iorg, president/CEO, SBC Executive Committee
Church Planter Commissioning & NAMB greetings
Kevin Ezell, NAMB president
IMB Sending Celebration & Message
Paul Chitwood, IMB president
Tuesday morning 9:00-11:35 a.m.
Messages by SBTC President Danny Forshee & SBTC Executive Director Nathan Lorick
Tuesday afternoon 1:30-4:00 p.m.
Messages by Carl Bradford, associate professor of evangelism, SWBTS & dean of Texas Baptist College, Fort Worth, and Luis Soto, executive director of Convention of Southern Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico
Sesión en Español
Sunday, Oct. 26
5:30-6:45 p.m. Fellowship
7:00-8:30 p.m. Session
Monday, Oct. 27
10:00-11:55 a.m. Breakout sessions
12:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch*
* Registration is required
ANNUAL MEETING MEALS
Monday, Oct. 27
12:00 p.m.
Almuerzo en Español
Lunch con un testimonio especial por
Luis González, Director de SBTC En Español.
Executive Pastors & Administrators Network Lunch
“Protecting the Mission: Insurance Insights for Today’s Church Leaders”
Speaker: Mike Wierick, Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation
Join us as we discuss the factors driving rising premiums, how to make your church more insurable, and what some churches are doing to address insurance challenges.
4:30 p.m.
Resourcing Churches Dinner
“What Is So Strategic About Soul Care?”
Speaker: Mark Dance, Executive Director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention
Sprinting through church responsibilities week after week without stopping to reflect or rest leads to stress. How can we serve our families and ministries faithfully without trying to be the hero of both? At this dinner, Mark will explore three practical ways to take soul care seriously so we can lead from a place of health and sustainability.
Shepherds Collective Dinner
The Shepherds Collective is a new network for lead pastors in Texas. Panelists Danny Forshee and Ben Lacey will discuss preaching topics such as staying fresh, addressing cultural narratives, and the role of the Holy Spirit. Every attendee will get a free Shepherds Collective T-shirt.
9:00 p.m.
CP100 Reception
Food and fellowship for everyone. Come celebrate 100 years of kingdom impact through the Cooperative Program and meet our new IMB missionaries. Although admission is free, please sign up so we know you are planning to attend.
Tuesday, Oct. 28
7:30 a.m.
Southern Seminary Breakfast
Southwestern Seminary Breakfast
SBTC Disaster Relief Taco Truck (Free)
11:45 a.m.
President’s Lunch Panel
“How Your Church Can Engage with the IMB”
Speakers: Danny Forshee, Paul Chitwood, Colin Rayburn
Join us for an engaging and insightful lunch panel focused on how churches can actively participate in global missions. This panel will offer practical strategies, inspiring stories, and actionable steps to help advance the mission in Texas and around the world.
Resolutions
A resolution allows convention messengers to express consensus on a current issue. While resolutions are non-binding on convention churches, they add substance to current conversations in Baptist life and the culture at large. Any member of an SBTC church may submit a proposed resolution to the resolutions committee for consideration. The resolutions committee considers these submissions when preparing resolutions to present to messengers at the annual meeting.
The 2025 resolutions committee will receive proposed resolutions from Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, until Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. A proposed resolution must include a name, church membership, phone number, and email address. Please review the format of previous SBTC resolutions at sbtexas.com/resolutions. All proposed resolutions must be emailed to Jenna Griffis at jgriffis@sbtexas.com.
Encontrando un propósito después de una etapa de dolor
Para mujer de Plano, la tragedia abre una puerta para ministrar a madres solteras
La población hispana de Tyler está creciendo rápidamente. Esta iglesia quiere presentar a Jesús a tantas personas como sea posible.
Cuando el crecimiento se encuentra con la gracia
En agosto de 2023, una pequeña congregación hispana compuesta por sólo tres familias se reunió por primera vez en un espacio prestado dentro del auditorio de jóvenes de la Iglesia Bautista Southern Oaks en Tyler.
No tenían un edificio propio ni un gran equipo para comenzar. Lo que sí tenían era una visión clara: hacer conocido a Cristo entre la creciente población hispana de la zona y alcanzar con el evangelio de la gracia a los indiferentes espiritualmente.
Con la fuerza de esa visión, nació la Iglesia Bautista Ciudad de Gracia. La joven iglesia es pastoreada por Héctor Ahumada, cuyo propio viaje de fe, llamado y obediencia ha dado forma de manera única a la misión y el ministerio de Ciudad de Gracia.
