Texas Baptists’ Center for Church Health has entered into a partnership with Church Answers.

The partnership grows out of a shared passion to promote healthy churches and equip them to share the gospel, leaders of the two groups said. It will provide resources to Texas Baptists churches seeking to grow in all aspects of ministry, they added.

“We’re hoping that the outcome of this partnership is Texas Baptist churches that are healthier, vibrant and growing, because they know their communities, they know their own churches, and the leaders know themselves well,” said Sam Rainer, president of Church Answers.

Led by CEO and founder Thom Rainer, Church Answers provides resources, experts and community to guide church leaders through the ups and downs of ministry and church health. Thom Rainer is the former president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources and has written 36 books dedicated to church health and ministry.

Texas Baptists leaders reached out to the Rainers to inquire about a possible collaboration. The conversation grew, and Jonathan Smith, director of church health strategy at the center, took on the role of establishing a formal partnership.

“The partnership began when the leadership of Texas Baptists and our leadership started talking about our similar values and desires to see the Great Commission and the Great Commandment go further. We thought that we could align our resources and our teams well,” Thom Rainer explained.

Churches can reach out to Smith with their needs, and he will connect them with the Church Answers resources that best fit their criteria. Resources available include tools for all aspects of ministry, such as how to assess a church, demographic and psychographic reports, leadership development, models for reaching local communities and guides for utilizing prayer as an evangelism tool. The partnership also includes a consultant training program to raise up more people to advise churches across the state.

Thom Rainer will speak at the 2021 Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting Nov. 14-16 in Galveston.

Smith expressed excitement for the partnership and what it will mean for Texas Baptist churches.

“The heart of everything I’ve read and seen from the Rainers is wanting to see people know Christ and the local church excel for the kingdom of God,” Smith explained. “I’m excited for the heart and the expertise they have, and I’m excited for them to help us take that expertise to Texas Baptists.”

Smith started with Texas Baptists in 2021 as part of the new Center for Church Health. His role is part of an emphasis by Texas Baptists to assess the needs of churches and connect them with the tools they need to remain healthy and succeed in the mission of sharing Christ and showing love. Smith’s role and the Church Answers partnership are part of Texas Baptists’ commitment to the GC2—Great Commission, Great Commandment—movement.

Churches can access the tools and resources made available through the partnership by contacting Smith at jonathan.smith@txb.org or (214) 828-5315.

Cuatro años después de que un consejero escolar le dijera que su familia no podría pagar el costo de matricularse en una universidad, Kayla Abigail Miramontes se graduó la semana pasada de la East Texas Baptist University (Universidad Bautista del Este de Texas) con una Licenciatura en Ciencias en Estudios Profesionales.

“La beca ETBU que recibí a través de Convención me permitió ir a esta hermosa universidad privada, y mi escuela me dio la oportunidad de trabajar en el campus para ayudar a cubrir la otra mitad de mi matrícula. Ellos me ayudaron mucho y fueron muy flexibles al permitirme trabajar y estudiar”.

Miramontes fue una de las primeras estudiantes en recibir la beca Hispanic Christian Servant Leadership (Liderazgo del Servidor Cristiano Hispano) de ETBU en 2017. La beca cubrió el 50 por ciento de su matrícula y el total de su alojamiento y comida a lo largo de su licenciatura. Este programa es un convenio entre ETBU y la Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas.

“Tuve el apoyo de mis padres y la familia de mi iglesia. Solicité apoyo y becas que recibí por estar involucrada en mi comunidad. Mi mamá incluso consiguió un segundo trabajo para ayudar a cubrir el costo de los libros y otros gastos”. Miramontes es hija de Abel y Esmeralda Martínez.

Durante sus primeros dos años de universidad, Miramontes regresó los fines de semana a su iglesia local —Primera Iglesia Bautista de Gilmer— para servir en el ministerio de adoración.

“Es muy difícil. cuando estás estudiando, querer tomar tu Biblia, especialmente después de leer ocho capítulos del material escolar. Pero en ETBU teníamos capilla, tuve un buen grupo de amigos y la Semana de Renovación Espiritual en la primavera me cambió la vida. Es tentador dormir hasta tarde los domingos después de una semana larga. Pero animo a los estudiantes a que sigan yendo a la iglesia incluso si tienen que ir solos”.

Miramontes asistió a la Conferencia de Jovencitas SHINE en San Antonio durante su primer año de universidad. “Recuerdo a esta joven oradora que me llamó la atención porque tenía más o menos mi edad. Ella compartió cómo llevar un diario, escribiendo pensamientos y oraciones a lo largo del día. Tomé el consejo y lo apliqué. Hubieron tantos pensamientos y oraciones a lo largo de mis años universitarios… Ahora tengo al menos tres diarios completos que me recuerdan la fidelidad de Dios”.

Fue en uno de sus viajes de regreso a su iglesia natal que conoció a un joven que había comenzado a asistir a la Primera de Gilmer. A la mitad de su carrera universitaria, se casaron. Pero ella continuó con sus estudios y ahora anima a otros a seguir una educación superior incluso si no creen que puedan pagarla.

Jesse Rincones, director ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas, agradece que escuelas como East Texas Baptist University reconozcan la importancia de invertir en líderes latinos jóvenes. “No tengo ninguna duda de que su inversión dará grandes frutos aquí en Texas, y recompensas eternas más allá”.

Otros becarios 2017 a través de ETBU y Convención fueron Omar D. Aguirre, Saraí A. Muñiz y José Eduardo Hi.

Aguirre también se graduó de ETBU la semana pasada con una Licenciatura en Ciencias del Comportamiento. “Gracias a la asociación entre Convención y ETBU, pude pasar los últimos cuatro años siendo llenado, tanto académica como espiritualmente, por profesores increíbles que se preocuparon genuinamente por mí. Tuve la oportunidad de no solo ser equipado para el llamado que Dios tiene para mi vida, sino que también pude acercarme más a Él a través de mis estudios, gracias a la educación centrada en Cristo que ETBU brinda”.

