On Jan. 8, over 160 Texas faith leaders wrote an open letter to superintendents and school board members across the state, urging them to not adopt SB 11 in their school districts. The letter is posted on the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty website.

TX SB 11, a law encouraging a period of prayer and reading of a religious text in public schools, was passed on June 20, 2025. The bill was introduced in the Senate during the 89th Texas Legislature and became effective Sept. 1, 2025, requiring school districts to hold votes on adopting prayer policies. 

The sign-on letter is a collectivist attempt to steer school boards away from SB 11, with many faith leaders, including Pastors for Texas Children, asserting the law threatens the religious freedom of students and families, instead placing religious instruction in the hands of government entities. 

The letter further raises concerns of faith leaders regarding the administration of public education: “SB11 threatens to drive a wedge into public school communities and create unnecessary administrative burdens.” 

Consent forms raise administrative concerns

While voluntary, SB 11 requires any desiring participants to submit consent forms, which include a waiver of legal claims under state or federal law, including those under the Establishment Clause, a U.S. First Amendment clause prohibiting the government from establishing a religion.  

Despite the necessity of these forms to monitor student and parental consent, signatory faith leaders view the extra administrative burden of tracking these forms, setting aside designated prayer time and spaces, and ensuring a lack of student coercion to be burdensome and detracting within a system that already protects the religious freedom of its students. 

In an interview with Baptist Standard, Rabbi David Segal, Policy Counsel at Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, expressed these concerns: “One of the most concerning mechanisms is the system of waivers and opt-ins a school district and campus would have to manage if such a policy were adopted. It creates, potentially, an administrative nightmare for the leaders of that.”

Religious liberty is an important factor

BJC is one of the partner organizations responsible for developing the open letter. According to BJC’s website, the committee is dedicated to “protecting religious liberty for all and defending the separation of church and state.”

The principle of religious liberty runs deep within Baptist roots, as Baptists were the first religious group to adopt the separation of church and state in the early 17th century. Segal emphasizes these ideas as fundamentally Baptist and thus interwoven into BJC’s mission: “We are a Baptist organization. We believe deeply in people having a right to pursue a life of faith. 

But we also believe what Baptists have believed for our entire history … that the government has no place in interfering in our religious life or a life of conscience.”

Government interference with religious affairs is primarily a concern regarding religious freedom and a seeming inherent lean toward Christian doctrine SB 11 promotes, a concern expressed by supporters of the letter. 

SB 11 potentially favors Christianity

Though unbiased on the surface, opponents note SB 11 encourages practices of the predominant faith group, evidenced by a compilation of public comments submitted to the Committee on State Affairs for SB 11. 

Following the enactment of the bill, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton encouraged students to utilize their time of prayer reciting the Lord’s Prayer. 

Segal describes this action as a “case in point” concerning SB 11’s perceived Christian bias: “When the Attorney General issued a statement urging school boards to adopt this policy, he ended his press release with a suggestion of which prayer to use, and it’s King James’s version of the Lord’s Prayer, which is a very important prayer for Christians. 

“So, that essentially doesn’t have the force of law, but it’s an indication of a kind of bias that can come through when these kinds of things are set up by state officials,” Segal added.

In BJC’s online press release, Blake Ziegler, Texas Field organizer at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said: “Many of our Jewish ancestors sought refuge in the United States because of its separation between religion and government. We fled nations whose theocratic policies persecuted our people and others who did not share the state’s religion, while arbitrarily favoring those who did.”

Ziegler mentioned concerns over SB 11’s impact on religious pluralism in schools, noting religion separate from government interference as essential to promoting “religious freedom.”

Mounting fears over SB 11’s lack of religious pluralism come after the bill underwent multiple amendments, including those that protect non-participants by prohibiting PA broadcasts of the prayer or study time, and mandating a board vote requirement within six months of the law’s Sept. 1, 2025 effective date. 

On Nov. 15, prior to the Texas Baptists Annual Meeting in Abilene, the Texas Baptists Evangelism team, Forgotten Ministries, Broadview Baptist Church, and other churches partnered together to evangelize three Abilene apartment complexes.

Forgotten Ministries is a ministry founded by Jeremiah Herrian, which exists to help churches “rediscover compassion, leave the building and bring the hope of Jesus to the homes that need him most.”

“Outside the comfort of four walls, there is an entire world in anguish, and the church must rediscover the compassion that moves believers to action,” Herrian said.

