Author: Jayson Larson

The gospel is impacting flood survivors, first responders in the Hill Country

Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief teams are winding down a multisite response in Kerr County, San Saba, San Angelo, and Leander following devastating floods that swept across the Texas Hill Country on July 4.

In Kerr County, more than 130 people lost their lives as flash floods turned the normally peaceful Guadalupe River into a raging torrent. Among the dead were 27 children and counselors from a Christian youth camp outside Hunt, a community of about 1,300 residents.

Much of the SBTC DR effort in Kerr County concentrated on feeding, chaplaincy, and shower/laundry work, with operations based out of First Baptist Church Kerrville.

“We mostly have been serving first responders and volunteers in feeding and shower/laundry,” SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice said. Recovery teams from Spring Baptist Church, as well as from Oklahoma Baptist DR, have mudded out homes, cleared debris, and done chainsaw and general cleanup work with an emphasis on residential properties.

“We’ll stay to help with feeding and laundry as long as needed,” Stice added.

San Saba: Impact of a different kind

Recovery work in San Saba has been of a broader scope. SBTC DR volunteers worked alongside their counterparts from Oklahoma to complete dozens of jobs. San Saba’s First Baptist Church opened its doors as a clearinghouse where residents could find help.

Though much of the work was typical of a disaster response, the San Saba deployment featured a few unusual twists.

Among the structures flooded was the historic Mill Pond House in Mill Pond Park. SBTC DR volunteer Jim DeLaPlaine advised authorities on the amount of moisture in the structure and how best to treat the sodden plaster.

The Mill Pond House wasn’t the only bit of San Saba history to be encountered during the deployment, however.

When stripping multiple layers of ruined vinyl flooring from a home, an SBDR recovery team uncovered multiple layers of old newspapers from San Saba and Dallas, including a Feb. 5, 1956, edition of The Dallas Morning News with the front page headline: “Dallas Celebrates 100^th Birthday.”

That discovery made headlines in the present-day San Saba paper, as did an account of the hard work of SBTC DR crews helping the community.

In addition to blasts from the past, a Californian found something much more significant in San Saba. The man, a San Diego resident named Hector, heard about the Hill Country floods and searched online for ways to help when he came across information on San Saba’s First Baptist Church. He phoned to offer assistance and was told if he could make it from San Diego, he was welcome.

Hector drove to San Saba, received DR training, and began helping on the field for a week as the only Spanish translator in that area. Through that work, Hector requested a Bible, and Alan Arthur, pastor of San Saba’s First Baptist Church, shared the gospel with him. Hector accepted Christ on a Thursday and was baptized that Sunday.

DR teams also offered shower and laundry services in Leander, as well as feeding operations in San Angelo, in support of the Red Cross shelter there serving 400 displaced flood survivors.

“We’re grateful to be able to help,” Stice said.

A cooperative effort

On Saturday, July 26, SBTC Executive Director Nathan Lorick—speaking at the annual Equip Conference, held this year at Houston’s First Baptist Church—offered an update on the convention’s disaster relief response and thanked churches for their support that makes such efforts possible. That response has included nearly 18,000 volunteer hours served, more than 1,500 emotional or spiritual care contacts, thousands of meals prepared and served, and 20 professions of faith.

“When you sit in your church on Sunday and you invest in the kingdom of God through your tithes, and [when] your church partners with other churches of the SBTC through the Cooperative Program,” Lorick said, “you are in your city, in your church on that morning … but you are also in Kerrville and in San Saba, still serving those who are searching for healing.”

Lorick then read from an email sent to Bruce Northam, pastor of Clay Road Baptist Church in Houston, from a law enforcement first responder from the Panhandle who had been in Kerr County for nine days.

“This deployment, at times, feels like a losing battle. Searching for souls has been upsetting and just about unbearable. I was told about a yellow and blue trailer manned by three guys who would do laundry if you dropped it off to them,” the first responder wrote, referring to SBTC DR’s laundry unit. “That laundry service has been the only win I have experienced since I got here. I dropped off filthy rags to those gentlemen, and they accepted them with open arms and thanked me for dropping it off. My clothes have been sweated through, and covered in blood and tears, and returned to me clean. Having clean clothes to put on before taking on an uphill battle (literally) makes me feel valued and lets me know that someone thinks I am important enough to have clean clothes.”

Said Lorick: “We are certainly making a difference together.”