Aguirre no siempre aspiró a ir a la universidad y carecía de motivación cuando era adolescente, pero le da crédito a Dios por el amor y la gracia que lo llevaron a seguir una educación superior. “Estoy asombrado por todo lo que Dios ha hecho en mi vida en los últimos cuatro años”.

Aguirre es hijo de Silvio Aguirre y Magaly Flores y trabajará como profesional de salud mental en Longview.

Muñiz, hija de Vidal y Areli Muñiz, se graduó de ETBU en mayo de 2019 con una Licenciatura en Historia. Actualmente se encuentra en el Seminario Truett, estudiando una Maestría en Divinidades, y comenzará una Maestría en Trabajo Social en la Universidad de Baylor este otoño.

“La beca ETBU a través de Convención, junto con algunas becas académicas, me dio el regalo de una educación libre de deudas. Esto me dio la oportunidad de obtener una maestría sin la carga de los préstamos escolares”, dijo Muñiz.

Ella planea continuar sirviendo a través del ministerio de la iglesia o en una organización sin fines de lucro con principios cristianos.

José Eduardo Hi se graduó la semana pasada con una Licenciatura en Religión. “Mientras estaba en la escuela secundaria sentí el llamado de Dios para dedicarme al ministerio, y Él me dio la oportunidad perfecta a través de ETBU y Convención”.

Hi es hijo de José Eduardo Hi y Olivia Hi. Planea volver a servir en su iglesia local, la Primera Iglesia Bautista Alpha en Dallas, y actualmente está buscando una oportunidad de trabajo.

Adriana Grace Tapia recibió en 2018 la beca Hispanic Christian Servant Leadership (Liderazgo del Servidor Cristiano Hispano) de ETBU a través de Convención, y también se graduó el 8 de mayo de 2021, recibiendo una Licenciatura en Artes Teatrales con honores. Es hija de Josué y Elizabeth Tapia, y planea trabajar en el área de San Antonio.

Para obtener más información sobre las becas a través de la Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas, visite www.hispanicbaptist.org/scholarships.

Four years after being told by a school counselor that her family would not be able to afford the cost of enrolling in a university, Kayla Abigail Miramontes graduated recently from East Texas Baptist University with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies degree.

“The ETBU scholarship I received through Convención made it possible for me to go to this beautiful private university,” she said. “And my school gave me the opportunity to work on campus to help cover the other half of my tuition. They are so helpful, and were flexible in allowing me to work and study.”

Marimontes was one of the first students to receive the ETBU Hispanic Christian Servant Leadership Scholarship in 2017. The scholarship covered 50 percent of her tuition and full room and board throughout her undergraduate degree. This program is a partnership between ETBU and the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas (Convención).

“I had the support of my parents and my church family. I applied for grants and scholarships that I received because I was involved in my community. And my mom even took on a second job to help cover the cost of books and other expenses, she said.”

Marimontes is the daughter of Abel and Esmeralda Martínez.

Remained active in church throughout college

During her first two years of college, Marimontes returned on the weekends to her home church in Gilmer, Primera Iglesia Bautista, to serve with the worship ministry.

“It’s really hard when you are busy studying, to want to pick up your Bible, especially after reading through eight chapters of school material. But at ETBU we had chapel, I had a good friend group, and Spiritual Renewal Week in the spring was life-changing. It’s tempting to sleep in on Sundays after a long week. But I would encourage students to continue going to church even if you have to go alone.”

Marimontes attended the SHINE Girls Conference in San Antonio during her freshman year of college.

“I remember this young speaker that captured my attention because she was around my age. She shared how to bullet journal, writing down thoughts and prayers throughout the day. I took that and I applied it,” she said. “There were so many thoughts and prayers throughout my college years. I now have at least three full bullet journals that remind me of God’s faithfulness.”

It was on one of her trips back to her home church that she met a young man who had begun attending Primera in Gilmer. Halfway through her college career, they married. But she continued with her studies, and now she encourages others to pursue higher education even if they don’t think they can afford it.

Jesse Rincones, executive director of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas is grateful that schools like East Texas Baptist University recognize the importance of investing in young Latino leaders.

“I have no doubt that their investment will prove to bear great fruit here in Texas and eternal rewards beyond,” he said.

‘Able to draw closer to God’

Other 2017 recipients of the scholarship through ETBU and Convención were Omar D. Aguirre, Sarai A. Muñiz, and José Eduardo Hi.

Aguirre also graduated from ETBU recently with a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Sciences degree.

“Thanks to the partnership between Convención and ETBU, I was able to spend the last four years being poured into, both academically and spiritually by amazing professors who genuinely cared about me,” Aguirre said. “I’ve had the opportunity to not only be equipped for the calling God has on my life, but I was also able to grow closer to God through my studies by the Christ-centered education ETBU provides.”

Aguirre did not always aspire to go to college and admittedly lacked motivation as a teenager, but he credits God for the love and grace that drove him to pursue higher education. “

I am in awe of all that God has done in my life in the last four years,” he said.

Aguirre is the son of Silvio Aguirre and Magaly Flores and will be working as a mental health professional in Longview.

‘The gift of a debt-free education’

Muñiz, daughter of Vidal and Areli Muñiz, graduated from ETBU in May of 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in History degree. She is currently at  Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary working on a Master of Divinity degree and will begin working on a Master of Social Work degree from Baylor University this fall.

“The ETBU scholarship through Convención, paired with some academic scholarships, gave me the gift of a debt-free education. This allowed me the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree without the burden of school loans,” Muñiz said. She plans to continue serving through church ministry or a faith-based non-profit.

