Wayland Baptist University congratulates sophomore Kendal Tucker on being named the Plainview Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month for Nov. 2025. Tucker, a native of Billings, Mont., is majoring in elementary education with a specialization in special education. She is also minoring in English and American Sign Language. After graduating from Wayland, she plans to teach in the field of special education.

Mission Able announced it has received a $7,500 grant from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation to support its Microcredit Program—a sustainable solution designed to help homeowners afford urgent repairs without falling into high-interest debt or risking displacement. Repairs funded through the Microcredit Program often include roof replacements, plumbing overhauls and accessibility modifications—each one preventing health risks, code violations or displacement. These repairs also protect the value of the home, helping preserve affordable housing and long-term ownership in the community. The program launched in 2021 and is connected to First Baptist Church in San Marcos. Learn more at www.missionablesmtx.org.

Dallas Baptist University will be hosting a NEXUS Ministry Leadership Conference Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. The theme is “Leading from Rest: Caring for your soul while serving.” The program will feature keynote speaker Barry Jones, senior pastor of Irving Bible Church, breakout sessions and round-table discussions over leadership conflicts, deadlines, priorities and emotional health. Early bird registration is $8 per person, and regular registration is $15. Online registration is available.

Anniversary

Shining Star Fellowship in Abilene and founding pastor Richard Darden celebrate 25 years. The church began as a mission of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church.

Cockrell Hill Baptist Church in Dallas celebrated 110 years as a congregation on Sunday, Nov. 23.

In 2011, Montague County Cowboy Church Pastor Joe Caballero took a camping trip with his family, along with two other families, to Carson National Forest in New Mexico.

While camping, they met the man who cares for the cattle grazing in that area.

“The [cattle owners] hire a guy they call a ‘rider’ to stay in the mountains with the cattle all summer, keep an eye out, ride fences and so forth. Well, we were camped right where he was because there’s some horse pens up there [and] we made friends with him,” explained Caballero.

The rider introduced Caballero to the cattle owners Jeff Martinez of Rio Vega Ranch and Jeff Larsen of Don Larsen Land & Cattle Co., both located in Alamosa, Colo.

Caballero learned that Martinez and Larsen “round [the cattle] up in October” when he and a friend were in Alamosa the next weekend to retrieve some misplaced equipment from their camp, and the two volunteered to help “drive [the cattle] out of the mountain.”

Caballero said this “turned into an annual thing.”

“Now I know why Jesus left and always went into the mountains to pray and get re-energized and then come back and start ministering again,” said Caballero.

Over the years of returning to Carson National Forest to help Martinez and Larsen drive cattle, God was laying it on Caballero’s heart that he could involve more men in the experience.

In 2020, he said the Lord “really started pushing” the idea for The Drive, a week of worship, discipleship and driving cattle for Montague County Cowboy Church men.”

“I was thinking, ‘No one’s going to want to do this’ … [but] God just kept on and on, and finally I said: ‘Okay I’ll bring it before the church. We’ll see if anybody’s interested,’ and when I made the announcement about ‘The Drive,’ [there was a great response],” said Caballero.

Caballero said God gave him an analogy for what would be the mission of “The Drive:” to help get men to Jesus “from wherever they are.”

“On the last day [of The Drive], we drive them like 20, 21 miles out of the mountains, all the way down to the shipping pens,” explained Caballero.

“The analogy of it is if we don’t get the cattle out before winter hits, the first snow, they’re going to be snowed in, and the cattle, they’re going to die. Same thing with our men today. Sometimes you don’t even realize you’re in a desolate area, but you need people to come and gather you up and move you to a better place [which] is being with Christ.”

In October 2023, men from Montague County Cowboy Church traveled to Carson National Forest for the inaugural trip of The Drive, which served as a training year for the Wranglers, men who care for the camp and horses, and also serve as ministers to the guests.

Caballero said he was encouraged by the change he saw in the men when they returned from The Drive.

“It set these guys on fire, the ones that were up there for the training. It created a camaraderie of men that now are friends and coming back after that week together, how they acted in church was totally different,” said Caballero.

Discipling while driving cattle

Every Oct. 1-6, 30 men are invited to participate in The Drive, 12 as guests and the rest come to serve as Wranglers, chuckwagon cooks or video crew for the week.

Guests arrive at the camp on the evening of Oct. 1 and are briefed on the week ahead. The next two days, participants will gather for their morning tent meeting, where they will hear a devotional “to reflect on throughout the day” and prepare for the evening tent meeting, which will be a worship service.

Between tent meetings, guests will pair up with a Wrangler and gather cattle into The Beaver, a 12,000-acre pasture where the cattle are contained on the mountain.

Caballero said pairing up guests with Wranglers is intentional for both safety and discipleship.

“Everybody has a partner, that way if something happens, somebody is there to help them. So, we always do two by two, just like Jesus sent his disciples out, we send the guys out two by two,” explained Caballero. “So, these Wranglers have the opportunity to minister to them all day long while they’re gathering cattle.”