Cumulative Report for Central Texas Floods (July 4-26):

Volunteer days: 1,779
Volunteer hours: 17,790.
Total emotional/spiritual care contacts: 1,552
Professions of faith: 20
Meals prepared for Red Cross: 5,606
Southern Baptist mass care meals: 4,204
Southern Baptist volunteer meals: 3,465
Showers provided: 729
Loads of laundry provided: 1,377

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.”

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.

CP giving shapes and empowers SBC seminaries to make gospel impact

Editor’s note: Southern Baptists are celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the Cooperative Program throughout 2025.

NASHVILLE (BP)—Like missions, theological education was on the hearts and minds of Southern Baptists from before the Convention’s founding in 1845.

Baptist colleges that sprang up across the South in the early 1800s provided studies in theological subjects, proof of Baptists’ commitment in the South. But the mid-century split with northern Baptists meant the young convention would no longer use northern seminaries to train its pastors. Southern Baptists were forced to realize they had no institution of their own dedicated to theological education.

That would soon change.

In 1859, one year before civil war split the nation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) was founded in Greenville, S.C. By the turn of the 20^th century, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in Fort Worth (1908) and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS), founded in 1917 as the Baptist Bible Institute, joined SBTS in offering theological education and missionary training.

Yet time and again, each school faced life-threatening national economic crises, financial strain from growth, the storms of war, and competition with other SBC agencies for funding.

With the establishment of the Cooperative Program in 1925, stability became possible. Today, the fund’s unique structure continues to set SBC seminary education apart.

Albert Mohler, SBTS president, noted this in his president’s letter included in the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual.

“I am often asked by leaders of seminaries outside the Southern Baptist Convention to explain the strength of our institution,” Mohler wrote. “I am pleased to point them to the faithfulness of Southern Baptist churches, channeled through the Cooperative Program.”

Today, the CP-supported seminaries together train more than 24,000 students each year as pastors, missionaries, and church leaders to serve the church and take the gospel to all points of the globe.

While the CP provided a much-needed economic anchor to the seminaries, rough waters in its earliest days continued to test Southern Baptists’ commitment to theological education.

Disaster loomed before CP

From Southern Seminary’s founding, James P. Boyce, treasurer and chairman of his small faculty, worked tirelessly raising money across the nation and drawing from his own personal fortune to make the seminary a reality.

“Boyce was a man whom a dream had possessed, and he labored without ceasing and with utter abandon at the task of making his dream come to full fruition,” Southern Baptist historian William Mueller wrote in 1959.

Boyce and other faculty members, including John Broadus, traveled far and wide, even securing a gift once from oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller.

Prior to CP, competition with other agencies proved problematic as agents secured by the different SBC boards traveled from church to church soliciting funds. Southern Baptist historian Leon McBeth described the agents’ work as “disruptive and often demoralizing to pastor and people alike.”

As the 20th century dawned, the challenge to fund Southern Baptist theological education continued.

At SWBTS, students and faculty slept on the floor of the unfinished Fort Worth Hall as founding president B. H. Carroll, followed by L. R. Scarborough, the second president, struggled to secure funds for completion.

Discouraged, Scarborough confided to his wife that the school faced unpaid bills and credit that was stretched beyond its limit. After praying together on their knees, Mrs. Scarborough told her husband that God had answered. Three days later, the bank granted the school a life-saving loan.

Help came in 1925 as the Cooperative Program provided allocations for each seminary. The help came as the Great Depression set in, bringing with it new and deeper financial worries.

In New Orleans, faculty and students shared all food in common in order to stay open.

By the early 1930s, Scarborough stood in defeat before the SBC Executive Committee in Nashville and tendered his resignation admitting that the faculty had not been paid and the school faced insurmountable debt.

Respite came for Southwestern when John Sampey, then-president of Southern Seminary, volunteered funds from his school’s CP allotment in order to keep Southwestern’s doors open. It was a signal to all that each seminary was vital to the Great Commission directive.

A world impact

As economic stability returned to the nation, three new seminaries were added, each to a specific region of the nation.

Gateway Seminary (formerly Golden Gate Seminary, 1944); Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (1950) and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1957) each were founded to serve a specific region and culture of the nation.

Today, each seminary offers programs and initiatives in evangelism, mission engagement and mentorships to prepare students to serve at home and abroad.

These programs include Southeastern’s Global Theological Initiative that presents seminary education in Farsi; Gateway’s language program that includes classes in Burmese, Mongolian and Vietnamese; Midwestern’s Fusion program linking students to IMB missionaries; NOBTS’ Caskey Center that mobilizes students for evangelism resulting in more than 75,000 gospel conversations; Southern Seminary’s Hispanic program bringing education to countries as far away as Chile, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic; and Southwestern’s auxiliary website “Equip the Called,” making a storehouse of resources, articles and preaching helps available to serve those in the pulpit.