Jose Eduardo Hi, Jr. graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion degree.

“While in high school, I felt the call from God to go into ministry, and he gave me the perfect opportunity through ETBU and Convención,” he said.

Hi is the son of Jose Eduardo Hi Sr. and Olivia Hi. He plans to return to serve in his home church, Primera Iglesia Bautista Alpha in Dallas, and is currently looking for a job opportunity.

Adriana Grace Tapia was a 2018 recipient of the ETBU Hispanic Christian Servant Leadership Scholarship through Convención, and also graduated on May 8, 2021, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts degree with honors.  She is the daughter of Josue and Elizabeth Tapia, and plans to work in the San Antonio area.

To learn more about scholarships through the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, visit www.hispanicbaptist.org/scholarships

La Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas desarrolla una nueva iniciativa que ayuda a iglesias bautistas Hispanas en Texas a enfrentar los desafíos únicos de la iglesia latina.

Este nuevo programa llamado Iglesias Abundantes es financiado por una subvención de la fundación Lilly Endowment, Inc.

El objetivo de Iglesias Abundantes es fortalecer y apoyar a las congregaciones bautistas hispanas de Texas a través de una experiencia de aprendizaje congregacional. Esta experiencia les ayudará a explorar el contexto de su ministerio, ganar claridad sobre su misión única dada por Dios, adaptar sus ministerios y prosperar en el servicio a sus comunidades y el Reino.

La Iniciativa

Durante un período de cinco años, hasta 50 congregaciones tendrán la oportunidad de participar en una experiencia de aprendizaje congregacional donde se explorarán los desafíos y se buscará implementar las soluciones a estos. También se brindarán recursos y fomentarán prácticas que ayudarán a resolver las demandas de los ministerios de la iglesia hispana. Durante este proceso, las congregaciones desarrollarán planes personalizados y tendrán la oportunidad de recibir recursos financieros de hasta $9,000 y poner en marcha su plan de acción.

El Dr. Tony Miranda, actual presidente de la Convención dirige esta iniciativa. “La iglesia hispana en los Estados Unidos enfrenta a tres gigantes: iglesias bilingües que se comunican en inglés y español, diversas generaciones de inmigrantes adorando dentro de una misma congregación y un constante desafío por alcanzar y activar a una población cada vez más joven. Esta iniciativa se enfoca en enfrentar particularmente estos retos”. –dice Miranda.

Experiencia de aprendizaje

El diseño del programa se basa en la experiencia de aprendizaje congregacional de Tim Shapiro como se describe en su libro, Cómo Aprende su Congregación. Recursos adecuados serán brindados en cada una de las fases de Desafío, Exploración, Descubrimiento e Implementación.

La iniciativa consiste en que los líderes de las iglesias participen en los retiros de Exploración e Implementación, que ayudarán a definir los retos e implementar las soluciones, respectivamente. El objetivo es que toda la iglesia participe en el proceso de aprendizaje congregacional durante un año e implemente exitosamente las soluciones a sus desafíos.

Se buscan estudiantes

Iglesias Abundantes también provee oportunidades para selectos estudiantes de nivel superior que están llamados al ministerio pastoral. Estos estudiantes pueden participar en el programa junto con las iglesias sin pastor.

Como mínimo, estos pastores serán capacitados en el proceso de aprendizaje congregacional que les servirá a medida que se gradúen y ministren en sus nuevos ministerios. Un resultado deseado sería que un estudiante y una iglesia sin pastor podrían encontrar una alineación durante el proceso.

Jesse Rincones, Director Ejecutivo de Convención dice “Podemos imaginar a la iglesia invitando al estudiante a ministrar en la iglesia durante el año después de la graduación para liderar a la iglesia en la fase de implementación de su plan personalizado durante la iniciativa.

Primer retiro

El primer retiro de Exploración tendrá lugar en San Antonio, Texas los días del 22 al 24 de julio del año en curso.

Las iglesias interesadas en participar en esta iniciativa deben completar su forma de registro para la fecha limite del 21 de mayo.

Más información y formas para aplicar están disponibles en el sitio web www.iglesiasabundantes.org.

WACO—Baylor University’s board of regents adopted a resolution that could open the door to allow a new chartered group that would offer care and support for LGBTQ students. At the same time, it reaffirms Baylor’s statement on human sexuality that supports “purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman as the biblical norm.”

“The university remains committed to extending Christ-like love and grace in caring for all our students and meeting them where they are, just as Jesus did, and adhering to traditional biblical teaching of Scripture regarding human sexuality,” the resolution states.

At a teleconference for the news media following the May 14 board of regents meeting, Chair Mark Rountree characterized the adoption of the guiding principles as an opportunity “to lean more fully into the grace and truth aspects of our commitment as a Christian university.”

On the “grace” side of the equation, the board charged the administration to “look for ways to better care for, include and give a sense of belonging to our LGBT students,” Rountree said. On the “truth” side, regents reaffirmed the “traditional biblical view of human sexuality,” he noted.

Any chartered student group would be operated “consistent with our core Christian commitments and convictions around human sexuality, as well as other university policies,” he added.

‘Important … but difficult conversation’

President Linda Livingstone emphasized the resolution grew out of “an ongoing conversation” about human sexuality, which she called “a really important conversation but a difficult conversation within the Christian community.”

She expressed hope Baylor can “balance some of these tensions that we live with around the biblical beliefs of our institution and of the Christian faith, and the care and support of our students.”

Rountree added the conversations among regents that led to the resolution’s adoption were “deeply respectful” and “honored each person’s view and perspective.”

“We demonstrated—not just with this issue but certainly most recently with this one—that we as a board do not have to have a unanimity of perspective to have a unity of spirit,” he said.

