Author: Russell Lightner

Reaching Europe: Finding opportunity in the uttermost parts

ZSÁMBOK, Hungary

Though it was nearly 30 years ago, Feri Olah remembers the question. He was playing soccer in a field when he was approached by a young evangelist on a mission trip.

“Have you heard of God’s love?” the young man asked him.

Olah—still mourning the recent death of his mother—became angry.

“If God loves me so much,” he fired back, “why did He allow my mother to die?”

Olah rejected the gospel that day, but seeds were planted. As the group of young evangelists continued to visit, he eventually gave his life to Christ.

Olah is a pastor now, leading worship and preaching to about 15 people out of a basement in his home in Zsámbok, a rural village about 35 miles outside the capital city of Budapest. He is also pastoring another church in Apc, a village curled up at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains about 20 miles to the northeast.

Budapest—a bustling urban center—is one of seven cities included in a partnership between the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and the International Mission Board called Reach Europe. The initiative aims to mobilize SBTC churches to help IMB personnel and local churches multiply disciple-making movements around the world.

Those movements will also happen in outlying areas such as Zsámbok and Apc.

Olah is a boulder of a man with tight, sandbag arms and a solid frame that appears to be made less by dumbbells and more by hay bales—or as Texans might say, he’s country strong. But he wears a disarming smile on a kind, round face and, beneath it all, has a tender heart for reaching the Roma people with the gospel.

“Week to week, we are spreading the gospel and sharing about His grace. It’s a wonderful miracle when we can see the change that God brings about in people’s lives."

—Feri Olah Tweet

The Roma are descendants of the nomadic tribes of Romania tied together by the Hungarian language. About 1.5 million of them have fanned out into Hungary’s more rural sectors, where most live in extreme poverty—especially by western standards. Many inhabit shacks tacked together from repurposed garbage and discarded construction materials. That poverty, coupled with a longstanding prejudice tied to their ethnicity, drives many who might help the Roma in other directions.

But not Feri, who wants his people to have an opportunity to rest in the same salvation that cradles him. He’s so committed to them he said he now feels called to leave his home of seven years in Zsámbok to live closer to the church plant in Apc so he can evangelize more.

“That’s what we need,” Olah said. “We need people who have accepted God’s love to be willing to give it away unconditionally.”

In May, the SBTC led 39 pastors and church leaders on a vision tour of Europe. The team was divided among the seven reach cities so they could view the ministry being done there and consider future partnership opportunities. The Budapest group saw churches in three phases among the Roma people: the established church in Zsámbok, the fledgling church in Apc, and in Szirák, where there is no church and relatively no gospel presence.

The work in Hungary—a country of 11 million people, roughly a third of the population of Texas—will be both rural and urban. Lamar Schubert, a Texas transplant who has been serving the IMB there for five years—said church partnerships can happen in the short and long terms, with events such as medical clinics and sports camps opening doors for the gospel to be shared. Greg Pickering, who pastors Brazos Pointe Fellowship in Lake Jackson and who was among the Budapest group on the vision trip, said missions teams could also host retreats for pastors who are nearing burnout.

“A lot of these Hungarian pastors could really use some soul care and know that they’re cared for by us,” Pickering said.

That would benefit pastors like Olah, who are willing to exhaust themselves for the cause of Christ. But the toil is well worth the reward.

“Week to week, we are spreading the gospel and sharing about His grace,” Olah said. “It’s a wonderful miracle when we can see the change that God brings about in people’s lives.”

Interested in impacting Europe with the gospel? Learn more about the SBTC’s Reach Europe initiative.

A short journey home

Arlington church’s ‘Red Sea’ transition paves way for deepened unity, continued ministry strength

Continue reading →

‘Dad, I have something to tell you …’

Late this summer as I was at church with my family, I noticed something different about my youngest son. As we worshiped, he began to slightly raise his hands as he sang to the Lord.

The next day, I walked outside and saw him on the back porch with pen and paper reading the Scriptures. Later, as we were riding in my truck, I asked him, “What is God doing in your life?”

I was grateful to hear his response:

“Dad, I’m glad you asked. I have something to tell you.”

He told me that one night as he was lying in bed, he became overwhelmingly convicted of his sin. “I cried out to God and asked Him to save me and forgive me of my sins,” he told me. “Dad, I now know I am saved, and Jesus has changed my life!”

