Heading into the 2025 Texas Baptist annual convention, it is time we have an honest conversation about GC2.

There is considerable confusion among Texas Baptists regarding the campaign that began in 2019, titled The Great Commandment and the Great Commission (GC2).

Who can’t get behind being about the Great Commandment and Great Commission? The Great Commandment and Great Commission should be what all churches are about and what I thought the Baptist General Convention of Texas already was doing.

GC2 now has a brand, a press, a national network, international partnerships and has created a statement of faith. In my opinion, it looks like the BGCT executive director and board are positioning the GC2 to be a competing convention with the Southern Baptist Convention as more evangelically inclusive than doctrinally driven.

Granted, that is a leap on my part, but the problem is there is so much confusion around the GC2 and getting someone to explain it is like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.

It seems like what I have witnessed the last few years is the Great Conflation and Great Circumvention as the Texas Baptist leadership conflates the things the convention already was doing as something new, and it would seem is methodically circumventing what could be the will of the messengers that are more closely tied to the SBC. Let me explain.

The Statement of Faith

GC2’s statement of faith surfaced in September 2021 when the Executive Board approved an initial version as a collaboration guide, not a replacement. In November 2021, messengers approved a motion to add a reference to Christ’s ascension.

In May 2022, the board reapproved the statement, amended the gender clause, and moved to present it to messengers that fall. A background document for that recommendation suggested it could be used to vet candidates for BGCT committees or scholarships. David Hardage, former executive director of the BGCT, later acknowledged that it was a misstep and called for a pause.

Despite pauses, the statement disappeared from GC2’s site and reappeared on BGCT’s “Beliefs” page as convention doctrine. Today, the BGCT Beliefs page lists the 1963 BF&M as adopted by messengers and notes the GC2 Summary of Faith as approved by the Executive Board, not by messengers.

It is my understanding that the BGCT exists to carry out the will of the messengers. If the BGCT exists to carry out the will of the churches through their messengers, shouldn’t the messengers decide whether any statement of faith speaks for all of us? There was no formal announcement, no floor debate and no vote by the messengers. The statement of faith has been approved only by the Executive Board per the BGCT website.

The Great Expansion

GC2 began inviting churches from outside Texas to affiliate. Instead of partnering through their state conventions—partnering within their state convention would be natural—these congregations now align with GC2. Perhaps they couldn’t find a theological home in their states? If Texas Baptists knew their positions, would we want to fund their ministries?

This confusion extends to finances. Many assume that every Cooperative Program dollar is divided between Texas ministries (79 percent) and the SBC (21 percent), as voted on by the messengers in 2008.

In reality, the Texas Adopted Plan sends 79 percent of receipts to BGCT missions and just 21 percent to “worldwide missions.” The BGCT’s beliefs page explains that each church decides where that 21 percent goes. It may be directed to the SBC or BGCT worldwide efforts.

For years, I’d heard BGCT representatives say, “21 percent goes to the SBC,” no caveats. When did messengers approve this arrangement? Who exactly are our worldwide partners?

With GC2 now courting out‑of‑state churches and controlling the 21 percent that used to go to SBC causes, it’s hard not to wonder whether this Great Expansion is really a Great Circumvention.

It may be a pathway to steer resources away from SBC and Cooperative Program structures toward causes many Texas Baptists have never approved. I don’t know that for certain, but the lack of clarity makes it feel less like the Great Commission and more like the Great Confusion.

GC2 strong and a larger scope

The GC2 Strong vision is about building a network without borders … and definitions. Add its own distinct staff, publishing, planting and global mission partnerships outside the SBC structure and you have something bigger than a program. Leaders may call it complementary, but the scale suggests circumvention. 

Polity and process

In Baptist life, the churches send messengers, the messengers set the direction, and the Executive Board carries it out. Boards do not have the mandate to redefine scope or reshape identity on their own. If GC2 is simply a ministry focus, fine. If it is starting to function like a parallel convention with its own partnerships, reach and doctrinal identity, then it belongs in front of the messengers.

Questions that remain

1. Why is GC2 branded separately when its mission is identical to the core work of Texas Baptists?
2. Why was its statement of faith moved into BGCT’s beliefs by the Executive Board without a public vote?
3. Is GC2 meant to supplement the SBC, replace part of it or build a separate network?
4. Does the Executive Board have the authority to set this kind of course without messenger approval?
5. Has GC2’s expansion been presented to messengers for approval of its scope and partnerships?

Great Clarity

This is not opposition to the Great Commandment or the Great Commission; it is about clarity. If GC2 is the future of Texas Baptists, we should say so out loud. Otherwise, you are circumventing the very churches you are meant to represent.

Just pushing ahead leaves the convention in Great Confusion, even if the purpose isn’t the Great Circumvention. Let us agree together on its purpose, scope and partnerships, and do it in the open. That is the Baptist way.

Kody Alvarez is the senior pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church in China Spring. Oak Grove Baptist Church is a BGCT-affiliated church. The views expressed in this editorial are the responsibility of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Baptist Standard.

As we approach the Texas Baptists Annual Meeting Nov. 16-18 in Abilene, we are anticipating the opportunity to explore our theme: “Live Out GC2: Love God, Love People, Make Disciples.”