‘Start with a clean slate’

Last October, the Baylor Student Senate passed a resolution by a 30-15 vote urging the university to reinterpret its statement on human sexuality and add a nondiscrimination clause to its policies for student organizations.

Three months ago, the Baylor Faculty Senate approved a resolution supporting a charter for the unofficial LGBTQ student group, Gamma Alpha Upsilon.

Rather than commit to recognizing the unofficial group, Livingstone expressed the desire to “start with a clean slate.” She voiced hope a new student organization can be developed that meets students’ needs in a way consistent with the guiding principles affirmed by the regents.

“I think it will be a collaborative process and one built on respect and care for one another,” she said.

Change to human sexuality statement ‘never a consideration’

Baylor’s statement on human sexuality includes the expectation “that Baylor students will not participate in advocacy groups, which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching.”

Any chartered student organization will be to provide “care, support and a sense of community” to the “growing population” of LGBTQ students, not be an advocacy group for a lifestyle or position on human sexuality, said Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communication at Baylor.

“Opening up the statement on human sexuality was never a consideration,” Cook said.

The board-approved resolution emphasizes Baylor’s commitment to Christian principles and to “providing a loving and caring community for all students,” including those who identify as LGBTQ.

“As a board of regents, we recognize that Baylor’s LGBTQ students continue to seek care, connections and community on our campus and a sense of belonging within the Baylor Family. As an important and faithful expression of our Christian mission, we desire to establish trust with our LGBTQ students so that, among other things, they might seek out the resources provided by Baylor,” the resolution states.

The resolution reaffirms three core commitments:

• “The dignity and worth of all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, as we strive to fulfill our Christian commitment of a caring community.”
• “The biblical understanding that sexual relations of any kind outside of marriage between a man and a woman are not in keeping with the teaching of Scripture, as summarized in the university’s statement on human sexuality.”
• “Our commitment to providing a welcoming, supportive educational environment based on civility and respect for all.”

The resolution charges the university administration to “determine the appropriate pathways to provide additional care, connections and community for Baylor’s LGBTQ students, including the possibility of establishing a new, chartered student group that is consistent with Baylor’s core commitments … and the university’s policies and statements.”

¿De qué hablamos cuando hablamos de misiones?  ¿Qué significado tienen nuestras ofrendas dedicadas a las misiones nacionales e internacionales?

Para algunos pueden representar solamente algunos momentos de oración en el Servicio regular de la iglesia, o algunos números en el informe de las ofrendas. Pero es mucho más.

Las misiones son historias de vidas, muy personales, hombres y mujeres que son transformados por el poderoso mensaje del evangelio.  Ten eso en cuenta cuando ores por las misiones o cuando presentes una ofrenda especial para las misiones.

Considera este testimonio:

Walter Craighead fue un misionero que nació en 1892 y sirvió en Paraguay desde el año 1944 hasta 1957 en la ciudad de Encarnación.  En el año 1957, su último año en el campo misionero, conoció a  Humberto González, de 19 años, que acababa de dejar su ciudad natal de Paraguarí para ir a estudiar y trabajar a Encarnación.

Un domingo, Humberto decidió visitar la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Encarnación, de la que Craighead era pastor.  Ese día, confrontado por el mensaje del evangelio, Humberto recibió a Jesús como Señor y Salvador.

Humberto, que hoy tiene 84 años, cuenta así lo que ocurrió a continuación:

“Era el último año de su Misión del Pastor Walter Craighead como pastor de la Iglesia, y cuando me bauticé me llamó en su oficina y me habló del curso sobre Escuela Dominical que ofrecía la convención Bautista del Sur , El Paso Texas; y yo gustoso acepté, y el Pastor Walter fue mi Profesor. Como era su último año como Pastor y después ya retornaba a los Estados unidos, tenía que terminar el curso en un año, lo cual lo he logrado”.

“Fue un día muy feliz en mi vida cuando de la mano de mi Pastor recibía el diploma que me acreditaba como un líder para la Escuela Dominical; era en el mes de diciembre de 1957”.

En esa misma iglesia, Humberto conoció a Rufina Acosta, quién dos años después se convertiría en su esposa.  Junto a ella sirvieron en aquella iglesia por 26 años.  Lo que Humberto aprendió con el Pr. Craighead le sirvió para apoyar a la iglesia en las cuatro ocasiones en que quedó sin pastor.

Humberto y Rufina tuvieron cinco hijos, y hoy en día tienen 15 nietos y cuatro bisnietos de los que anuncian con alegría que todos son creyentes y sirven al Señor en diferentes ministerios.  Gracias a Dios, todos ellos son quienes extienden hoy en día el mensaje del evangelio a las nuevas generaciones en Paraguay.

Y, ¿sabes a quién agradece Humberto además de a Dios?  A la Convención Bautista del Sur por haber enviado aquellos misioneros.

¿Dónde empezó todo? Dios llamó a un hombre que vivía en la ciudad de Albion, en los Estados Unidos, y las oraciones y ofrendas de los hermanos e iglesias le apoyaron durante el tiempo en que sirvió al Señor en Paraguay.

Hoy en día todavía hay misioneros que cuentan con el respaldo económico de nuestras ofrendas y el respaldo espiritual de nuestras oraciones.

¡Sigamos cumpliendo la Gran Comisión hasta que Cristo regrese!

Jerry Ramirez admittedly finds it hard to say “no”—even to the prospect of building a community development ministry during a pandemic.

Regardless of challenges, Ramirez wants to serve Lubbock, a community he has called “home” since moving there more than two decades ago to become associate pastor of students and activities at Oakwood Baptist Church.

In 2007, Ramirez and his wife Lisa joined First Baptist Church in Lubbock. Shortly thereafter, when Buckner International entered into a collaborative venture with First Baptist Church, Ramirez became the congregation’s minister of missions and Buckner Initiatives.

