In keeping with the theme “Live out GC2,” speakers challenged attendees of the 2025 Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting to embody Old and New Testament Scripture as a way of life.

“We live in a world that is in desperate need of the gospel. The problem that we are addressing with GC2 Strong is lostness,” BGCT Executive Director Julio Guarneri said, regarding the emphasis on fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission and Great Commandment.

“It’s been almost 2,000 years since the Lord Jesus gave us the Great Commission, and we still haven’t finished the task.”

“One day, we will give an account to him [Jesus] of our lives and our ministries. I don’t think he’s going to ask us on that day what our average attendance was in worship. I don’t think he’s going to be asking us what the size of our budget was.

“I don’t think he’s going to be impressed by how many buildings we erected in his name,” he continued.

“But I have a pretty good feeling that he is going to ask us: ‘Did you love me with all your heart, with all your strength, and with all your mind? Did you love your neighbor as yourself? Did you take every opportunity to make disciples of all nations?’ I would like Texas Baptists to answer affirmative to all three of those questions on that day,” Guarneri concluded.

Based on an assessment of BGCT churches finding “about 75 percent … are either plateaued or declining when it comes to membership or worship attendance,” Guarneri called for a GC2 awakening.

Guarneri asked his hearers to imagine a future in which Texas Baptist churches are actively living out the Great Commandment and Great Commission.

“How about 2,030 churches praying for the lost on a regular basis … experiencing vibrancy and power in worship … loving God through obedience and surrender to his will … showing love for neighbors through intentional ministries [and making] disciples who make disciples?”

He continued imagining leaders strengthened, pastors growing, churches adopting missionaries, Bible translation projects, and Christian students involved in theological education in a leadership pipeline preparing them to serve in Texas Baptist churches, campus ministries, missions and Baptist institutions.

He also addressed the 20-year downward trend in Cooperative Program giving: “Can we also imagine perhaps in five years increasing our Cooperative Program giving by 20.3 percent? … We could add $5 million to do this kind of ministry.”

Along with GC2 Strong, Guarneri will build three different teams to address needs in the convention: a prayer advisory team, a constitution and bylaw task force, and a Cooperative Program giving study group.

A Psalm 1 person

A Psalm 1 person is a person who loves God, Dennis Wiles said. But, he asked, how would such a person be described? Wiles is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Arlington.

“You can recognize a person who loves God by how that person behaves … by what that person believes [and] by who that person becomes,” Wiles explained.

Such a person “refuses the advice of the wicked,” “refuses to stand in the way that sinners take” and “does not sit in the company of mockers,” even though we live among the wicked, sinners and mockers, he proclaimed.

Such a person goes straight to God’s word, meditates on God’s word and saturates in God’s word. “You give God the opportunity to speak to you, shape your mind, heal your heart, guide your path,” Wiles said.

“In our day, there are too many believers guided by their own inclination rather than God’s inspiration,” he added.

A Psalm 1 person is like a tree planted intentionally next to living water, “growing strong and vibrant, flourishing in every season, providing shade … and bearing fruit to the glory of God,” Wiles declared.

“We need to plant some trees in Texas. … I’m talking about some Psalm 1 trees,” Wiles said.

Doing, loving, walking

“Justice is not an idea we applaud but the way we live,” Rolando Aguirre declared, urging believers to make things right and to do justice, not only admire it. Aguirre is associate pastor of teaching and Spanish language ministries at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.

Preaching from Micah 6:8, Aguirre encouraged messengers to love their neighbors by living God’s justice.

“Ask yourself, ‘Where can I make wrong things right today?’” Aguirre said.

“Maybe in a conversation that needs truth? In a hospital room that needs prayer? In a kitchen that needs forgiveness? In a neighborhood that needs presence? Brothers and sisters, there is so much that God can do because there is so much that he can do through us,” he continued.

Likewise, mercy is to be a way of life, Aguirre asserted.

“To love mercy is not to do kindness now and then. It is to delight in covenant love. It is love that holds fast when everything else lets go. Mercy is how truth learns to hold a hand,” he said.

Like Jesus, humility should be practiced by daily walking with God in a rhythm of dependence, Aguirre said.

“The Lord Jesus is Micah 6:8 in flesh and blood. He makes wrong things right. He makes mercy his way, and he walks humbly with the Father. We are not saved by living Micah 6:8, we are freed to live it out,” he concluded.

‘Leading like Jesus’

To lead like Jesus, four things are necessary, Delvin Atchison proclaimed. Atchison is the senior pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Lewisville.

A person must have “the humility to serve,” “the vulnerability to suffer,” “the tenacity to stand” and “the certainty of success,” he declared, preaching from John 13:1-5.

“If we are too big to serve, we are too small to lead,” he said.

“God doesn’t give us the option of only serving the people we like. Love says, ‘I give you the option to hurt me,’” Atchison noted, referencing Jesus washing Judas’ feet while knowing his betrayal was at hand.

“Texas Baptists, the time has come for us to stand up” for what is right and eschew “little understanding” and “fickle convictions,” Atchison declared.