Un llamado que comenzó en casa
Nacido en Delicias, Chihuahua, México, Ahumada creció en un hogar de ministerio, siendo su papá el pastor, en donde el evangelio se manifestaba plenamente.
“Lo que mi padre predicaba los domingos, lo vivía en casa”, dijo Ahumada. Su madre, Sheila, “una mujer de oración”, según Ahumada, fue un apoyo constante, siempre orando y animando el ministerio de su esposo con admiración y gracia.
Cuando era preadolescente, Ahumada llegó a comprender que el buen comportamiento por sí solo no podía salvarlo: necesitaba una relación personal con Cristo. Esta comprensión resultó en su conversión y marcó el comienzo de un viaje espiritual que lo llevó a una vida de servicio.
Después de la escuela superior, Ahumada se mudó a San Antonio para estudiar en una universidad bautista. Allí conoció a su futura esposa, Damaris Suárez, una joven de Guanajuato, México.
Durante sus cinco años en la universidad, Dios comenzó a afirmar su llamado pastoral a través de mentores como el pastor Víctor Rodríguez y un líder de la iglesia que lo invitó a ayudar a plantar un nuevo campus.
“En ese momento no lo vi, pero Dios aprovechó esa oportunidad para confirmar mi llamado [pastoral]”, dijo Ahumada.
Más tarde, un profesor del seminario lo animó a continuar su preparación después de la universidad. Eso lo impulsó a ingresar al Seminario Teológico Bautista Southwestern en Fort Worth, donde obtuvo una Maestría en Consejería Pastoral. Mientras estudiaba, sirvió en el ministerio de jóvenes de la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Fort Worth, bajo el pastor Rafael Berlanga.
Un camino imprevisto hacia la plantación
La jornada de Ahumada lo llevó luego a Utah por un año, donde tenía la intención de servir en consejería. En cambio, Dios lo redirigió hacia la plantación de iglesias.
Se casó con Damaris y más tarde regresó a Texas, donde completó una Maestría en Divinidad en el Southwestern. Poco después, se unió al programa de residencia pastoral en la Iglesia Bautista Crossroads en The Woodlands, donde sirvió durante tres años como el pastor asociado de grupos pequeños y educación. Fue allí donde Dios comenzó a mover su corazón para plantar una iglesia en Tyler.
Tyler, la ciudad hispana de más rápido crecimiento en el este de Texas, presentaba un campo maduro para el ministerio del evangelio. Con Crossroads como iglesia enviadora y un corazón para alcanzar a personas que no tienen una relación con Dios, Héctor y
Damaris siguieron adelante con la plantación de la iglesia.
Los dos primeros años estuvieron llenos de desafíos, incluyendo reuniones en su casa y la acogida de pequeños grupos sin un espacio permanente, entre otros obstáculos. Pero Dios proveyó. En agosto de 2023, lanzaron los servicios dominicales con sólo nueve personas. Hoy en día, la iglesia ha crecido hasta convertirse en un grupo estable de más de 30 personas, con más del 60 % conectado a pequeños grupos.
“Seguimos plantando semillas, confiando en que Dios dará el fruto”.
Evangelismo relacional y crecimiento genuino
Ciudad de Gracia está comprometida con el evangelismo relacional. Aunque participan en eventos de la comunidad como el Día del Niño, una festividad tradicional hispana que honra a los niños, el verdadero crecimiento ha venido de que los miembros comparten el evangelio con amigos y vecinos.
“Una vez que el evangelio se planta en sus corazones, se quedan”, dijo Ahumada.
Los grupos pequeños han sido esenciales. Ya sea que se reúnan en hogares o en restaurantes locales, estas reuniones crean un espacio para conversaciones profundas. Por ejemplo, una mujer se dio cuenta recientemente a través de un estudio en un grupo pequeño que la salvación es por gracia, no por obras, como ella creía antes. Historias como estas son las verdaderas victorias de la iglesia, dijo Ahumada.
Ciudad de Gracia ya tiene ministerios en crecimiento para niños y jóvenes, y Dios está levantando nuevos líderes, incluyendo a Joel Ortega, quien, junto con su esposa, encontró la iglesia a través de las redes sociales. Sintiéndose llamado a servir, ahora Joel dirige la clase de escuela dominical para adultos y ocasionalmente predica.
