The Healing Path Movement, church-to-church partnership between Baptist churches in Texas and Ukraine, has experienced an increase in church involvement and planning, with 41 committed partnerships and four projects underway. A few other churches are in the process of joining.

“Most of those churches have actually already started their communication with their partner church in Ukraine,” Hannah Polk, director of the executive office at First Baptist Church in Kaufman, reported during a meeting of the Healing Path Movement on March 26.

The partnership began in November 2025 and officially launched in January. Brent Gentzel, senior pastor of First Church Kaufman, provides leadership for the partnership.

“Things are going well. … Churches have already started their prayer partnerships. … Prayer teams are meeting on a weekly, or every-other-week, or once-a-month basis,” Gentzel reported.

Projects in progress

Four of several on-the-ground initiatives are taking shape: sports camps utilizing partnerships with Texas-based athletic organizations, English camps using online curriculum, accessibility ramps, and church planting.

Healing Path will partner with Texans on Mission to put together basic plans for accessibility ramps in homes, churches, or other community spaces.

“Europe is notoriously poor about handicap access,” Gentzel explained. “We think there’s a lot of communities where our coming in to provide ramp access will be a great gospel ministry.”

Healing Path leaders are partnering with Baptist ministers to strategize on church planting opportunities and church training in Ukraine.

“We want to continue to plant churches during the war [between Russia and Ukraine]. And when the war is over, we think it’s important that we plant and re-plant churches that have been destroyed. It’s important to us that this be a priority for the partnership,” Gentzel said.

Financial strategy update

Participating Texas Baptist churches are expected to give $10,000 annually and $500 per month for three years. The total expected annual funding per partner church is $16,000.

The $10,000 annual gift is used to fund infrastructure costs of the movement, such as baseball camp training, curriculum development, and more. The monthly gifts are tied to the specific project a Texas and Ukrainian church agree to undertake together.

“Administrative costs for this whole thing are being handled out of gifts that have come from another source. We want all the money that is coming from the churches to go directly toward funding other ministry efforts,” Gentzel said.

Texas churches send their gifts to Texas Baptists, which in turn wires these funds to the Ukrainian Baptist Union to disburse to designated partner church in Ukraine. Giving updates are provided on the 15th of each month.

Healing Path Movement is also receiving donations from interested individuals, whether their church is engaged in the partnership or not. Those contributions are also being received online through Texas Baptists.

Partnerships needed

Every oblast—a region similar to a U.S. state—in Ukraine is represented by a church partnership. A few Ukrainian churches are still waiting for partners.

Gentzel asked pastor participants to consider how the Healing Path Movement will expand within the next year, encouraging them to reach out to potential partner churches:

“We’re 41 churches. … We’d like to get to 50. But really beyond that, there are 2,000 Ukrainian Baptist churches, and many of those would like to have partners. We are interested in seeking to grow this.”

Kimberly Wirt, leader of international missions at First Baptist Church in Hurst, is celebrating her 50th anniversary on the ministerial staff of the church. Her ministry experience also includes leading a mission trip to Niger, Africa. Texas Baptists Executive Director Julio Guarneri honored Wirt on Facebook for her years of service.

Crestview Baptist Church in Georgetown gathered on a Wednesday evening to pray, sing, and cover the structural beams and steel studs of their new sanctuary with Scripture. The $12 million sanctuary will include a 55-foot tower with three crosses that will be illuminated at night, a large platform for choir and orchestra, a seating capacity of 1,200, and a new commons area with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Texans on Mission deployed multiple workers to storm-ravaged parts of Jamaica in late February to rebuild and repair.

In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa brought widespread damage to areas such as Montego Bay, destroying schools and businesses and tearing apart homes.

The storm left many residents displaced, with some sleeping in tents or on the ground.

Some areas remain without electricity, and numerous businesses have been destroyed.

Texans on Mission partnered with the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., to provide hurricane relief in Jamaica.

Rand Jenkins, chief strategy officer for Texans on Mission, expressed appreciation for the work accomplished through the combined effort of Texans on Mission and members of the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.

“We are both excited about the work completed and the impact the partnership will have for years to come as we serve alongside one another from an active faith,” Jenkins said.

“Brother Terry White and Ronald Smith have been the two key individuals in joining the entities. Through our years of collaboration, it was a natural fit to work alongside one another in Jamaica. We provided food, built houses, installed roofs, and ministered with local congregations to people searching for hope after Hurricane Melissa.”

