Sitting in church, noticing the lights and holiday decorations in the worship center, I remembered this week was approximately the anniversary of my bout with clinical depression 35 years ago.

I recalled not everyone is joyously anticipating Dec. 25. Not everyone wants Christmas lights shining in their eyes.

Loneliness and fear in the midst of a celebrating crowd is very real. Depression can gain a foothold like at no other time of the year, perhaps partially because of holiday expectations and loss of loved ones.

While some folks are celebrating the happiest time of their lives at Christmas, others are hiding under the covers and praying for spring.

People have trouble understanding depression. No wonder. It has taken me 30 years to be able to describe and write about the illness I experienced.

The illness I experienced

Overcast skies with cold weather bring back that feeling of desolation that nearly put me in the hospital. I was in my 30s and had a young child, and my husband served on the staff of a large church.

Emotional illness carried a huge stigma back then, and for that reason, my doctor decided to treat me for depression at home and not in the hospital.

Unknown to us then, I was without estrogen and had a nonworking thyroid. I was exhausted by motherhood and church work, with a body not operating at full speed.

We knew for months something was wrong, that my energy was very low, but thought I could cope with it. How often hardworking, determined people try to throw off illness and cure themselves.

One day, I lost color in my vision. The world was gray, and visual space perception or perspective changed. Rooms in our house looked huge and dark, and objects seemed far away. Kind of a scary tunnel vision.

Inside my entire body, I felt a vibrating, extremely anxious sensation. Terrifying, but I was able to sit quietly with the shaking. When I no longer could sit, I would pace back and forth across the room, praying for God’s help.

I remember being so sad I was ill and could not help my family. I was a burden, that fate worse than death to depressed people.

Facing a perplexing condition

My doctor met us at church that Wednesday night where we customarily had dinner and a leadership meeting on Wednesday evenings. I could barely get in the car, but my husband helped me to our appointment.

We three went into a Sunday school classroom, and the doctor determined he would prescribe a general antidepressant. I followed up with him in his office and then with a psychiatrist, who added an antianxiety medicine and a beta blocker for my racing heart.

Immediately, my vision returned to normal, and about six weeks later, my symptoms were mild. Apparently, I needed the brain chemical serotonin. Fortunately, medication with counseling were successful and helped me return to daily activities.

Whatever it takes to get well, however many times you must see the doctor, do it!

If God allows life, live fully

Some people, including myself, fear leaving home with the illness. At home, we have strategies to manage depression or distract ourselves from symptoms, and we can hide our condition from other people. So, for a while, I saw the logic in staying home and protecting myself from the stressful surprises of real life.

We depressed people try to manage our anxiety, stoically and with phenomenal effort, until two things happen: (1) we collapse, and/or (2) we realize we no longer are “living” life, not a healthy, abundant life. Of course, by then, we are in serious need of help.

So again, accepting medical and counseling help is the way through the maze. Severe illness is a trauma, and we need strong support from family and work, as well as doctors.

God heals in Jesus

I wonder if people in Jesus’s day experienced depression. Certainly, they did.

I know Jesus came to heal and save those who lived in pain—physically and emotionally.  Remember, he asked the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). When Jesus heals, he seeks our willingness.

Our physical, mental and spiritual dimensions get sick together and get well together.

With depression, problems tend to layer atop one another until the exhausted body and brain are affected. Some say a chemical imbalance comes first, but even if that is so, what does it matter? Our darkness still needs light.

Scripture speaks of “eyes seeing God’s salvation” (Luke 2:25-35). Luke relates a precious story of the prophet Simeon holding baby Jesus in his arms at the temple when Jesus was 40 days old.

Simeon knew his prophetic work was fulfilled when Jesus, light to the Gentiles and glory of Israel, was revealed. Simeon then could go to heaven holding on to God’s personal promise to him that he would see Jesus, after which he prophesied of Jesus’s impact on humanity.

Jesus was a light to my eyes even when the physical “real world” looked gray. He was the one spiritual light that never went out. Darkness cannot extinguish Christ. He is beyond physical light, dwelling in the impenetrable light of God.

The light of Christmas

God has boundaries, and he is bound by his radiance, but when we seek him above all else, we can enter his presence through Christ to pray and to praise him.

God is healing light. One might think of laser, radiation or ultraviolet light used in medicine. Light carries power that breaks down cells and kills germs, cuts and cauterizes, reveals disease and health. Light meets the present need.

Depression did not befall me because I lacked Jesus. Jesus, the light of the world, carried me through the illness. He was my safe place, my sanctuary, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 8:14).

Whatever you are going through, there always is more of Jesus than any of us can comprehend and more to the life he can give than you can fathom. He has put the potential for healing within you and comes to you personally with healing in his wings. Yield yourself to him and your personal physicians, and find sanctuary.

You can feel once again the joy of salvation, and the lightness—not weariness—of Christmas.

Ruth Cook is a longtime Texas Baptist. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

Tradicionalmente, cuando nos encontramos con un artículo titulado «¿Dónde están ahora?», nos informan sobre dónde se encuentran en este momento personas con las que crecimos o que alguna vez fueron famosas.

Hoy, sin embargo, quiero compartir no solo dónde se encuentran ahora muchos graduados hispanos de escuelas afiliadas a los bautistas de Texas, sino también dónde podrían estar en el futuro.

Educación continua e impacto institucional

En primer lugar, nuestros graduados bautistas hispanos continúan su educación de grado y posgrado.

Un número cada vez mayor de estudiantes de nuestras instituciones reconoce el valor de obtener títulos avanzados para alcanzar el potencial para el cual Dios les creó y aumentar su impacto en el Reino. A menudo trabajan o sirven a tiempo completo para proveer para sus familias o pagar sus estudios, haciendo todo lo posible por evitar obtener préstamos educativos.