We hope to unpack this in our plenary sessions and in our breakouts. I plan to share more about it during my executive director’s report.

Because the GC2 focus has existed and evolved over the past 10 years, there has been some confusion about what it is. I am thankful for pastors and others who have written or called asking questions and seeking clarification.

One of my primary objectives since I became the executive director has been to provide clarity. It has been said, “clarity is kindness,” and I agree. At the same time, I want to acknowledge that we have engaged in a process where we are seeking the Lord’s direction for the future, and the truth is, we have not figured everything out yet. So, we are sharing as we are discovering.

In preparation for the annual meeting, I would like to address some of the questions we have received. I hope to expand more on these and other questions in my weekly updates as well. If you haven’t already signed up, this is your invitation to do so!

How is the current GC2 strong initiative different from previous GC2 emphases?

We are seeking fresh direction as we build on the same biblical principles. Christ has given us the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. These become timeless constants to us.

When GC2 was first conceptualized by former leadership, there was a desire to celebrate the comprehensive ministry of our convention. The work of affiliated churches and affiliated and related institutions shows love in practical ways while also sharing Christ and making disciples.

GC2 also provided a way to relate to churches and ministries beyond Texas. While the intention was not to pursue an “expansion,” it recognized the churches and ministries that desired to cooperate with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The current GC2 Strong initiative seeks to serve all affiliated churches. We are seeking to strengthen a multiplying movement of churches that live out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission in Texas and beyond.

The problem we want to address is lostness. Over half of the population in Texas does not know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Texas is more ethnically diverse than ever before. A great number of our churches are declining, and some are closing their doors. Yet more people need Christ!

In other words, our focus is serving local churches, most of which are in Texas. We believe that if we have strong churches, strong ministers and strong missions partnerships, empowered by God’s Spirit, we can address the lostness in Texas and beyond.

Is GC2 an effort for BGCT to become a national convention as an alternative to the Southern Baptist Convention?

The simple answer is “no.” We don’t want to be a national convention. We don’t need another national convention. We also don’t desire to compete with the Southern Baptist Convention or any other Baptist body. There is too much lostness in the state, the country, and the world to think in terms of “competition.”

It is important to remember that Texas Baptists is not an agency of the SBC, though we celebrate our 138-year history of cooperating with it. Texas Baptists is an agency of Texas Baptist churches. The local church is the headquarters of our ministry. Thus, we respect the local church’s freedom to choose with whom they cooperate for the cause of missions within the Baptist family.

While the autonomy of the local church has been a long-held principle among Baptists, there was a day when churches neatly related geographically with their local association, state convention and national convention. While I liked the simplicity and efficiency of those days, not all churches follow this pattern today.

Some churches relate to a local association that is in a different part of the state. Some bypass the association and relate only to the state convention and the national convention. Yet others relate to two state conventions or two national conventions, including many of our ethnic churches. Some only relate to the local association and the state convention.

Historically, many, if not most, of our Texas Baptist churches are also affiliated with the SBC. We respect the freedom of churches in directing their Cooperative Program contributions. Some follow the 79 percent BGCT 21 percent SBC adopted plan. Some give a lower percentage to BGCT and a higher percentage to SBC. And yet others give 100 percent to BGCT.

Texas Baptists has working agreements with the North American Missions Board of the SBC for church planting in Texas and in North America, and it has a working agreement with the International Mission Board of the SBC that includes our Baptist Student Ministry Go Now Missions and our MAP missionaries. Additionally, we have a partnership with the Baptist World Alliance for work with other national Baptist conventions globally.

While we are not trying to become a national convention, we do acknowledge that our footprint has been larger than Texas for quite some time. Churches outside of Texas have affiliated with BGCT since the 1970s. Approximately half of the 70 churches outside of Texas that are affiliated with Texas Baptists are churches that were started by churches in Texas.

Even so, we do not have an expansion agenda or strategy for recruiting more churches outside of Texas. Our “expansion” strategy is to serve our existing churches as they reach the lost in their communities and around the world. The Great Commandment and the Great Commission belong to them.

We have had partnerships with national Baptist conventions for decades as we seek to live out Acts 1:8. Being witnesses in our Jerusalem, our Judea, our Samaria, and the ends of the earth is the responsibility of every believer, every church, every association, and every convention.

Living out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission do not naturally lead to our trying to work in isolation or competition with others. On the contrary, the urgency and immensity of the task call for greater cooperation with all those who are like-minded and resonate with our biblical convictions.

Are we pursuing cooperation in missions at the expense of doctrinal soundness?

Texas Baptists exist for the purpose of cooperating for missions. Together, we can do more than any church or Christian organization can do by itself. The Great Commandment and Great Commission task call for a big tent.

So how big can the tent be? Where do we drive the stakes? The answer is doctrinal affinity.

While we cherish the priesthood of the believer and the autonomy of the local church, we choose to cooperate with those who hold to orthodox Christian doctrine and historic Baptist principles.