After taking an “off day” on the third day, guests “do the big gathering where we go over into The Beaver [and] gather all the cattle that day that are in that pasture, and we put them in this trap. Then the next day, we’ll get up and we’re going to drive them all the way down the mountain.”

The Drive is concluded with “a big church service” to focus on how Caballero and the Wranglers “can help these guys get out of the [spiritual] predicaments that they’re in.”

Caballero said the powerful part of the week is hearing how God moved in the guests’ lives.

“We have a video crew that goes with us, and they interview every guest. The night [guests] get there, [the video crew will] interview and say: ‘What are you here for? What do you expect?’ Those are your two main questions. Then on the last day, they’ll interview [guests] again and say, ‘So, did you get what you were looking for?’ … That’s where the power is,” said Caballero.

Becoming a ‘night-and-day different man’

Dewey Hill’s was a particularly powerful testimony from The Drive for Caballero.

Hill went on the first Drive in 2023 after reconnecting with Caballero and beginning to attend Montague County Cowboy Church.

“I’ve known him since he was a kid [and] I hadn’t seen him in years, and then all of a sudden, Dewey pops up again and [was] living a life that was taking him nowhere … [So] I said, ‘Well, if I get him on this Drive, maybe it’ll grab a hold of him [spiritually],’” explained Caballero.

Caballero said the first year he “just walked around with a cup of coffee in his hand” and didn’t participate. But he decided not to give up on Hill and invited him to attend The Drive again in 2024.

“The second year, [Hill was doing] the same thing, and I told the guys, I said: ‘I’m going to have to [not invite] him [back] because as much money as this costs us, I need guys that are serious and who are going to be all in,” explained Caballero.

Caballero said the next night, Hill returned from taking a call after the tent meeting was over and said, “You’re going to have to preach that sermon again. … I’ve got to know what y’all talked about.”

“I preached that sermon all over again and he surrendered himself right there, gave himself to the Lord [and] got baptized the next day,” said Caballero. “It’s been the most miraculous thing to see the power of God change the men that you think are a hopeless case, but the Lord says, ‘No, I’ve got him.’”

Hill asked Doug White, a chuckwagon cook on The Drive, to baptize him. He said over his two years of attending The Drive, White became a “father figure” to him.

“I don’t think that Doug and I had ever even shaken hands or exchanged conversation at church before we got up [to New Mexico]. But from that year to the following year, we did develop a relationship,” explained Hill. “[He’s had] an amazing impact on my life.”

Hill said since accepting Christ, he’s a “night-and-day different man.”

“I totally said: ‘Here you go. I’m done. I want to live for you … and I’ve never looked back,’” said Hill. “I hope the way I live is evident to those around me.”

Caballero said he witnessed Hill go through a transformation he doesn’t see often.

“[Hill’s] on fire. I’m so excited about him, because I’ve seen him grow up and the lifestyle that he lived, and what he’s doing now, this transformation, I’m telling you, doesn’t happen like this very often,” said Caballero. “He said: ‘The Lord says now. So, I’m in,’ and he has changed everything. It’s just unbelievable.”

Making more men of God

Caballero said, “It’s been a blessing to see the change in the men that have come up here.”

“[God] just keeps sending the right guys every time,” said Caballero. “Most of the guys come from our church, so it’s been a real pleasure seeing them when they come back. Now, they’re involved in church, and they’re getting involved in different parts of the ministries within the church. They’ve got this tight brotherhood now [and] are just having the best time of their life.”

Caballero said he’s looking forward to The Drive 2026 looking a little different.

“So, this year, we’re going to send out to the cowboy churches, and we’re going to try to get the churches that maybe sponsor two guys from each church,” explained Caballero. “I’m hoping it’s going to be a good mission outreach for their men, because we need to get our men back in the game.”

Caballero said he’s excited to get other churches involved in The Drive.

“I’ve seen [men] change, and that’s been the blessing about it. So, what I look forward to is the next change,” said Caballero.

Caballero said cowboys are “tough, set in their ways,” but are looking to stand up for the truth.

“They’re going to tear everything down to make sure that whatever you tell them is the truth,” said Caballero. “Once they get a hold of the truth, the Bible, they’ll fight for it, they’ll stand up.”

“They don’t care what anybody thinks. That’s what I’m looking forward to: making more men of God.”

You can learn more about The Drive and hear stories of life change on YouTube.