Atchison asserted leaders should have the tenacity to stand, noting it is always the nature of people with little understanding to have fickle convictions.

Humility to serve, vulnerability to suffer and tenacity to stand are possible because of a Christian’s certainty of success, Atchison said.

“You are not fighting for a victory. You are fighting from a place of victory,” he said. “We already know how it’s going to turn out. … When the dust settles, it will be all right.”

Pentecost again 2,000 years later

Pointing to the church at its birth as described in Acts 2, “We believe our mundane can become God’s miraculous. Our simple can become God’s supernatural. Our ordinary can become God’s extraordinary in God’s kingdom,” Elijah Brown proclaimed. Brown is general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance.

He pointed to “a church without borders or boundaries that does not give in to the Babylons in this world, but [believes] that the word of God is powerful and alive, even when it is countercultural—such as BWA’s holding to a “biblical definition of marriage as a covenant union between one man and one woman for life,” Brown noted.

Brown recounted stories of Christianity’s exponential growth in Asia and Africa as he asked the Lord to do again today what he did 2,000 years ago at Pentecost.

He laid out five paths, based on Acts 2:41-47, calling for an “unprecedented, collaborative, global mission” to evangelize the world by 2033. The paths are witness, Bible, care, freedom and justice, and neighbor.

By 2033, the Acts 2 Movement’s goal is for Baptists to have:

• shared 450 million personal testimonies,
• engaged 1,159 Bible translations with prayer and support,
• performed 1 billion intentional acts of service,
• gathered 1 million signatures on the Covenant of Religious Freedom, and
• engaged 500,000 neighborhood lay chaplains.

“God, what you did in Acts 2, would you do it again for this 2,000th anniversary, and would you let it begin right here?” Brown prayed.

Among other business, messengers to the 2025 BGCT annual meeting considered one of two motions to examine relationships between the BGCT and its partner education institutions. Discussion on the motion was praised for the civility of debate for and against it.

Praising civil debate

“I was very proud of what happened yesterday,” Ronny Marriott said in his final address as BGCT president, referring to discussion of motions to amend the 2026 BGCT budget. “That is a beautiful moment when we can have disagreements, but we can debate with civility,” he continued.

“I think we as Texas Baptists and Texas Baptist churches have an opportunity to show an unbelieving world how a diverse people can be unified,” Marriott said.

Acknowledging there is always disagreement wherever there is diversity, “Will our disagreement be more prominent than our cooperation?” Marriott asked.

Referring to Isaiah 1:18—“Come now, and let us reason together”—Marriott lamented the world having “lost the ability to debate and to reason with civility.” BGCT messengers demonstrated civil and reasonable debate “the last two days,” Marriott added.

Marriott was alluding to two motions made during miscellaneous business on Nov. 17, one of which was debated and decided prior to his closing address.

Calling Texas Baptists to see health and strength in their diversity, Marriott concluded with the challenge to “show the world the strength of unity amid diversity for the glory of God.”

Motions on institutional relations

The Committee on the Annual Meeting ruled out of order a motion made the previous day by Kody Alvarez, pastor and messenger from Oak Grove Baptist Church in China Spring, a church dually aligned with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

Alvarez’s motion directed the BGCT’s Institutional Relations Committee “to examine all BGCT-affiliated educational institutions for alignment with the GC2 summary of faith” and to make “affirmation of the GC2 summary [as demonstrated by all religion and theology faculty signing it] a condition” for receiving BGCT funds.

The motion was determined to “circumvent the authority of the Executive Board” as provided by Art. 8, Sec. 1(C) of the BGCT constitution. Under this section, the recommendation to discontinue an affiliation or relationship must come from the Executive Board.

A motion by Mike Miller, pastor and messenger from Central Baptist Church in Jacksonville, was determined to be in order and was brought to the messengers for a vote. Miller’s motion called for an examination of Baylor University’s “endorsements of and partnerships and affiliations with any organizations that advocate or affirm the LGBTQ lifestyle and agenda.”

Support for the motion

Speaking in favor of his motion, Miller referred to Baylor officially chartering in April 2022 “an LGBTQ+ student organization” called Prism.

“According to Prism’s constitution,” Miller read, “‘The mission of Prism serves Baylor University and its students through creating a respectful space that embraces diverse sexual identities.”

Miller also referenced Baylor’s affiliation with Baptist Women in Ministry, including sponsoring the organization and its events.

Citing BWIM’s website, Miller said: “BWIM states that it is ‘committed to supporting and advocating for any individual who identifies as a woman,’ [and] they further state that they are ‘committed to celebrating and supporting LGBTQ+ women and open and affirming congregations.’”

Though Baylor has made official statements affirming the biblical understanding of sexuality, “Baylor has chosen to contradict its own Statement on Human Sexuality,” Miller asserted.

Baylor’s statement reads that deviations from the biblical norm of “purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman … include both heterosexual sex outside of marriage and homosexual behavior.”

Baylor expects its “students will not participate in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching,” Miller said, quoting the same statement. He contended Baylor gives “either tacit or explicit approval to such groups,” calling such approval “a betrayal of the trust” of Texas Baptists.