In 2018, when the agreement with Buckner ended, Ramirez became the church’s minister of global initiatives, and he launched Serve Lubbock as a nonprofit community development ministry focused particularly on providing affordable housing.

At that point, he already was a volunteer chaplain with the Lubbock Police Department, served on the board of Lubbock Impact and had been chair of the City of Lubbock Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. He also serves on the executive board of Texas Baptist Men and Texas Christian Community Development Network.

“I don’t say ‘no’ very well,” he acknowledged.

Plans to provide transitional housing

First Baptist began the process of transferring 10 properties in the neighborhood surrounding the church campus to Serve Lubbock, including two vacant lots and “four red-tagged houses that need to be demolished,” Ramirez said.

Serve Lubbock dreams of providing transitional housing for at-risk families and individuals, charging them rent below market value until they are able to move into permanent homes.

“Change is slow, but we’ve got to begin somewhere,” Ramirez said.

He hopes to work with Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits, allowing future homeowners to build “sweat equity” as they contribute labor to building their own homes.

“We’re working through the process,” he said, acknowledging the COVID-19 pandemic slowed it in some respects.

Making adjustments, building relationships

Early last year, Ramirez planned to take a college group to New York City on a mission trip.

“We had the plane tickets in hand, and the ducks were all in the row,” he recalled. Then COVID-19 made the trip impossible.

So, he and his team redirected their attention, committing themselves to “serve our community and love people in our community—whatever that ended up looking like,” he said.

Ramirez found ways throughout the pandemic to build relationships in the community, in part by using a ministry tool the church developed a couple of years earlier for a different purpose.

A few months after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas Gulf Coast, First Baptist Church secured a disaster relief unit—a 20-foot trailer equipped with a tilt skillet and convection ovens to serve as a field kitchen.

So far, the TBM-trained volunteers at First Baptist haven’t used the trailer in the aftermath of a natural disaster. However, the unit has been utilized extensively in community ministry events throughout Lubbock and the surrounding area.

“We want to be present in our community with our trailer,” Ramirez said.

Prior to the pandemic, volunteers used the field kitchen to cook hot dogs and other treats for neighborhood block parties and at an annual community fishing event for children.

Serving health care workers during pandemic

Working in partnership with other TBM volunteers, members of the church helped serve 3,900 meals to frontline health care workers at the two largest hospitals in Lubbock, as well as employees at a rehabilitation facility.

“Our goal every day is to love as Christ loved,” Ramirez said.

When Lubbock public school students were unable to attend in-person classes, volunteers no longer could continue mentoring programs. However, First Baptist Church volunteers prepared snack packs for children in food-insecure households—more than 2,500 snack bags for students at eight schools in 2020.

On several occasions, volunteers from First Baptist also have served meals to teachers at outdoor appreciation lunches at neighborhood public schools.

Ramirez also led the church to make necessary adjustments in community ministries to protect the health and safety of everyone involved. For example, the annual Christmas store for families in need became a drive-through event.

“It’s a little weird wearing masks and wearing gloves when we’re packing stuff, but it’s still working together, and to see that week in and week out is pretty cool,” said Caleb Bender, a missions intern at First Baptist Church and student at South Plains College.

Meeting needs and showing love

Ramirez acknowledged volunteers missed the opportunity for extensive “one-on-one interaction” with people due to social distancing and other safety protocols, but they remained committed to meeting needs and showing love.

Liz Purser, a missions intern at First Baptist in Lubbock and student at Texas Tech University, noted she missed having the “personal connection with people I was serving,” particularly at big events such as feeding meals to frontline medical personnel. Even so, she gained a passion for working in missions and Christian community development.

“It’s a very fulfilling thing to serve,” she said, noting she hopes to continue to work in ministry after she graduates.

Since volunteers were unable to travel on a mission trip in 2020, the church redirected its resources to work in partnership with other ministries to send a container filled with 1 million meals to Belize.

Closer to home, First Baptist also worked in partnership with Lubbock Impact to serve 10,000 meals to individuals and families in need.

Once the pandemic ends, Ramirez looks forward to being able open the First Baptist Church facility as the host site for visiting mission groups who want to volunteer with Serve Lubbock.

And as increasing numbers of church members receive their vaccinations, more are returning to volunteer roles. In time, Ramirez hopes to put many of them to work with at-risk children and youth in low-income apartments—a ministry modeled after the programs Tillie Burgin has developed with Mission Arlington the last three and a half decades.

“Our people are ready to get back to a sense of normalcy in serving our community,” Ramirez said.

“We love people, and people know when we love them with authenticity—when they see that in our lives.”

Read more articles like this in CommonCall magazine. CommonCall explores issues important to Christians and features inspiring stories about disciples of Jesus living out their faith. An annual subscription is only $24. To subscribe to CommonCall, click here.

Kaari and Lee Vasquez understand when God calls a family to provide children with foster care, he tends to work out the details.

Kaari was drawn to a particular house on Kari Ann Drive as soon as she saw a picture of it. The similarity of the address to her own name caught her attention.

She dragged her sons David and Anthony to an open house “just to see it, and we walked through and just absolutely fell in love. The boys were excited.” She rushed home and told her husband Lee he had to see the house.

But the price was too high for them. Then they started praying.

After submitting an offer below the owners’ asking price, they decided to write a letter explaining their desire to use the home to serve foster children through Buckner.

“We wanted to explain why we made a low offer. We didn’t want to be rude,” Kaari added. “We could just picture our family in this home, and we told them [the owners] how we desired to use it: ‘We’d love to foster siblings, and your home would give us the room to do that.’”

When their realtor called to say their offer was accepted over a higher one, they were “blown away.” And then they learned more. The family selling the house had been a foster family and used the home just as the Vasquezes imagined using it. Their letter hit the spot. God worked it out.