Since 2007, the ministry has accomplished this with their Grill Walk strategy.

The Grill Walk is a door-to-door evangelism strategy where volunteers are divided into groups of four: two grill cooks and two food preppers, and “as the grill moves down the street, groups stop at houses, knock on doors, and offer free hot dogs.”

This allows volunteers to share the gospel and their testimonies, pray with residents, and invite them to church.

Herrian “framed the day” by emphasizing compassion. He gave volunteers a “final charge” before beginning their Grill Walk in Abilene.

“People are more spiritually lost today, not because they reject Jesus, but because they’ve never truly heard about him,” Herrian said.

“Knock on every door. Offer a hot dog at every door. Share Jesus at every door.”

The Texas Baptists Evangelism team, along with 80 volunteers from nine different churches, delivered 710 bags of groceries, served 700 hot dogs, and provided 600 pairs of socks to families in need. Volunteers knocked on 630 doors, “praying with residents and offering encouragement.” The team saw 21 individuals surrender their lives to Jesus.

“I often ask churches across the state, ‘If your church ceased to exist, would your community miss you?’ God did not call us to just be a church in the community. He called us to be the community church,” said Oza Jones, Texas Baptists’ director of evangelism.

“The Grill Walk allowed us to saturate the community by serving and sharing. [It] helps us to mobilize the local church for maximum impact,” Jones said.

To learn more about Texas Baptists Evangelism and how it can resource your church, visit txb.org/evangelism.

Texas Baptist pastors and ministry leaders learned more about a four-phase plan for partnership between Texas and Ukrainian Baptist churches during a Dec. 18 Zoom call. The partnership launched Nov. 18 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Texas Baptists and the Ukrainian Baptist Union.

The Healing Path Initiative is designed to connect congregations in Texas with churches across Ukraine through relationships, prayer, shared mission and eventual expansion.

Brent Gentzel, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Kaufman, said 42 churches “committed and are on board for the launch” of the partnership.

The partnership begins with a strong emphasis on relationships and encouragement. Texas pastors are paired directly with Ukrainian pastors, many of whom have been leading congregations through years of conflict, displacement and uncertainty.

Churches in Texas and Ukraine also are forming prayer teams, committing to daily prayer at synchronized times—7:07 a.m. in Texas and 3:07 p.m. in Ukraine.

In between the prayers, Matthew 7:7 and John 15:7 are to be considered for reading and reflection.

Later phases include plans for in-person gatherings, joint spiritual growth campaigns centered on the Great Commandment and Great Commission, and monthly financial support for community-based projects identified by Ukrainian churches.

Funds will be distributed through established denominational channels to ensure transparency and accountability.

Organizers also emphasized cultural similarities between Texans and Ukrainians, encouraging participants to focus on authentic relationships while being mindful of security and language differences.

Igor Bandura, vice president for international affairs with the Baptist Union of Ukraine, said Ukrainian pastors are eager to begin building relationships immediately. He noted while the realities of war remain serious, churches continue worshipping, serving and caring for their communities.

To learn more about the Texas-Ukrainian church partnership, visit https://www.healingpathmovement.com.

Texas no longer is the national capital of capital punishment, but it still is among the handful of states responsible for about three-fourths of the executions carried out in 2025, a report from the Death Penalty Information Center revealed.

With 18 executions carried out this year and another scheduled this week, Florida was responsible for more than one-third of the executions nationwide, according to the center’s report, “The Death Penalty in 2025: Year End Report.”

Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and Texas combined accounted for 72 percent of all executions in the United States in 2025, the report noted.

The Death Penalty Information Center reported 46 prisoners executed in 11 states in 2025, with two more scheduled: Stacey Humphreys in Georgia on Dec. 17 and Frank Athen Walls in Florida the following day.

“The increase in this year’s execution numbers was caused by the outlier state of Florida, where the governor set a record number of executions,” said Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.

“The data show that the decisions of Gov. DeSantis and other elected officials are increasingly at odds with the decisions of American juries and the opinions of the American public.”

The center reported public support for capital punishment at the national level is at its lowest point in five decades at 52 percent. Polls also show generational differences, with a majority of people younger than 55 disapproving of the death penalty.

Texas put five prisoners to death in 2025

Texas executed five Death Row prisoners in 2025: Steven Nelson, Richard Tabler, Moises Sandoval Mendoza, Matthew Johnson and Blaine Keith Milam.