“Accountability is a good thing. Let’s take a look and make sure that our partner is staying true to who we are,” Miller concluded.

Kody Alvarez also spoke in favor of the motion to examine Baylor: “The goal of accountability is to maintain the relationship. … So, the goal for doing this … would be, Lord willing, to bring clarity and then, hopefully, see them draw back from that progressive push, because the thing about the progressive push, it’s always going to keep pushing.”

“Baylor is not, in fact, seen—regardless of their statements and written documents—to be living by what they claim. This is the perception, whether we like it or not, among a great number of Texans,” Matthew Jones, pastor and messenger from Reliance Baptist Church in Bryan, said as time for debate ran out, speaking in favor of the motion.

Opposition to the motion

Speaking against the motion, Ross Chandler, pastor and messenger from First Baptist Church in Marble Falls, asserted Miller’s motion has “the exact same spirit and motive” as the motion to defund Baptist World Alliance, which failed passage the previous day.

Passing Miller’s motion would result in messengers “going through all of this again next year” after a process leading “right back to this conclusion that Baylor represents Texas Baptist churches,” Chandler concluded.

“Baylor’s position on human sexuality is both biblical and traditional,” Howie Batson, pastor and messenger from First Baptist Church in Amarillo, said.

“Recent decisions by the Baylor administration have demonstrated a clear commitment to uphold biblical boundaries against same-gender sexuality,” Batson added, presumably referring to Baylor rescinding a grant from the Baugh Foundation to fund the study of the “disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women” in churches.

“Baylor seeks to provide a caring community for all students,” Batson continued. “I, for one, appreciate Baylor’s efforts to be true to traditional values, faith and practice,” he concluded.

Decision on the motion

After time ran out for debate, messengers voted on Miller’s motion. A raised-ballot vote was ruled too close to call. After messengers were instructed to stand and raise their ballots to vote for or against the motion, the chair ruled the majority voted against the motion.

Resolutions

Messengers approved a resolution expressing appreciation for the host city Abilene and a second resolution expressing appreciation for BGCT officers and staff.

A third resolution—“On the Pervasive Harm of Pornography in the Digital Age” and the first to address pornography since 1986—passed without discussion.

The resolution addresses the digitization of pornography, including AI, both of which have “fundamentally shifted the capacity and reach” of pornography. Digitization makes pornography more accessible and more easily marketed to and accessible by children and adolescents.

Calling pornography “predatory in nature,” a distorting of God’s design, a dehumanizing and objectifying of people, exploitative, and no respecter of persons, the resolution charges pornography with fueling lust and addiction, “contribut[ing] to relational strife,” and being “increasingly recognized as a public health crisis.”

The resolution laments pornography’s proliferation and “destructive effects.” It calls for Texas Baptists to “commit to leading out in opposing pornography [with] a repentant, biblical, compassionate, prophetic, pastoral, and redemptive response.”

Churches are encouraged “to advocate for state and local policies that meaningfully restrict the access of minors to pornographic websites and digital content, to support age-verification laws and accountability measures, and to collaborate responsibly with public officials, educators, and child-protection agencies for the welfare of children.”

“Pastors, parents, and congregations [are urged] to lovingly provide clear biblical teaching on human sexuality, to equip families with tools to navigate online safety, and to cultivate environments where sin can be confessed without fear of condemnation, in order that healing, repentance, accountability, and restoration may flourish.”

Finally, churches are encouraged “to extend Christlike love, support, and restoration to all who are struggling with pornography.”

The full text of the resolution is available here.

Other business

Bill Arnold was re-elected as secretary of the corporation, and Michael Evans Sr. was re-elected as registration secretary, both by unanimous consent.

As of start of business Nov. 18, 1,136 messengers and 806 guests were registered.

UPDATE: This article was updated Nov. 19 to include the number of registered messengers.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor welcomed Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart, as the featured speaker for the 2025 McLane Lecture early November in the Frank and Sue Mayborn Campus Center arena. McMillon began his career with Walmart in 1984 and rose to the ranks of CEO in 2014. He spoke to the crowd of UMHB students, faculty, staff and special guests about his faith and life in the retail industry.

Wayland Baptist University invites the community to gather on campus for its annual “Lighting Up Wayland” celebration, taking place immediately after Plainview’s community Christmas parade on Dec. 4. Festivities will start at 7:30 p.m. at Gates Hall Circle, located in front of historic Gates Hall on Quincy Street.

Dallas Baptist University is celebrating 60 years in Dallas. The campus came together for Founders’ Day, honoring that vision with a special convocation and community festivities. The celebration continued in Pilgrim Chapel’s Ford Foyer as the campus community came together to enjoy activities such as the International Pepsi Break, T-shirt printing, face painting, specialty DBU Coffeehouse drinks and a cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Jim and Sally Nation Hall.

Claire Wilkerson, an honors college scholar and theological studies major at Houston Christian University, was selected to participate in the John Jay Institute’s Fellows Program this coming spring. The John Jay Fellows Program is a flagship program centered around America’s founding and provides intellectual, spiritual and professional training for young Christian leaders. Wilkerson is completing her HCU degree through participating in the Scholarship & Christianity in Oxford program this fall, and after graduation will participate in the semester-long, Philadelphia-based cohort of 24 Christian student leaders from across the country.