On a foster parenting journey

Lee and Kaari started their journey as foster parents 13 years ago in Virginia while living in a one-bedroom apartment. The call came for them to care for a brother and sister. But when the children showed up, it was two boys.

The youngest was a three-month-old named David, who stayed with the Vasquezes, while the 6-year-old went to live with another family. Thirteen years later, David is still with them, but not as a foster child. They adopted him.

Their youngest son, Anthony, came soon after. His mother had aged out of foster care and was headed to jail. Initially, the plan was to keep Anthony as a foster placement for a year. Lee and Kaari agreed they wanted Anthony to maintain a relationship with his birthmother, so they visited her in jail with Anthony in tow.

“That was a very difficult time,” Kaari said. “But God really used that to help her see that we loved her and we cared about her.”

‘God made it very clear’

Kaari, a speech pathologist, had just started working full time again and was overwhelmed with two small boys along with her work.

“God made it very clear what he wanted me to do,” she said.

She told her boss about Anthony and that she needed to bring him with her to the school where she was working, so the school opened a spot for him.

Lee, an engineer with UPS, was traveling regularly for work then, and Kaari was nearing a breaking point.

“I found myself in my laundry room crying and just asking God why. I wanted to be home, and I thought it would be better for Anthony. At that moment, God gave me peace, and I was just thankful for all that he had provided.”

The day after her laundry-room breakdown, Anthony was diagnosed with hearing loss.

“So, here he was in one of the country’s best schools for children with hearing loss. Had I not been working full time there, he would not have been diagnosed as quickly.”

Co-workers approached her and said things like, “Wow. What are the chances that this child was placed with you and now he has a hearing loss? I don’t believe in God, but that makes me wonder.”

Ministry to families

The irony of Kaari and Lee adopting two foster boys isn’t lost on them. Their motivation for becoming foster parents in the first place was to reunify foster children with their biological families, while taking opportunities to serve the families along the way.

“It’s not just the child you’re bringing in, you’re going to be alongside the family, or the parent, who is trying to get their child back,” Lee said.

“Sometimes it (our calling) has looked like children being reunited with their birth families,” Kaari added. “But truly, the most powerful and important piece to that calling and what we’ve seen over these years is the healing that comes from them accepting Christ, learning about who Jesus is, and being restored to him.”

Lee believes God has a plan for every family they serve through foster care. That plan “is for individuals, for families who are going through a tough time to see salvation at the end of their suffering. We have to trust that God is going to bring them back together.”

Extended family everywhere

As a result of getting to know the families, Kaari said their own family has grown exponentially because they now have “extended” family everywhere they’ve lived, including two years they served at an orphanage in Baja, Mexico.

“The Vasquez family has felt the pain and grief that comes with loving so deeply,” said Andi Harrison, regional director of foster care and adoption for Buckner. “I am very thankful that we are able to offer our families the counseling to find healing through their journey. The counseling that we are providing families like the Vasquezes extends longevity in this ministry as families receive the support from their organization.”

“The Vasquez family continues to respond to the gospel by saying ‘yes’ to caring for children through foster care, but they take it one step further by showing love and respect to each of the birth parents,” Harrison added.

After finishing their stint at the orphanage, the Vasquezes needed to decide where they would live back in the United States. Kaari researched states needing foster families, especially ones that speak Spanish, and found Texas. As they zeroed in on the state, they contacted Buckner and were told Dallas-Fort Worth had a high need for what they had to offer.

Services available through Buckner

“We knew of Buckner because of some friends at our church in Virginia,” Kaari said. A good friend from the church knew Buckner President and CEO Albert Reyes and recommended they check out the Dallas-based ministry.

“We researched and we really connected with the mission and the vision that Buckner had,” Kaari said. “I called Buckner up before we moved here and asked where the greatest need was for foster parents.”

They chose Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area because of Buckner.

“One thing that set Buckner apart from other agencies was the support they offer our family,” Lee said. “Not just the kids that come in to stay with us for a short while, but David and Anthony also get to benefit from therapy through Buckner and us as a family. We’ve worked through some things that are difficult.”

Sharing God’s love

“Whether or not a child is able to reunify, we see the big picture,” Kaari said. “God’s ultimate plan is for us to be able to share his love with others and pray and desire for them to experience that for themselves and ultimately come to know Christ.”

And while their mission is reunifying children, that also means suffering losses along the way. It was that fear of seeing children come and go that caused Lee to hesitate at first.

“I thought, why would we get into foster care? It seemed like something very difficult, an emotional roller coaster,” he said. “If you take in a child, you fall in love with the child, and then you have to give up the child. Why would I do that to myself on purpose?”

“I think the hardest part of this—of doing foster care—is also one of the most important lessons that we’ve learned and that is to be able to trust God with all our children,” Kaari said. “To be able to trust that even when the situation is something that we feel is not best for the child or we feel frustrated with or that we’re questioning, it’s trusting that God has good plans for that boy or girl and that he loves them more than we ever could.”

Reunification has no bigger advocates and fans than Kaari and Lee, because they know children belong with the biological families in which God put them if possible. So, they deal with the goodbyes and pray.

“I always say that the day it becomes easy to say goodbye is the day we should quit,” Kaari said. “Because, really, the children deserve us to become attached to them, to fall in love with them, to love them as our own. They deserve that. They deserve nothing less. And if we were to give them less, it would hurt less.”

May is National Foster Care Month. About 400,000 children are in foster care in the United States, and more than 30,000 of them are in Texas. For more information on how to become involved, click here.   

RICHARDSON—Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas urged participants at its annual meeting and missions celebration to pursue God’s calling on their lives.