Doctrinal affinity is not the same as doctrinal uniformity. While there are Christian doctrines and Baptist principles that are non-negotiable, there are beliefs and practices where local churches have freedom. It is enough for a church to hold to Christian orthodoxy and historical Baptist principles in order to collaborate with Texas Baptists for the cause of missions.

A few years ago, the executive board approved the GC2 summary of faith, which was also approved and amended by the messengers to the 2021 annual meeting in Galveston. This summary was not intended to replace any statement of faith, but to express in a summary fashion the essentials for cooperation.

Because we are a big-tent convention, some believe the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message statement is controversial. Others feel that the 2000 statement is controversial. The GC2 summary was an attempt to remove some of this stigma while still communicating that we are a centrist convention. Ironically, it became controversial, too. That is why it is not presently being emphasized.

Statements of faith have been the focus of controversy for the last 40 years or so. In my opinion, while some of the concerns have been legitimate, much of the fighting has distracted us from what Christ has commanded us to do: love God, love people, and make disciples. The doctrinal controversies of the late 20th century led us to forget “Bold Mission Thrust.”

Regardless of the version of these declarations, none of them is inspired, infallible or inerrant. The only inspired, authoritative, infallible and reliable guide for faith and practice is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

That is why we do not impose any single version of The Baptist Faith and Message on our churches. It is enough for a church to affirm either the 1925, the 1963, the 2000 or a similar Baptist statement of faith in order to work together for the sake of the lost. After all, the Bible is our final authority.

Doctrinal soundness is important. Doctrinal affinity is necessary. Doctrinal uniformity distracts us from the mission of God.

There may be other questions that we will seek to answer in the coming days. If you are not already subscribed to my weekly update, you can do so here. I hope this offers greater clarity. Plan to come to our annual meeting in Abilene. Let’s watch what God can do.

Julio Guarneri is executive director of Texas Baptists. The views expressed in this article are the responsibility of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Baptist Standard.

We are all pundits these days. Social media has turned us into content creators, allowing us to dispatch a quick missive on any number of issues our world might throw at us.

Since there are an increasing number of issues, there is certainly a lot of dispatching going on, particularly among pastors.

On the one hand, I have no problem with this. I think it wise that pastors stay engaged with their congregations, particularly when it comes to helping them view the rapidly changing world through a distinctly Christian lens.

If pastors and church leaders don’t give us ways to think about politics, artificial intelligence and pop culture, to name just a few, then others will be more than happy to do so.

This is the problem that many pastors face these days: People are constantly plugged in, receiving commentary on the world, having their hearts, minds and souls formed by people who may or may not be people of faith.

Should pastors be part of the social media conversation and try to add to the conversation? Or should they instead focus their limited energies and time on Scripture, theology and the church?

The importance of tone

But here’s an equally interesting problem for those of us who are not pastors: To whom should we listen? If I hop on Instagram, X or Tik Tok and run across a pastor or church leader attempting to provide a theological perspective on the world, how do I decide whether to pay attention to the voice on my screen?

I would not pay attention to follower count. Someone’s popularity is not a measure of their wisdom. I also would not pay attention to production value. Almost anyone can get a nice microphone and a light ring on Amazon these days.

I would, however, pay a great deal of attention to tone.

There are lots of popular social media accounts who espouse Scripture and theology with fire. They are passionate about their topics and they are excellent with one-liners, zingers and comebacks. In my experience, however, those folks rarely sound like Jesus.

Don’t mishear me. I appreciate passion. I have no problem with being excited about a message—particularly if a message is important. But the way someone treats others and speaks on social media is a pretty good window into their soul.

People commonly say things such as, “Social media isn’t real life.” That’s true, but the way people behave online is. Jesus said that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth will speak. I think he’d probably include the keyboard in that verse today.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but here’s what I’ve found: If they’re a jerk online, they’re probably the same in person.

I could drop a few names here, but that’s probably unnecessary. You’ve met people like this before.

Seek those who act like Jesus

Instead of looking for a fiery personality, I’ve come to a different conclusion: Follow the fruit.

Paul says that when the Spirit of God is inside someone, the fruit of changed character begins to sprout in their lives. He says fruit has some specific qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Anyone worth listening to will have this sort of fruit in his or her life. If they don’t? Mark and avoid.

Too many attempt to excuse poor behavior by attempting to say they are simply passionate or trying to contend for the faith. But a pattern of angry, belittling or bullying behavior on social media is enough reason to ignore someone and listen to a different voice—a voice that emulates not only the teachings of Jesus, but also his character.

If you’re going to spend time online listening to theological voices, my counsel is to seek out those who most act like Jesus, even when they are tackling tricky topics.

Fire is fine, but follow the fruit.

Steve Bezner is associate professor of pastoral theology and ministry at Baylor University’s Truett Theological seminary and the author of Your Jesus is Too American: Calling the Church to Reclaim Kingdom Values over the American Dream. The views expressed in this editorial are the responsibility of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Baptist Standard.

Effective Sept. 1, every public-school classroom in Texas was to display “in a conspicuous place” a King James Version inspired listing of the Ten Commandments.

However, a federal judge recently halted implementation of the law in some districts, citing violations of the First Amendment’s Free Exercise and the Establishment Clauses, mirroring the long history Supreme Court jurisprudence which protects conscience and free exercise, while forbidding an establishment of religion by the state.