Albert Reyes, president and CEO of Buckner International, represented Buckner at the White House in mid-November. The event included the signing of an Executive Order for Fostering the Future, an initiative led by the First Lady to provide resources and job opportunities for youth who age out of foster care.

Messengers from churches affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas adopted four Executive Board recommendations and elected new officers, among other business, during the Monday morning business session of the 2025 BGCT annual meeting held Nov. 17 at the Abilene Convention Center.

Outgoing BGCT Executive Board Chair Heath Kirkwood brought four recommendations from the Executive Board for adoption by messengers: (1) 2026 BGCT budget, (2) 2026 allocations for worldwide missions and partnerships, (3) a new relationship agreement between Dallas Baptist University and the BGCT, and (4) affirmation of the BGCT’s current practice of welcoming churches affirming various Baptist statements of faith.

The recommendation to approve the 2026 BGCT budget drew motions from Mike Miller and Kody Alvarez to remove funding for Baylor University, Baptist Women in Ministry and Baptist World Alliance. Miller is pastor and messenger from Central Baptist Church in Jacksonville. Alvarez is pastor and messenger from Oak Grove Baptist Church in China Spring—dually aligned with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

Miller and Alvarez made additional motions related to Baylor and the GC2 statement of faith during miscellaneous business, the portion of the business session allocated to motions being introduced from the floor.

Motions to amend budget

After the 2026 BGCT budget recommendation was presented, Miller made a motion to amend the budget to cease sending BGCT funds to Baylor University and other groups that may affirm or approve LGBTQ lifestyles.

“I move that the BGCT immediately cease directing all funds to Baylor University until the university and/or any of its colleges, schools or departments (1) permanently revoke the charter of the Prism student group, (2) cease all funding, partnerships, sponsorships and affiliations with the organization Baptist Women in Ministry, and (3) terminate and refuse any current or future affiliation and/or endorsement of any group or organization that affirms or approves the LGBTQ agenda and lifestyle,” Miller moved.

Current BGCT President Ronny Marriott, in his role as annual meeting chair, ruled the motion would be made more appropriately during miscellaneous business since it involves “other things not directly connected to the budget.”

Upon that determination, Miller moved to overrule the ruling of the chair, leading to brief discussion and a secondary vote. Messengers did not approve Miller’s motion to overrule the chair. Marriott encouraged Miller to bring his motion back during miscellaneous business.

Following this vote, Alvarez moved that the BGCT “terminate its partnership with the Baptist World Alliance and remove all funding allocations designated for the BWA for the upcoming BGCT budget.”

Marriott recommended Alvarez’s motion be made under discussion of worldwide allocations, saying the BGCT does not have any funds in the budget for BWA.

With no further discussion, messengers approved a 2026 BGCT budget of $37.5 million, up from $36.7 million in 2025.

Motion to defund BWA

Miller returned to make a second motion during discussion of worldwide allocations.

“I move that the BGCT immediately terminate its membership in and cease all funding directed to or through the Baptist World Alliance,” Miller moved.

Membership in and funding of BWA are matters that must be considered separate from each other, Marriott ruled.

Clarifying his motion as an amendment to the worldwide allocation, Miller explained the BWA “is undeniably doing significant work around the world. Nevertheless, the BWA accepts as members Baptist denominations that openly affirm the LGBTQ lifestyle and agenda.”

Miller contended “membership in the BWA is not necessary” for Texas Baptists to advance the kingdom of God. He called for maintaining “integrity and our doctrinal fidelity” in other ways, namely by discontinuing funds “to and through the Baptist World Alliance.”

Alvarez, speaking in favor of Miller’s motion to defund BWA, asserted: “They [BWA] stand with churches and organizations that promote an LGBTQ agenda.”

When asked by Baptist Standard for a response, BWA leadership stated: “Since 1994, the Baptist World Alliance has held that the biblical definition of marriage is a covenant union between one man and one woman for life and that this is ‘the original divine plan for family life which must continue to serve as the foundation and ideal for an ordered and effective society’ (BWA General Council Resolution 1994.3 adopted in Uppsala, Sweden).

“In recent years,” BWA leadership continued, “the BWA Executive Committee has reiterated that this biblical conviction remains unchanged and continues to guide our shared life and witness, and that all individuals serving in any BWA leadership role—whether on a council, committee, commission, or in any other elected or appointed capacity—must abide by this biblical definition of marriage.

“We welcome the opportunity to visit with any Texas Baptists who wish to learn more about our mission, values and how we can work together to impact the world for Jesus Christ,” BWA leadership concluded.

Dennis Wiles, pastor and messenger from First Baptist Church in Arlington, and Ross Chandler, pastor of First Baptist Church in Marble Falls, spoke in opposition to Miller’s motion.

“The Baptist World Alliance is our only global Baptist family. It is our trusted partner who has been with us for many years and does good work,” Wiles said.

The BWA is “an incredible way to be part of what God is doing all across the world,” Chandler said.