Let me tell you—those are the greatest words a parent can ever hear. On top of that, there has been a drastic change in his life. He is on fire for Jesus and has already led two of his friends to faith in Christ!

“There is no one out of reach of the mercy and love of God. Let us stay focused on sharing the gospel every single week and pray God uses it to draw people to Himself.”

Nathan Lorick Tweet

As I think about this summer and that conversation, I am reminded there are lost people in our lives, in our neighborhoods, in our communities, and across our state. God has given us the greatest opportunity we’ve ever had to live on mission and be intentional about sharing the gospel.

However, we must be intentional. My son being saved has rekindled my passion to share the gospel. If you are a pastor, allow me to encourage you with three suggestions to lead your church members to share their faith:

Share the gospel every week in your worship services.

We never know who is walking in the door and what stage of life they’re in. We don’t know the hurts or obstacles they are facing. What we do know is Jesus can save anyone. There is no one out of reach of the mercy and love of God. Let us stay focused on sharing the gospel every single week and pray God uses it to draw people to Himself.

Give a gospel invitation.

As people come into your church, there is a reason they are there. Perhaps someone invited them, or maybe they are searching for hope they’ve not found yet. As you proclaim the gospel, give people who hear the gospel a chance to respond to what God is doing in their lives. The Holy Spirit could be working in their hearts, and they may feel a real sense of urgency to give their lives to Christ.

Help new believers with their next steps.

Many people who come to faith in Christ don’t know what to do next. They have no idea how to live out their faith and be on mission. Walk with them as they begin to take those first steps in following Jesus. There is nothing like seeing someone come to Christ and be on fire for Him!

Texas is full of people without Christ. Let us be broken and burdened for them. Let us be intentional to live out the mission God has given us! I believe as we do these things, we could see a movement of God across our state like we’ve never seen before.

I am praying for your church to engage with a new energy and passion for evangelism. I love you and I’m honored to serve you!

What a zebra—yes, a zebra—taught me about cooperative work

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

What was the most impactful church service you’ve ever attended? I can remember mine as if it were last Sunday.

I walked into the same church, through the same vestibule, passing the same water fountain. I smelled the same iconic church smell as I approached the same old glass door to the sanctuary. Looking through that door, I saw the same adults fellowshipping in the same way.

But this time, I noticed something different.

I had seen this different something before. I had seen it on TV and in books, but never in person, because it’s typically located in parts of the world I never imagined visiting.

What was it? It was a zebra lying across the back pew. Technically, a zebra skin—but for this little kid in Portsmouth, Va., it was a zebra. I was mesmerized!

Something else happened that day. The man who brought that zebra to church was the guest preacher. From Matthew 28, he challenged the church to spread the gospel and make disciples throughout the entire world, including places with zebras!

I got it. As a fifth grader, I clearly understood the assignment. I acquired the burden to do my part, and since I could not go to the world physically, I knew I had to do something. I committed to giving 50 cents every Sunday to missions.

Nearly 40 years later, that burden has become greater. As a stand-up comedian, I look for ways to reach and help more people in the places I can’t otherwise reach. My wife and I have consistently led our six kids to live and give on mission. And if the call to lead my family in mission efforts wasn’t enough, I became lead pastor of North Garland Baptist Fellowship.

The pastor’s heavy responsibility to teach others to see and live out the Great Commission can literally cause my heart to fear and tremble. In those moments, remembering Jesus said His burden is light, I have to ask myself if I’m carrying an unnecessary burden.

The answer is “yes.”

I once thought I had to come up with a plan to do the work of the Great Commission individually or with my local church/group. But when I saw all we can do through the collective efforts of the Cooperative Program, not only did my heavy burden turn into a light one, but it also gave me a sense of ministerial confidence. I no longer have to take the same approach to local and global missions.

I join forces and resources with like-minded brothers and sisters across the globe. Additionally, I know that I, along with so many others, have access to training and equipping to do the massive work we are all called to do.

This has allowed me to stand as the leader of a church with a clear conscience and say, “Yes, by giving through the CP, we are doing our part in fulfilling the Great Commission.” Through the Cooperative Program, we’re all doing things we never thought we’d do, reaching those who don’t know about the saving grace of Jesus or who simply need to grow in that same grace.