Volunteers constructed more than 52 tiny homes, each 120 square feet, and made roof repairs to Mount Alvernia High School in Montego Bay.

A total of 338 people accepted Christ during Beach Reach.

Hundreds of Baptist Student Ministry students across Texas gathered in South Padre Island for Beach Reach to share the gospel with spring breakers.

Students provided free van rides during late-night hours, and a free pancake breakfast each morning.

The Sunday-through-Thursday-night evangelistic event was based primarily at Island Baptist Church, which served as the “home base” for Beach Reach’s ministry.

A hotline was open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for spring breakers to call and request rides.

Vans were staffed by teams of five BSM students and a BSM director each who responded to ride requests.

On each ride, a student served as a “navigator,” sending a tweet to an online prayer wall so others could pray for riders in real time.

Located on the other side of South Padre Island, Texans on Mission set up a tent at Louie’s Backyard, an entertainment venue, for midnight pancake breakfasts where BSM students engaged visitors in spiritual conversations.

Testimonies

Brenda Sanders, consultant for Go Now Missions at Texas Baptists, encouraged students serving on the hotline shift.

“[Obedience is] decision by decision, by decision. It’s prompting of the Spirit and following it every single time,” Sanders said.

“Great moves of God are typically preceded by simple acts of obedience. Is the obedience going to end on Friday, or will it continue? Will you walk in obedience when you get back to your campus?”

Paul Woodby, a Dallas Baptist University freshman, and first-time Beach Reacher, admitted he felt “super nervous” about the experience, saying he “had to keep stopping like every 10 seconds to pray and ask for courage and boldness.” When he arrived at the beach, Woodby asked his ministry partner, fellow freshman Matthew Gage, to pray with him.

“The Lord really spoke to me and said, ‘I will meet you in the first step,’” Woodby recalled.

Choosing to act in obedience, Woodby stepped out in faith and shared the gospel with the first person he and Gage encountered that day.

“We started talking to Lee,” Woodby said. “We asked if he had heard of the gospel. He said ‘yes,’ but he didn’t really know what it was. So, we began explaining it. He expressed interest in Jesus, and we were able to pray the prayer of salvation with him.”

“After we talked with Lee, a guy named Lino came up to us and asked, ‘Can y’all pray for me?’ So, we prayed for him, shared the gospel, and he gave his life to Jesus as well,” Woodby continued.

From March 7–20, Beach Reach provided 14,389 van rides, had 10,491 spiritual conversations, 9,366 spring break attendees prayed for, 87 people recommitted their lives to Christ, and 55 baptisms.

Assembled from a report by Jessica King, Texas Baptist Communications.

SANTA FE, New Mexico—Meta knowingly misled consumers about the safety of its online platforms and therefore endangered children, a jury decision rendered March 24. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram will pay $375 million in civil penalties, the maximum amount of $5,000 per violation.

“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety,” New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said.

“Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.”

The decision comes as a similar lawsuit in Los Angeles covering thousands of cases of social media addiction is in the jury deliberation stage.

The March 24 verdict came after only seven hours of deliberation following a two-year investigation by the New Mexico Department of Justice. Internal documents retrieved during that investigation contained warnings from Meta employees and child safety experts over dangers present to children on the company’s platforms.

In the complaint, Torrez called Facebook and Instagram “breeding ground[s] for predators who target children for human trafficking, the distribution of sexual images, grooming, and solicitation.”

A spokesperson for Meta said the company will appeal the decision.

Evidence of intent

During the trial, evidence demonstrated Meta’s platforms are intentionally designed to addict young people and expose them to dangerous content, such as eating disorders and self-harm. The evidence included Meta internal documents and testimony from former Meta employees, law enforcement officials, and New Mexico educators.

Miles Mullin, executive vice president and chief of staff for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, called the decision “significant,” and not just because of the amount awarded.

“In this trial, a jury made up of everyday Americans said that no matter what other factors are at play, children must be protected from harmful and exploitative sexual material,” he noted.

“This is a win for safeguarding our children’s innocence, aligning with the Bible’s commands to protect the most vulnerable among us. As several similar cases make their way through several state courts, we should hope and pray for similar results.”

More lawsuits against Meta

The New Mexico decision comes nearly one month after a Delaware Superior Court ruled that Meta’s insurers would not be responsible for paying out losses in such lawsuits for the tech company.