A medida que obtienen estos títulos, los graduados hispanos de las instituciones bautistas de Texas se están convirtiendo en profesores a tiempo completo o parcial.

Muchos también están asumiendo funciones de liderazgo en los lugares donde enseñan. Al hacerlo, aportan una perspectiva cultural muy necesaria, ya que nuestras instituciones buscan reclutar, retener y graduar a estudiantes de la población hispana en rápido crecimiento de nuestro estado, que ahora supera los 12 millones de personas.

Liderando la Iglesia

A medida que crece la población hispana, más iglesias de habla inglés reconocen la necesidad de ampliar estratégicamente sus esfuerzos para alcanzar a la comunidad circundante. Por lo tanto, están incorporando a graduados hispanos bilingües de nuestras instituciones para dirigir los ministerios «en español».

Estos ministerios «en español» no están aislados, sino que están plenamente integrados en la vida de toda la iglesia. El miembro hispano del personal suele ser reconocido como uno de los pastores de toda la iglesia y desempeña un papel clave en el presente y el futuro de la congregación.

Muchos consideran que este modelo de ministerio es una de las mejores formas de alcanzar a la población hispana actual. Algunas congregaciones están adoptando un enfoque aún más audaz al nombrar a un líder hispano bilingüe y bicultural como su pastor principal, un paso elogiable en la dirección correcta.

Los graduados hispanos de nuestras instituciones también están pastoreando iglesias bautistas hispanas en todo el estado. Más de 1,000 iglesias bautistas de Texas se identifican como hispanas, y me atrevería a decir que la mayoría están dirigidas por uno de nuestros graduados o han sido influenciadas de alguna manera por uno de ellos.

La gran mayoría de estos pastores son bivocacionales, balanceando el trabajo con el ministerio, para proveer mejor para sus familias, o sirven a tiempo completo en sus iglesias, confiando en que el Señor proveerá para sus necesidades básicas. Aun así, dirigen con todo su corazón las congregaciones a las que Dios les ha llamado, maximizando sus recursos limitados. Nuestros pastores son mis héroes.

Superando las expectativas

Si desea saber dónde sirven muchos otros graduados hispanos de nuestras escuelas, mire al personal de Texas Baptists.

Somos muy bendecidos con muchos hispanos en el personal y líderes ministeriales hispanos en todos los niveles, incluyendo a nuestro director ejecutivo, el Dr. Julio Guarneri.

Esta diversidad también se está haciendo una realidad en nuestras instituciones y otros ministerios con quienes colaboramos. La Baptist General Convention of Texas se parece cada vez más a la gente de nuestro estado, lo cual es clave en nuestro esfuerzo por ganar a los perdidos para Cristo.

Recientemente formamos un equipo para desarrollar un programa que apoye a estudiantes hispanos que cursan un doctorado en nuestras instituciones bautistas de Texas. El primer paso fue una encuesta para recopilar datos de bautistas hispanos actuales con doctorados sobre su jornada doctoral.

El objetivo es desarrollar un programa que proporcione ánimo, apoyo y entrenamiento a estudiantes doctorales hispanos que complemente su aprendizaje formal.

En total, 28 de los 32 doctores completaron la encuesta. Estas cifras tal vez no parecen mucho para algunos, pero cuando llegué a Texas hace casi 30 años, prácticamente se podían contar con los dedos de una mano los doctores bautistas hispanos. El hecho de que ahora haya más de 30 es absolutamente digno de celebración, aunque sin duda necesitamos más.

En todas partes

Si pensamos en todos los programas que ofrecen nuestras instituciones de educación superior, probablemente podemos decir que hay un graduado hispano en casi todas las carreras.

Los graduados hispanos de las universidades y seminarios bautistas de Texas desempeñan muchas otras funciones en las congregaciones; y también son plantadores de iglesias, misioneros, educadores, consejeros profesionales, líderes empresariales, emprendedores, músicos, médicos, ingenieros, trabajadores sociales y mucho más.

Están marcando una gran diferencia en su mundo y son un ejemplo extraordinario para quienes les siguen.

Así que, si me pregunta: «¿Dónde están ahora?», le respondería: «¡En todas partes!»

Gabriel Cortés es el director de educación hispana de Texas Baptists.

Traditionally, when you come across a “Where are they now?” article, you’re given an update of where people we grew up with or who were once famous are at the moment.

Today, however, I want to share a glimpse, not only of where many Hispanic graduates of Texas Baptists-affiliated schools are now, but also where they may be in the future.

Continuing education and impacting institutions

First, our Hispanic Baptist graduates are continuing their graduate and postgraduate education.

A growing number of Hispanic students at our institutions recognize the value of pursuing advanced degrees to reach the potential for which God created them and to increase their kingdom impact. They often work or serve full-time to provide for their families or pay for school, doing all they can to avoid obtaining educational loans.

As they earn these degrees, Hispanic graduates from Texas Baptists institutions progressively are becoming faculty members on a full-time or part-time basis.

Many also are stepping into leadership roles where they teach. By doing so, they provide a much-needed cultural lens as our institutions seek to recruit, retain and graduate students from the fast-growing Hispanic population in our state, which now exceeds 12 million people.

Leading the church

As the Hispanic population grows, more churches are recognizing the need to expand their efforts strategically to reach the surrounding community. So, they are bringing bilingual Hispanic graduates from our institutions to lead “Español” (Spanish) ministries.

These “Español” ministries are not isolated. They are integrated fully into the life of the whole church. The Hispanic staff member usually is recognized as one of the pastors for the entire church and plays a key role in the congregation’s present and future.