“Nuestra visión es avanzar hacia un modelo dirigido por ancianos, y Joel es parte de cómo Dios está proporcionando eso”, dijo Ahumada.
Desafíos presentes, esperanza futura
Uno de los mayores desafíos para la iglesia ha sido la apatía espiritual de la comunidad: personas que se identifican con la religión, pero no están dispuestas a participar en conversaciones centradas en el evangelio. Una de las mayores peticiones de oración de Ahumada es por sabiduría, para que pueda administrar bien los recursos financieros y humanos de la iglesia, de modo que puedan impactar a la primera generación de hispanos y, a su vez, alcanzar a la segunda y tercera generación.
A medida que avanzan, relación a relación, siguen comprometidos a plantar la gracia de Dios en el corazón de la ciudad.
“Seguimos plantando semillas”, dijo Ahumada, “confiando en que Dios dará el fruto”.
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.
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.
How a change of plans led to a divine appointment during Crossover 2025
Editor’s note: The following account was submitted by Carl Bradford, dean of Texas Baptist College and associate professor of evangelism at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.
MURPHY—During Crossover 2025 in Dallas, God displayed His sovereignty and providence in an unforgettable way through a simple text message, a last-minute change of plans, and one man’s openness to the gospel.
On the morning of June 3, Tony Mathews, a former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustee who now serves as senior strategist for Missional Ministries with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, sent a message to me:
“Good morning, brother. Any Crossover events you are at today or tomorrow? May I attend?”
Due to a full schedule, I didn’t respond that day, but I followed up the next morning by calling Tony. When we spoke, he asked where my student team and I would be conducting evangelism. I replied that we were heading to partner with First Baptist Church in Murphy and mentioned it might be better for him to join another day since the area was far away.
That’s when Tony said something unexpected: “Carl, I don’t know if you remember—I live in Murphy.”
I paused to double-check the details and realized we were actually assigned to North Richland Hills that day. Even so, Tony said he still wanted to come, regardless of the location. After some prayerful consideration, I felt led to shift the plans and go to Murphy after all. I texted Tony with confirmation, and we made arrangements to meet for door-to-door evangelism.
Later that day, the team canvassed homes in Murphy. At one house, Tony and a SWBTS student named Justin rang the doorbell, but no one answered. As they walked away and Tony answered a phone call, Justin looked back to note the house number and noticed someone peeking out the door. He waved, and they turned back.
Although I was closest to the door, I felt strongly that Tony should be the one to return. So Tony rejoined Justin, and together they engaged the homeowner, Victor. As they talked, Victor mentioned he was originally from Mississippi and had attended Mississippi State University. Tony lit up and said, “I have a friend who went to Mississippi State and later played for the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills—Michael.”
To Tony’s amazement, Victor responded, “I know Michael! We went to school together.”
Tony immediately called Michael and, when he answered, handed the phone to Victor. After introducing himself, Michael was overjoyed to reconnect. The two caught up, stunned by the coincidence—or rather, the divine arrangement.
After the call, Tony asked Victor how he could pray for him. Victor replied, “If you have time to pray, then come inside.”
Inside the house, Victor showed Tony a prayer he had written in a notebook—an indication of his struggle with alcoholism. Tony then asked me to pray specifically for Victor’s sobriety and deliverance. The group and I prayed over him, and afterward offered to share my personal testimony.
As the group settled in, I shared how the Lord had saved me. Then I asked Victor, “Has something like this ever happened to you?” Victor said it had, but admitted he believed he needed to live a better life to earn a place in heaven.
This provided an opportunity for a clear presentation of the gospel. Tony and I took turns explaining the message of grace through faith in Christ alone. Tarah, a student with the group, shared a story of her own and urged Victor to place his full trust in Jesus.
Eventually, Tony turned to Victor and asked, “Would you like to receive Jesus’ forgiveness today?”
Victor, deeply moved by the entire encounter, said yes. He prayed to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
The group rejoiced, overwhelmed at how God had woven together every detail—from a delayed text response to a relocated outreach site—to bring about a divine appointment for one man in Murphy, Texas.
Tony has already followed up with Victor and made arrangements to get him connected to a church that includes a ministry specific to Victor’s struggle. Additionally, Tony and I exchanged numbers with Victor to continue communication.
