DALLAS—Twenty Texas Baptists churches are participating in a pilot program to test and fine-tune a newly designed process aimed at helping churches strengthen their Great Commandment and Great Commission practice.
The pilot program kicked off September 15 on Google Meet and is expected to conclude around December or January.
Sergio Ramos, senior director of relational development and GC2 Strong integration, shared a brief update on the program’s launch during the Tuesday session of the September Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board meeting in Dallas.
Through the pilot program, participating churches will journey with GC2 navigators to assess their current practice and discern two or three next steps to grow in key areas. Navigators will guide church leaders through prayer, assessment, and reflection, and a discernment process where church leaders chart a new path forward based on the Spirit’s leading.
“We have prayed and planned for this launch for the last 18 months, and it is exciting to see it underway,” said Ramos.
“The GC2 Strong Process is a learning incubator for these pilot churches and Texas Baptists as well. The experience and feedback of participating churches will help shape a tested, more robust GC2 Strong Discovery Process for broader implementation in 2027,” said Ramos.
“Our hope is that churches will grow stronger, ministers will be supported, and missions will become more focused as we join God in his work across Texas and beyond,” he said.
Participating churches
Participating churches bring perspectives from different cultures, communities, languages and ministry contexts that will help shape the initiative for broader implementation.
Churches participating in the pilot program include:
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- Alamo Heights Church in San Antonio,
- Bear Creek Community Baptist Church in Irving,
- Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield,
- Calvary Baptist Church in San Antonio,
- Cowboy Church of Collin County in Princeton,
- El Buen Pastor Church in Fort Worth,
- First Baptist Church in Denison,
- First Baptist Church in Tulia,
- First Baptist Church in Valley Mills,
- First Baptist Church in Weslaco,
- Greater Houston Burmese Church in Houston,
- Hosanna Baptist Church in Leming,
- Iglesia Bautista Horeb in Brownsville,
- LifeBrook Church in Houston,
- New Life at Lakeside Church in Greenville,
- The Way Baptist Church in San Antonio,
- The Woods Baptist Church in Tyler,
- Top Rail Cowboy Church in Greenville,
- Westside Baptist Church in Lewisville,
- World Revival Celebration Church in Abilene.
Invitation to pray
Ramos invited Texas Baptists churches to pray for the participating churches and GC2 navigators involved in the pilot program.
“Please pray for the pastors, leaders, congregations, and navigators taking this journey together,” said Ramos. “Pray that each church will hear God clearly, that its GC2 navigator will serve with wisdom and humility, and that what we learn together will help more churches live out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission in the days ahead.”
Following the pilot program’s conclusion, evaluations from participating churches and GC2 navigators will be gathered and analyzed and needed changes implemented. The process will then be made available to the broader Texas Baptists family and those churches who desire to consider and strengthen their Great Commandment and Great Commission practice.
Church leaders interested in learning more about the GC2 Strong Process can contact Sergio Ramos at [email protected] or visit txb.org/gc2.
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Photo information: The GC2 pilot program launch was held on Google Meet on September 15. Participating church pastors, Texas Baptists GC2 navigators and other staff involved included:
First row (l to r): Jonathan Smith, director of Church Strong; Steven Parker, pastor of First Baptist Church in Weslaco; Noe Treviño, director of Missions Strong; Wes Brown, pastor of Cowboy Church of Collin County; Sergio Ramos, senior director of relational development and GC2 integration; Bennye Bryant, GC2 navigator and Texas Baptists staff; Clinton Lowin, GC2 design team member; Jade Evans, minister of education at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield; and Bobby Hicks, GC2 navigator and Texas Baptists staff.
Second row (l to r): Dennis Webb, pastor of Bear Creek Community Church in Irving; Rolando Rodriguez, GC2 navigator and Texas Baptists staff; Joshua Minatrea, senior director of resource development; Mac McLeod, GC2 navigator and Texas Baptists staff; Carlos Mendoza, pastor of New Life at Lakeside Nueva Vida; John Silva*, GC2 navigator; Joe Aguilar*, GC2 navigator; and Aaron Summers, GC2 navigator and Texas Baptists staff.
Third row (l to r): Chad Schapiro, GC2 navigator and Texas Baptists staff; Charles Hill*, GC2 navigator; Roby Reyna, pastor of Hosanna Baptist Tabernacle; Adam Pardue, pastoral GC2 navigator; Tim Rowell, pastoral GC2 navigator; Bobby Contreras, pastor of Alamo Heights Church in San Antonio; and Al Curley*, GC2 navigator.
Bottom row (l to r): Sterling Edwards, pastoral GC2 navigator; Thong Lun, pastor of Greater Houston Burmese Christian Fellowship; Carlos Quijada, pastor of The Way Baptist Church in San Antonio; Steve Suffron, pastor of First Baptist Church in Denison; Adam Hailes, pastor of First Baptist Church in Valley Mills; Warren Ethridge, pastor of The Woods Baptist Church in Tyler; Vidal Muniz, GC2 navigator and Texas Baptists staff; and Linda Howell, GC2 navigator and Texas Baptists staff.
*denotes full-time GC2 navigator
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