LaVern Plett, minister of education and denominational worker, died Nov. 11 in Dallas. He was 89. He was born to Jacob and Elizabeth Plett in Cimarron, Kan., on March 7, 1936. He graduated from Baylor University in 1959, having earned his Bachelor of Arts degree and developed a lifelong devotion and enthusiasm for the Baylor Bears. After he graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and was ordained to the gospel ministry, he served as minister of education at churches in Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arizona, Hong Kong and Texas. He went on to serve on the Sunday School Division staff at the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He was a longtime Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Richardson. He was preceded in death by his brother, Eugene Plett of Los Angeles, Calif., and his sister, Sharon Bell of Carrollton. He is survived by his wife, Myra Plett of Dallas; son Greg Plett and his wife, Kimberly of Broken Arrow, Okla.; daughter, Melissa Hancock and her husband, Clayton of Ovilla; the mother of their two children, Julie Plett of Red Oak; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. His blended family includes two children through marriage, John Beasley and Jennifer Beasley Skinner; and six grandchildren. A celebration of life service, followed by a reception, will be held at 2 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2026, at First Baptist Church of Richardson. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Dallas Chapter, 5000 Quorum Dr., Suite 530, Dallas, TX 75254.

Ten athletes on the Baylor Bears football team publicly expressed their faith commitments to Christ by being baptized in the university athletic facility’s hydrotherapy pool in early November.

Some recently accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Others made a past faith commitment to Christ but never had been baptized. Some had been baptized at an early age but wanted to be baptized as believers as a reaffirmation of their faith.

All of the newly baptized believers participate in a Tuesday evening player-led Bible study in the Baylor University football team meeting room.

“We meet at 6:30, share a meal together and then dive into the word [of God], splitting up into small groups,” said safety Michael Allen, one of the small-group leaders who baptized three of his teammates.

Other small-group Bible study leaders are starting quarterback Sawyer Robertson, wide receiver Josh Cameron, outside linebacker Kyler Jordan, safety Jacob Redding, defensive lineman Dylan Shaub, tight end Matthew Klopfenstein and quarterback Walker White.

In addition to the Tuesday evening meetings, some players—particularly new believers—also get together for regular one-to-one discipleship times with their small group leaders and participate in an online group chat, Allen added.

“I’m getting the chance to walk through Proverbs with two of the guys right now,” he said.

At least one-third of players involved in Bible study

Allen and former teammate Garrison Grimes, who later transferred to Brigham Young University, started the Bible study in spring 2024 with about a half-dozen other players.

The group now numbers 35 to 40 on a typical Tuesday evening—at least one-third of the players on the Baylor football team roster.

Landrie Walsh, director of football operations at Baylor, helps secure food for the weekly gatherings, Allen noted.

“One of the biggest ways to incentivize 300-pound linemen is to have food at the Bible study,” he quipped.

The small groups recently completed a character study of Joseph from the book of Genesis, focusing on themes of forgiveness, patience, perspective and leaving a legacy of faith.

While the Bible study is not sponsored by a specific congregation, several players worship together regularly at Harris Creek Baptist Church, and the congregation provided some curriculum initially, Allen noted.

Baptisms mark significant step

“We have baptisms offered at the end of every study every semester,” he said.

Kevin Washington, associate athletics director for mission impact and enrichment at Baylor, presents a devotional about baptism the week before each scheduled baptism, explaining its significance, Allen said.

The 10 most-recent baptisms account for about half of all those performed since the Bible study launched.

Allen maintains contact with some of the players involved in the Bible study who have graduated and moved on to their careers. He specifically noted Treven Ma’ae, now a defensive tackle with the Las Vegas Raiders.

“He got baptized here, and it was kind of his first introduction to Christianity,” Allen said.  “I text him every once in a while, just to see how he’s doing. It’s cool to have relationships that are way beyond football. Those are the things that are going to last.”

Bible study creates connections

The ongoing weekly Bible studies have affected the culture of the Baylor Bears football team positively, Allen said.

“I can’t say enough about the small-group discussions,” he said, particularly for players who live in a culture “where everything is judged by how you perform on a football field.”

The Bible study offers players the opportunity “to dive into our faith and understand that whatever happened that past Saturday does not define us as individuals,” Allen said.

Without minimizing the importance of doing their best in competition, players gain perspective and learn football “isn’t the end-all and be-all,” he said.

“We understand that football is going to end at some point, and very soon for a lot of us. So, it’s who are we going to be—as Christ followers, as men, as husbands and fathers. An opportunity to talk about those things in a group that you’re really, really close with fosters a ton of connection among the team.”

Allen particularly noted a deeper personal and spiritual connection between Robertson and a member of his small group—tight end Michael Trigg.

“I’ve seen their relationship flourish and connect on a deeper level,” he said. “They dive into the word [of God] together every Tuesday evening, and then then go out there [on the gridiron] and have a connection on Saturday.”

Honest and vulnerable discussions

The honesty expressed in the small-group discussions has built trust and developed deeper bonds between teammates, he said.

“We’ve had a lot of guys open up in those small groups. It’s a pretty vulnerable space,” Allen said.

Players come from varied backgrounds, and many did not grow up in strong Christian homes, he noted. They freely discuss their upbringing, as well as “sin struggles” common to young men, he added.

“We’ve all had different walks to faith,” Allen said. “For some guys, this may be the first time they’ve heard a real explanation of the gospel.”