“New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold Meta accountable in court for misleading parents, enabling child exploitation, and harming kids,” Torrez said. “In the next phase of this legal proceeding, we will seek additional financial penalties and court-mandated changes to Meta’s platforms that offer stronger protections for children.

“The substantial damages the jury ordered Meta to pay should send a clear message to big tech executives that no company is beyond the reach of the law. Policymakers and law enforcement officials across the country can help make this verdict a turning point in the fight for children’s safety. This is a watershed moment for every parent concerned about what could happen to their kids when they go online—and this victory belongs to them.”

Bruce McCoy to Indian Hills Baptist Church in Grand Prairie as bivocational pastor. He continues in his role as financial development officer at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Jake Maxcy is serving First Baptist Church in Round Rock in an interim capacity as their young adult minister and contemporary worship minister.

CORRECTION: Jake Maxcy’s entry was corrected to clarify the nature of his position.

Gene Wilkes will retire as dean of B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary at East Texas Baptist University. David Ritsema will step into the role, with plans to assume expanded leadership responsibilities following Wilkes’ retirement. Ritsema will officially begin his role on June 1. Wilkes served as president of B.H. Carroll Theological Institute, guiding the institute through a season of growth and transformation. He was integral to the successful integration of B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary into ETBU, where he became dean of the seminary and professor of New Testament. The process completed in June 2024, strengthening theological education and expanding opportunities for students preparing for ministry. Ritsema earned a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry from ETBU, a Master of Divinity from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in New Testament from B.H. Carroll. He has served as a resident fellow and professor in New Testament at the seminary since 2009 and has been a member of its Board of Governors since 2018. Before coming to B.H. Carroll at ETBU, Ritsema served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Waxahachie for 13 years.

Among U.S. colleges and universities, Hardin-Simmons University is the largest producer of small-business owners, according to a study using data from LinkedIn and published by the U.S. business news and content publisher OnDeck. HSU produces 368 business owners per 10,000 graduates. HSU is one of three Texas schools among the 10 private schools listed to produce the most small-business owners.

Houston Christian University announced the promotion of Kevin Hartless to vice president of adult and graduate studies. Hartless previously served as associate vice president of online marketing, recruitment, and admissions in the division, and he served in an interim capacity in his current role. Hartless joined HCU in August 2024 and has worked in the adult and graduate studies division, where he has played a key role in strengthening the university’s online enrollment strategies.

Wayland Baptist University online students reached the pinnacle of global competition in the Business Strategy Game, finishing among just eight teams worldwide ranked No. 1. The achievement came against a field of 5,055 teams from universities around the world, placing Wayland students among the elite performers in one of business education’s most competitive simulations. Wayland’s team, competing under the company name “Dynamic Sole,” earned a perfect overall score of 110.0 during the final week of competition, tying for the best performance in the world. The team also posted earnings per share of $22.38, ranking 43rd globally for the week, and a stock price of $599.24, ranking 29th worldwide. The co-managers of Dynamic Sole—Joshua Sylliaasen, Darius Steen-Jones, and Laura Villarreal—demonstrated exceptional balance across all major business performance categories.

KingsCover, a new church insurance program has grown rapidly since its launch Nov. 1, 2025. As of March 23, 153 Texas churches have enrolled. Program leadership anticipates launching broadly across select states this summer, with hopes to be nationwide by the end of 2026, and has launched in Alabama and Oklahoma as of March 23. 

Since its Texas launch, hundreds of churches have applied for coverage. In late January, over 80 churches had been issued policies. In early February, over 100 churches were enrolled with a total insured value of over $700 million. By early March, that number had grown to over 134 churches enrolled. 

“As of March 23, we have a total insured value of over $1 billion, with 153 churches that have saved over $1.6 million in lower premiums, … saving an average of 27 percent on their premiums” while increasing their coverage, Craig Christina reported. 

Christina is Texas Baptists associate executive director and president and board chair of the Texas Baptist Indemnity Program, which partners with KingsCover, a Texas-based insurance company. 

Messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas 2024 annual meeting approved a recommendation from the BGCT Executive Board to create TBIP as a captive insurance program enabling churches to secure affordable property and casualty, liability, and similar insurance coverage.

According to Christina, KingsCover quotes have consistently demonstrated favorable pricing, often resulting in premium savings of 10 percent or more. The highest rate of savings recorded was a 57 percent discount. 