Many consider this model of ministry one of the best ways to reach the Hispanic population today. Some congregations are taking an even bolder approach by calling a bilingual and bicultural Hispanic leader as their senior pastor, a commendable step forward in the right direction.

Hispanic graduates of our institutions also are pastoring Hispanic Baptist churches across the state. More than 1,000 Texas Baptists churches identify themselves as Hispanic, and I would venture to say most are led by one of our graduates or have been impacted in some way by one of our graduates.

The large majority are bivocational—balancing work and ministry—so they can provide for their families better, or they serve full-time, trusting in the Lord’s provision for their basic needs. Still, they wholeheartedly lead the congregations God has called them to, maximizing their limited resources. They are my heroes.

Exceeding expectations

If you would like to know where many other Hispanic graduates from our schools serve, look no further than our Texas Baptists staff.

We are extremely blessed with Hispanic staff members and ministry leaders at all levels, all the way to our executive director, Julio Guarneri.

This growing diversity also is becoming a reality in our institutions and partners. The Baptist General Convention of Texas increasingly looks more like the people in our state, which is key as we seek to win the lost for Christ.

We recently formed a team to develop a doctoral cohort to support Hispanic Baptists pursuing a doctorate at our Texas Baptists institutions. The first step was a survey to collect data from current Hispanic Baptists with doctorates regarding their doctoral journey.

The goal is to develop a framework for the cohort to provide encouragement, support and training that will complement their learning.

In total, 28 of 32 doctors completed the survey. These numbers may not seem like much to some, but when I arrived in Texas almost 30 years ago, you practically could count the number of Hispanic Baptist doctorates with one hand. The fact there are more than 30 now is absolutely worth celebrating, though we certainly need more.

Everywhere

When you think of all the programs our higher education institutions offer, you probably can say there may be a Hispanic graduate in nearly every single career.

Hispanic graduates of Texas Baptists colleges, universities and seminaries serve in many other congregational roles. They are church planters, missionaries, educators, professional counselors, business leaders, entrepreneurs, musicians, doctors, engineers, social workers and more.

They are making a tremendous difference in their world and are setting extraordinary examples for those coming behind them.

So, if you ask me, “Where are they now?” I would say, “Everywhere!”

Gabriel Cortés is Texas Baptists’ Hispanic education director.

I am changing the story to protect identities.

Richard and Gina are two precious church members. They both work hard to make a living, to cover their bills and to give their offerings to the Lord each week without fail.

Richard lost his job. Gina works in the mailroom for a local oil and gas firm.

To help cover expenses, Gina, a great cook, bakes a load of goods each week for Richard to sell during the week to make ends meet. They needed a good central location. So, I let them sell their goods at church during the week until Richard gets a good job.

This is where mission creep sets in.

One thing leads to another

Before long, more and more come to the church parking lot to buy Gina’s baked goods.

Gina has built a great reputation for her cooking. Richard is a kind man who helps everyone who stops by. If people can buy the goods, he gladly sells them. But whatever is left, he gives to those in need.

Soon, their baked goods began to sell out. So, they added boxed lunches to their product line. They needed extra space to do all this, along with warmers, tables, take-out containers, utensils, bags, signage and chairs for those who want to eat on-site.

The sweet couple did not have all these things. So, they started using church equipment during the week to accommodate their customers.

They got tired of hauling things from their home. So, they started storing them in the church. Storing things in church takes away from the storage the church needs for its normal needs.

The couple started to put church stuff out behind the building, because they didn’t want their items to be stolen. The result? Church things were exposed to the elements and stolen.

When I found out, I asked Richard and Gina to please stop putting the church things out in the parking lot.

I knew they needed storage, but the church doesn’t have room to store personal items. This also was complicated when other church members asked if they could store things at the church because they didn’t have money for storage.

When I said they could not, the members would ask, “Why do you let Richard and Gina do it, if we can’t?”

Do you see the problem?

Pushing

Richard and Gina were so kind to accept my guidance. They did what I asked … for about two weeks.

Then, their things began to pile up inside the church again. They even began to use classrooms for their items, which meant on Sunday mornings, some of our Sunday school classes had nowhere to meet.

When I found out, I asked Richard and Gina, as kindly as I could, to please remove their items, to stop storing in the church, or I would not be able to let them use the church grounds for their business.

They agreed. Their business was booming.

Even so, they continued to abuse the privileges we gave. Nine times they abused the privileges, even sneaking around trying to do what they wanted where I would not catch wind of it. But our sins always find us out.

On a recent Sunday, I called them into my office to tell them they no longer could use the church for their baking/catering/dining business.

It is hard to be hard on people, but those who mistake kindness for weakness, who try to game the system—especially in the Lord’s house—must face consequences.

Forgiving

Monday, Gina asked for a private meeting.

It doesn’t matter what conflicts we’ve had. I always want our relationships to continue, never to stop worshipping the Lord together.

So, there was Gina in my office. She began to cry.

She said: “Pastor, we lied to you. We have abused the church. You gave us chance after chance, and we took advantage of you and the church. I am asking you to forgive us.

“Do you remember when Peter asked Jesus how many times he was to forgive?” she continued. “He wondered if seven times was too many. Jesus told Peter, not seven times but 70 times seven. Pastor, will you forgive us 70 times seven? Will you give us one more chance?”

She began to cry some more.

She got me. She was right. Because she admitted their sin. Because she was broken. Because she reminded me of the Scripture about forgiveness.

And mostly because I remember how many times I ask God to forgive me for the same sins I commit over and over, I could not not forgive. I could not help but give them another chance. And I have.