Steve Wells, pastor and messenger from South Main Baptist Church in Houston, offered a point of information by referring to a 1989 BWA resolution maintaining “a biblical view of human sexuality.”

Messengers voted overwhelmingly against Miller’s amendment and approved the Executive Board recommended 2026 worldwide allocations.

Further motions

During miscellaneous business, Miller and Alvarez returned to make additional motions, both directing the BGCT’s Institutional Relations Committee to evaluate academic institutions and report back to messengers to the 2026 BGCT annual meeting.

Miller moved that messengers to the 2025 BGCT annual meeting “direct the Institutional Relations Committee of the Executive Board to evaluate the special relationship agreement with Baylor University, specifically with respect to Baylor’s endorsements of and partnerships and affiliations with any organizations that advocate or affirm the LGBTQ lifestyle and agenda, and report back any findings, actions, or recommendations” to messengers in 2026.

Alvarez moved that the IRC be directed by messengers “to examine all BGCT-affiliated educational institutions for alignment with the GC2 summary of faith as adopted and amended by messengers in the 2021 annual meeting, and to require that all professors in religion and theology departments sign an affirmation of the GC2 summary of faith as a condition of continued cooperation in BGCT funding.

“Institutions out of alignment shall have two years to make necessary corrections, after which any school that refuses or chooses to retain professors who reject the GC2 summary of faith shall forfeit all institutional funding and scholarship support provided by the convention,” Alvarez’s motion continued.

Additional time to consider miscellaneous business is scheduled during the Tuesday morning business session starting at 9:30 a.m., Nov. 18.

New officers

Messengers elected Debbie Potter, children’s pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, as president with 430 votes to 320 votes for Kevin Burrow. Potter is the third woman elected president of the BGCT. Joy Fenner was the first, and Kathy Hillman was the second. Potter also is the first woman BGCT president who is an ordained pastor.

Joseph Adams, pastor of First Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant and current BGCT second vice president, was elected first vice president by acclamation.

Ariel Martinez, lead pastor of Del Sol Church in El Paso, was elected second vice president by acclamation.

Other business

Messengers heard an update on the Texas Baptist Indemnity Program and approved the following:

• Dallas Baptist University’s change in relationship to the BGCT from affiliated to relating by special agreement.

• A recommendation to affirm the BGCT’s current practice of welcoming churches that affirm either the 1963 or 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, or similar Baptist confession of faith.

• Nominees to the Executive Board and boards of affiliated ministries. A complete list of nominees is available here.

Outgoing Executive Board Chair Heath Kirkwood also reported on three churches the Executive Board was asked to confirm being in harmonious cooperation with the BGCT. One church was found to be in harmonious cooperation, one church voluntarily withdrew from the BGCT, and one church “was removed for lack of communication” with the Executive Board.

“As a reminder, in 2016, messengers gave [the Executive Board] the authority to confirm the harmonious cooperation of churches … so that we would not publicly discuss these details or deliberations at the annual meeting,” Kirkwood explained.

As of start of business, 1,039 messengers and 679 guests were registered.

CORRECTION: Joseph Adams’ place of service was updated from First Baptist Church in Hughes Springs, where he was pastor at the time his nomination was announced in June 2025, to First Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, where he subsequently was called as senior pastor.

UPDATE: This article was updated at the end on Nov. 19 to include additional business and the messenger count.

Baptists in Africa called for “all parties concerned” about religious freedom and human rights in Nigeria to “embrace peace for the good of all.”

Meanwhile, some American evangelicals—including the interim president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission—endorsed a letter by a conservative group commending President Donald Trump for “placing all available Presidential action on the table to ensure that action is taken soon.”

In late October, Trump declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern—a designation reserved for nations that engage in or tolerate systemic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.

On social media, Trump also indicated he instructed the Department of War to prepare for possible military intervention, going into Nigeria with “guns-a-blazing.”

Multiple human rights and global religious freedom organizations long had called for Nigeria to be designated as a CPC. However, some religious leaders registered serious concern about Trump’s threat of military action.

‘Embrace peace for the good of all’

On Nov. 7, the All Africa Baptist Fellowship—a transnational regional group affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance—released a public statement expressing “great concern about the ongoing global uproar regarding the largest black nation on earth, Nigeria.”

“To us in Africa and the Baptist family, the peace, stability, and prosperity of Nigeria is a blessing to the entire continent,” the AABF statement said. “We therefore appeal to all the parties concerned to embrace peace for the good of all.”

The fellowship—a network of 77 Baptist unions, conventions and associations representing 20 million Christians in 38 countries—expressed “great concern” about alleged violations of religious freedom and human rights in Nigeria.

The AABF called on “all the stakeholders to chart the paths that put a stop to the menace of religious crisis.”

Nigeria’s government “has the responsibility of securing the lives and properties of people of all faiths, including Christians,” the fellowship stated.

Actions must be ‘agreed upon and not imposed’

At the same time, without explicitly citing Trump’s threat of military action, the AABF stated: “The United States and Nigeria are two sovereign and independent nations.”

Therefore, the fellowship stated its belief that “any help offered to the latter be such that is mutually agreed upon and not imposed.”