Whether it’s places with zebras or places where they’ve never seen zebras, we are seeing God do things we never thought of or imagined for His glory.

Cooperative Program allows Houston’s First to expand its footprint far beyond its natural reach

Generous churches produce generous people.

It’s a sentiment Gregg Matte repeats often to his staff and congregation at Houston’s First Baptist Church, undergirding a culture that annually is one of the Southern Baptist Convention’s most enthusiastic supporters of the Cooperative Program.

“A lot of times, we want our people to be generous, but we’re not showing them how the church as a whole is being generous,” said Matte, the church’s senior pastor since 2004.

When people see their church is generous in giving through the Cooperative Program and other means to support disaster relief, missions, and seminary training, “that makes them want to be generous.”

“If they feel like their generosity is just paying for the lights and the letterhead, then that’s not going to be enough,” Matte said. “But when they see their generosity promoting a generous church that’s making a difference, that changes things.”

Matte emphasizes that when the congregation gives tithes and offerings, it is giving through the church, not simply to it.

“When you’re giving through the church, it’s going on. ... You’re giving through the church to places we’ll never go, we’ll never see, but we’re going to be able to help reach them for the gospel of Christ.”

—gregg matte Tweet

“When you give to the church, you feel like you gave it and it just stopped,” he said. “When you’re giving through the church, it’s going on. … You’re giving through the church to places we’ll never go, we’ll never see, but we’re going to be able to help reach them for the gospel of Christ.”

Houston’s First feels a pull to foreign missions, Matte said, because the church was started in 1841 by a foreign missionary coming from Tennessee to Texas. The congregation, which began in the Republic of Texas, would not have existed without someone leaving home to share Christ, he noted.

With more than 8,000 attending worship on four campuses in Houston and a few thousand joining online, Houston’s First typically is the largest giver in the state to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions, and the Reach Texas offering—in addition to CP giving.

One of Matte’s favorite parts of CP, he said, is mission trips made possible by partnerships.

“People will go on a mission trip, and when they go farther out than just their normal realm, they come back stronger church members, more excited about the gospel,” he said, adding that he loves to see God show them the great things He is doing throughout the world.

Among the places members from Houston’s First have gone frequently on mission trips are Boston, New York, and Las Vegas, as well as Africa and India.

Houston’s First has been a faithful CP supporter for the giving plan’s entire 100-year history because the funding method remains relevant.

“The core churches in our denomination are not large churches,” Matte said. “We have resources that maybe other churches don’t, but we want to utilize those resources to help other churches. We know that we cannot reach every community and every neighborhood. We want to partner and to help in that way with CP.”

The beauty of CP, he said, is that Houston’s First can be part of kingdom work “in every neighborhood, in every city, in every place, and not just our own church’s footprint. It expands the footprint of the gospel going out all different places.”

Churches today may struggle with continuing to give through CP when they can directly support missionaries they know, but Matte said it’s a fallacy to think “either/or.”

“It’s both/and,” he said. “We as a church want to be raising up folks in our congregation that we know their names, we know their kids, we’ve seen their growth, and we can help send them out connected with the local body.

“At the same time, we want to see people raised up and sent out all throughout the denomination,” he said. “We’re able to have a farther reach by doing both/and. We see them as feeding each other and blessing each other more than we see them coming against each other. It’s not an antithesis. It’s a synergy.”

Every church, regardless of its size, needs to be involved in reaching the world, Matte said, pointing to Jesus’ mention of the widow’s mite. “She gave more than anyone,” he said. “It’s about the heart behind the giving.”

Matte himself is a beneficiary of CP when he considers the seminary education he received because faithful Southern Baptists gave generously. A bookshelf in his office holds folders from the classes he took while earning a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

“I will pull those notes out and look back over them when I’m preparing the message that then goes to the people,” Matte said. “I always wish I would have taken better notes than I did as a young man, but I have those, and I can look back on books. I have relationships that were formed at seminary I can call on. It gives me credibility in the city to have been educated in that way.”

The Cooperative Program has made Matte “proud as a Southern Baptist to see the ways that when we join together, we’re able to make a huge difference.

“It’s affected me personally in my heart to know that other people have prospered from this partnership through all the different ministries that CP puts together.”