Two other men—David Wood and Robert Roberson—were scheduled to be put to death but received stay of execution orders from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty also issued its annual report, “Texas Death Penalty Developments in 2025: The Year in Review,” on Dec. 15.

“After decades as the nation’s death penalty pariah, Texas was not the lead executioner this year. … Yet the state continues to waste millions of taxpayer dollars in the pursuit of capital punishment while glaring problems with its application persist,” the report states.

This year, Texas judges set the fewest execution dates in at least 30 years, and prosecutors increasingly waived the death penalty in capital murder trials due to costs and the lengthy and uncertain legal process, the coalition reports.

Embracing ‘mercy and reverence for human life’

John Litzler, public policy director for Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission, said he was encouraged by “what appear to be declines across the board of both executions and new death penalty sentences in Texas.”

“The history of capital punishment in Texas is fraught with prejudice, disproportionality and error,” Litzler said. “For that reason, the reduction of capital punishment sentences carried out in Texas shouldn’t be viewed as a rejection of justice, but a state that embraces both mercy and reverence for human life.

“As Texas Baptists continue to share their beliefs that all human life is sacred because every person is made in the image of God, I expect the number of executions in our state to continue to decrease. That’s because living in a community and state that values human life compels us to approach potential death sentences with humility and restraint.

“This is reflected in the practices of our district attorneys who are seeking the death penalty as a punishment less often and also in the decisions of our juries who are more often choosing life without parole as a criminal sentence, even with capital punishment as an option.”

This year, prosecutors in only two Texas counties pursued death sentences, the coalition report notes.

“In Texas, whether a person receives a death sentence continues to be driven not by the underlying crime, but by geography,” the report states. “Only prosecutors in Harris and Tarrant counties pursued new death sentences in 2025, with juries sending three men to death row while rejecting the death penalty in a fourth case.”

‘Past time to kill the death penalty’

Death sentences in Texas have fallen from 48 in 1999 to single digits each of the past 11 years, the report notes.

The coalition report urges policy makers “to examine the collective costs of capital punishment and to follow the lead of Texans who are increasingly abandoning the death penalty as a path to justice.”

“It is well past time to kill the death penalty,” said Stephen Reeves, executive director of FaithWorks, formerly known as Fellowship Southwest. “While the decrease in executions and new sentences in Texas is encouraging, it only highlights the arbitrary and capricious nature of the punishment.

 “Even seldom and random state vengeance carried out on the poor, unlucky, marginalized and forgotten members of society does nothing to make us safer and is simply cruel and unjust. Let’s finally abolish the death penalty and get Texas out of the ineffective, expensive and immoral business of killing our citizens.”

Nan Tolson, director of Texas Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, called the death penalty, “a wasteful and expensive system with life or death consequences.”

Costs involved in carrying out an execution—including investigations, trials, appeals, prolonged incarceration and the execution itself—make the death penalty two to three times more expensive than a sentence of life without parole, said Tolson, a Baylor University graduate.

“Texas should embrace a vision of justice that leaves the death penalty behind and reallocates limited public resources to measures proven to improve public safety,” she said.

Texas policymakers need to “examine the collective costs of capital punishment”—including the moral cost of people being executed for crimes they did not commit, she added.

“As conservatives, we don’t trust the government to deliver our mail on time, much less get convictions right all the time in death penalty cases,” Tolson said.

WACO—Baylor University received a $9.76 million Lilly Endowment grant to launch and provide financial support for the Ministry for Life initiative at Baylor’s Truett Theological Seminary.

The Ministry for Life initiative is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. The grant to Baylor University is one of 45 approved in this competitive round of Lilly Endowment funding to support theological schools as they lead large-scale collaborations with other seminaries, colleges and universities, and church-related organizations.

Truett Seminary’s Ministry for Life initiative is based on a collaborative, comprehensive approach to pastoral formation intended to span the ministerial lifecycle.

The program is organized around four related pillars:

• Shaping cultures of call.
• Educating the called.
• Placing the educated.
• Supporting the placed.

The grant-funded effort aims to build reciprocal relationships among leaders, congregations, denominations, educational institutions and church-related organizations through the Ministry for Life Center with a view to equipping healthy ministers to lead healthy churches over the long haul.

Addressing a ‘systemic concern’

“For a number of years now, several of my Truett colleagues and I, along with many of our ministerial partners, have grown increasingly concerned about a decreasing number of people embracing and preparing formally for vocational ministry and an increasing number burning out and dropping out of the same,” Dean Todd Still said.