There is a note to make with regard to forgiveness. The Lord says we must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. We can forgive, but we also should do all we can to protect ourselves and prevent recurrence.

As a result, I forgave, but I had them sign a document stating they would not take advantage of the church again. If they broke their word, there would be no further discussion. With the next offense, all their things would be moved out without one plea.

I cemented it by having the couple come before the church as I stated our agreement publicly, since their offense had been public.

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.

When my mom died of leukemia, I was exhausted from the hospital stays, from moving into her home to care for her, and having her and her sitters live with me for a time. Our mother-daughter relationship was very close, and saying “good-bye”was anguish, stressful to the max.

When mother passed, it was a shock, as we thought she would live at least another few months. In fact, on the day she died, lab results showed her in remission from leukemia. Yet, she died from complications of the disease.

Life and death just cannot be predicted with certainty. They truly are in God’s hand, and we stand back in awe of his judgment and wisdom, weighing factors we do not know exist. To know God is to know he is purely love and mercy toward his children.

When we planned mom’s funeral service, I was half-numb and chose for a soloist to sing “Holy Ground.” I knew that was the right song but did not know why. Was this a poor choice, because we were burying our loved one in the ground? Were we thinking the burial site was holy? I surely did not mean to communicate that.

What is holy ground?

Recently I came to understand the concept of holy ground better. It is anywhere we meet God, where he speaks to us and transforms us—as God said to Moses at the burning bush, “Take off your sandals for you are standing on holy ground” (Exodus 3).

Holiness is where God stands and teaches us with tenderness and tough love. It can mean where God frees us.

Ann Voskamp has written we meet God in our “breaking”—which I take to mean our grief and deep sorrow. The God of mercy and love does not wish us to stay broken, but to be healed and refreshed in our relationship with him and ready to accept new life circumstances.

I stayed broken too long. I made God meet me over and over and carry me through years when I could have been more productive for his kingdom. But drawing me to intimacy and dependency on him, it was all holy.

Holy rebuilding

Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries with the empty chair—I have been there. Now, most of the chairs are empty.

New babies have been born into the family, but they do not replace a precious spouse, revered parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. We older folks are the “elders” now—the patriarch and/or matriarch in a long line of believing family.

It is wise to prepare for this phase of life and pray for every kind of leadership strength—physical, emotional, financial and spiritual.

Note to the young: Use every day of life to finish strong. The end requires of us all we are.

If you are alone or lonely this holiday season, if you feel broken by recent grief or grief that seems to last forever, remember: This can be your season of “holy ground” as God rebuilds you.

I see the picture of a broken, hardened pot reworked on the potter’s wheel and made even more beautiful and useful than before. That can be us with the touch of the master potter’s perfect pressure and heat.

There are some changes that only come through fire, a burning bush and the holiness of God. Refining fire changes the heart and life.

Ruth Cook is a longtime Texas Baptist. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

The alarm clanged. I’m not a morning person, and I hated that loud thing.

Staggering through the house, I woke up kids. Three sleepy girls stumbled from beds, made their way to the den and turned on the television.

I kept my eyes on the clock and gave orders: “Turn off the TV. (These days, it would be “turn off the cell phones.”) Eat this, wear that, comb your hair.”

Mornings were chaotic at our house during those years with young children.

The frenzied activity halted for 15 minutes each day. Regardless of where our daughters were in their routine, their dad would say, “Come on, girls, it’s time.”

Planting devotional seeds

Dad, dressed in suit and tie, called us all to the living room. He chose the middle section of the sofa, and our three daughters argued over who would sit next to him, until we adopted the rotation system.

We put the hurry-scurry on hold while we spent a few minutes with the Lord. We had no clue how important this daily custom would mean to each of us in later years.

My husband, their preacher-dad, read a chapter from a children’s Bible. The children’s edition featured pictures and stories in modern, simple English.

After the story, we memorized a Scripture. He chose one each week for us from the 1972 edition of the Living Bible. The Living Bible is easy for children to understand and learn.

After the story, we recited the new Scripture in unison, and then we each prayed. Listening to our daughter’s prayers could be eye opening. We discovered their depth of understanding and heard their candid ideas and needs.

After the serenity pause, the dash-about activities began again. The youngsters ran to pick up lunches and rush out the door.

Family devotionals began with the birth of our first child. The habit continued until our grown daughters left the nest. The children’s Bible sits on our library shelf these days. It is a sweet memory of yesteryear.

Now, the two of us, husband and wife, keep the tradition. We read a passage silently from our adult Bibles and then discuss it.

Fast forward 50 years. Our daughters can still recite those Scriptures, and through the mountains and valleys of life, those godly words brought comfort.

Bearing devotional fruit

Our firstborn developed early-onset dementia before she reached age 50. For 10 years, we watched this smart, vivacious, young woman decline with this horrific disease.

One day, while she was in the early stages, we waited for a doctor. Sitting on the exam table, she said, “I’m so scared.” She knew what awaited her with this illness.

I replied, “Quote your favorite Scripture.”

She looked at me and smiled: “Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers” (Philippians 4:6 NLT).

It was one she’d leaned at her dad’s knee.

We discussed the Scripture and what it meant. Over the next few years, the ones where memory existed and she could still speak, she quoted this one constantly to herself over and again.

Another favorite verse she recited as long as she could: “Just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him too for each day’s problems. Live in vistal union with him” (Colossians 2:6 NLT).

She learned others: Romans 8:28. Romans 8:38-39. Psalms 23. 1 Peter 5:7.

Her retention eventually totally failed, and I quoted them to her. Occasionally, a flash of lucidity entered her brain as her dad or I cited them, and she smiled. Deep down inside her frail body and deteriorated mind, the Scriptures spoke.