The importance of the Cooperative Program to the seminaries is emphasized frequently by the schools and their leaders.

David Dockery, in the book “The Great Commission Resurgence: Fulfilling God’s Mandate in Our Time,” underscored the important spirit of cooperation that makes Southern Baptist work effective.

“One cannot understand who Southern Baptists are apart from the distinctive idea of voluntary cooperation,” Dockery wrote. “It is in light of this historical reality that Southern Baptists, with God’s help and guidance, will be able to work together in carrying forth the task of making disciples of the nations through the cooperative and collaborative efforts of the Great Commission partners.”

Adam Groza, Gateway Seminary president, noted the impact of the Cooperative Program giving while addressing the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.

“The marching orders of Jesus have not changed and the task is not done,” Groza said. He continued, “Thank you for being our partners in the gospel. Thank you for supporting us as we fulfill our mission of shaping leaders to expand God’s kingdom around the world.”

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

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 100^th anniversary of the Cooperative Program; and a commemoration of the 100^th 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: Messengers affirm resolutions celebrating CP, Baptist Faith & Message centennial anniversaries

DALLAS—The bedrock on which the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention was formed more than a quarter century ago includes an unapologetic adherence to the inerrancy of God’s Word and a tireless commitment to cooperate with Southern Baptists worldwide.

The first is expressed today through a commitment to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the statement of faith affirmed by millions of Southern Baptists worldwide and more than 2,800 SBTC churches. The latter is fueled by the Cooperative Program, the primary giving model by which Southern Baptists fund missions.

This week at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, messengers passed resolutions recognizing the 100^th anniversary of the BF&M and the Cooperative Program.

Fueling ministry, fueling mission

According to information provided by the SBC, Southern Baptists have given more than $20 billion through the Cooperative Program throughout its history. SBTC churches have given $562 million through the Cooperative Program.

Those funds have supported international missionaries serving in some of the harshest mission fields on the planet, church planters in North America, students attending one of the SBC’s six seminaries, and so much more.

“For 100 years, the Cooperative Program has fueled the ministries and mission of Southern Baptists,” said Nathan Lorick, executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. “This means of partnership has helped advance the gospel to the ends of the earth like nothing else ever has. I am so grateful for the generosity of SBTC churches for continuing their partnership through the CP.”

In May, Lorick joined 72 other leaders representing various Southern Baptist state conventions and entities in signing a Declaration of Cooperation thanking Southern Baptist churches for a century of generous giving, commending “all who promote, support, and renew their commitment to the Cooperative Program among our family of churches, mission boards, seminaries, entities, local Baptist associations, and state conventions.”

During the June 10 recognition at the SBC Annual Meeting, messengers resoundingly affirmed the Cooperative Program resolution. Leaders said the Declaration of Cooperation urging continued faithfulness to the Cooperative Program would soon be made available online for Southern Baptists to sign digitally.

The SBTC has made the Cooperative Program’s anniversary a point of emphasis in 2025. It has encouraged churches to pray for record giving this year while also planning a Cooperative Program Sunday on Oct. 5 to underscore its importance and impact. The SBTC has also asked churches and individuals to share how the Cooperative Program has impacted their lives on social media using #cp100story.

Theological clarity, biblical unity

On Wednesday, June 11, messengers enthusiastically approved a separate resolution celebrating the Baptist Faith and Message on its 100^th anniversary.

The resolution notes the 25^th anniversary of the BF&M’s latest update in the year 2000. The BF&M 2000 is “a faithful summary of biblical doctrine in the Baptist tradition … consistent with the broader stream of historic Christian orthodoxy as articulated in the early creeds of the church,” according to the resolution.

A video briefly outlining the BF&M’s history was played for messengers featuring Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mohler called the BF&M “the foundation of our cooperation.” Mohler was among four men recognized for their work on the statement’s update in 2000, a group that also included Chuck Kelley, Richard Land, and Fred Luter.

The resolution also came with a warning, citing Ephesians 4:14 and Titus 1:9: “A church that ceases to affirm, teach, and model sound doctrine will inevitably drift away from the truth and be carried about by every wind of worldly doctrine that blows through the church.”

“We steadfastly affirm, promote, and unite around the Baptist Faith and Message (2000) as a sufficient statement of our doctrinal identity,” the resolution concluded, “and as the grounds of our cooperation for the sake of theological clarity and biblical unity.”