“This generous, indeed transformative, grant from Lilly Endowment, which is the largest such gift Truett Seminary has received to date, enables us to collaborate with others to address this systemic concern.

“At scale, we are convinced that Ministry for Life will have a considerable impact and will help to create and establish virtuous ministerial cycles that will extend the gospel and strengthen congregations.”

Truett’s Ministry for Life program—which is due to become an endowed, permanent center at the seminary—will be supervised by Truett faculty and staff members Angela Reed, associate dean of academic affairs and director of spiritual formation; Jack Bodenhamer, assistant dean of external affairs; and Michael Mauriello, associate clinical professor of youth and family ministry. The five-year grant will allow for staff hires to support the initiative’s work.

Collaborative effort, holistic approach

“We are beyond grateful for this opportunity to build upon the work of teaching and encouraging those with a call to ministry by developing new collaborative degrees and academic certificates, mentoring young people drawn to ministry leadership and walking alongside pastors already serving for the long haul,” said Reed, who is the grant’s principal investigator.

“No theological school does this work alone, and we are very pleased to collaborate with denominations, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations in this project to support faithful, healthy congregations for God’s purposes in the world.”

Additionally, Bodenhamer, co-investigator on the grant, said Truett Seminary is confident the grant “will help shape the landscape of the church in North America for generations to come.”

“Its holistic approach—supporting ministers, churches, denominations, educational institutions and para-church ministries—positions us to serve individual pastors and congregations while also fostering meaningful change at a broader systemic level,” he said.

Strengthen churches and their leaders

The Ministry for Life initiative reflects Baylor’s “abiding commitment to the church in North America and to equipping future leaders for vibrant, lifelong ministry, not least through our seminary,” President Linda A. Livingstone said.

“We are deeply grateful for the Lilly Endowment’s continued partnership with Baylor University and for their faithful investment in the renewal of the church and support of congregations. We look forward to continuing this good work together to strengthen the church and support its leaders, both for today and for future generations.”

Lilly Endowment launched the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative in 2021 to help theological schools across the United States and Canada as they prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face while preparing pastoral leaders for Christian congregations now and into the future.

Since then, it has provided grants totaling more than $700 million to support 163 theological schools in efforts to strengthen their own educational and financial capacities and to assist 61 schools in developing large-scale collaborative endeavors.

Texas Baptist youth gathered Dec. 5-6 on the Baptist University of the Américas campus in San Antonio for a Called to Ministry retreat.

Organizers planned the two-day event to offer a welcoming space for participants to explore, affirm and respond to God’s calling through teaching sessions, workshops and fellowship.

In her first official task as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Debbie Potter presented a $500 scholarship to prospective student John Mendoza.

Potter, children’s pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, told retreat participants about her personal involvement with BUA.

“I’ve been teaching at BUA for 10 years on and off. My husband first started teaching here, and he would come home every Monday night and talk about the students and how incredible the students were. He was so excited about them,” Potter said.

“Several of them came and started working for me at my church and still work for me, 10 years later, at Trinity Baptist. The students on this campus and the leaders are so important, and that’s what makes the difference. And that’s what I love about the Baptist General Convention of Texas—it’s that we value education.”

‘God has a plan for you’

Potter urged attendees at the retreat to trust God’s plan for their lives, regardless of their age or past experiences:

“No matter how old you are, no matter how young you are, no matter what you have done in your life, God has a plan for you, and those plans can change,” she said. “My first calling was to education. I am an educator. I love teaching, whether children or college students. He asked me to teach, and I did it.

“So, I just want to encourage you today. Don’t let anything deter you from doing God’s plan for your life. You may not know what it is. It may take several different turns and curves. Just say ‘yes,’ and God will open the door for you.

“Just look around this room and think about what can happen in our state if we all say ‘yes’ to God’s calling and start working in our communities and our churches.”

Victor Rodriguez, evangelism associate and discipleship specialist with Texas Baptists, led a session focused on the question, “What does it mean to be called?”

God calls not necessarily the most qualified but the willing, Rodriguez said. God’s calling can come in any area of life—from the church to the workplace, family or business, he added.

Rodriguez encouraged participants to embrace God’s assignment with faithfulness, reminding them Scripture reflects not just tasks, but the purpose God has for each person.