“KingsCover Insurance is underwritten by Amherst Specialty Insurance Company, an AM Best A–VIII rated provider, which means it has ‘excellent’ resources to meet its financial obligations,” Christina said, noting Amherst and KingsCover are owned by Risk Theory.

Coverage explained

KingsCover will insure churches at replacement cost value, or the amount needed to repair or replace damaged property or equipment at current market prices, without deducting for depreciation. Actual cash value, by contrast, includes depreciation due to wear and tear or obsolescence. 

“In some cases, churches may have chosen ACV as a way to lower their premiums, by lowering their insured values,” Christina said.

“Replacement cost means we will fully pay to replace the covered losses for the building or property,” Christina said. “[Some] companies are only paying actual cash value … up to the policy limits, and they are greatly underinsuring the value of the property in order to lower premiums,” Christina said. 

Actual cash value may require a church to raise additional funds to rebuild or to build smaller. Replacement cost value, on the other hand, allows a church to rebuild equal to what was lost.

Covering churches at replacement cost value is part of TBIP’s “managed repair-claims” model. The model entails three steps of coverage:

1. providing replacement cost coverage for building losses,
2. utilizing a tried, trusted, and vetted national network of licensed, insured, accredited, and warranty-offering general contractors to repair or replace damaged property, and
3. offering pre-negotiated savings on premium materials for lower construction costs. 

“When a claim occurs, you file the claim, and we assign one of our approved managed repair vendors to the project,” Christina said. “They come out within 24 to 48 hours and assess damages, prepare a scope of work plan to be completed, and present it to the church for approval and sign-off.” 

The church is responsible for its deductible, and Amherst Specialty Insurance, as the insurance provider, pays its portion directly to the contractor, Christina explained.

“Once the work is complete, a warranty is given to the church by the contractor for the work completed. If there are any issues with the work, the church is able to contact the contractor and have them come back out.”

Tailored to church needs

“KingsCover is tailored primarily to cover the unique needs of churches,” Christina said. 

“For example, we automatically include a minimum of $10,000 for the replacement of a pastor’s library if it is destroyed during a covered loss on church property.”

“Some of the basic coverages include property insurance for fire, storms, theft, [and] equipment breakdown to repair or replace essential equipment like HVAC systems, soundboards, or kitchen appliances,” he continued.

KingsCover also offers “general liability to cover a church’s responsibility for injuries or property damage that may occur during services and events; church security team coverage; church-owned and non-owned/hired auto insurance; sexual abuse and molestation coverage,” and more, Christina said. 

“We can also offer an umbrella liability policy to provide extra protection as desired. Basically, we are building a program focused on addressing every coverage that churches need for ministry. We protect ministers and ministries so they can focus on building God’s kingdom.”

Approximately 30 percent of churches applying have declined the policies offered. The reasons for declining services vary from timing of their renewal date to honoring a preexisting relationship with a local broker, Christina explained. 

“The number of instances where churches find another company’s quote more affordable than KingsCover is very infrequent,” Christina said. 

Only one percent of churches, Christina said, have been declined coverage by KingsCover.

How to apply for coverage

KingsCover is the selling agent. To apply for coverage, churches can get a quote at KingsCover.com, can email info@KingsCover.com, or call 844-874-6242.

To be considered for coverage, a church must be autonomous and able to affirm the following statements of faith:

• Scripture has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without mixture of error, for its matter.
• The local church has the primary task of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
• God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. A family is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.

A quote is good for 30 days. Interested churches can reach out to info@kingscover.com at any time or about 45 days prior to their renewal date.

Testimonials

Jesse Rincones, pastor of Alliance Baptist Church and One Accord in Lubbock and executive director of Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas, shared how the Texas Baptist Indemnity Program impacts Hispanic churches:

“[TBIP] will be a huge help to Hispanic Baptist churches. Here in Texas, I get lots of phone calls from pastors whose [church] had to stop paying for their insurance during COVID, and they’re trying to find coverage again.”

“The options have been really limited in Texas. Several churches here in the Lubbock area lost coverage, and [it’s been] a challenge for us to find it,” Rincones continued. 

“I think TBIP is going to fill a gap that is really, really evident right now in Texas, especially for our Hispanic congregations that sometimes don’t have the resources to research and pursue the coverage they need,” he said. 