A failproof way to change the world

In September, my wife and I experienced one of the greatest joys of our lives when we welcomed our first grandchild into the family. We have always heard that being a grandparent is like nothing else, and so far, we have found this to be true.

We were anxious but excited as we waited at the hospital over the span of a couple of days. We passed the time reminiscing about the birth of our two children more than two decades ago. We laughed about some of the mistakes we made as young parents. Our hearts were light as we eagerly anticipated the miracle about to happen.

The day after our grandson was born, however, I ran into a friend at the hospital who was there under much different circumstances. A family member of his had just received a difficult diagnosis and he was distraught. After spending a couple of happy days at the hospital, it reminded me that so many of the people around us were experiencing something very different.

You never know what people are going through. As you walk the aisles of your local grocery store enjoying a carefree day, someone at the checkout—the one you noticed walking past you with a scowl on their face a few minutes earlier—is trying to figure out how to hold a marriage together. Sometimes the person who frustrates you with their bad driving on the highway is just trying to stay in their lane while wiping away tears.

All the more reason to treat others with kindness.

"In a world that sometimes seems to have lost its humanity, there’s nobody who needs to be seen more than Jesus."

Jayson Larson Tweet

In Ephesians 4:32, Paul writes, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul describes followers of Jesus as the aroma of Christ “among those who are perishing.” In John 13, Jesus says the world will know more about Him through the love we show the world. There’s a direct connection between what Jesus did for us and what He expects us to do for others.

But love and kindness feel in very short supply sometimes, don’t they? Many of us see this truth on display in digital spaces, where opinions are ubiquitous and discretion is rare. The shocking and sad events in our nation over the past month or so have only been rivaled by the cold-hearted responses logged ad nauseum on social media. I’ve been disheartened and even angered by the cruel and evil things people have said and written online in response to events that should break all our hearts.

As a result, we’ve heard calls for more controls on free speech. But I think what we need more of is Jesus. More Jesus online. More Jesus on TV. More Jesus in the grocery store. More Jesus at the hospital. More Jesus in the schools. More Jesus in the workplace. The way that happens is through us—ambassadors through which God makes His appeal to the world to be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:20).

In a world that sometimes seems to have lost its humanity, there’s nobody who needs to be seen more than Jesus. And there’s nothing more important for people to hear than this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Thing is, if we don’t reflect the love and kindness modeled so perfectly by our Lord, we may never have the chance to tell the ones who need to hear about Him the most.

Watching God make good things great

The food pantry ministry of First Baptist Church in Swan, a tiny community nestled between Tyler and Lindale, serves a whopping number of families—more than 200 each week. The pantry has become a key connection point between the church and community.

Despite serving such large numbers, FBC Swan Pastor Jeremiah Dollgener felt a disconnect. After all, the pantry, he reasoned, was not an end in itself, but a means to evangelize the community. With that conviction, he led his church to engage in the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Regenesis process.

Regenesis, a ministry funded in part through the Reach Texas State Missions Offering, guides churches toward health and renewal through a proven process. In 2024, 74 churches and 378 lay leaders were trained through Regenesis—which has grown every year since its inception in 2022.

“We had some positive, outreach-oriented ministries going at the time,” Dollgener said, “but we needed something more. Through Regenesis, God led us to craft our vision to fit our community and context.”

FBC Swan streamlined its vision to develop a three-pronged strategy that guided its members to serve their community, share their faith, and seek Christ. That focus has helped the church make meaningful gospel connections with a diverse group of people.

In one instance, a Hispanic man approached Dollgener at a store and asked about the food pantry. That man is now leading a bilingual Bible study class that serves food in the community. In another instance, a woman who is served by the pantry shared she had been diagnosed with cancer. The church prayed for her, provided her with meals, and eventually had the privilege of watching her give her life to Christ and get baptized.

“Upon entering our church, one will see rich and poor, business owners and homeless, Black, White, Hispanic all under one roof,” Dollgener said, “singing and praising the Lord who saved them.”

Seeing needs, meeting needs

Three years ago, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention engaged in a multiyear ministry partnership with the Convention of Southern Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico. The goal of the partnership is for the SBTC to help plant new churches and strengthen existing ones in the Puerto Rico convention.

As part of that effort, the SBTC invited pastors and church leaders on a vision trip to the Caribbean island to see the work that has been done, the work that is needed, and the local partners with whom they would be working. The vision trip was funded, in part, through grants provided by Reach Texas funds.