The fellowship assured Nigerian Christians, particularly those who have been displaced, lost family members or suffered other severe hardship that “we stand with you in prayer.”

“To the perpetrators of this injustice, please, lay down your weapons and embrace peace,” the AABF statement urged. “Nigeria needs true peace. Africa needs stability. We are calling upon the name of Jesus Christ the giver of peace.”

Trump commended for ‘strong and decisive action’

One week after the AABF issued its statement, the CPAC Foundation and its First Freedom Movement sent a letter to the White House, thanking Trump for his “strong and decisive action” in designating Nigeria as a CPC.

“We commend your recognition of the major threat and devastation facing Christians in Nigeria from radical Islamists and a government that has taken little action to protect them, as well as your clear-eyed statements placing all available Presidential actions on the table to ensure that action is taken soon,” the letter states.

“You saw the evidence, you listened to the cries of the persecuted, and you acted.”

Calling on Nigeria to demonstrate improvement

Citing the “targeting of Christians in horrifying numbers,” the letter asserts Nigeria should remain on the U.S. Department of State’s CPC list until it demonstrates improvement in four areas:

• Increased security for Christian populations, particularly in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, “with the deployment of additional military and law enforcement units trained to be proactive in fighting militants.”
• “Ending impunity for those responsible for attacks against Christians, and ensuring that attackers are fully and quickly prosecuted.”
• “Facilitating the safe return of internally displaced persons to their homelands, and assisting in the rebuilding and security of these communities.”
• “Ceasing enforcement and initiating the repeal of the country’s Sharia blasphemy laws, releasing individuals imprisoned or detained for blasphemy-related offenses, and prosecuting mob attacks.”

While the letter focuses primarily on Nigeria, it also commends Trump for taking a “strong stance to defend all persecuted Christians against grave atrocities and serious violations of their God-given right to religious freedom.”

“While the U.S. should defend religious freedom for all people, we agree that the threat to Christians worldwide is particularly severe, that Christians are the most persecuted religious group on the planet, and that the scourge of the persecution of Christians has been ignored by too many for too long,” the letter states.

Endorsed by conservative Christian leaders

The letter originated with the CPAC Foundation—the organization behind the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. It carried the signatures of Matt Schlapp, chair of CPAC, and Mercedes Schlapp, CPAC senior fellow.

More than two dozen others endorsed the letter. They included Gary Hollingsworth, interim president of the ERLC; Samuel Rodriguez, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; and Troy Miller, president and CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters.

While the Nigerian government acknowledges violence within the nation’s borders, officials assert it is not based on religion, and they attribute it to extremist groups.

A high-ranking Nigerian official told the Baptist Standard the presence of violence in his country is perpetrated by “some extremists.” He strongly rejected the assertion Christians are targeted.

Mohammed Idris Malagi, minister of information and national orientation for Nigeria, insisted: “It is sad that this has been characterized as a religious conflict. We don’t believe that it is. It never has been a religious conflict. It actually is an extremist conflict.”

Russian courts have banned at least 10 unregistered Baptist congregations from meeting without state permission, a Norway-based human rights organization reported.

Six of the 10 lawsuits against Council of Churches Baptist religious communities have been filed in the Krasnodar Region of Southern Russia, Forum 18 news service reported in early November.

The Council of Churches Baptist formed six decades ago in opposition to Soviet religious restrictions. Unregistered congregations affiliated with the council often meet in private homes—or houses of prayer—on private land.

The council asserts the Russian Constitution, the 1997 Religion Law and international human rights laws all provide them the right to meet without government involvement and state registration.

In practice, however, prosecutors and judges in Russia have broad discretion in how they enforce laws regarding religious activities.

Russia’s Religion Law requires all unregistered religious associations to notify authorities of their existence and activities.

A religious community’s “failure to submit notification” of its activities “cannot in itself be grounds for prohibiting the activities of such a group,” a December 2016 Supreme Court resolution stated.

However, the same resolution allows the government to restrict “activities prohibited by law, or in violation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation” or “other repeated or gross violations of the law.”

Alleged ‘illegal missionary activity’

As a result, activities of unregistered religious communities often are prosecuted under Russia’s Administrative Code. Administration prosecutions often are pursued for alleged “unlawful missionary activity.”

Among other examples Forum 18 reported, a September 30 court ruling in Armavir City upheld a prosecutor’s request that activities of the local Council of Churches Baptist congregation be prohibited.

The court ruling stated local Federal Security Service operatives observed “the systemic conduct of missionary religious events” by the congregation.

Pastor Vladimir Popov insisted his congregation has “not committed gross violations of the norms of current legislation that entails a ban on carrying out activities.” He further asserted the prosecutor “is not permitted to interfere in the activities of a religious association.”

In a July report on “Russia’s Persecution of Religious Groups and FoRB Actors,” the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom cited the Russian government’s closing of a different Baptist house of prayer for alleged “illegal missionary activity.”

Last year, Russian courts considered 431 cases of religion law violations—many related to alleged “illegal missionary activities”—resulting in fines totaling more than 4.7 million rubles (more than $58,000), the report said.