Because TBIP was created by and connected to Texas Baptists, the insurance option feels more approachable, Rincones stated. “This is not just a business or a company. This is coming from an organization we’ve known for years that has invested in Hispanic Baptists and understands us. It is more than just an insurance company.” 

Charles Hill, pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Whitehouse, described the onboarding process for TBIP as “seamless.”

Hill’s church was part of the original TBIP feasibility study, which provided his connection to the program. He explained how the program furthers Texas Baptists’ GC2 Strong Initiative: “Anytime you help churches collaborate together, you help them do things more effectively and efficiently,” he said. 

“This insurance program is a prime example of collaboration, pulling resources together, creating our own insurance entity that, in itself, helps churches free up capital, [so they can] be part of the Great Commission and make more of an impact in their local communities,” he said.

TBIP explainer

TBIP partners with KingsCover Insurance Services LLC, which offers insurance coverage designed for ministry owned properties. The program was launched by Risk Theory and developed in cooperation with Texas Baptists.

“Covenant Solutions is a nonprofit corporation domiciled in the state of South Carolina. The sole member of Covenant Solutions is the Baptist General Convention of Texas,” Christina said, adding the “BGCT created Covenant Solutions as a separate legal entity.”

Risk Theory covers property claims. Covenant Solutions covers liability, auto, and other claims.

According to the bylaws of Covenant Solutions: “Each of the Associate Executive Director of the Member and the Chief Financial Officer of the Member shall serve as a designated director on an ex officio basis, subject to approval by the Department [of insurance] for any new appointments. The member shall have the sole right and authority to elect all other directors.”

The bylaws also state, “The officers of the Corporation shall be appointed by the Board to serve at the pleasure of the Board.”

Three of the five Covenant Solutions board members are Texas Baptists employees. Christina was elected TBIP president, CEO, and chair. Texas Baptists Senior Director of Relational Development and GC2 Strong Sergio Ramos was elected vice president, and Texas Baptists Treasurer and CFO Ward Hayes was elected secretary/treasurer.

The remaining two board members, representing Texas Baptist churches and associational ministry, are David Bowman, director of missions for Tarrant Baptist Association, and Dennis Young, pastor of Missouri City Baptist Church.

“These designations will persist until such time as the covenant board changes them,” Christina said.

UPDATE: The first paragraph was updated with more specific information on where and when coverage will expand. (March 31, 4 p.m.)

Steve Gaines, a Tennessee megachurch pastor who served as Southern Baptist Convention president from 2016 to 2018, died Friday, March 20, his former congregation announced. He was 68.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved pastor emeritus, Dr. Steve Gaines,” Bellevue Baptist Church said in a post on its Facebook page.

“After a two-year long battle with cancer, brother Steve stepped into eternity earlier this afternoon, and he is now fully healed in the presence of the Lord.”

Gaines led the Memphis-area church, one of the SBC’s largest congregations, for 19 years.

He stepped down as the congregation’s pastor in 2024, 10 months after being diagnosed with kidney cancer.

Gaines was born Dec. 31, 1957, in Corinth, Miss., and grew up in Dyersburg, Tenn., according to Baptist Press.

He earned degrees at Union University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and pastored churches in Tennessee and Texas while in school.

Serving in the SBC

He was elected president of the SBC in 2016 during a period of relative calm in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.

After two rounds of voting by SBC annual meeting messengers, neither Gaines nor North Carolina megachurch pastor J.D. Greear had the 2,413 votes needed to win the presidency.

Both men offered to bow out, but Greear, who trailed by 104 votes, eventually dropped from the ballot, and Gaines became SBC president. Greear was elected two years later.

“Steve Gaines was a brother in arms to me if ever there was such a thing. He was a colleague, a captain, an older brother, a friend, a mentor,” Greear posted on X, after news of Gaines’ death became public Friday.

“He had a relentless, unflagging, inspiring fixation on evangelism. It stood at the center of everything he did, every venture he undertook, every fight he engaged in.”

At the time of Gaines’ election, the most pressing issue facing the SBC was its ongoing decline.

“I want to encourage you to be a soul-winner. I want to encourage you to be evangelistic,” Gaines told Southern Baptists in 2017 after he was reelected for a second term.

Responding to politics

In an interview before the 2016 election, Gaines said he was worried about the tone of the nation’s political debate, especially what he called “hateful statements” about the two major party candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, according to Baptist Press.

“Many voices, even among Southern Baptists, have been less than wise, and sometimes downright ill-mannered,” Gaines told Baptist Press at the time.

