Guarneri elected as BGCT executive director

The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board at its Sept. 18-19 meeting in Dallas elected Julio Guarneri, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, as executive director.

Guarneri, who was elected to a second term as BGCT president at Texas Baptists’ Family Gathering in July, is the first Hispanic individual to serve as BGCT executive director.

In a departure from established precedent, the board went into an hourlong closed-door executive session for a question-and-answer time with Guarneri.

After returning to open session, the board voted by ballot on Guarneri’s election. He received 55 votes in favor and 12 opposed.

In light of Guarneri’s election as executive director and resignation as BGCT president, the board approved a resolution affirming the succession of convention officers according to the BGCT Constitution.

First Vice President Ronny Marriott, pastor of First Baptist Church in Burleson, is declared president of the BGCT, and Second Vice President Debbie Potter, minister to children at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, is declared to be first vice president.

Wendell Wright of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, chair of the search committee, addressed the board the evening before Guarneri’s election as executive director, praising him as “a man of humility and peace.”

“His ability to listen thoughtfully, yet lead decisively with vision and conviction, will serve Texas Baptists immediately and in the future in this rapidly changing culture,” Wright said.

In remarks to the board, Guarneri talked about God’s calling on his life and Texas Baptists’ influence on his ministry.

“I have sought to serve the churches where God has called me, leading them to be Great Commission churches and to be missional churches,” Guarneri said.

“As I stand before you, I want to say I am a product of the BGCT. My call to ministry was at a BGCT event. I was mentored by BGCT staff. I was encouraged in my doctoral education at a BGCT school. My call and the focus of the BGCT on the Great Commission and the Great Commandment are one in the same.”

Guarneri thanked Texas Baptists for remaining focused on the mission God has given.

“As I said at the Family Gathering back in McAllen earlier this year, I am so thankful the BGCT is not an issue-driven convention but a mission-driven convention,” he said. “That’s why I am so excited about the opportunity to serve in this role. We are a great, diverse family from all over Texas … all united for the purpose of proclaiming Christ.”

He acknowledged “great challenges ahead” for Texas Baptists.

“There are those who would like to sow division. There are those who would like us to have a smaller tent,” Guarneri said.

“At the same time, we have a growing state with a growing population. There is no ethnic majority in our state, although Hispanics are the largest ethnic group. The world has come to Texas.

“Our churches are doing great work. Our institutions are doing great work. Our BGCT staff is doing great work. But the needs are greater.”

Fulfilling the Great Commission demands more than “business as usual,” he stressed. Texas Baptists cannot do it alone, but they can play a strategic role in partnership with others.

“Our agenda ought to be Jesus’ agenda,” he said, quoting from Jesus’ remarks at the synagogue in Nazareth as recorded in Luke 4:18-19.

“Our agenda should be to proclaim the good news to all people in our state—to be a kingdom people, to be a Jesus people.”

Guarneri has served Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen—a multicultural congregation in the Rio Grande Valley—since 2010. Previously, he was pastor of Iglesia Bautista Getsemani in Fort Worth.

He also served on staff at Segunda Iglesia Bautista in Corpus Christi, was founding pastor of Shalom Baptist Mission in Corpus Christi, and was pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Taft.

He was born in Mexico and graduated from high school in South Texas and earned an undergraduate degree from Texas A&I University in Kingsville. He also holds a Master of Arts in Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in leadership studies with a ministry concentration from Dallas Baptist University.

Guarneri has chaired the board of Buckner International and served on other denominational committees and boards.

He and his wife Monica have four children—Josh, Rachel, Mia and Stevan—and two grandchildren—Daniel and Antares.

Board approves 2024 budget

In addition to electing Guarneri as executive director, the board also approved a $35,294,994 total Texas budget for 2024, down slightly from the $35.46 million budget for 2023.

While messengers to the BGCT annual meeting normally approve the budget, the Executive Board is authorized to approve the budget on years when the annual meeting is held as part of Texas Baptists’ Family Gathering in the summer.