I often wondered how she would have coped without them. Or how would we? These Scriptures carried comfort during dark days.

Sustained by devotionals

In late October 2024, hospice gave us the sad words: “She is transitioning rapidly now. We can’t say when she will go, but it will be soon.”

I didn’t know when she was going, but I knew where.

On October 26, I stood by her bed and watched her tiny, atrophied body slip away. Oxygen helped the irregular breathing. Often the gasps stopped, but then breath continued with its slow, unpredictable irregularity.

I prayed Philippians 4: 6 over her, and I personalized each phrase:

“Don’t worry about anything, sweet girl. Don’t be afraid. You are going to heaven. Don’t worry about leaving us. We are fine and we will see you again in heaven.

“You and I are praying about everything, and God knows our needs. He’s taking care of us, and you will be well and happy again. He knows you need to laugh and hug again. God will provide your needs, and we thank him because he hears us.”

As I reworded the familiar Scriptures, too weak to open her eyes, she blinked. She heard me, and I believe God allowed her understanding in that moment we shared.

Those Scriptures she learned as a child brought her peace and encouragement during the death hour, as they did us.

The power of those family devotionals helped us through life and death. When we began the routine, we didn’t know how vital and essential these Scriptures would become to us.

Suggestions for family devotionals

1. Set aside 10 or 15 minutes each day for family devotions. Work out the best time for your family. Some may prefer morning, and others may prefer before bedtime.
2. Read from a children’s Bible and show the kids the pictures. Switch to an adult Bible when the children outgrow the children’s Bible. Read a chapter each day.
3. Let your children ask questions.
4. Choose one Scripture and recite it daily until all have memorized it.
5. Allow each one to pray after the recitation of Scripture.

Children will remember and cherish, and that alone is powerful.

Gay N. Lewis is married to Paul H. Lewis, pastor of Second Baptist Church of Rosenberg, and is the author of 15 Christian novels and two blogs. You can find her books on Amazon. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

In Baptist life, the title “director of missions” creates various images of people and responsibilities.

Urban DOMs

In urban settings, the DOM often is a mission strategist. He or she is an executive director who oversees a plan to extend the gospel among diverse people groups, a variety of economic circumstances and in a specific region. There often is a sense of executive coaching among urban DOMs.

I recall an urban DOM at a pastor’s retreat who spent two days explaining how to use various phone apps to manage time better in 15-minute increments. In a region that requires three hours to make a hospital visit, his view of time was different than ours.

In Houston, San Antonio or Fort Worth, the title “director of missions” means something very different than it does in Mexia, Pittsburg or Hico.

Rural DOMs

In rural life, the concept of a director of missions is rooted in the relationship between an individual and the churches.

In my first pastorate, I heard stories of Franklin Swanner (retired 1969), the director of missions for District Nine of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. District Nine was a vast area of West Texas. Over the years, District Nine has been served by as many as five associations.

Winifred Lee, a beloved member of First Baptist Church in Matador, said: “It was always a treat when Dr. Swanner came to check on us.”

Franklin Swanner was the primary point of contact for dozens of churches regarding the BGCT. He was the person who created connections, helped churches dream and let them know their work for the kingdom was important.

Les Griffin

When Les Griffin became the director of missions for the Caprock Plains Baptist Area in May 2011, he was tasked with working with three of the five associations in District Nine. He was responsible for the 89 churches from Paducah in the east to Farwell in the west, Tulia in the north to Hale Center in the south, and everything in between.

Little did Betty, Les’ wife, know she would travel more than a quarter of a million miles over the next 15 years.

In 2019, Les oversaw the effort to combine three associations into the Caprock Plains Baptist Association. With every position, there is an administrative component. Les met those responsibilities. He organized, reminded, publicized and did everything that goes with leadership.

However, the gist of Les’s service as a DOM was walking alongside churches, deacons and pastors.

When G.J. Walton, the pastor at First Baptist Church in Silverton’s father, passed away on a family vacation, Les stood alongside their family. Twice, Les traveled by bus with the Happy Union Baptist Church to spend a week with a sister church in Bessemer, Ala.

Les enthusiastically supported the work of Compañerismos, despite having negligible Spanish skills. Working with other DOMs, he organized an annual pastor’s retreat that was both helpful and refreshing. Les led trips to the northwestern United States, helping to form mission partnerships.

Hard times

A director of missions requires God-given wisdom and decades of experience—God’s wisdom that sees a way through and experience that promises a better tomorrow. Les has both.

Les often stood in the gap between a struggling staff member and a disappointed church. He put oil on troubled waters. He would bring direction and a path toward peace.

It is not easy work, but it is important work of trying to redeem a staff member and their family, all the while encouraging a church that has endured difficult days.

Hard decisions

Les has been involved in starting new churches in places like Friona, Muleshoe, Farwell and Plainview. However, the declining rural population often has meant walking alongside “country churches” as they make the difficult decision to discontinue their services. It is a hard decision to close a church.

Churches and schools are the anchor points of community life. However, when the school closes, difficulties quickly arise for the church. Churches may find themselves with only one or two participating families.

Les developed a caring approach with a gentle touch. He established an endowed mission fund with HighGround Advisors, enabling a church’s assets to continue supporting missions for generations to come.

‘The relationship business’

Over the years, Les Griffin wove his life into the lives of the pastors and the churches of the Caprock Plains Baptist Association. The churches returned the favor.

Betty was severely injured in an accident while walking down the street in Florence, Italy. Be aware: When the police decide to raise the traffic barricades, you may be walking on one.

Les was injured in an accident while trying to trim a wayward tree branch.

During those complicated surgeries and lengthy recoveries, the churches of the Caprock Plains Baptist Association provided in every way possible.