“Christians must at times be prophetic. But we never have a license to be pejorative or denigrating.”

He also called on his fellow Christians to honor their political foes after the 2016 election was over.

“May we be responsible and mature in our comments on social media posts, blogs, and articles. The world is watching us,” he wrote after the election. “May they see Jesus in us.”

In 2017, Gaines oversaw a denominational annual meeting in Phoenix rocked by fierce debate over a resolution condemning the alt-right movement and white supremacy.

That resolution was initially sidelined by a denominational committee, leading to anger at the convention and on social media and making national headlines.

The resolution was later resurrected and passed.

Gaines’ involvement in abuse investigations

Gaines was one of several SBC leaders mentioned in the 2022 Guidepost Solutions investigation into how Southern Baptist leaders had responded to sexual abuse allegations.

He told investigators from Guidepost Solutions he failed to report abuse allegations in a 2006 case for months.

That situation involved a staff member who had allegedly abused a member of their family.

“When I was informed, I believed that it was being properly taken care of and did not know my obligation to report it to authorities. I now know I did not handle the situation properly,” Gaines told a Memphis television station after the Guidepost report was released.

Gaines’ cancer diagnosis

In November 2024, Gaines told his church he had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. The following September, he announced he would be stepping down as pastor.

At the time, he told the church his prognosis was good.

“My treatments are going well, and I even received a good report last week on my latest PET scan,” he said.

“But regardless of what tests show, I firmly believe the word the Lord has given me that ‘I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord,’ (Psalm 118:17),” he told the church in his resignation letter.

Jeff Iorg, president of the SBC Executive Committee, called Gaines “a remarkable example of family leadership, pastoral effectiveness, preaching power, and evangelistic zeal.”

“He inspired me and encouraged me to be a better husband, father, friend, and leader,” Iorg told RNS in an emailed statement.

“We thank God for his leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention, pray for his family as they grieve, and celebrate the peace he now enjoys in heaven.”

A funeral for Gaines was held at Bellevue Baptist on Sunday, March 22, according to the church’s website.

“Please join us as we lift the entire Gaines family up in prayer during this difficult time,” the church announcement read.

“Wherever you are at …” Daniel Gruver said as a smile cracked across his face, his grin stretching east and west, “… that’s your life.”

Gruver, a second-generation Baptist missionary, grew up at the intersection of nearly everything, right in the center of the known world.

He grew up in the jungles of Panama and the speckled fishing villages of the Kuna Yala scattered among the San Blas Islands off Panama’s north coast. There are an estimated 365 islands or more in the San Blas that stretch over a 100-square-mile area facing the Caribbean Sea.

Daniel learned his name between two hemispheres, where entire continents converge. He heard his name where north meets south, land meets sea, fresh water meets salt, and the Caribbean snorkels up against a string of Islands with coral reefs like teeth.

He learned to read and write where Spanish translates into English and then back into its natural turn of phrase, where technology meets indigenous populations, hunger meets breakfast, and infirmity meets healing.

He saw his brothers and his sisters among the Kuna Yala, and he saw himself where the gospel meets the faces of others. He saw smiles deeper than a first glance might suppose. He learned to sing there.

Mola

“Look,” he said. “My father was a medical missionary. … My mother was ‘The Mola Lady.’”

Mola’s are hand-stitched artwork made through a process of “reverse applique,” which carves out layers of fabric with hand-stitched edging to reveal a colorful fabric underneath. The final product is both practical and impractical, worn by locals and coveted by tourists.

Daniel’s mother Jane, who taught school in the Panama Canal Zone, discovered she could take the native artwork of the Kuna, sell it abroad, and return all the profits to the Kuna Yala to buy medicine and provide scholarships to aid her husband’s work. She did it for 40 years.

As collections go, her mola collection was wildly successful. As of 2013, the Hudson Museum at the University of Maine has been home to “Mola’s: The Jane Gruver Collection.”

Molas depict nature at its very source. The womb is a frequent image. An animal or a monster is often found inside the stitchings of a womb.

Smile

Due to malnutrition and a lack of protein in their diets, it was not uncommon for babies to be born among the Kuna Yala with significant birth defects, commonly resulting in death.

Cleft palate was one of the more common birth defects. Daniel’s father was a doctor who specialized in facial reconstructive surgery. The Kuna called him “The White Witch Doctor.” He helped the Kuna Yala to smile.