The April 16-17 event at First Baptist Church in Richardson drew about 160 participants through a combination of in-person and online viewership at three general sessions, with in-person attendance limited for social distancing purposes.

“This weekend has not been about WMU of Texas,” said Tamiko Jones, executive director-treasurer. “It has been about our God, your relationships with him and his call.”

‘Called to make a difference’

Raquel Contreras Eddinger, director general of the Baptist Spanish Publishing House, spoke from the Gospel of John, emphasizing that the time to pursue God’s call is now.

“We have to leave our jar of water behind and run to tell everyone they need Jesus,” she said, referencing the story of the woman at the well. “We, the women of WMU of Texas, are called to make a difference in our society.”

Participants at the annual meeting and missions celebration also heard from Ryan and Seané Rice, North American Mission Board church planters in New Orleans.

“We have to trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding us as we pursue the Lord and that he wants to use us for his glory,” he said. “The hazard of the call of God may be great on our lives, but God is indeed greater.”

David and Laurel Fort, International Mission Board missionaries, also described their ministry in places across the globe. They emphasized the blessing of obedience to God’s call despite fear and challenges.

“Faith which leads to obedience calls us to trust that God is fully aware of the consequences of our obedience,” he said.

Participants heard from the 2021 National Acteens Panelists from Texas—Rana Seddik from Freeman Heights Baptist Church in Garland and Hope Howard from Retama Park Baptist Church in Kingsville. These two young women were chosen by the national WMU for their hard work, dedication to missions education and faithful service.

“Missions are more effective when you do them as a team,” said Howard when asked about the importance of Acteens and Youth on Mission groups. “People see that, and it’s just such a witness-bearing testimony.”

Mary Hill Davis Offering essential in Texas

Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director David Hardage described the tremendous impact of the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions on the missions and ministry of Texas Baptists.

Hardage focused specifically on how Mary Hill Davis Offering funds support Texas Baptists’ River Ministry and Mexico Missions, Baptist Student Ministry, Go Now Missions, International Mission Board missionaries and church planting.

“So much of the missions and ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas couldn’t happen were it not for WMU of Texas and the Mary Hill Davis Offering,” he said. “I believe in this offering. I give to it. I want to personally invite pastors to promote it harder and stronger than they ever have before in 2021.”

Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a self-guided Mary Hill Davis Offering Prayer Experience and received a 12-month WMU of Texas planner.

“You are going to have missions opportunities right there in front of you on your calendars,” said Teri Ussery, missional lifestyle strategist for WMU of Texas. “We really hope that this is going to encourage, inspire and equip you to be on mission 365 days a year, seven days a week for the next 12 months.”

The Pursue 2021 mission project provided supplies for students at Mendenhall Elementary in East Plano. Mendenhall serves about 600 students, and 86 percent are economically disadvantaged. Of the elementary schools in Plano, Mendenhall serves one of the highest percentages of families dealing with homelessness, single-parent homes, immigration, domestic violence, mental health issues and joblessness.

Over the course of the conference, participants donated basic supplies like clothes, masks and hygiene items, as well as monetary gifts to help care for the students and families of Mendenhall.

Taking care of business

During the business session of the annual meeting, Texas WMU re-elected Earl Ann Bumpus as president and elected Elida Salazar of First Baptist Church Carrizo Springs as vice president and Susan Morgan of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston as recording secretary.

“We pray these leaders will walk into the future with confidence, knowing that [God has] already planned what they are to be about,” former Executive Director-Treasurer Carolyn Porterfield said during a prayer of dedication for the elected officers.

Jones recognized two former employees of Texas WMU who retired last year. Pam Poole served as special projects coordinator and joined the staff in 2014. Looie Biffar served as a graphic designer and joined the staff in 2015. Both served previously with the BGCT before joining Texas WMU.

Texas WMU also honored the memory of Rebecca “Becky” Ellison, former state consultant for Christian Women’s Job Corps and Christian Men’s Job Corps, who died in May 2020. The CWJC/CMJC Endowment, which began in 2002, was renamed the Becky Ellison CWJC/CMJC Endowment in honor of her life and ministry. Funds support various aspects of this ministry in which women and men learn job skills and life skills in a Christian context. Ellison’s husband Michael was in attendance and received gifts in her memory.

Leading up to Easter this year, members of Highland Baptist Church in Waco not only gave thanks for how Christ paid their debt and lifted their burdens, but also gave to lift the burden of medical debt from 324 area families.

Highland Baptist raised $180,000—more than double the original giving goal and enough to provide close to $19 million in medical debt relief for families in McLennan County and the surrounding area.

A couple of years ago, Pastor John Durham read about a church in Minnesota that paid off millions of dollars of medical debt for families at a fraction of the actual cost, working with the nonprofit organization RIP Medical Debt.

‘Give a little and see a lot accomplished’

“I did a little research to learn how they did it and to verify that it was reputable, and I found out about other churches that were able to pay off medical debt at pennies on the dollar,” Durham said.

He learned RIP Medical Debt applies gifts from donors to purchase bundled portfolios of medical debt at a significant discount.

“It’s a way to make an exponential impact—to give a little and see a lot accomplished,” Durham said.

In February, Highland Baptist launched what leaders considered an ambitious campaign, setting a $75,000 giving goal by Easter in an effort to cancel up to $8 million in medical debt. The church tied it to its Easter theme, “Our debts have been paid.”

“It’s about the spiritual debt Jesus paid for us,” Durham explained.

‘They wanted to help’

Families collected change in jars to donate toward medical debt relief. Students employed in workplaces with tip jars donated all their tips to the cause, letting customers know everything they collected would be applied toward that purpose.

Some children in the congregation reported giving their entire allowance for a month to provide medical debt relief for families.

“They couldn’t even understand exactly what that means, but they wanted to help,” Durham said.