Bobby Contreras, pastor of Alamo Heights Baptist Church in San Antonio, led a session on “Guarding Your Calling.” Jesse Rincones, executive director of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, presented a session on “Going the Distance in Your Calling,” emphasizing perseverance and resilience.

Advent should remind justice-minded Christians their “yearning” and “longing for more” is rooted in the awareness God’s kingdom has come, but it also is yet to come, theologian Will Willimon told religious leaders on a Zoom call convened by Pastors for Texas Children.

Christians live “in the meanwhile” between Christ’s first advent as a baby in a manger and his second advent when he returns to set right all that is wrong, said Willimon, a former United Methodist bishop.

So, observing Advent reminds the church “what we need most we don’t have,” he observed.

‘Take the longer view’

In times of discouragement and defeat, Advent reminds Christians to keep the end in mind rather than focusing on the disappointment of the present moment, he asserted.

“There come those times when the discouragement is so deep, and it seems like the opposition is so effective against us, that we have to take the longer view,” Willimon said.

He made that observation when the Zoom call resumed after temporarily being disrupted by a malicious hacker.

Some of the “pushiest prophetic poetry” in the Hebrew Scriptures that focused on hope grew out of the exile in Babylon, Willimon said, citing the late Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann.

Consider the scope of the gospel

“The good news of Jesus Christ is more than personal. It’s more than subjective. It’s more than individualistic,” Willimon said.

In an “aggressively subjective, individualistic culture,” Christians need to be reminded of the scope of the gospel, he asserted.

“This thing with Jesus is more than personal. It’s cosmic,” Willimon said. “Your little heart is too small an arena for what God is busy doing. … Everything is being turned upside-down so it can be turned right-side-up.”

The prevalence of bad news may be opening up the possibility for good news, he suggested.

Advent challenges Christians to hold loosely to temporary human systems and structures, because God is at work doing something on a grander scale, he insisted.

“In some of the dismantling that is going on, some of the letting go that I’m being forced to do that I find very, very painful, is God maybe in some of that, too, so that something new can come?” he asked.

In fact, he suggested, “God may be taking away some false idols.”

‘God is doing a new thing’

Without a long-term, Advent-informed view, Christians who strive for justice and goodness find it “hard to keep at it,” Willimon acknowledged.

However, the Advent message centers on the idea: “God is doing a new thing among us,” he insisted.

Kyle Childress, recently retired pastor of Austin Heights Baptist Church in Nacogdoches, asked Willimon how his preaching has changed since he began in the ministry. Willimon replied he gradually has learned to “take the long view.”

“I hope that the long hope we have—who has a name and a face, Jesus Christ—gives us enough short-term hope to keep working for the good and for others,” Willimon said.

“I do know we have a relentlessly redemptive Savior.”

“The children are the church now,” not just the church of the future, newly elected Baptist General Convention of Texas President Debbie Potter remarked in a phone interview.

Potter was elected president at the BGCT annual meeting in Abilene in November, after previously having served as both second vice president and first vice president.

Her election marks the first time a children’s pastor has served as BGCT president, she observed, noting the role most frequently has been filled by senior pastors or institutional executives. She also is the first ordained woman elected as president of the BGCT.

Potter has served 22 years as children’s pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio after previously serving six years at Parkhills Baptist Church, also in San Antonio, where she was licensed to the ministry. Additionally, she teaches at Baptist University of the Américas.

Her drive to serve children and families has kept Potter in ministry even through difficult times.

“I get asked on a regular basis: ‘Why are you still here?’” she said.

She noted that being in her early 60s, some assume retirement is just around the bend for her, but Potter said she doesn’t see it that way.

On the contrary, Potter said she feels like she’s “just getting started,” though she noted she also is intentional about empowering up-and-coming ministry leaders to lead, within the children’s ministry department she oversees.

She is excited to lead the churches of the BGCT to do more to ease suffering among children and families in Texas, Potter noted.

Some recent government changes in Texas have increased needs among already vulnerable populations, she asserted.

“Our children and families are hurting,” Potter said, and she believes BGCT churches can do more to help.

Her own church, for example, has taken an active role in supporting families in their community by providing beds for infants and lockboxes to reduce accidental deaths from co-sleeping or kids getting into medications, she explained. Participants in Trinity Baptist’s Vacation Bible Schools have raised money for these causes through their offerings.

Potter also noted she personally provides support to Child Protective Services workers to aid them in performing some of the difficult duties only they are qualified to do.