SBC DALLAS 2025: Messengers give Pressley a second term, approve resolutions as meeting comes to a close
DALLAS—When Southern Baptists gather each summer to celebrate God’s work among their churches, the crucial task they must accomplish involves the empowerment of their common ministry for the upcoming year. Messengers from the churches that make up the Southern Baptist Convention approve a budget to support their work around the world, as well as those who will steward their institutions and resources.
This year, 10,599 messengers met in Dallas on June 10-11 and worked through a robust schedule of business. They approved a 2025-2026 allocation budget of $190 million, including an off-the-top “special priority allocation” of $3 million to cover continuing legal expenses.
Officers
Sitting president Clint Pressley, pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C., was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term. Daniel Ritchie, a vocational evangelist from Durham, N.C., was elected first vice president. The second vice president role was given to Craig Carlisle, an associational missions strategist from Gadsden, Ala. Rounding out the slate of officers was Registration Secretary Don Currence, administrative pastor for First Baptist Church, Ozark, Mo., and Recording Secretary Nathan Finn, a professor at Greenville University in South Carolina. Finn and Currence were elected by acclamation.
Resolutions
Messengers approved eight resolutions—non-binding statements on timely issues—during their time in Dallas. Three were broken out in the convention schedule and adopted without amendment: an expression of appreciation for Dallas, the host city; a declaration of cooperation on the 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Program; and a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Baptist Faith and Message.
Other resolutions approved focused on the harmful and predatory nature of sports betting; on banning pornography; on restoring moral clarity through God’s design for gender, marriage and the family; on standing against the moral evil and medical dangers of chemical abortion pills; and on advocating for international religious freedom.
Other business
Messengers gave first approval to a constitutional change that would allow an annual meeting to amend the convention’s statement of faith with approval of two-thirds of the messengers present.
Other recommendations included the choice of convention cities for 2027 (Indianapolis), 2028 (St. Louis), and 2029 (San Antonio).
Motions to abolish the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and to add language to Article 3 of the convention’s constitution relating to qualifications for being a Southern Baptist Church failed by ballot vote. The proposed constitutional amendment would have required SBC churches to affirm, appoint, or employ “only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.”
Additionally, Caleb Turner, senior pastor of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, was elected to preach the convention sermon in 2026. Dan Lanier, a vocational evangelist from Meridian, Miss., is the alternate preacher.
Next year’s meeting will take place June 9-10 in Orlando.
SBC DALLAS 2025: Hispanic Baptists celebrate unity, purpose
DALLAS (BP)—Hispanic Baptists from across the country gathered at First Baptist Church in Dallas on June 8 for the 2025 Hispanic Celebration hosted by the Red Bautista Hispana Nacional (National Hispanic Baptist Network). The evening, which welcomed about 500 Hispanics, was filled with worship, encouragement and a renewed commitment to gospel work.
David Inestroza, director of communications for the network, officially launched its mission, “Unidos Para Su Gloria: Para Que Todos Sepan” (“United for His Glory: So That Everyone Knows”), calling for a $450,000 fundraising initiative over the next two years to support gospel outreach. The “Para Que Todos Sepan” initiative aims to connect churches, share resources and celebrate what God is doing among Hispanics.
Inestroza introduced a new website and recognized leaders in Hispanic ministry, including pastor Amaury Santos, vice president candidate for the Red’s executive committee, and pastor Vernig Suarez, candidate for president. Both ran unopposed June 9.
“We ask you to pray, give, and participate, not just attend,” said Richard Aguilar, director-treasurer of the network’s board.
The First Baptist Dallas Español worship team led attendees in praise, setting the tone for a night of unity and inspiration. A video greeting from Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, highlighted the church’s ongoing support for Hispanic ministry, which launched in 2023.
SBC President Clint Pressley greeted the crowd, thanking them on behalf of the Southern Baptist Convention. “Our theme this year is ‘Holding Fast,’” Pressley said. “I pray God blesses your efforts to reach the lost with the gospel.”
Charles Grant, associate vice president for Convention Partnerships with the SBC Executive Committee, also offered words of encouragement and thanks.
“Your giving helps support over 3,500 international missionaries and strengthens Baptist work across the country,” Grant said. He also recognized the efforts of Bruno Molina and others who have built bridges between ethnic groups to advance gospel work. Grant encouraged continued collaboration and representation of Hispanics in SBC leadership.
Jonathan Santiago of Send Relief reminded attendees that gospel ministry includes meeting physical needs.
“Our mission is to feed the hungry, care for the immigrant, and support widows and orphans, all in partnership with the local church,” Santiago said.