Players also “talk a lot about who we want to be—as men and as leaders,” he added.

Helped clarify calling

Allen, who completed his undergraduate degree in finance and is pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree, said taking a leadership role in the team Bible study has helped him find direction beyond school.

“I’m probably not going to use my major, to be completely honest. I’m thinking about going into coaching,” he said. “I see an incredible opportunity for building relationships.

“This is a great ministry opportunity, having the ability to mold people, to see the best in somebody and challenge them to be the best they can be.”

In a sense, that’s what the player-led Bible study does—meeting student-athletes where they are in their faith journey and helping them grow spiritually, Allen said.

“Honestly, through this Bible study, I feel like it has helped clarify my calling to coach,” he said. “That’s what coaching is. It’s servant leadership.”

A federal judge blocked 14 Texas school districts from displaying a state-prescribed version of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, citing constitutional concerns.

In a Nov. 18 action, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia granted a preliminary injunction to block the classroom displays in the Arlington, Azle, Comal, Conroe, Fort Worth, Flour Bluff, Frisco, Georgetown, Lovejoy, Mansfield, McAllen, McKinney, Northwest and Rockwall school districts.

With the latest court ruling, the Ten Commandments classroom displays—mandated by S.B. 10, a bill passed in the most recent Texas Legislature—are blocked in more than two-dozen school districts.

In August, U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction in Rabbi Mara Nathan, et al, v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, et al, blocking classroom Ten Commandments displays in 11 school districts.

Violation of First Amendment rights asserted

In the case in which Garcia ruled, more than a dozen families of public-school children—Christian, Jewish, Baha’i, Hindu, atheist and agnostic—sought the preliminary injunction. They asserted the classroom displays would violate their rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Plaintiffs in Cribbs Ringer v. Comal Independent School District asked the court to declare the state-mandated Ten Commandments classroom displays a violation of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

 “The displays will pressure students, including the minor-child Plantiffs, into religious observance, veneration, and adoption of the state’s favored religious scripture,” the lawsuit stated.

“The displays will also send the harmful and religiously divisive message that students who do not subscribe to the Ten Commandments—or, more precisely, the specific version of the Ten Commandments that SB 10 requires—do not belong in their own school community, pressuring them to refrain from expressing any faith practices or beliefs that are not aligned with the state’s religious preferences.”

In ruling on behalf of the plaintiffs, Garcia cited Stone v. Graham, a 1980 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court said displaying the Ten Commandments on the wall of a public-school classroom, “in the absence of any legitimate educational purpose,” violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Garcia agreed with the plaintiffs assertion that “displaying the Ten Commandments on the wall of a public-school classroom as set forth in S.B. 10 violates the Establishment Clause.”

“It plainly serves the public interest to protect First Amendment freedoms,” Garcia wrote.

Paxton sues noncompliant districts

Garcia issued his ruling the same day Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he filed suit against the Round Rock and Leander school districts for refusing to comply with the mandated Ten Commandments displays.

“These rogue ISD officials and board members blatantly disregarded the will of Texas voters who expect the legal and moral heritage of our state to be displayed in accordance with the law,” said Attorney General Paxton.

“Round Rock ISD and Leander ISD chose to defy a clear statutory mandate, and this lawsuit makes clear that no district may ignore Texas law without consequence.”

Previously, Paxton sued the Galveston Independent School District after its board refused to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

In August, Paxton issued an order to all school districts not enjoined by ongoing lawsuits to display the Ten Commandments in all classrooms.

‘Their goal is political chaos’

Charles Foster Johnson, founding executive director of Pastors for Texas Children, expressed little surprise that two federal judges ruled in favor of blocking the state-mandated religious displays.

“Such establishment of religion violates our United States Constitution and God’s moral law,” Johnson said. “The legislature knew from the get-go that this statute would be contested, which is why the extremists filed the bill in the first place. Their goal is political chaos— not moral order or character.

“Texas public school teachers live out lessons of decency and integrity all day long every day for our children. They don’t need loud and loony rightwing legislators telling them how to act in front of our kids. Instead of bloviating about Ten Commandments on classroom walls, Texas legislators would do well simply to keep them.”

SB 10—signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 21—requires a donated poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments at least 16 by 20 inches to be displayed in every Texas elementary and secondary school classroom.

The state-approved language of the Ten Commandments as stipulated in S.B. 10 is an abridged version of Exodus 20:2-17 from the King James Version of the Bible.

Parents who have objected to the classroom displays pointed out Jews, Catholics and Protestants number the commandments differently, and their wording varies.

So, they asserted, the required language favors the Protestant approach as the state-sanctioned version.

(RNS)—The Council on American-Islamic Relations has sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton for labeling the Muslim civil rights group as a foreign terrorist organization.

On Nov. 18, Abbott filed a “proclamation designating the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as Foreign Terrorists and Transnational Criminal Organizations under the Texas Penal and Texas Property Codes.”