Smiles do return. They migrate through difficult circumstance after difficult circumstance, island to island, hut to hut, person by person, over canoe and by foot, for long journeys and through time.

Many of these migrations result in jam-packed nine-day workweeks—two days’ travel in, five days on the ground, and two days out.

One time, Daniel said, Manuel Noriega, the unelected military dictator of Panama, sat Daniel’s father down. Noriega told Daniel’s father he needed the surgeon to stay on the mainland of Panama and do unpaid cosmetic surgeries for Norriega’s friends. The procedures would include face lifts, tummy tucks, and breast augmentation.

Daniel’s father felt otherwise. His heart was far away from the tall towers and colonial halls of Panama City. “The White Witch Doctor” preferred his work in another place beyond a bumpy four-hour drive in a 4×4 to Carti Pier, then by canoe to people scattered among the islands and huts of the Kuna Yala.

According to Daniel, Noriega gave his father three days to leave the country. To Jane, Daniels’ mother, Noriega gave two weeks to leave.

They left, but they would return.

See

Daniel studied agriculture and focused on the feeding centers his parents established to fight poverty and malnutrition. He also established discipleship networks.

Because the Kuna know Daniel, just as they knew his father, they let him into their tents, huts, canoes, and lives.

Daniel turned his head sharply, saying, “I don’t heal the sick like my father.” His tone was serious.

“God gave me a different calling,” Daniel said.

He drew his breath and continued, “But I can use my father’s name.”

Daniel Gruver, the son, is an optometrist and a member of First Baptist Church in San Marcos. He brings eyeglasses through the mainland and out to the villages on the islands. He helps the Kuna Yala to see.

Remembering

Daniel’s mother Jane passed away on Jan. 14. Her funeral will be on Ailigandi, Kuna Yala (San Blass) in May. It will be done by the village. The village chief will preside over the ceremony.

On Feb. 24, Daniel presented Javier Vargas with a special plaque to recognize Vargas’s translation of the book The White Witch Doctor into Spanish. Daniel’s father wrote the memoir in English. Vargas’s translation returns the surgeon’s words and stories back into Spanish and its natural turn of phrase, so the Kuna Yala might read it, too.

The Gruver family medical and spiritual missionary work continues through Daniel the optometrist and Kuna Agriculture Foundation. To support his work, visit afaithfulhope.com.

The Church Without Walls is engaged in a four-week Navigating Faith & Life Revival on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. at the church’s Eldridge Campus. Rev. Dr. Bryan Carter opened the revival March 4. Rev. Jeffrey A. Johnson II preached March 11. Rev. Tisha Dixon Williams preached March 18, and Rev. Frank Harris Jr. will preach March 25. 

Crestview Baptist Church invited church members, March 11, to write Scripture, prayer, and songs on the structural beams and steel studs of their new worship center to help “cover the space in God’s word before the walls go up.”

First Baptist Church at the Fields in Carrollton prayed over hundreds of cards representing children who will participate in the church’s Spring Sports Leagues. The church encouraged people to pray for safety, good sportsmanship, new friendships, and, above all, that kids would know the love of Jesus. 

Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Robinson recently worked with Shepherd’s Heart to distribute food to families in need. The church also worked with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build beds for children in McLennan County. 

First Baptist Church in Round Rock had a bat in the baptistery on Sunday. “It’s not uncommon for us to find bats ‘hanging around’ the outside of the church buildings sometimes. There’s a bridge less than a mile away, which is home to about 500,000 Mexican Free Tail Bats,” pastor Dustin Slaton said. “It looks like the bat was just going for a swim. But, since he technically went under water, we’ll definitely be including him in our next ACP baptism totals!”

WASHINGTON—Antisemitism is becoming so prevalent abroad that in many places it is dangerous for Jews to reveal their identity publicly, experts told the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom in a virtual hearing on systemic hatred March 18.

Deadly terrorist attacks, revisionist history understating or denying the Holocaust, public bullying of Jewish school students, and thinly veiled codewords inciting violence characterize trending antisemitism, a panel of experts and bipartisan representation from Congress told USCIRF commissions in the hearing.

Southern Baptist U.S. Sen. James Lankford, (R-Okla.), encouraged USCIRF for its diligence in addressing the issue.

