BGCT names 10 regional congregational strategists

Posted: 2/3/06

BGCT names 10 regional congregational strategists

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—The Baptist General Convention of Texas has named 10 congregational strategists—convention staff members who will live in designated areas around the state and work with churches in their assigned regions. They will begin serving on the field by March 1.

Most of congregational strategists will work from their homes, and each is expected to follow a plan for strategically ministering to every church in a particular area, said Andre Punch, who directs the group.

Strategists will be trained to meet a variety of ministry needs and prepared to offer customized assistance to churches, Punch said.

Each strategist will work with a church starter and consultants for affinity groups such as African-American, Hispanic and Western Heritage congregations.

The new strategy comes as a result of Texas Baptists urging the BGCT to deploy staff members across the state, where they can meet needs quickly and efficiently, Punch explained.

Every church—large or small, rich or poor—has needs, he said. Some leaders simply need encouragement; others require more tangible assistance. Congregational strategists will be able to meet both needs and everything in between, he stressed.

“We will be a convention that will be near the local church, and we will be able to respond to the local church in a meaningful way,” Punch said.

Area strategists enable the BGCT to cultivate relationships better with churches and understand best how to serve them, said Ron Gunter, BGCT chief operations officer and associate executive director.

“The point of what we’re doing is to connect us to the local church,” he said. “We’re here to serve the local church.

“We will touch every church in Texas at its point of need. We will help churches become all that God wants them to be.”

Charles Davenport is the congregational strategist for the Panhandle. He will work with Church Starter John Silva, who also will serve Far West Texas, where Robert Cuellar is congregational strategist. Mateo Rendon will work with Hispanic congregations in the Panhandle.

Noe Trevino will serve in the Rio Grande Valley as a church strategist, and Fred Ater will do the same in a region extending from the south edge of San Antonio to Corpus Christi. David Tamez is the church starter for both these regions.

Strategist Ben Hanna and Church Starter David Guel will serve in Houston. Cathy Dundas will continue to work with ethnic groups in Houston, and an African-American consultant will serve the city in the near future.

Tim Randolph is the strategist for Central Texas north of San Antonio. He will be teamed with Church Starter Marty Mosher.

Jim Furgerson will be the congregation strategist for San Antonio.

Congregational Strategist Dennis Parrott will team with Church Starter Randy Gilchrist to work in East Texas.

Church Starter Roy Cotton and Congregational Strategist Richard Mangum will work together in Dallas and the areas north and east of the city.

Paul Atkinson has been named a congregational strategist and will work with Abe Zabaneh in Fort Worth and the area north and west of the city.

Ron Nolen will work with Western Heritage congregations—cowboy churches—across the state. Michael Evans will do the same with African-American churches, and Patty Lane will minister to what has been called the intercultural group statewide.

Frank Palos will work with Hispanic congregations statewide, and Bob Ray will focus on bivocational and smaller-membership churches across Texas.

Each strategist was chosen specifically for strong relational skills and familiarity with specific areas, Punch said. Most have roots in or currently reside in their assigned areas. They already know many church leaders in an area and can build upon those relationships, he emphasized.

Punch believes the convention’s efforts to provide local customized assistance could help revolutionize the spiritual landscape of Texas.