In doing so, Abbott asserted he could allow the state to shut down CAIR’s Texas chapters and ban them from purchasing land in the state.

The federal lawsuit filed Nov. 20 argues Abbott improperly used his office to target the domestic nonprofit without due process and in violation of federal law.

Attorneys representing the Texas chapters also allege Abbott’s designation is retaliatory, meant to silence CAIR after the group won three lawsuits against the governor in recent months.

“This attempt to punish the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization simply because Governor Abbott disagrees with its views is not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law,” lawyers wrote in the suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

In recent years, several bills have been proposed in Congress to designate CAIR as a terrorist group, but none have passed. The U.S. State Department, under federal law, alone has the power to designate foreign terrorist organizations.

States do not have the authority to make such a designation at a federal level, and Abbott appears to be the first governor to attempt to do so at a state level.

“Governor Abbott decided to appropriate that power to himself to retaliate against CAIR,” said attorney Charlie Swift of the Muslim Legal Fund of America, one of the groups suing Abbott and Paxton.

Links to Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood alleged

In Abbott’s proclamation, he alleged CAIR had ties to Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the State Department. CAIR denies any such connection.

“Despite all the conspiracy theories, CAIR has always been an American organization,” said Edward Mitchell, CAIR deputy director. “We’ve never been an offshoot, a partner, an agent, a pen pal of any foreign organizations.”

Abbott also claimed CAIR wanted to advance Sharia—Islamic religious law—in the country and called on local district attorneys to investigate alleged Sharia “courts” in Texas.

“The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world,’” Abbott said in a press release.

Mitchell called Abbott’s allegation about Sharia courts “unhinged,” saying private arbitration courts are legally allowed to resolve civil cases.

“No one is trying to impose Islamic law on America,” Mitchell said. “This conspiracy theory is used by anti-Muslim extremists to whip up fear of Muslims, and in Governor Abbott’s case, he is whipping up this fear because he wants to silence Muslims because so many American Muslims have been critical of the Israeli government.”

Abbott’s designation amassed condemnation from elected officials. The Texas Democratic Party called on Abbott to reverse the designation.

In a joint statement signed by 28 Texas Democratic state representatives, state Rep. Salman Bhojani wrote that the governor’s action singles out Muslim Texans and treats them with suspicion.

“​​The governor’s action will only further fuel hostility toward Muslim families, business owners, and educators who strengthen our communities every day,” wrote Bhojani, one of the first Muslims to serve in the Texas Legislature.

WASHINGTON (BP)—Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela form a Latin American “authoritarian triad” where leaders exert religious persecution to maintain governmental control, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reported Nov. 18.

“In line with the authoritarian governance models of the three regimes, religious entities face persecution for any activity deemed to undermine state power and influence,” the commission wrote in an update on persecution there.

“In all three countries, the ruling party fully controls government functions and violates human rights to subdue opposition.”

Nicaragua and Cuba are the leading aggressors in the region, the commission report said, citing among many transgressions Nicaragua’s July arrest of evangelical Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas and seven of his friends and family, one of whom died of unknown causes while in custody; and both nations’ weaponization of citizenship in stripping certain religious leaders of such status.

Citizenship revoked

Nicaragua has stripped at least 450 perceived opponents of citizenship since early 2023, the commission said. That includes people affiliated with the evangelical Mountain Gateway ministry based in Texas, several Catholic laypeople and others.

Cuba was inspired by Nicaragua, the commission report said, in passing the 2024 Citizenship Law that allows Cuba to revoke the citizenship of those who engage in acts “contrary to the political, economic, or social interest” of the nation.

In Venezuela, the commission reported governmental threats to religious leaders not deemed supportive of President Nicolas Maduro, whose latest election the international community widely considers fraudulent.

In January, hooded Venezuelan state security members captured Carlos José Correa Barros, a Christian journalist and director of the human rights group Espacio Público, and held him in a hidden location for a week before releasing him after a nine-day confinement, the commission update said.

The commission also noted Maduro’s launch of a refurbishment program called “My Well Equipped Church.” The report described it as “an aggressive strategy to secure evangelical support,” complete with cash stipends to 13,000 pastors.

The move copied Cuba’s mode of cultivating relationships with religious leaders willing to support the government, the commission report noted.

Surveillance, detention and control of messages

Broadly, the three nations persistently harass religious communities through surveillance, threats of imprisonment, arbitrary detentions and arrests, control of religious messages including sermons and public attacks.

The nations enact laws that unjustly restrict the activities and legal status of religious groups; practice favoritism in attempts to control messaging and deny religious freedom to prisoners.

The U.S. State Department in 2022 designated Cuba and Nicaragua Countries of Particular Concern for “engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended U.S. governmental responses in its 2025 Annual Report, including sanctions of those culpable in violations.

The 2025 annual report does not address Venezuela, but violations there and in Nicaragua are so widespread many consider them crimes against humanity, the commission said in its update.