Historical analysis of the Constitution and judicial precedent would appear to agree that the Texas law is obviously unconstitutional. So, why did Texas pass this law to begin with?

When government is controlled by one particular political and religious viewpoint, these types of laws result.

Engel v Vitale

Consider the words of the Supreme Court in Engel v Vitale (1962) when ruling on compulsory school prayer: “It is an unfortunate fact of history that when some of the very groups which had most strenuously opposed the established Church of England found themselves sufficiently in control of colonial governments in this country to write their own prayers into law, they passed laws making their own religion the official religion of their respective colonies.” In 2025, the same practices still occur.

Although precedent would imply the current Supreme Court will find the law unconstitutional, that is no guarantee. Instead, a broader question to consider beyond the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments law is whether the law is right and good.

Following the recent federal court’s ruling halting the implementation of the law, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is currently running for U.S. Senate, issued a statement from the attorney general’s office requiring schools to proceed with the 16 x 20 displays anyway, writing, “The woke radicals seeking to erase our history will be defeated.”

Public policy intersects with belief

Herein lies an additional problem with this law. What is the purpose? The attorney general’s reasoning seems to suggest partisan politics. Making the motivation of the law to defeat “wokeism” potentially violates one of the very commandments Texas requires be posted: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” The culture war sees no problem with using God’s word to score political points.

Mandating that schools post a particular version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom violates the consciences of teachers, administrators, students and parents, strikes a blow against religious pluralism, and establishes one particular faith practice as better than others and certainly preferred over those of no faith.

When public education, which is one of the best gifts the United States has given to the world, infringes upon religious liberty, also one of the best contributions our nation has made to the world, both suffer, which leads to individual rights being trampled by power.

As George Truett, one of the most influential Baptists of the past century, declared: “It is the consistent and insistent contention of our Baptist people, always and everywhere, that religion must be forever voluntary and uncoerced, and that it is not the prerogative of any power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, to compel men to conform to any religious creed or form of worship, or to pay taxes for the support of a religious organization to which they do not believe. God wants free worshipers and no other kind.”

Requiring every public classroom to post the Ten Commandments coerces others to compliance, compels religious conformity to a particular faith, stifles dissent and allows for the usage of public tax dollars to purchase the religious posters. In every way, this law violates Truett’s call, which he based on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The importance of practicing faith

Recently, I heard a beautiful sermon on the 10th commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

The pastor connected this final commandment to our personal jealousies and struggles with contentment. He conveyed that God cares about our hearts, connecting the commandment not only to the first commandment, but also to the rich, young ruler in the New Testament.

That politician, who Jesus challenged to give away everything and follow him, went away sad, because he could not relinquish his wealth and power. We all face that temptation.

I left challenged to live out what had been preached. That is how we share the message of the Bible. We do it through our churches and then live it out in our daily lives. Not through coercion, a violation of conscience, or through governmental fiat.

Ultimately, using the coercive power of government to promote a particular faith reveals a weakness of that faith, not a strength. The problem today is not that the Ten Commandments are not posted in classrooms, it is that so many of us who profess to be believers do not practice them in our own lives.

This law is closer to taking God’s name in vain than practicing faith, teaching history, or assisting children educationally. Simply, this requirement, regardless of the ultimate court decision, is wrong.

We need to get back to our Baptist roots. Roots that value the Constitution, protect individual conscience, champion religious liberty, defend religious pluralism and refrain from forcing the posting of a religious document on a public-school wall.

In the words of George Truett: “Christ’s religion needs no prop of any kind from any worldly source, and to the degree that it is thus supported is a millstone hanged about its neck.”

Jack Goodyear is dean of Dallas Baptist University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the Baptist Standard.

Years ago, I was facing a major life decision and my dad said, “Remember, all that glitters is not gold.” William Shakespeare offered this nugget (pun intended) of truth as a reminder to watch for counterfeits because outward appearances can be deceiving.

I’m concerned that many Christians, even pastors, are choosing glitter over gold, by embracing a false representation of the true power of God and a parody of his kingdom and how it advances in the world.

This is nothing new. When Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving God’s law, the people of Israel grew impatient. They wanted something they could touch, see and build for themselves, something that felt like real power. They needed a leader who would step up and fulfill their dreams to make their own god. Aaron acquiesced, collected their gold, melted it down, and formed the golden calf.

The people rejoiced, danced around it, sang songs and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt” (Exodus 32:4). It looked impressive, it glittered and gave them a sense of control. But it wasn’t real. It was nothing but a lifeless idol, a substitute for the living God.

When confronted by Moses, the truth was revealed. Their golden calf had no power, no presence, and could offer no salvation. A collective group of people chose a leader to help make it happen. They gave generously to it, sincerely celebrated it, only to realize it was a false representation of something so much better. It was not only a distortion of true worship but a mockery of the real thing.

“Christians” or disciples?

Dallas Willard noted that it’s possible to self-identify as a “Christian” and not be a disciple of Jesus. The word Christian shows up three times in the New Testament while the word disciple appears 269 times.