Les’ tenure as DOM has been a reminder of the life lesson: No matter the business you conduct, you are first in the relationship business.

‘We are grateful’

When Les became the director of missions, he sought sage advice and wisdom from his aged father Joe. Joe was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Abernathy when the legendary Franklin Swanner was director of missions.

“Dad, what makes for a good DOM?”

Joe paused and reflected. Finally, he answered, “Things were always better when the DOM left the church alone.”

Speaking on behalf of the pastors and churches of the Caprock Plains Baptist Association, we are grateful Les disregarded his father’s advice and became a part of our lives and fellowship. He and Betty have been a blessing to the churches for almost 15 years. Our hearts are full of gratitude for the service they have given, and may the Lord bless their busy retirement.

Stacy Conner is pastor of First Baptist Church in Muleshoe. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

Have you ever known a Charlotte? I have known two.

There was Charlotte who lived in a web. No, I didn’t know her personally, but I did get to see her as a boy many times—on television.

Then there was Charlotte Keese. She was a sweet mom and hairdresser in Glen Rose whose kids went to school with us.

Charlotte Keese always was upbeat and kind. When a kid needed something, Charlotte would reach into her purse to get money she earned working hard all day on her feet to help. I know this firsthand.

One day, we had a football game. I forgot my socks. I was going to call my mom, but Charlotte said, “No need.” She quickly ran to Bill’s Dollar Store to get me a pair for the game. That was so many years ago, but I still remember her kindness.

But I am telling you of neither of those Charlottes today.

A radio show

Let me start by telling you about my good friend and the radio manager at KKHT—the radio station that airs my show “Carpooling with Johnny Teague.” His name is Steven Kay. He’s also a popular radio host on KKHT.

We were recording one of my shows recently, and our conversation turned to the homeless in our city. As we visited, we talked about the personal struggle we face when we see the homeless on practically every street corner.

We both are conflicted. Do we give to them? Do we give to one, or do we give to everyone as we make our way down the Houston streets? That would break us. We both concluded we give as the Lord compels us.

Some need the money for necessities. Some want money for vices. We decided to trust the Lord to lead us to help those who truly are in need.

Steven Kay was talking about this one day on his evening radio show. He discussed his perplexity in light of the fact we are to be Jesus’ hands and feet.

While he was talking about this, a Walmart employee named Charlotte was listening on her car radio on her way home from work.

Charlotte tuned in

Charlotte had passed an older couple moments before, whose SUV was broken down on the feeder road off I-10. Convicted, she took the next exit and drove back to help the couple, if she could, praying all the while for her own safety.

Charlotte pulled behind the broken-down SUV. She got out of her car, cautiously made her way to the couple and asked them if she could help.

The man told her their radiator hose was busted. He asked if she would drive to an auto parts store and get one, along with two gallons of antifreeze. He said he would have walked to an auto parts store but had no idea where one was nearby.

He didn’t want to leave his wife with the stranded car alone nor make her walk with him when he had no idea where he might find such a store.

He reached into his pocket to give Charlotte the money he had. She told him not to worry about it.

Happy to help a family in need, she hopped back in her car to get the radiator hose and the two gallons of coolant.

This kind woman, an employee who had just left work at Walmart and tuned in to hear Steven Kay talk about helping the needy, was convicted and made a U-turn to help a family she had passed by.

She found an Auto Zone nearby, got what the couple needed and drove back to where they were stranded. With a smile, she gave the man the radiator hose, two bottles of drinking water and two gallons of coolant. The man and his wife were grateful. He assured Charlotte he could take it from there, and they expressed their gratitude.

God used Charlotte

Before Charlotte left, she asked the couple if she could pray for them. They shyly accepted.

After Charlotte prayed, the woman whose car was broken down, noticed Charlotte’s name tag. She hadn’t taken it off after her shift at Walmart.

The woman told this Good Samaritan: “Your name is Charlotte? That was the name of our daughter. She died tragically three months ago.

“We have been devastated and overwhelmed with grief. We decided this afternoon, that we had to get out of the house. We would start slow by going out for a bite to eat.

“No sooner did we get to I-10, our car overheated. I felt everything was against us. Then, you pulled behind us to help. And you have the same name as our daughter. You prayed for us.

“God sent you—a Charlotte—to remind us of the sweetness of our daughter and the love of God. Thank you so much.”

As tears welled up in the woman’s eyes, Charlotte’s matched hers, tear for tear. They hugged, and Charlotte drove off.

She had one more thing to do. She called the radio station to tell Steven Kay how God had used him to compel her to turn around and help a family who recently lost a daughter, whose name just so happened to be the same as hers—Charlotte. His eyes moistened in gratitude to hear faceless people with their radios on actually do listen.

God is willing to use any of us to help those hurting, if only we’ll listen and act.

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.

On Aug. 8, 2024, I woke up to find my wife Ashley unresponsive. No one expects this in their 30s. I didn’t know it at the time, but she was suffering from a cardiac arrest event.

Those moments are hard to describe—calling 911, performing CPR (Ashley endured around 90 minutes of CPR), watching first responders do all they could do to save my wife.

When she was transferred to a hospital in Plano, I remember praying over her with two close friends: “God, I am praying for my wife to be healed. But you love her more. May you use her life for your glory.”

Unknowingly, God had been preparing me for this season.

What’s next?

In August 2023, I graduated with my second degree—a doctorate in ministry—from Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. It was an amazing experience and renewed my sense of calling to the local church.

After five years at First Baptist Church in Eastland, I began to ask a question familiar to many pastors after a season of completion: “What’s next, Lord?”

What I didn’t realize was God already had been answering that question long before I asked it.