“The BGCT does some great work,” Potter said, mentioning lobbying for policies and laws that “give children a voice” in Texas through the Christian Life Commission as an example.

“If we don’t help these vulnerable children, the Bible’s pretty clear,” she added. “These are the least of these. Jesus commands us to do this.”

So, she hopes the somewhat different message she will bring to the BGCT will lead to greater advocacy for children among the churches.

Controversy surrounding being an ordained woman

Potter said debate on social media surrounding her election was somewhat surprising, noting she told her husband, “I had no idea I was this interesting.”

But, she said, she has assured everyone who has expressed concern: “I knew what I was doing. My whole ministry has had these type of things.”

Unknown people on the internet who don’t know her or anything about her don’t bother her much, although when those who are close to her speak out against her ministry it does cause pain.

She finds the social media drama around her election somewhat “comical,” she said—that “I’m worth fighting over” is strange to think about.

Background

Potter is the third generation of pastors in her family, with her father and grandfather both having served as pastors.

She was “one of those strange children that really loved ministry from the beginning,” she said. She never resented going to church or the demands of ministry, she said, noting she was fascinated with her father’s ministry.

She gravitated toward it, she said, explaining whoever among Potter and her two sisters got to ride home from church each week with her dad—a privilege she tried to gain every week—was treated to discussion about ministry.

That time in the car was “when he really would talk about ministry … and what it involves.”

Those rides were special to her, Potter said, because she got a “real inside view into what ministry really is,” noting her dad didn’t just share “the good things” but also some of the “really bad things that happened to him during his ministry.”

The example he set was of a “true shepherd” who treated his congregation as his community, she noted, emphasizing a mutual investment in one another between that church body and her father and between the church and herself personally.

When she was in college at Southern Nazarene University, Potter said she believed the only path to ministry for her would be to marry a pastor, “so (she) could stay in the ministry, because that’s what (she) really loved.”

Accordingly, when she began dating her husband, he was a religion major. However, after much struggle and prayer, he confessed to her that though he wanted to, he did not feel he was called to ministry.

By then, “I’d already fallen in love with him,” she said with a laugh. They’ve now been married 39 years, and he is her biggest advocate and supporter.

After they married, Potter taught public school until a rift with the Nazarene denomination led them to visit and join a Baptist church. About a year into their membership in the Baptist church, Potter said, “I just knew I was called into ministry” to serve children.

She applied for a position as children’s ministry director at Parkhills Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation, and “they hired me,” she said.

“I always say it’s like the David story,” she said, when the youngest son who wasn’t even brought in for consideration as king was the one God had in mind.

“I didn’t have a Baptist pedigree. I don’t have a degree from a Baptist university,” she recalled, but that pastor, Robert Welch, saw her love for children as “the key here.”

“He took a chance on me, and he hired me. And that changed my life,” Potter reflected.

In 1998, She was the first female minister to be licensed to ministry at Parkhills Baptist Church.

Later, at Trinity Baptist Church, she was ordained—a step she said at the time she simply saw as an honor, with no idea of “the things in (her) life that (being ordained) would open criticism for.”

Potter pointed out she’s never moved out of children’s ministry. But, she said about ordination, “I felt like it gave me a stronger voice at the table when our pastoral staff met.” With ordination she gained “all the credibility” the others at the table had.

Over almost 30 years of sitting at the ministry table advocating for the children, Potter said, she felt ordination gave her a stronger voice from which to advocate for children being understood as the youngest members of the church now—not just the church of the future.

“It was just an honor, and I wanted to be fully empowered to take care of our kids,” she said.

She felt like her ordination was important for the kids, but she wasn’t trying to do anything offensive to anybody, Potter said.

In addition to a master’s degree in education from University of Texas at San Antonio, Potter also holds a Ph.D. from Andrews University. She pointed out it is more education than she ever will be compensated for, but she sought the degree because she believes children deserve “the best” too.

Potter wanted to have every qualification she could earn to best serve her community in children’s ministry, she explained.

And having served with some of the same people in and through that ministry for 22 years, they feel a calling too, Potter noted. “These are my people,” she said.

Potter also acknowledged the value of her election to other young women in Baptist life who feel called to ministry and pointed out the real threat of gifted young women leaving to follow God if they can’t find a place to be affirmed in ministry in Baptist life.

“And that’s my whole story, and what is really going to continue to be my whole story,” she said, in her new role as BGCT president—advocating for children as a woman in ministry.