The event also highlighted women’s ministry and education. Clara Molina announced workshops and emphasized the ministry’s partnership with Mission:Dignity, a ministry of GuideStone Financial Resources supporting retired Southern Baptist ministers. Gus Reyes of Dallas Baptist University recognized a generous $10,000 donation, providing 10 Hispanic students with $1,000 scholarships from Christian Book.
Bruno Molina honored Rudy Gonzalez of DBU with a standing ovation for his leadership and service.
SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg spoke on the importance of Hispanic representation. “Many of you are here because missionaries reached your families,” Iorg said. “Partnership means doing ministry together and sharing leadership.”
Iorg encouraged Hispanic Baptists to pursue roles of leadership and influence across the SBC.
Bruno Molina closed with a message from Hebrews 10, urging attendees to “hold fast” to their faith and mission.
“God calls us to collaboration, not competition,” Molina said. “Being Hispanic and Christian in this time is no accident. It’s a calling.”
The evening concluded with a prayer from Enmanuel Roque, leader of state representatives, asking God to bring unity, protection and revival to churches and communities across the country.
SBC DALLAS 2025: At this high-profile meeting, one team considers its job well done when ‘people don’t notice us’
DALLAS—When tens of thousands of Southern Baptists come to town for their annual meeting, it takes hundreds of local Southern Baptists working behind the scenes to ensure essential services are provided.
Many of those behind-the-scenes workers are from Southern Baptists of Texas Convention churches.
“It takes a ton of volunteers to run one of these annual meetings, some bodies on the ground who know the lay of the land [and who] can help recruit people to meet the specific needs,” said George Schroeder, lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Fairfield.
Schroeder is chairman of this year’s Local Encouragement Team, formerly known as the Local Arrangements Committee. He, a volunteer himself, leads a team of 12 volunteers, including three representatives from local institutions, who in turn recruit many other volunteers to support the children’s day camp, registration, ushers, greeters, the prayer room, and information booths for messengers and guests.
In the case of registration support, volunteers help the registration committee by stuffing thousands of messenger bags and doing other tasks that allow registration committee members to focus on helping messengers obtain their credentials.
The convention’s day camp for children has trained and paid childcare workers, but again, volunteers enlisted by the encouragement team do the behind-the-scenes work that allows the frontline workers to focus on the kids.
Schroeder formerly served the SBC Executive Committee and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Even as an insider, he never noticed how many people were serving behind the scenes.
“I realize now how many people it takes who aren’t being paid, and who, in many cases are paying their own way,” he said. “I didn’t realize it when I worked for the Executive Committee. You don’t notice how much work they’re doing.”
Keeney Dickenson, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Crockett, is the committee member assigned to manage the convention prayer room. Among other things, this involves making sure the room is equipped with resources for those who wish to pray in groups or alone. Many of these resources are provided by SBC entities, but this year Dickenson has raised funds to allow him to provide a copy of his book about the pastoral prayer life of Charles Spurgeon to volunteers.
Dickenson’s team also provides prayer requests related to the convention’s annual meeting, as well as those from Southern Baptists serving around the world. Prayer room volunteers will be praying for those who made decisions for Christ during the Crossover pre-convention evangelism push. The 2025 prayer room also has provided prayer activities for children.
“We’ve developed a wordsearch puzzle and fact sheet that sends them around to different booths and entities, so they develop their own prayer list in the exhibit area,” Dickenson said. “I’m excited about getting some of the children involved.
“I’m hoping we can create some momentum in people’s prayer lives in their walk with the Lord as they pray,” he added.
Dickenson and Schroeder are among the few team members who don’t live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Even so, they have enlisted members of their churches and families to help.
But the “local” in the committee’s name is significant because the convention has no resources to pay for the required number of volunteers’ travel and housing expenses. Being within a local commute also allows a large area church—this year, it’s Cross Church in North Richland Hills—to commit to enlisting a substantial number of volunteers.
George Clark, a layman and deacon at Cross Church, as well as being an encouragement team member, is helping his church provide all the ushers for the Dallas meeting. The ushers are focused on all kinds of messenger needs and, most visibly, they are the ones who collect the ballots when messengers vote during business sessions.
Still, the work of the team is not high profile, important as it is.
“My hope is that everything runs in a seamless way, and people don’t notice us,” Schroeder quipped. “If that happens, we’ll know that we did the job we’ve been trying to do well.”