Leaders from the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Ukrainian Baptist Union signed an agreement Nov. 18 establishing church-to-church partnerships between Texas and Ukrainian Baptist churches. The event was hosted by Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.

Event attendees heard from Nina Tarasovets, a Ukrainian Baptist and student at Hardin-Simmons; Texas Baptist pastors already involved in the partnership; and leaders of the Ukrainian Baptist Union.

Near the conclusion of the event, Ukrainian Baptist Union President Valerii Antoniuk and BGCT Executive Director Julio Guarneri signed a memorandum of understanding between their respective organizations.

The MOU establishes a pathway for pastor-to-pastor and church-to-church partnerships for the purpose of friendship, prayer and shared ministry focused on trauma healing, discipleship, worship and church planting.

Currently, 36 Texas Baptist churches have committed to the partnership. Organizers are looking for 14 more churches by Dec. 15 to round out the 50 churches they would like to pair with 50 churches in Ukraine.

Igor Bandura, vice president for international affairs with the Ukrainian Baptist Union, expressed his hope churches would join the partnership, pointing to Scripture.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you,” he said, citing Matthew 7:7.

Also, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).

Called to partnership

For Brent Gentzel, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Kaufman, the call to shape a church-to-church partnership between Texas and Ukraine began in spring 2025. His church supported his call, he said.

As with himself, the call is “going to have to begin in you. The very nature of this partnership begins pastor to pastor, and then church to church, and then [out] from there,” Gentzel said.

“We come into this in the deep belief that the local church is the hope of the world,” he added.

God has given Ukrainian Baptists the ministry of suffering, forging strength and resilience in them, Gentzel said. “They’re allowing us into their suffering, and it is a ministry to us.”

Stories of suffering

Nina Tarasovets

“I’m really passionate about serving others,” Nina Tarasovets, HSU senior and student body president, said. Her father is a Baptist pastor in Ukraine, and her mother serves in women’s ministry. Nina serves in preschool ministry at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene.

Born and raised in Ukraine, Nina came to Texas for high school in 2019. “My plan was to go home and continue my education there, but my senior year in high school was the year that the war in Ukraine started,” she said.

Unsure where to go, Nina started looking at different universities in Texas. After applying to several, HSU President Eric Bruntmyer called her, saying: “Nina, don’t worry. We’ll take care of you. Come here. You will be a Cowboy.”

In Ukraine, her parents and other Christians became “heavily involved in serving others.”

“Even in dark times, [God] showed so many different miracles about how people were getting saved,” Nina recalled.

“We don’t have all the answers, but we know that God has a plan for this, and he is using this war for something for his plan,” she said.

Pointing out February 2026 will mark four years of war: “People are exhausted. People are tired, but they’re continuing to work every single day,” and the church continues to serve, Nina said.

“Every summer I go home, and I serve on the kids’ ministry team, and I plan and help organize summer camps for those kids who have lost their parents,” she said. Many of those children tell stories of attending their mothers’ funerals, she added.

Valerii Antoniuk

“Paul said, ‘Whenever one part of the body hurts, the rest of it hurts,’” Valerii Antoniuk, president of the Ukrainian Baptist Union, said as Tarasovets translated.

“Well, part of the body is hurting, and the other part of the body comes to it. And it’s something that we feel today,” Antoniuk said, pointing to an image of Texas and Ukraine projected on the wall.

Since 2014, he has gone to the front lines many times, he said. “I see a lot of blood. I see a lot of pain.” And he cries a lot, he noted.

“We thank you that you are feeling our pain,” he said. “The closer we get to the coming of Jesus Christ, the more pain we’re going to experience on the Earth, and we will have to react to it,” he continued, holding up the church as the answer.

Characterizing the war, not as political or business, but as spiritual, “today, we are looking right at the devil’s mouth … and it’s not easy,” Antoniuk said.

“We are inviting you to a place that’s not safe,” he said. “And we really want you to be with us.”

Antoniuk reported 320 churches are under Russian occupation, 120 churches are closed, 650 pastors and ministers left Ukraine—along with “thousands and thousands of church members”—and more than 70 churches are destroyed.

Even so, God is blessing the Ukrainian church during the war, Antoniuk said.

“Over the past three years, we have baptized over 10,000 people. We got over 1,000 new deacons and pastors,” he said.

“It’s really weird for me to stay the night here, sleep and not hear the air sirens, missiles flying by. It’s not something that I’m used to anymore,” Antoniuk admitted.

“At night, whenever [my 6-year-old grandson] hears the explosions and missiles flying by and drones and everything exploding, he runs to [me] and says, ‘Let’s pray together,’ and we pray together at night, and our faith becomes stronger.”

Structure of the partnership

Organizers hope to have a prayer team ready in each partnership church by Jan. 1, 2026. The prayer team “is not just pastor-to-pastor, but it needs to be people-to-people,” Gentzel explained, suggesting groups of three-to-five people who will commit to pray with their Ukrainian partners through the duration of the partnership.