Eighteen families filed a class-action lawsuit Dec. 2 to stop the display of a prescribed version of the Ten Commandments in all classrooms of every Texas school district not already involved in related litigation or subject to an injunction.

Ashby v. Shertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District is the third lawsuit—and first class-action suit—challenging S.B.10.

As approved by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, S.B. 10 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 Ten Commandments are “ingrained into who we are as a people and as a nation,” said Sen. Phil King of Weatherford, who introduced S.B. 10.

“Today, our students cry out for the moral clarity, for the statement of right and wrong that they represent. If our students don’t know the Ten Commandments, they will never understand the foundation for much of American history and law.”

First Amendment violations asserted

The plaintiffs assert the state-mandated displays in classrooms violate the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

The families represent a range of faith traditions, as well as some interfaith families and families that identify as nonreligious.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the national ACLU and the Freedom from Religion Foundation brought the class-action suit on behalf of families whose children attend schools in 16 districts not named in two previous lawsuits.

Named defendants are the Argyle, Birdville, Carroll, Clear Creek, Deer Park, Fort Sam Houston, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Katy, Liberty Hill, Magnolia, Medina Valley, Pearland, Prosper, Richardson, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City and Wylie school districts.

However, the suit contends the plaintiffs represent “a statewide class consisting of all parents, legal guardians, and their minor children suffering from constitutional harms as a result of Defendants’ posting of religious displays as required by S.B. 10.”

“If Plaintiffs are compelled to pursue relief in multiple counties—or even federal districts—across Texas, the same core facts and legal theories could yield divergent outcomes, on different timelines, resulting in both confusion among defendants and a needlessly increased risk that members of the Plaintiff Class will suffer violations of their constitutional rights,” the lawsuit states.

State has ‘zero legitimate interest in religion’

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 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.

“S.B. 10 is not neutral with respect to religion,” the class-action lawsuit states. “On its face, it expressly requires the display of religious scripture—the Ten Commandments—in every public-school classroom.

“It also requires that schools post a specific, state-approved version of that scripture that is associated with certain Protestant faiths, weighing in on theological questions regarding the correct content and meaning of the Ten Commandments and enshrining in state law an official denominational preference.”

Charles Foster Johnson, founding executive director of Pastors for Texas Children, agreed the state has no legitimate role “weighing in” on religious issues or giving preferential treatment to one faith group.

“The American experience is uniquely shaped by religious liberty and the ‘wall of separation,’ as Thomas Jefferson put it, between the church and the state. It was the church that shaped this American experience—small, dissenting, separatist churches in every village that trusted the word of God rather than the power of the state,” Johnson said.

“Fast forwarding almost 250 years, true Texas Americans still believe that the State of Texas has zero legitimate interest in religion. Eighteen of them have sued for remedy in this egregious violation of their—and millions of others’—religious liberty. Pastors for Texas Children hopes the federal courts will put a quick end to this infringement of faith freedom.”

Lawsuits, injunctions and appeal

Two federal judges already blocked 25 Texas school districts from displaying a state-prescribed version of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, citing constitutional concerns.

In August, U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction blocking classroom Ten Commandments displays in 11 school districts.

In November, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia granted a preliminary injunction to block the classroom displays in 14 school districts.

Last month, 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,” Paxton said.

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

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit will hear arguments on the constitutionality of S.B. 10—and a similar case in Louisiana—on Jan. 20. Court injunctions blocking the classroom displays of the Ten Commandments remain in effect while the appeal is pending.

COPPELL (BP)—For one week each December, the fellowship hall at Valley Ranch Baptist Church in Coppell turns into a Christmas shopping destination through its annual “Christmas Store.”

Desiring to be the hands and feet of Jesus and provide tangible resources for families during the holidays, the church hosts the Christmas Store, which allows parents and guardians of children in need the opportunity to “shop” for Christmas gifts for free.

Valley Ranch Associate Pastor Arthur Mendes said he hopes everyone who participates in this ministry sees the gospel in action.

“This is so encouraging to our church,” Mendes said. “It’s definitely our biggest ministry and the church always responds so well to it, not only giving financially, but also serving during the Christmas Store season. It’s impressive to see commitment of our church towards this ministry, but also a blessing to have so many people who are willing to serve.”

The store features wrapped gifts, gift cards for groceries, toys and clothing families in need can pick up at a designated time.