Jesus only called disciples. The word, “Christian” has been hijacked and redefined, often by leaders, influencers and politicians, who have taken on the label and often not exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit.

God alone knows the human heart, but Jesus said there would be signs. Many Christians act as if the ends justify the means. In the kingdom of God, the means are always tied to the ends. The actions of God are tied to the heart of God. In a desire to accomplish the “ends,” we lose our prophetic witness when our “ends” don’t match up with the “means,” the way of Jesus and his kingdom. 

A mock kingdom or the real thing?

My concern is the building of an idol that’s not true gold. Worldly power makes us feel like we’re in control, even safe and powerful, but it’s an imposter.

When the church tries to act like the state, it always leads to a false witness. If the state tries to act like the church, it leads to a false kingdom. Jesus was clear before Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight…” (John 18:36). His kingdom does not come through worldly force.

Back to core Baptist distinctives

I am Baptist because I believe in the authority of the Bible. I believe that Jesus was perfect theology embodied and that Scripture applied looks exactly like him.

I believe in the autonomy of the local church, the priesthood of all believers, our two ordinances, individual soul liberty, saved membership, our two offices (with nuanced differences in various churches), and the separation of church and state.

I know many will disagree with my application of the last one and I understand why, but in this far-to-limited space to write or converse about it, I want to lay out some foundational principles that I hope will guide deeper conversations about two current issues. I offer my own humble opinion, trusting in the soul competency of each of my brothers and sisters.

I will not be endorsing any candidates from our pulpit

I come back to our core tenets of soul competency and the priesthood of every believer. I will preach about the kind of leaders we should want to serve us, but my members are free to vote as they will.

I will encourage a posture of submission to the authorities (Romans 13) while at times, if necessary, proclaim that “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). I will embrace my right to speak truth to power, according to the Scriptures, regardless of what partisan side they’re on.

Endorsing candidates will likely backfire and be used against us to lobby for the taxation of churches. Doing so would only create more division within our churches. Once the politician does something unbiblical (likely), I would be left having endorsed him or her.

I will continue to endorse Jesus as our only (already elected) king and preach that our allegiance belongs to him alone.

The state does not need to act like the church

When the state tries to be the church, it becomes a parody of the true kingdom. His kingdom advances through his people in every domain of culture in every nation on earth. For the state to try to force a particular religion, even Christianity, on the people in a liberal democracy, it presents an imposter of the real thing.

I love and seek to obey the Ten Commandments. But as one commentator noted, to a watching world, mandating they be put on the walls of public-school classrooms feels like a dog marking its territory.

Christ rules over everything and in the hearts of his followers. Forcing one’s belief on another is contrary to the gospel and the nature of biblical faith. We lose our prophetic witness when we try to force our beliefs on others.

I’ve talked with several attorneys who agree that the mandate seems like a direct violation of the historical interpretation of the Establishment Clause, which prevents the government from establishing, sponsoring, or endorsing any religion.

The very first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” That’s explicit. There’s only one God, and we are to obey him alone. Let’s pray for our Christian teachers and administrators who live out the gospel daily. We don’t need a secularist or non-Christian explaining to our kids what it means to worship him.

The church does not need to act like the state

Earthly kingdoms often are built on power, conquest, and the pursuit of earthly desires. King Jesus taught us that his kingdom comes through humility, service and love. It does not rely on worldly power.

The church is now one of the few places left where people can find refuge from the division in our culture. The church should be the place where everyone can come together with different ideas and partisan opinions and be one under Christ. His church transcends all temporal governments and institutions.

Like our Baptist forerunners we must fight for freedom and against the oppression of any religion. We don’t need the five pillars of Islam, the five-fold path of Buddhism, or some secular creed on the walls of our public schools either.

I praise God we live in a representative democracy, and it’s why I’m calling all Baptists to do what we’ve historically done: Let’s fight for the freedom of religion and keep the state from promoting any religion.

If we think we’ve gained a foothold for the gospel by force, we can be certain that it’s not the kingdom of God that has come. It’s a golden calf. All that glitters is not gold.

Jeff Warren is senior pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas. The views expressed in this editorial are the responsibility of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Baptist Standard.

R. Keith Parks was the Knute Rockne of Baptist missions.

If you ever heard Parks preach during a missions service, you left ready to run through a wall to see the world reached for Jesus, just at the famed Notre Dame football coach was known for charging up his players for a game.

Hearing about Parks’ death Aug. 27 at 97 brought back a flood of memories about his passion for missions.

I was 22 the first time I heard Parks preach. It was the commissioning service for the Foreign Mission Board’s Journeyman class of 1982-84 after six weeks of training, or as we called it, missions boot camp. Parks had taken the helm of the FMB just two years earlier.

Our group had just sung “Hear I Am, Lord,” a song so powerful itself that we were ready to blitz the world for Jesus.

“Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me.”

And then Parks ascended to the pulpit. I honestly can’t remember a word he said that night. But I’ll never forget his passion and the empathy in his voice when he talked about reaching lost people for Jesus.

Sent out

Our group of 99 young and eager missionaries spread out around the world shortly after that service. I went to Botswana for two years.