In fall 2022, a church member approached me one day and asked if I had any books on prayer. He recently had retired and was praying through what God had in store for him in this new season. He informed me he was going on a prayer retreat in Colorado with a ministry called Strategic Renewal.

When he made it back to Eastland, he simply told me, “I know what I’m supposed to do.”

Over the next year, he and three others committed to praying every Sunday evening for their pastor, his family and their church.

A year later, on a Sunday evening, after Ashley had made homemade pizza, I told her I felt an urge to go and join these men in prayer. I left home, arrived late and planned to attend this one time to show my support for them.

The Lord, however, had other plans for that night. I didn’t know it then, but God brought me to this prayer gathering exactly one year after these men began praying faithfully for me and our church. In that moment, praying with them, my perspective on the importance and power of corporate prayer was changed.

A burden for corporate prayer

That fall 2023, I began reading about pastors and churches that had committed to making prayer central to their church.

To be honest, I believed in prayer and prayed as a pastor. I knew my prayer life could improve, but praying corporately with other believers was not part of my life.

I soon realized how prayer easily can become one ministry among many, rather than the foundation of all ministry. Prayer is not just the responsibility of a few while others “do” ministry. Rather, prayer is the power from which ministry flows.

At a Strategic Renewal conference that September, a speaker quoted Jesus’ words from Matthew 21:13: “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”

In that moment, conviction filled my heart. I had led in many areas but not in this one. I could not say I was a praying pastor or that I was leading a praying church.

Our Sunday evening prayer gathering remained small, but we prayed for vision and clarity on next steps.

While attending church during a Christmas trip to Oregon, I sensed God’s leading. Our church was to gather every Sunday evening for one hour of prayer. Since then, we’ve built a rhythm of corporate prayer that shapes everything we do.

I often tell our congregation our Sunday evening prayer gathering is my favorite hour of the week.

What does our Sunday prayer gathering consist of? Our entire hour is filled with Scripture-based prayer and worship. We spend half our time in praise and thanksgiving before we ever get to requests, and you always must pray your requests.

Creating a culture of prayer

Creating a culture of prayer doesn’t mean prayer is the only thing we do, but we want it to be the first thing we do.

We seek to spend half our time in prayer before committee meetings, and we have started praying in small groups during our Sunday morning worship service. Our ministerial staff is weaving corporate prayer into the rhythm of their ministries.

We are a long way from where I want us to be as a church, but I’m thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness.

When Ashley was in the hospital, she was on the most critical life support. On Saturday, Aug. 10, doctors wanted to bring her out of sedation. Two days prior, our music minister Mandi had called our church to pray corporately on Saturday, Aug. 10.

More than 200 people gathered to pray for Ashley that morning. Thankfully, Ashley would be spared and healed through the power of God in response to the prayers of God’s people.

Vision for the future

We still are striving to be a praying church, and I’m still striving to be a praying pastor. We haven’t arrived.

I’m often encouraged to hear how other pastors and churches are making corporate prayer the foundation of their churches. In these places, prayer is not a strategy, but it is woven into the culture of that congregation.

Over the past three years, the Lord has done something special in my life and in First Baptist Eastland. It’s our story, but it is a work God alone has done through the power of corporate prayer.

I tell my congregation this regularly: Even if God never answers another prayer you pray, he still is worthy to be praised because of the hope we have in Jesus.

My desire is to see co-laborers in the kingdom—especially those in rural churches like mine—seek the face of God through corporate prayer and, in doing so, become a house of prayer.

Kevin Burrow is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Eastland. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

On Sept. 27, the Israeli government filed a FARA request with the United States government.

A FARA request—Foreign Agents Registration Request—is simply a request to lobby the citizens of the United states on behalf of a foreign government.

This particular FARA request was filed so the Israeli government could have the right specifically to lobby evangelical Christians regarding their opinions about the state of Israel and their opinions about Palestinians.

My concerns

Foreign influence

The first reason I find this troubling is any foreign government requesting permission to influence specifically Christians, specifically churches, and then the United States government granting that is troubling.

It doesn’t matter if it is Israel, who is an ally of the United States. It is really troubling that a foreign government would want to be involved in lobbying evangelicals at all, and that our own government would allow it. It sets a really bad precedent.

Involuntary

Second, if you read the filing, I’m worried about it, because it’s involuntary.

They use geofencing. Geofencing is a technology where, if you drive onto a church campus, one of those listed in the filing, and your phone is then picked up, you will be served up targeted messages.

One could call those messages propaganda designed to get you to have a different opinion regarding the nation of Israel and/or the Palestinians.

I mentioned this because you don’t get to opt in.

So, the pastors of these churches don’t get to decide if they want to be part of this program. The leadership of these churches, the membership of these churches, don’t get to decide. They’re just targeted, because the government has given permission to a foreign actor to target the phones of these particular groups.

Dangerous precedent

The next reason I’m really worried is it sets a really dangerous precedent.

If we allow a foreign government to request and get permission to lobby our churches, what might happen next?

Now, I don’t want to act like churches have been political neutral zones, but I really do think this is a step that is a little dangerous, where we allow a foreign entity to begin to lobby and to do so openly.

I really worry about it opening Pandora’s box here, specifically with political influence on churches, specifically when pastors and church leaders don’t have the opportunity to reject that.

What to do

If you’re worried about this and you’re wondering what you can do, you can read through the filing and see if your church is listed. There are a lot of churches listed in Texas. There also are some in California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada.

If you see your church listed, you might want to make your church leadership aware they’re being targeted. They might want to think about how is best to handle that in whatever way is appropriate in your particular church setting.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The full list of targeted churches begins on p. 34 of the FARA filing. An interactive map of targeted churches is available here. Numerous Texas Baptist churches are included.