Upon arrival at the Christmas Store, families are greeted by Valley Ranch Church members who take time to learn more about their story, share a meal together and build friendships.

The Christmas Store will be open the week of Dec. 7-13 this year, and preparations are underway to get everything set up and create an engaging experience for families to enjoy.

Opportunity to share the gospel

Each year, around 300 families participate in the Christmas Store, and organizers anticipate an even greater need this year amid lingering effects of the long federal government shutdown this fall.

Organizers recognize the tremendous opportunity the Christmas Store presents to share the gospel with their neighbors.

Families are referred to Christmas Store through church connections as well as local school counselors and nurses.

“These families receive an invitation letter and instructions about coming to register at our church for the Christmas Store,” Mendes said.

“Then, on designated dates, when they come up to the church, they have the opportunity to select two gifts for their children, and they also have the opportunity to hear about the gospel message and see the gospel in action through the love of Christ.

“At Valley Ranch Baptist Church, we consider it a privilege to serve our community and by providing tangible and physical needs for families, we hope to introduce them to Jesus, the one that can provide all of our needs.”

IRVING—For Debbie Fogg, a member of The Church at Quail Creek in Amarillo, the 5-hour drive to Irving is worth it when she thinks about the joy on the children’s faces as they receive their shoeboxes from Operation Christmas Child.

For the past five years, Fogg has made this an annual tradition as she travels to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to serve at the Operation Christmas Child drop-off location at Plymouth Park Baptist Church in Irving and spends time with her family.

“I love this part, but I love the shopping part because you start thinking about the age of each child and what they might enjoy and could use,” Fogg said.

“I love to give back and when I can, I do. A lot of these items like the shirts and pens, I was able to get donated from different places. My car was so loaded down that my husband had to air up my tires before I could take off.”

Spreading the love of Christ to children

During the National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child, Nov. 17-24, Plymouth Park Baptist Church was one of two churches in Irving serving as collection sites before the shoeboxes were taken to the processing center in Coppell to ensure safety and security before being shipped out.

Every year, National Collection Week takes place the third week in November when more than 4,500 drop-off locations are open across the United States.

Since its inception in 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, has sought to spread the love of Christ to impoverished children around the world through shoeboxes full of small gifts at Christmas.

Last year, more than 11.9 million shoeboxes were collected globally for this project and 1.2 million were collected at the processing center in Coppell from around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

The gift-filled boxes contain an assortment of fun items for children to enjoy such as soccer balls, coloring books, crayons and sensory toys, along with personal care items, washcloths, toiletries and school supplies.

All ages participate in Operation Christmas Child, and many people make it an annual tradition by packing boxes or volunteering at the distribution sites.

Local churches in more than 100 nations hand out these Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts at festive outreach events where the gospel is presented in a child-friendly way.

Making an impact globally

Through these efforts, participants and volunteers realize the opportunity to have a big impact around the world.

Pastor Brian Hale of North Irving Baptist Church said their location had 20 volunteers helping to receive boxes, and their location typically receives 700 boxes each year.

“Most of these kids that we’re sending these boxes to have never had a gift,” Hale said. “This is a ministry that I live for, and I absolutely love it. We try to do everything we can to help with it. These shoeboxes are trying to change kids’ lives for the better.”

At Plymouth Park Baptist Church, a team of volunteers greeted people as they drove up and dropped off their shoeboxes, while another team helped pack boxes with an assortment of items that had been donated. This location received more than 1,000 boxes.

‘It’s part of my Christmas tradition’

For volunteers like Justina Anni, who has been a member of Plymouth Park five years, participating in this project has allowed her to better connect with the church and community.

“This is my second year helping with Operation Christmas Child,” Anni said. “I enjoyed doing this last year and wanted to be involved again.

“I love volunteering, helping out and knowing that the kids will receive these gifts. Through volunteering, it’s helped me to get to know other people at the church.”

As a retired schoolteacher and a long-time member of Plymouth Park, Becky Christenberry has enjoyed the opportunity to help with this ministry for more than 10 years both at her home church and also at the Operation Christmas Child processing center in Coppell.

“There’s a special feeling at the distribution center when you see all these people gathering together from all over the nation and when you pray over these boxes,” Christenberry said.

“Your heart just gets so full knowing that what you’re doing matters, and it is going to change lives. My Christmas is not complete without Operation Christmas Child. It’s part of my Christmas tradition.”