Returning to the U.S. in 1984, our Journeyman group reassembled at Glorieta Baptist Conference Center for Foreign Missions Week. That’s the second time I heard Parks preach and again, it felt like I was in a locker room getting ready to tackle the world for Christ.

I would hear him preach many more times in the coming years when he came to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where I was a student and then later served as director of public relations.

His impact on my life and thousands of other Southern Baptists is immeasurable. Even today, reflecting on the many times I heard him preach about missions, I realize the power of his passion for missions and how it affected me.

We’ve lost one of the greatest proponents and prophets of global missions with Parks’ death, but his influence surpasses his life on earth.

Scott Collins is interim editor of the Baptist Standard. The view expressed are those of the writer and do not represent the Baptist Standard.

In today’s news, the focus is often on economic sanctions, trade tariffs and currency fluctuations, neglecting the significant challenges faced by missionaries from the Global South due to political conflicts.

While debates continue about exports and changes in interest rates, missionaries from countries like Brazil, where I am from, disproportionately are affected in their daily lives. These individuals, who are dedicated to spreading the gospel and who already live sacrificially, find themselves caught up in global power struggles.

For instance, imagine a missionary from Brazil stationed in Europe, say in Portugal, France or Germany. They receive financial support in Brazilian currency, but their expenses for rent, groceries and transportation are in euros.

One euro currently equals nearly 6.5 Brazilian reais, up from 5 since August 2022, a 30 percent devaluation of the real amount due to trade disputes and political instability. That can make their monthly living costs unmanageable. Despite receiving the same support from backers in Brazil, the equivalent amount has now significantly less purchasing power in Europe.

This isn’t an isolated incident but a common challenge affecting many families sent from the Global South who are at the forefront of pioneering missions.

The unseen consequences

1. Forced return from the mission field:

Many missionaries quietly are going back to their home countries not because they lack calling, but because they can no longer meet basic needs.

2. Emotional and spiritual strain:

Fluctuating income, often without stable support systems, leads to isolation, fatigue and sometimes disillusionment.

3. Setbacks in evangelism:

Progress made in establishing churches is hindered. With missionaries leaving, entire communities lose the steady guidance they once had.

4. Dedication of the less privileged:

Ironically, some of the most committed contributors to global missions are not wealthy donors from the north but humble believers in the south. I have personally witnessed this. Widows, domestic workers, farmers and laborers from Brazil give generously not out of abundance but out of faith.

It brings to mind the church in Philippi that Paul praised for giving beyond their means joyfully and in partnership for the gospel. He didn’t just receive financial help, but also companionship, trust and shared mission.

To churches:

1. Recognize the reality: Mission work is no longer solely from north to south. The south is rising and needs ongoing, specific support.
2. Review your financial approaches: Consider options like providing donations tied to the dollar or euro, emergency relief funds or financial education for your missionary partners.
3. Be an advocate: Raise awareness among your circles about this injustice. Trade disputes and currency policies affect spiritual endeavors too.

The Great Commission is influenced by global politics, but it can be strengthened through global cooperation. If we truly believe in a unified body, we must show it.

When one member suffers, all members suffer. And when a missionary is forced to return due to currency devaluation, the entire mission field faces setbacks.

Jair Campos is a Baptist missionary, pastor, and leadership coach from Brazil serving in Portugal. He is the executive director of Missions Connex, a nonprofit connecting churches and individuals with frontline missionaries from the Global South. The views expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Baptist Standard.

I remember the moment the gospel came into my life. I was 16 years old when I surrendered my life to Jesus. It was a beautiful, unforgettable moment. But the story didn’t start with me. It began with my grandmother, Carmen. She was the first person in our family to give her life to Jesus.

She was also the first to disciple my brother and me. She taught us how to pray, how to memorize Scripture and how to walk with God. Years later, those seeds bore fruit. The word of God truly transforms lives.

Since that moment of encountering the gospel, my life has been a journey of spiritual growth. But I still remember how, when I understood the gospel for the first time, I couldn’t keep it to myself. I shared it with everyone around me. I wanted the world to know about the salvation Jesus offers—and that only through him can we be saved.

Over time, however, something began to shift.

It’s easy to become comfortable just going to church, enjoying fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. And while that community is beautiful and biblical, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). We can sometimes forget that there are still people out there who are lost, broken and heading toward eternity without Jesus.

It’s not that we stop caring—but comfort can distract us from the mission. The world outside our church walls is full of people who need hope, healing and truth. And we carry the only message that can truly save.

I’ve read articles and books about why many believers don’t share their faith. Some common reasons are fear, not knowing what to say, or feeling unqualified. But one reason that deeply impacted me was this: a lack of empathy within our churches.

All of these are real and valid challenges. But they lead me to ask: What gospel have we truly believed?

Have we embraced the soft, convenient version that society presents—or the gospel of the Bible that tells us we were once lost, headed to hell, and rescued only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ?

That’s why I want to share three biblical reasons why we must share the gospel:

1. Because we were headed for hell without Jesus.

Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Without Christ’s redemptive grace, you and I had a destination: eternal separation from God. If we truly believe that Jesus saved us from both physical and spiritual death, shouldn’t that fill us with urgency and compassion?