Since 2017, the commission has recommended Russia be named a Country of Particular Concern for engaging in systematic, ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations. The U.S. Department of State designated Russia as a CPC in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

In its latest annual report, the commission urged the State Department not only to continue to designate Russia as a CPC, but also impose targeted sanctions on Russian government agencies and officials responsible for religious freedom violations.

Six Texas Baptist pastors participated in a trip to El Paso to learn about the Immigration Service and Aid Center, River Ministry and ministries supported by the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering.

The Christian Life Commission hosted the pilot program last month to offer pastors an immersive learning experience and allow them to hear directly from people involved in ministries along the Texas/Mexico border.

Katie Frugé, director of the CLC and Texas Baptists’ Center for Cultural Engagement, began several months ago to explore ways to connect pastors to the CLC’s work.

“Our ministry assignment is unique in the convention and often takes us to exciting places,” Frugé said.

“I wanted to invite pastors to come and see the work that is being done across the state, so they could have confidence knowing that, even if their local church was hundreds of miles away, [they are] having an impact because of our Texas Baptists partnerships.”

The CLC chose El Paso for the first of several planned immersive opportunities because it is a “convergence point for several vital [Texas Baptists] ministries,” she said.

Frugé cited several goals for the pilot program:

• To provide experiential learning rather than just reports.
• To help pastors witness ministry needs along the border firsthand by hearing from ministry leaders and border agents in El Paso, and understanding how the faith community can effectively support them.
• To showcase what Texas Baptists already are accomplishing in critical ministry locations like El Paso.
• To create space for pastors to pray intentionally with those serving on the front lines of border-area ministries.

“My prayer is that these pastors left [El Paso] with a stronger connection to the kingdom-building work we’re doing together and a clearer vision of how their congregations can participate,” Frugé said.

‘Sparked a lot of thought’

Upon receiving an invitation to participate from Frugé, Sam Bunnell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Henrietta, said, “It seemed like a no brainer” to join the CLC in El Paso.

Having the opportunity to learn about the work ISAAC, River Ministry and the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering are doing on the border “and the opportunities [to serve] there and the needs there was very valuable,” Bunnell said.

“Seeing very grassroots ministries that are actually trying to step into that gap and meet that need was very moving and very powerful and sparked a lot of thought in my mind on what our church could do and what we could help support convention-wide,” he said.

It’s “absolutely crucial” to get his church involved in mission opportunities, Bunnell said.

In addition to encouraging his church members to support Texas Baptists’ ministries along the Rio Grande financially, Bunnell said, “I would love to now see them be more of a stakeholder in God’s mission by saying: ‘These are real felt needs in Texas, and the organization that we love and are a part of—Texas Baptists—is taking an active role in meeting these needs, and we can do that.

Meeting a person whose life was transformed

Bunnell recalled the testimony of a volunteer who serves with a ministry supported by the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering in El Paso. The ministry operates a restaurant that grows its own produce and offers free meals throughout each week.

“We met one lady who was reached by that ministry,” he said. “She was someone that somebody said: ‘She’s probably having a hard time. … Why don’t you just come to this place and get a free meal?’… Fast forward years later, she volunteers there every week.”

Hearing about how the woman’s life has been transformed through that ministry, Bunnell said he will encourage churches to ask: “How can we look outside our day-to-day realities and notice those who maybe we weren’t noticing before?”

“That translates to any community anywhere, whether you’re on the border or not,” he said. “We’ve all got people like that, that we’re just kind of walking by every day, and those are the kind of people that Jesus stopped for.

“So, I think we can definitely learn a lot from exploring these ministries and then actively supporting them and being involved.”

‘Collective work that no church can do by itself’

Josh King, pastor of Valley Ridge Baptist Church in Lewisville, said hearing from River Ministry leaders on the trip was impactful.

“It was encouraging to see how much work Texas Baptists are doing in what we would normally think of as confusing and dark spaces. But they’re not dark. We’re already there. We’re already doing work. That was very encouraging,” King said.

King believes it’s important for his church to be involved in these ministries by learning how to “be solid and strong here [in Lewisville]” to join the “collective work that no church can do by itself.”

“The churches in El Paso are under-resourced to accomplish what they need to accomplish,” King said. “We have resources. They have skill. And collectively, we can put that stuff together to accomplish the vision together.”

Trips like the experience in El Paso “pull back that curtain a little bit and to see that we are part of a really big [ministry] that’s doing really important work,” King added.

“The CLC strives to be a resource to Texas Baptists churches as they intentionally engage their communities and practice the Great Commandment of loving their neighbors well,” Frugé said.

“Through experiences like this, I’m praying that churches and ministry leaders feel both confident and inspired by the work the CLC is doing. I also hope these visits open doors for the CLC to serve churches in new and innovative ways we haven’t yet imagined.”

Wayland Baptist University announced an unparalleled 9.5 percent reduction in its undergraduate block tuition rate beginning with the fall 2026 term. The university’s 12- to 18-credit-hour block is priced at $9,975 per semester for full-time students on the Plainview campus. The change reflects Wayland’s continued commitment to providing a high-quality Christian education that remains affordable and accessible. Wayland is also reducing graduate tuition on the Plainview campus by more than 35 percent. Tuition for all other programs, locations and WBUonline will remain unchanged, continuing the tuition freeze that began last year.

Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University announced the Truett Ministry Conference to be held Feb. 9-10, 2026, at First Baptist Church in Waco. This year’s theme is Resonating with the Room: Emotional Intelligence for Ministry Leaders. This year’s featured speakers are Truett Seminary faculty members Matthew Kim, Michael Mauriello and Rebecca Poe Hays. Registration is available here.

Houston Christian University hosted its biennial Spirit of Excellence Gala, a night dedicated to celebrating leadership, faith and philanthropy within the HCU community. The event gathered alumni, faculty, friends and supporters under the theme “Dream Big … Change Lives!” for an evening of recognition and inspiration. The program featured a keynote address by best-selling author and humanitarian Bob Goff, whose message focused on purposeful living.

Baylor University President Linda Livingstone and Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas Executive Director Jesse Rinconesare new members of the North American Baptist Fellowship Executive Committee. NABF is one of six regions in the Baptist World Alliance.

Ed Francis, former trustee and board chair for Buckner International, has been elected to the Fletcher Seminary Board of Trustees. A mortgage banker with Texas Republic Bank, he is a two-time graduate of Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. Francis is a member of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, where he is an active deacon, former deacon chair and occasional adult Sunday school teacher.

Howard Payne University Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team competed at the DFW Swing tournament at Texas Christian University. Rylie Burden of Lubbock won the International Public Debate Association open debate division and earned third place overall individual sweeps. Burden also won the tournament last year.

Anniversary

Indian Hills Baptist Church in Grand Prairie is celebrating 70 years, prior to which the church was a mission of First Baptist Church in Grand Prairie. Doug Simon is pastor emeritus.

The Baptist World Alliance announced the appointment of Valérie Duval-Poujol from France as the first BWA ambassador for standing against gender-based violence.

Approved unanimously by the BWA trustee committee, the role includes a five-year term of service and membership within the BWA Leadership Council.

“The BWA celebrates Valérie and her historic appointment to this position which demonstrates our commitment as a global Baptist family to respond to this worldwide issue,” said Elijah Brown, BWA general secretary and CEO.

“I am grateful for Dr. Duval-Poujol’s years of faithful engagement and advocacy, and I look forward to how God will continue to work through her in this new role.”

BWA ambassadors serve as volunteer leaders who provide pastoral presence, specialized expertise and global representation in advancing strategic ministry priorities.

Working under the guidance of the BWA general secretary and alongside a designated staff liaison, ambassadors serve as catalysts for strengthening relationships, equipping churches and elevating the global witness of the Baptist family.

Advocate for gender justice

Duval-Poujol, a theologian and Bible translator, brings years of experience and passion to this role. She has long been an advocate for gender justice and launched the gender-based violence advocacy initiative known as the Red Chair Project.

Typically implemented annually during the United Nation’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Red Chair Project involves reserving an empty red chair in a public place alongside information about domestic abuse and violence against women. The empty chair symbolizes the many women who have been killed through acts of gender-based violence.

The French government awarded her the National Order of Merit in 2023.

 “I thank BWA leadership for showing their commitment to stand against the terrible plague of gender-based violence through this appointment,” Duval-Poujol said.

“Together, we will fight against this as a witness to God’s love and justice for this broken world. I ask the BWA family to pray for this position and to support it in all ways possible.”

Involved with BWA Women

Duval-Poujol has been involved in various BWA Women advocacy efforts, including serving as a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

She also was co-leader of numerous BWA Women workshops related to domestic abuse, presented research as a panelist at the 2025 Baptist Women’s Summit, and helped launch the Stand Against Domestic Violence resource hub.

“It has been a profound honor to work alongside Dr. Duval-Poujol to advance our shared commitment to raise awareness, offer support and provide resources that stand against the scourge of gender-based violence,” said Merritt Johnston, BWA Women executive director.

“Her passion, wisdom and collaborative spirit make her an instrumental voice in the world to address this critical issue. I look forward to continuing this important advocacy together as she steps into this new role with the potential for even greater global impact for the glory of God and the good of women across the globe.”

Committed to BWA global ministry

Drawing from her personal passion for the Bible and her educational background that includes doctorates in history of religions and theology, Duval-Poujol is the author of several books and serves on various theological faculties.

In her work as a Bible translator, she was also the chief editor for the revision of the French Bible Nouvelle Français courant.

Within BWA’s global ministry, she has been a presenter at numerous BWA and European Baptist Federation events and served as vice chair of the Commission on Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity from 2020 to 2025.

She also represented the BWA as a fraternal delegate at the Synod on Family in 2013 and the Synod on Synodality in 2023 and 2024.

Duval-Poujol also serves in her local church alongside her husband who is a French Baptist minister.

Her commissioning will take place in March 2026 when the BWA Leadership Council convenes in Falls Church, Va., with global leaders in attendance from all six of the BWA’s regional fellowships, commissions and standing networks.