“There’s a generation that still has no idea the Holocaust ever occurred. And there’s a whole generation of social media keyboard warriors that are out there trying to tell people the Holocaust never happened,” Lankford said. “We have got to continue to be able to speak the truth and … challenge the antisemitic rhetoric that continues to rise on the left and on the right.”

Sen. Jackie Rosen, (D-Nev.), who co-founded with Lankford the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, joined Lankford in pointing out progress made and lingering concerns. Elevating to the rank of ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, appointed in December 2025 as special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, proves Congress’ sincerity, Rosen said.

USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler pinpointed the severity of antisemitism and the pressing need to address and correct the trend that continues to prove deadly for Jewish communities internationally.

Increased attacks on Jews evident

“In recent years, civil society organizations have documented an alarming uptick in attacks targeting Jews in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and elsewhere merely for their religious identity,” Hartzler said, pointing out in particular the December 2025 attack that killed 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.

“This month alone, we have seen attacks on three synagogues in Toronto, two Jewish institutions in the Netherlands, a synagogue in Belgium, and a foiled attack on Jews in France,” Hartzler said.

“Antisemitism, put simply, is the hatred of Jews,” Hartzler said. “It stems from negative stereotypes and holds Jews as collectively responsible for societal and political ills.”

In addition to terrorist attacks at public Jewish events and synagogues, Jews in some communities are refused service in restaurants, chased in the street by instigators intending physical harm, and intimidated into using non-Jewish names and avoiding cultural and religious items that identify them as Jewish, commissioners and panelists said.

Antisemitism must be collectively addressed

Antisemitism is a stress test for democracy, must be collaboratively attacked, and is included in a panorama of hatred that encompasses many societal groups, USCIRF commissioners and panelists said.

“Protecting freedom of religion or belief for Jews should be a key priority for governments fighting discrimination and intolerance on the basis of religion,” USCIRF Vice Chair Asif Mahmood said, also pointing out societal responsibility. 

“Policies to combat antisemitism protect Jews first and foremost, but in reality, they protect religious freedom for all people,” Mahmood said.

“Freedom of religion or belief is a universal freedom. A restriction on any single person’s freedom of religion or belief is a restriction on everyone’s freedom of religion or belief. Combating antisemitism, therefore, matters to Jews and non-Jews alike,” he said. 

Ernest Herzog, executive director of operations at the World Jewish Congress, quoted WJC President Ronald Lauder, in emphasizing the importance of cooperation and collaboration.

“The best way to fight Muslim hate is when Christians and Jews do it. The best way to fight antisemitism is when Christians and Muslims do it,” Herzog said. “The best way to fight anti-Christian beliefs is when Muslims and Jews come together to do it. Victims should not be fighting the hate against [themselves] alone, and they cannot win in this fight.”

Antisemitic trends

Among trends in antisemitism globally, panelists and commissioners cited:

• Deceptive and ambiguous language in the public square that insults and verbally attacks Jewish communities without explicitly stating the religious and ethnic group.
• Inadequate data collection that overlooks antisemitism. “Governments have downplayed or outright denied their historic complicity in the Holocaust, venerated historical figures responsible for the systemic murder of Jews, and dragged their feet on restoring stolen Jewish property to their rightful heirs,” said USCIRF Commissioner Rachel Laser. “Governments in Eastern Europe, including but not limited to Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, raise particular concerns.”
• Government-approved textbooks that slander Jews, including in Qatar, where textbooks teach falsely that Jews identify Ezra as the son of God, and in Egypt, where textbooks describe Jews as “treacherous” and “traitors.”
• In Colombia, governmental leaders regularly use rhetoric that normalizes antisemitism, accusing Israel of genocide in the war with Hamas, comparing the Jewish nation to Nazis, and denying Jews are God’s chosen people identified in Scripture.

The U.S. must actively fight antisemitism globally as well as at home, commissioners and panelists said, recommending among other initiatives that the U.S. government fight antisemitism by protecting and promoting democracy globally, and countering other forms of hatred.

“Without robust rule of law, without fundamental freedom of speech, press, protest, [and] association, you cannot protect religious freedom for individuals or communities,” Rabbi David Saperstein, former ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom, said, “nor implement the fundamental civic application of religious freedom that no one’s right as a citizen should ever depend upon their religious identity, religious practices, or peaceful religious practices.”

The full recording of the hearing, “The Endangerment of Jews: The Rise of Antisemitism Abroad,” is posted on USCIRF’s website at uscirf.gov/events.