There are billions of people walking toward eternity without Christ. They need someone to tell them that there’s a God who saves, who transforms, who sets free.

2. Because it’s a command, not a suggestion.

Matthew 28:19–20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

This is not a task given only to pastors, missionaries or evangelists. It is a mandate for every follower of Jesus.

Sharing the gospel is not optional. It’s a call to obedience, love and bold faith—empowered by the Holy Spirit. We were not saved to keep the good news to ourselves. Jesus saved us so we would point others to him.

3. Because the harvest is plentiful.

Carlos is a man from Cuba. He was born and raised in a family and culture where God was distant and faith was almost nonexistent. Growing up under a communist regime, his dreams were few and life was marked by struggle, sin and deep emotional pain. At one point, he even felt like ending his life.

Eventually, Carlos made it to the United States, where someone invited him to church. He wanted to seek God but didn’t know how. Sadly, the church he first attended led him not to Jesus, but to religious rituals, saints and traditions that distracted him from the gospel. He learned more about religious figures than about the savior.

Then, one day, someone invited him to a different kind of church. With hope in his heart, Carlos went and everything changed. Someone took the time to guide him and introduce him to Jesus.

“When I used to read the Bible, I didn’t understand anything. It frustrated me. I would give up and read books about saints instead. But now, every Sunday I listen at church, and I understand. I understand the word [of God], and I feel loved. That makes me happy. Jesus forgave me and saved me.” — Carlos

Today, Carlos shares Jesus at his workplace and he’s praying that one day his entire family will come to know Christ.

The harvest is plentiful. The laborers are few.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37–38, ESV).

I pray that you and I can be the answer to that prayer—willing, faithful and ready to labor in his harvest.

There are people like Carlos all around us ready to receive, if only someone would speak.

Sharing the gospel isn’t just for preachers—it’s for all of us. It is the mission of everyone who claims to follow Christ.

We are responsible to share the gospel and make disciples. God is responsible for the results.

Let’s not keep silent. Let’s be bold. Let’s remember where we were before Jesus saved us and let that fuel our passion to reach others.

Because someone once did it for us.

Yamileth Gúzman Lopez is a River Ministry missionary, a graduate of Baptist University of the Américas and a member of the Baptist Standard board of directors.

I love churches. I love church buildings. I love to be in the house of the Lord when his people gather to worship him.

We come from different backgrounds and situations, but at least one time per week, we come with a single, sole purpose – to see the Lord, to love him, to sing to him, to hear from him, to be loved on by him. We were hardwired at our creation to glorify and commune with him.

The church building is the location where this happens weekly. Yes, we can come to see him with others by the side of a river, or in a harvested field, or on the shore of a lake. Jesus ministered in these places.

Revivals of old were held in such locations when there were so many people seeking the Lord that no building could hold them. The Whitefield and Wesley revivals in the U.S. come to mind.

Once full, now less so

Revivals, movements of God, have often caused people to come together and build these buildings to have a place to seek the Lord out of the elements.

Fine architects were hired for some. For others, farmers came together and raised a building like they would raise a barn or their homes as a community. Some were erected in a matter of weeks, where other sanctuaries like those in Europe took over 100 years to build. Some are ornate. Some are simple.

What grieves me is that a few buildings are full, but most are empty. My trips to Europe have shown this—a church drain if you will.

When you visit some of these historic cities, no doubt you will see glorious, spectacular edifices, churches of old. People make a point to tour them, to walk through them slowly looking at the grandeur all around. Brochures are given with the history of the building, when and how it was constructed, how long each took, the man-hours detailed along with the expense.

But visit these hallowed places on a Sunday morning. What do you see? A janitor pushing a broom. In churches that once hosted thousands for worship, now maybe five or 10 people come.

Imagine Reliant Stadium in Houston where the Texans play. Thousands come to cheer for their team. Imagine years from now, football as only a memory.

In places that once held 60,000 to 80,000 people, finding on game day, 10 or 12 people milling around, taking note of the artificial grass where young, rich men once played, the vendor stalls where food was purchased, shops where game-day jerseys were sold. Can you imagine it?

Go to the Coliseum in Rome where thousands gathered for entertainment and much worse. What is that place today? A tourist attraction where people go to say they have been there, visitors who try to imagine what the venue was like when in full-throttled activity. Now silent.

The building shows the need

In my weekly drive from Houston to my farm I see a lot of church buildings. Passing by the Heights, I see a church building that no longer holds worship but has been retrofitted into a wedding venue.

Going by Jersey Village, I see an old church building which now serves as the suburb’s city hall. The steeple was removed because people were offended by it. Passing through Tomball, I see an old church which is now used as an event center.

When I get near Hearne, an old church building is now a residence for a family. Between Hearne and Calvert, you will see a barn that was once a church.

Near Marlin, there is a church rotting to the ground—windows busted, front door off the hinges. I try to peer inside as I pass, nothing but darkness.

My wife visited our youngest daughter in North Carolina a few weeks ago. A restaurant moved two abandoned church buildings together—the larger one is the restaurant portion of the establishment and the smaller one is the bar. A woman was heard to say, as she entered the bar, which was once a church, “This is my kind of sanctuary.”