Highland Church accepted donations for medical debt relief beginning the week before Palm Sunday and continuing through Easter.

“On Easter Sunday morning, I was able to announce we had surpassed our goal, raising $114,000 so far,” Durham said. “By that afternoon, the total was $180,000.”

To qualify for medical debt relief, families must earn less than twice the federal poverty line, have debt exceeding 5 percent of their annual income or have more debt than assets.

‘How resurrection people live’

Durham noted members of his church recognized how “crippling” medical debt can be for families and individuals.

“I think people were particularly sensitive to the need in light of all the hardship that COVID brought on,” he said.

RIP Medical Debt reports 79 million Americans on a daily basis must choose between paying medical bills or paying for food and shelter. Two-thirds of all bankruptcies in the United States are tied to medical debt, and one-fourth of all credit card debt is medical debt, the organization notes. In communities of color, the percentages are even greater.

Due to federal privacy laws, Highland Baptist members cannot know whose medical debt they helped to eliminate. But families in the Waco area who receive yellow envelopes in the mail from RIP Medical Debt will learn their debt has been cleared, thanks to the generosity of members of Highland Baptist Church.

Church members recognized the significance of their sacrificial gifts making the debt cancellation possible at Easter, Durham added.

“This is how resurrection people live their lives,” he said.

HUNTSVILLE—The Texas Department of Criminal Justice recently reversed course, announcing it will permit death row inmates to be accompanied in the execution chamber by the minister or spiritual adviser of their choice.

The agency’s new policy permits a prisoner facing execution to have a personal spiritual adviser present in the death chamber, subject to verification and a background check.

“The inmate’s spiritual advisor must be included on the inmate’s visitation list and have previously established an ongoing spiritual relationship with the inmate demonstrated by regular communications or in-person visits with the inmate before the inmate’s scheduled execution date,” the revised execution protocol states.

The spiritual adviser also is required to complete a two-hour in-person orientation with a staff member of the TDCJ Rehabilitation Programs Division at least 10 days before the scheduled execution.

Response to court in ‘the exact wrong direction’

In March 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court halted the execution of an inmate who argued his First Amendment rights were violated because his Buddhist spiritual adviser was not permitted in the execution chamber. At the time, TDCJ only permitted its own employees in the death chamber, and the state only employed Christian and Muslim chaplains.

The TDCJ Correctional Institutions Division responded to the court ruling by adopting a policy barring all spiritual advisers from the death chamber—an action that prompted an outcry by the faith community.

Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said the state responded to the court ruling in “the exact wrong direction.” First, the prisoner had “his religious freedom denied when his request was refused,” she noted. But rather than seeking to accommodate the inmate’s religious beliefs, the state chose to deny any executed prisoner the right to a spiritual adviser in the death chamber.

In July 2019, more than 180 faith leaders from a dozen religious traditions—including at least 10 Baptists—signed a letter asking the TDCJ to permit spiritual advisers of all faiths into the death chamber at the request of condemned inmates.

“The physical companionship of a chaplain in the execution chamber is a small but vital form of human compassion in an otherwise dehumanizing process. The presence of a chaplain or spiritual adviser in the viewing room is no substitute for this direct ministry,” the letter from religious leaders stated.

AUSTIN—Surrounded by homes with burst pipes after the February winter storms, St. John’s College Heights Baptist Church in Austin did what it’s called to do—minister to its community in Christ’s name.

The congregation helped people get the assistance they needed in the midst of the crisis.

Little did members realize water was filling up their church’s facilities. For a few days, water from broken pipes flooded the sanctuary, as well as education space.

“The ceiling, all that stuff, came out,” Pastor Michael Harvey said. “We had water all over the place.”

Looking for help, Harvey reached out to Texas Baptist Men as the congregation dried out the buildings.

Shortly thereafter, a TBM rebuild team from Central Texas arrived with a load of drywall and went to work. Soon, the walls were sealed again, and TBM is looking for other ways to assist the church.

Restoring ‘a lighthouse’

Harvey described the assistance as a gift from God.

“It means a whole lot,” he said. “It comes in the time of a pandemic. We had a pipe burst. People aren’t coming to church. Giving is down. This is an incredible blessing.”

Charles Baker, a member of Crestview Baptist Church in Georgetown who led the TBM team, is thankful for the opportunity to strengthen a church committed to its community.

“This church is a lighthouse in its neighborhood,” he said. “It stands out. The buildings stand out. They need to be able to stand out.”

So far, TBM has helped nine homeowners and churches around the state recover from damage caused by the winter storm. Combining the efforts of rebuild teams, supplies of drywall and expertise, TBM leaders are strengthening homes and congregations in difficult days.

“Both homeowners and churches didn’t have the right coverage or got denied on the claim,” said Rupert Robbins, associate director of TBM Disaster Relief. “On some of these, we’re running behind people with a net. After a disaster, it’s not as simple as, ‘Turn the power back on, and let’s go.’”

Helped ‘navigate the systems’

The ministry goes far beyond the rebuild efforts.

“We provide help, hope and healing,” Robbins said. “I’ve had the opportunity to pray with these pastors and homeowners. We’ve helped them navigate the systems to get done what needs to happen.”

Robbins has been refreshed in visiting with the pastors of the churches. God is using the winter storm damage as an opportunity for churches to see new ways to serve.

“It’s amazing how many guys I’ve talked to that God is breathing fresh life into their church,” he said. “It’s amazing how that happens.”

Pastor Joseph Cartwright of North Star Fellowship in Irving has seen that in many ways. A TBM team installed sheetrock where the church is meeting in an apartment complex.

“This was a big leg up for us, to get the building back together so we can move toward some ministry goals we have. It was just such a blessing,” he said, adding the church is “moving into position … to effectively make Jesus famous in the days in which we’re living.”