Additionally, Texas churches will be asked to provide some monthly financial support to their Ukrainian partners beginning in January. For safeguarding and accountability, funds will be sent to the BGCT, who in turn will send them to the Ukrainian Baptist Union to disperse to the respective churches.

Churches also are asked to give $10,000 per year for the next three years “to handle general expenses of infrastructure and curriculum and equipment,” among other needs, Gentzel said.

“This isn’t all about money, but the financial piece is going to matter in a time when things are difficult in Ukraine,” Gentzel said. “We don’t want money to keep anybody from doing this, but we are going to need resources to make this go.”

Ukrainian leaders also are seeking a deep connection between partner churches built on Bible study, sermons and devotionals. So, organizers also are working with the Baptist seminary in Odesa, Ukraine, “to write a [seven-week] Great Commission, Great Commandment spiritual growth campaign” to be rolled out in fall 2026.

“Bible studies [and devotionals] would be shared by Zoom between churches,” Gentzel explained, noting they are seeking devotional writers.

The goal is to develop strong relationships now between Texas and Ukrainian churches, so when the war ends, the churches will be able to mobilize quickly to meet the specific ministry needs created by the war. Church partners will contextualize their own mobilization strategies.

For example, some churches in Ukraine aren’t singing in worship because they don’t have anyone to lead them. Partner churches might be able to provide that leadership.

A further goal is to expand partnerships to other churches in Ukraine over time.

Baptists have “led so heroically” during the war “that the Ukrainian nation is aware that the Baptist church has been the spiritual backbone of the country through the battle,” Gentzel said.

“And their importance in the community, in that nation, has risen across these four years in a way” that is even recognized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he added.

Importance of partnership

“Sometimes, I think that we think that evangelism is about some kind of recitation of a gospel presentation, that people have to pray this sinner’s prayer, and then it fixes everything,” Guarneri said.

“But I think the gospel that we have in Jesus is more than just words,” he continued. “The gospel of Jesus is incarnational. It’s about a God who came to our suffering. And when we live out that gospel, we have to be incarnational.”

Being incarnational means “going where the pain is and the hurt is and loving” people there, Guarneri said.

The partnership between Texas and Ukrainian Baptists is not paternalistic, but is “a two-way street,” he said.

“I believe this is a cause worth giving our churches to, and I believe strongly that to whom much is given, much is required. That’s why our church is all in. That’s why we’re ready to go. That’s why we’re figuring it out on the fly,” John Whitten, senior pastor of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene, said.

To learn more about this partnership and how to be involved, visit https://www.healingpathmovement.com or email healingpath@fbckaufman.org.

Texas Baptists leaders highlighted the launch of a new statewide insurance solution during a luncheon presentation of the Texas Baptists Indemnity Program—known as TBIP—and its partnership with KingsCover Insurance.

The event included detailed explanation of how the program aims to meet the growing insurance needs of churches.

The program was created to offer churches a more sustainable and affordable alternative amid rising premiums across the state, Craig Christina, associate executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and president and board chair of TBIP, said.

“Our original vision was caring for BGCT churches in Texas and taking a few hundred the first year and adding more, but God had a much bigger plan,” Christina said.

KingsCover leaders John Uminski, senior vice president of KingsCover, and Michael Conover, head of underwriting, described the structure of the new partnership.

The program launched Nov. 1 and is backed by $12 million in available capital from the BGCT, along with national-level underwriting support through Amherst Specialty Insurance.

This allows the program to scale from its initial vision of serving a few hundred churches to potentially serving congregations nationwide.

KingsCover emphasized the program uses licensed agents who respond to inquiries, rather than earning commissions by soliciting churches.

To date, leaders have promoted the program through 30 to 40 associational meetings.

They also highlighted features such as automatically included pastoral library coverage and a managed-repair claims model designed to provide fast, hassle-free service.

Christina and Ward Hayes, Texas Baptists’ chief financial officer, encouraged churches to begin the application process early, noting quotes typically require declaration pages, loss runs and basic property information.

KingsCover representatives assured pastors both BGCT and Southern Baptists of Texas churches are eligible, and priority will be given to churches currently uninsured or nearing renewal deadlines.

TBIP leadership

The BGCT associate executive director is president and board chair of TBIP, and the BGCT chief financial officer is treasurer and secretary. Currently, this is Craig Christina and Ward Hayes, respectively. Sergio Ramos, Texas Baptists’ director of GC2 network, is vice president.

David Bowman, executive director of the Tarrant Baptist Association in Fort Worth, and Dennis Young, pastor of Missouri City Baptist Church, were elected as directors by the BGCT Executive Board.

Q&A regarding coverage

KingsCover is a full-service brokerage with the capability of providing full coverage for churches, Uminski said when answering a question about coverage options.

“Our first and foremost priority is protecting your church,” Uminski said. “We are concentrated on bringing you a property solution and a general liability solution. That being said, those other things—commercial auto, wind and storm insurance—we can handle that.”