So, what should we do? Revitalize these old buildings? Claim them back for an unseen, disinterested congregation?

This article is not about buildings. It is about how we have left the Lord, so we no longer need places to come together to honor him. This is about the need for a radical, national revival.

The fate of a nation rests on it, as well as the eternity of millions. “Lord, please send a Great Awakening. We humbly pray, seeking your forgiveness.” 

Johnny Teague is the senior pastor of Church at the Cross in West Houston and the author of several books, including his newest The Lost Diary of Mary Magdalene. His website is johnnyteague.com. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

In a recent article I celebrated the magnificence of the pastoral life, and that is the prevailing sentiment of my life as a pastor.

But within the magnificence of this life is a pastoral burden carried by all pastors and their families. More pastors need to acknowledge this burden and all church members need to know about this shadow-side of ministry. So, I will attempt to give a quick glimpse here.

It’s always been hard

On a vacation to escape a particularly hard season of ministry, our family stopped at the battlefield where the Battle of Vicksburg had been fought.  I searched for the spot where my great-grandfather stood with the boys from his church during that horrific siege.

I understand that this subsistence farmer and Baptist preacher had walked with the boys from his church near Sikes, La., through Columbia and up the road to Vicksburg—around 125 miles. Anecdotal evidence indicates that many of the preachers were armed and lined up beside their boys that made up the Confederate defense against the Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant.

As I stood where my forbear stood on that battlefield, I remember thinking that his pastoral assignment was much more challenging than mine, but that the pastoral life has always been hard in some weeks, months, and even years.

I have never gone with the children of my churches when we sent them off to war. But I have experienced conflict in a church and will always carry with me the memories and emotional impact. Interpersonal conflict is one thing, but the conflict that can emerge and even erupt within a human system such as a church family is only one of the huge challenges a pastor faces.

A relentless rhythm

If there is one factor that drives more pastors from the pastoral life than conflict, it is the sheer relentlessness of the pastoral burden.

My moment of awareness came when a caring church member told me the pastoral pace and pressures looked relentless to him. I countered that he and others worked very hard and that all committed persons walked an arduous path.

He countered with this observation: “Pastor, you will notice that my family and I are gone one to two weekends a month several months a year, and I see you working 50 weeks and 50 weekends a year.”

The pastoral life is relentless for most pastors.  Now I know that some pastors are lazy and some find a rhythm that allows for many retreats and months on autopilot. But those pastors are in a small minority.  Most pastors experience a relentlessness of pastoral responsibility that wears down the strongest of us.

Many challenges

So, is that all? If I were designing a “scared straight” boot camp for young pastors I would address, among many topics, the conflict, the systemic tumult, the pull in so many directions, the stress on the family, the expertise required in several areas, the rebound from mistakes and misfires resulting from bad ideas, and on … and on.

If I were to go to the full extent of unpacking all dimensions of this sometimes-embattled calling, I would lead seminars I have designed and led on systemic pathologies and even evil plots that have unfolded among unsuspecting disciples. But that would be appropriate only for those who want to actually understand and do something about such situations.

A good and insightful friend of mine is soon to publish a much-needed book in which he deals with the unrealistic expectations of pastors. I needed that book when I started.  In my research on the pastoral life and talking with many pastors I have heard and seen the long-term effect of the pastoral burden and there are too many factors to mention briefly in this space.

The deaths

I will address one more area that wears as much on seasoned pastors as any factor I know. The deaths.

One of the pastors I most respect told me what keeps him up at night is “the cumulative effect of shared grief.”  Most seasoned pastors are under the burden of burying too many people they love deeply.

They live with compounded grief. They bury their dead but hold them in their hearts and vivid images are retained in the pastor’s memory like video running on an endless loop through their minds.

Pastoral orientation in the Bible

So, do pastors know what they are getting into? Do church members understand what they are doing in asking a pastor to bring a family and dive into their predicament?

I mentioned that the pastoral life has always been hard and any careful reader of scripture has observed the burden carried by such leaders of God’s peoples as Moses, Joshua, David, several of the prophets of ancient Israel and the Apostle Paul.

I will leave Job and our Lord Jesus for their own special consideration. The mantle that has fallen on the shepherds of God’s people sets the pastor on an arduous journey.

All young pastors would learn much by reading and reflecting on Jeremiah’s complaints, words I suspect took the lament movement in ancient Israel to another level ((Jeremiah 11:18 –12:6; 15:10-21; 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20: 7-13; 20: 14 –18).

But the best primer on accepting the challenge of the pastoral journey is probably the entirety of Paul’s second letter to Timothy (see 2 Timothy 1: 8-10 and 11-12; 2:1-3, 8-10; 3: 10-12 and 4:5-6).

So why do it?  Why take up the mantel of the pastoral call?  Why join the Apostle Paul in “suffering for the gospel” ( 2 Timothy 1:8, NIV)?  And why stay with it?

Those are great questions we’ll discuss in the future.

Ron Cook is retired from the faculty of Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. He also served as pastor and interim pastor in several churches. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.