Cameron Crow, First Baptist Church Farmersville’s student pastor, was among those on the trip. He said the vision trip involved becoming familiar with the island, engaging with multiple churches and ministry partners, and assisting with a retreat for Puerto Rican pastors and their wives. Crow caught the vision and has since led two more trips to Puerto Rico—leading teams of students to serve through opportunities with local churches and ministries working with the North American Mission Board and Send Relief.

Crow said the trips have allowed his students to cultivate an appreciation for different cultures, practice evangelism within a diverse context, and witness firsthand how Send Relief strategically uses the Cooperative Program to impact people with the gospel. Additionally, Crow said several students have discerned a calling to missions through FBC Farmersville’s Puerto Rico trips, refining their focus toward specific mission fields and ministries.

“It is inspiring to witness God’s powerful movement through His church in reaching the unreached people of Puerto Rico,” Crow said. “Our [church’s] long-term vision is to establish a meaningful partnership with a church in Puerto Rico, supporting their efforts to reach the lost and fostering their growth into a vibrant and healthy congregation.”

Locking arms and locking in

Redeemer Church in Lubbock is experiencing a massive movement of God among the college students it works hard to reach. The most recent surge started during a kickoff event at the church last summer.

“We had more than 600 students show up [that evening],” said Cody Carroll, Redeemer’s college director. Students from Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University attended, enjoying the free meal and a worship service which included singing, teaching, and a gospel presentation. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention used Reach Texas funds to help with food costs for the event.

“God moved in an incredible way. We had hundreds of students get connected to small groups,” Carroll said. “Students have come to faith all year and it’s been incredible.”

The enthusiasm has continued past the event. Some 500 to 600 students actively participate in the church’s college program.

Dylan Dean, a Tech senior and Redeemer student leader, said lives are being changed through the ministry of the church’s college program. She offered the examples of Lili and Ryan.

Lili started attending Redeemer last year as a freshman. Her faith was lukewarm, said Dean, but she desired community. Lili joined a small group and started getting discipled. One year later, she leads a growth group.

“She can now pour into other girls’ lives,” Dean said.

Ryan, Dean said, always told his friends he would never follow Jesus.

“Ryan came to college, did the college thing, became president of his fraternity,” said Dean. Another student leader, Ben, consistently invited Ryan to small group.

“Slowly but surely, Ryan started showing up,” Dean said. He began attending Tuesday night gatherings and Sunday worship services. Then he started asking for prayer. Now he is saved and was baptized earlier this year.

“Consistency produced that,” said Dean. “At Redeemer, we all lock arms together [in] disciple-making and multiplication.”

Spreading the gospel anywhere and everywhere

Jorge and Blanca Quintero have dedicated their lives to spreading the message of salvation wherever the Lord has called them. As leaders and hosts of growth and discipleship groups at Sunnyvale First Baptist Church en Español, their commitment to God’s work has impacted many lives.

The Quinteros are also active in missions work through their church. In March 2024, Sunnyvale en Español organized a mission trip to Durango, Mexico, where the gospel was preached in nine churches. Evangelism tools were distributed, including 5,000 gospel tracts, 60 evangelistic cubes, and Bibles. As a result, 143 people gave their lives to Christ.

Many of the resources used on the trip were provided through a Southern Baptists of Texas Convention grant funded through Reach Texas giving. The Quinteros said Sunnyvale en Español has made strong connections with SBTC en Español through the annual Apoderados Conference held in conjunction with the Empower Conference each February. They say the church’s involvement with the conference over the past 15 years has better equipped members for evangelism and discipleship efforts on the mission field.

Though they’ve witnessed many victories for God’s kingdom, the Quinteros still know there is much work to do. In Hidalgo, Mexico, a taxi driver deeply involved in idol worship accepted Christ after hearing the gospel and receiving a Bible. In El Salvador, they visited a woman who had been blocking the gospel from entering her community. She was very ill and unable to speak, but after hearing the gospel, she made the decision to accept Christ. Her decision marked a significant breakthrough in a community that had never embraced the gospel before.

As the work continues, one thing remains clear to Jorge and Blanca: The harvest is ready, and the need for workers—and resources—is greater than ever.