The total budget includes a $33.79 million net Texas Baptist budget that depends on $27.117 million in Texas Cooperative Program giving from churches and an anticipated $6.675 million in investment income. It also projects about $1.5 million in additional revenue from conference and booth fees, product sales and other sources.

Undesignated receipts from affiliated churches will continue to be divided 79 percent for the BGCT and 21 percent for worldwide causes.

An anticipated $1.1 million in worldwide missions initiatives and partnerships will be allocated in the same manner as the previous year: $340,000 for missions mobilization, $200,000 for River Ministry and Mexico missions, $100,000 for Texas Partnerships, $55,000 for the Baptist World Alliance, $5,000 for the North American Baptist Fellowship, $50,000 for intercultural international initiatives, $200,000 for Go Now Missions, $100,000 for GC2 initiatives, $20,000 for the Hispanic Education Task Force and $30,000 for chaplaincy.

The board voted to enlist the Batts, Morrison, Wales and Lee firm to conduct the financial audit.

Other Executive Board business

At the recommendation of the Institutional Relations Committee, the board authorized Valley Baptist Missions Education Center to increase its indebtedness beyond the threshold of 20 percent of total audited net assets.

At the recommendation of the Committee on Nominations for Boards of Affiliated Ministries, the board approved Elizabeth Dixon from First Baptist Church in Universal City to the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio board of trustees.

The board approved a recommendation to revise the constitution for Singing Men of Texas and Singing Women of Texas to restructure their advisory board, along with a revision to the BGCT equal employment opportunity policy to stipulate the convention can discriminate on the basis of religion.

Filling vacancies

In other business, the board filled multiple vacancies on councils and commissions:

• Eric Anthony Brown from New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Greenville to the Affinity Ministries Council.
• Malcom Barrington from Fallbrook Baptist Church in Houston, David Kirk from First Baptist Church in San Antonio, David Edmonds from South Tulsa Baptist Church in Tulsa, Okla., and Kristen Curtis from Heritage Baptist Church in Farmville, Va., to the Chaplaincy Endorsement Council.
• Abigail Rojas from Azle Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Brandon Skaggs from First Baptist Church in Belton, Raymond Sanchez from First Baptist Church in Weslaco and Ryan Buck from Immanuel Baptist Church in San Angelo to the Christian Life Commission.
• Olga Harris from First Baptist Church in Pharr, Rebecca Retta from First Baptist Church in Temple, Gilma Juarez from First Baptist Church in Kaufman, Sergio Ramos from Getsemani Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Jordan Villanueva from First Baptist Church in Blanket and Nathan Escamilla from El Buen Pastor Christian Church in Fort Worth to the Hispanic Education Initiative Council.
• Daniel Whitehurst from First Baptist Church in Longview to the Institution Audits Council.
• Jackie Faughn from First McKinney Baptist Church in McKinney, Norberto Palmitano from Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in Dallas, Rand Jenkins from Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield and Wendell Wright from Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas to the Missional Engagement Coordinating Council.
• Nancy Jackson from First Baptist Church in Woodway, Chad Mason from First Baptist Church in Boerne, Chad Bertrand from South Park Baptist Church in Alvin, Bryan Pinson from First Baptist Church in Midland and Edgardo Martinez from First Baptist Church in El Paso to the Missions Funding Council.
• Wes Brown from the Cowboy Church of Collin County in Princeton, Werth Mayes from the Cowboy Church of Erath County in Stephenville and Jay Johnson from the San Angelo Cowboy Church to the Western Heritage Council.
• Ann Bradshaw from Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston, Ken Box from First Baptist Church in Waxahachie, Don Allen from Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Sugar Land, Grady Tyroch from First Baptist Church in Temple, James Westbrook and Robert Power from First Baptist Church in Richardson, Sam Jones from First Baptist Church in Arlington and Merritt Johnston from First Baptist Church in Brenham to the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation Council.
• Stephanie Beazley from Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Jeff Smith from Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas and Betty Booth from First Baptist Church in Tyler to the Baptist History and Distinctives Council.
• Jason Atchley from Hunters Glen Baptist Church in Plano and Karen Bullock from Lake Side Baptist Church in Granbury to the Theological Education Council.