One pastor asked how long a quote for an estimate was good for, and how soon would a church need to reach out to request a quote before their present coverage lapses.

“Ideally, we would like to get you in front of your policy 30 to 45 days in advance prior to renewal. It might take us 15 to 20 days to get all the information we need, and you provide [documentation]. Our quotes are good for 30 days,” Uminski said.

KingsCover representatives added that BGCT affiliated churches outside of Texas are also included in the coverage.

One ministry leader asked about their stand-alone liability versus stand-alone property. KingsCover will not write stand-alone liability, but only stand-alone property.

“We are going to individually underwrite every property, which not every carrier does,” Uminski said.

Churches interested in getting a quote can contact KingsCover Insurance at info@kingscover.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following reports have been edited for inclusion in the Baptist Standard as a single report.

Culp Banquet honors pastor Kenneth Johnson

By Jessica King / Texas Baptists

Members of the African American Fellowship of Texas and others gathered Nov. 16 ahead of the 2025 Texas Baptists annual meeting for the Culp Legacy Sneaker Ball Banquet at the Abilene Convention Center.

The banquet was an occasion for worship, teaching and celebration honoring Kenneth Jackson, pastor of New Light Baptist Church in Lubbock and former African American Fellowship president.

“The kingdom of God is a kingdom of beauty and diversity, and Texas Baptists is richer because of our African American churches,” Julio Guarneri, Texas Baptists executive director, said, expressing his gratitude for African American Ministries and Jackson.

“It is interesting that Paul, at the close of his life, lists the names of people who do not make history, but they do make his story,” Delvin Atchison, senior pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Lewisville and African American Fellowship president, said, referencing 2 Timothy 4:21.

“Pastor Jackson, we’re here tonight, and we can honestly say, ‘We don’t know what history will say about you, but none of our stories would be complete without your story,’” Atchison said.

“We thank you all. Words are just inadequate to express our appreciation for all the kindness, the kind words and the opportunities [you’ve provided] for us,” Jackson said.

Full report available here.

Texas Baptists en Español rally to live out GC2

By Teresa Young / Texas Baptists

“The Great Commission has not been paused, postponed or rewritten. It still calls us to go, to love and to make disciples,” Sergio Ramos, Texas Baptists director of GC2 network, told those gathered at the Abilene Convention Center for the Texas Baptists en Español rally ahead of the 2025 BGCT annual meeting.

“What would it look like if every church, every pastor and every believer lived out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission together in this generation?” Ramos asked.

The need is clear, says Ramos, as many in Texas do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. At the same time, he said, many churches are closing their doors due to low attendance. This great need should compel believers to step out and make an impact for the gospel, he urged.

“Brothers and sisters, the spiritual condition of our state cannot leave us indifferent. We cannot become accustomed to seeing empty sanctuaries and cold hearts,” Ramos said.

“That is why the need for a strong GC2 initiative is vital, because it seeks to serve, strengthen and walk alongside every affiliated church, regardless of size, language or cultural context, in order to fulfill God’s mandates.”

The movement is only sustained by the Holy Spirit’s empowerment and direction, Ramos pointed out.

“The world is changing fast, but the word of God is unchanging. The culture is noisy, but the voice of Jesus is still clear. And the mission remains the same: Love God, love people, make disciples,” Ramos said.

Pastor Robert Cuellar of Primera Iglesia Bautista in San Angelo and former Texas Baptists strategist, was recognized for 31 years of ministry service. Gus Reyes presented Cuellar with the Gary Cook Servant Leadership Award in recognition of his many years of ministry.

Full report available here.

Celebrating 25 years of cowboy churches

By Meredith Poe / Texas Baptists

Cowboy church pastors and ministers from across the state gathered Sunday evening for a rally to celebrate 25 years of the Cowboy Church Movement and kick off the 2025 Texas Baptists annual meeting.

“Thank you, Texas Baptists. Thank you for what you have done in praying for us, supporting us, teaching us, mentoring us,” said Wes Brown, pastor of Cowboy Church of Collin County, alongside a group of other cowboy church pastors.

“Eighteen years ago, we saddled up to start Cowboy Church of Collin County. What we desperately needed was a partner in our mission, and that turned out to be Texas Baptists,” Brown said.

“Their resources, guidance and spiritual encouragement were the foundation on which we built our ministry. They didn’t give us a boost—they equipped us to stand on our own two feet,” Brown continued.

“Too many Christians have conformed to this world, instead of being transformed by the power of God. … If there was ever a time that this world needed the cowboy church, it’s now,” Derek Rodgers, pastor of Cowboy Church of Corsicana, said.

“I grew up rodeoing when there was no such thing as cowboy churches. These pastors would show up around the rodeos when it wasn’t popular to preach … and I saw people would get radically saved by their messages,” Rodgers said, reflecting on the history of cowboy churches in Texas.

Full report available here.