Steve Bezner is associate professor of pastoral theology and ministry at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary and has served churches throughout Texas. This opinion article is an edited transcript of Bezner’s Facebook story posted Oct. 21 and used by permission.

Contrary to the belief of a lot of church-going folks, pastors are not hired servants.

They are servants, for sure, just as police officers and firefighters and nurses. But they are servants of God and, as such, are here to help each of us to garner a better understanding of how we can glorify God and please him.

The pastor is not there to wait on us. The pastor is not there to unplug our toilet or change our flat tire. The pastor is there to help with our spiritual needs the same as a nurse helps with our medical needs or a police officer with our legal issues.

Pastoral salaries

Pastors have families and need downtime. Our churches must require our pastors and their families to take vacations and time off. They cannot be treated as robots to hop and jump for our pleasure.

Is your congregation aware of the salary being paid to your pastor? Is it enough for the pastor to live on? Is the pastor stressed due to financial worries? If we get stressed over money issues, have we ever thought our pastors might have the same problem as well?

What can we or our church do to help them?

Our churches give millions of dollars annually to various ministries across the globe, but look at that 15-year-old car our pastor is driving around in. What can we do to make driving safer for the pastor and the pastor’s family?

Weddings and funerals

While we are at it, what days off does our pastor have?

Let’s see, weddings usually take place on Saturdays, with rehearsal dinners on Friday nights. Funerals often are on Saturdays, as well. These are scheduled for the convenience of the families, to allow for their family members to travel for the event.

While these might be joyous in the case of weddings or sad in the case of funerals, the pastor may not know the participants and probably doesn’t feel the same emotions as the families, especially if the pastor has lost a day off.

There’s also the matter of paying pastors an honorarium for services rendered. In many cases pastors receive little or nothing for performing weddings and funerals on their days off.

Of course, weddings and funerals are part of any clergy’s duties and responsibilities, but the timing of these events should be considered in relationship to the pastor’s working schedule. Events scheduled outside of normal working hours should be compensated.

Churches could give out a pamphlet explaining how funerals and weddings work and that payments for these services are appreciated, even suggesting customary amounts. At a minimum, a pamphlet can explain the pastor’s responsibilities during weddings and funerals.

At my age, I might die at any time. Do you think it is going to matter to me who presides over my funeral service? I am not going to be there. I don’t care if some associate pastor or someone else takes charge of my service.

Weddings and funerals are significant rituals of our lives, but let’s get real and consider what it takes for a minister to officiate at these events.

The pastor’s family

Our pastor has a family. Our pastor may have kids who go to school, play in sports, perform recitals, have roles in drama programs. They also have birthdays and anniversaries and may be taking care of their own parents.

When our pastors’ daughter stars in a play at school on the night we want our pastor to attend a rehearsal dinner for our daughter’s wedding, how do we think our pastor’s daughter is going to feel? Is she going to be happy or resentful? We know the answer to this.

Is our event so important and so special we couldn’t consider the church providing us with some other staff member to perform our service?

Pastors have the same stresses and problems we do. They can’t complain about their issues. They certainly can’t discuss their issues with members of the church, and they certainly can’t afford to offend their largest “donors” who want them to perform some special function.

In short, they are not free or at liberty to use a truly short word: “No.”

Our church’s largest tither wants the pastor and only the pastor to perform the marriage service for his only daughter on the weekend the pastor had scheduled a trip to Paris for the pastor’s wedding anniversary.

Tickets are paid for, passports secured, hotels booked, and now Mr. Warbucks comes and tells the pastor his daughter must be married on such-and-such date because it has major significance for one reason or another. No other date will do.

What the pastor wants to do and what the pastor feels has to be done probably don’t match.

But that’s not the question. The question is what are we going to do?

Are we going to be inconsiderate Christians demanding things that give rise to resentment, or will we be Christlike and realize our pastor has feelings and needs like all the rest of us?

The choice is ours and ours alone.

Peary Perry is an author and husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. To learn more about him, you can visit www.pearyperry.com or email him confidentially at pperry@pearyperry.com. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.

Since joining Texas Baptists by way of assuming the pastorate of a historic Texas Baptist church, I have grown to love and deeply respect Dr. Julio Guarneri. He and the whole of our network of churches have been nothing but kind and welcoming.

What follows in no way is a contradiction of what Dr. Guarneri wrote and expressed in his recent weekly update, but rather a continuation of the thoughts he raised, at least from my perspective.

Guarneri’s weekly update

In his weekly update, dated Oct. 15, 2025, Guarneri laid out a convincing plea for churches to work together in what he refers to as doctrinal affinity. As he states it:

“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 to collaborate with Texas Baptists for the cause of missions.”

I wholeheartedly agree.

As he also reminded us, “We should resist the temptation to demand uniformity in every secondary issue, because that diminishes our ability to work together for the sake of the gospel.”

That truth is both freeing and motivating, allowing us to be generous with one another in areas of freedom.

Where I would offer caution, however, is in urging readers to think through these things with greater nuance—especially as it relates to different groups and organizations within our convention.

The local church: Doctrinal alignment

The Bible repeatedly calls for unity and for believers to be of the same “heart and mind.” The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and that shared doctrine fostered unity, generosity and love. For that reason, a local church must expect doctrinal alignment among its leaders and teachers.

Alignment means walking in the same direction together, united in core convictions and practices. No other group or organization should force a local church to abide by their particular standards, but within the congregation itself, there must be a shared commitment to doctrine and mission.

This means one church may organize its staff differently than another or may arrive at a different conviction about, say, women preaching on a Sunday morning. Each local body should have the freedom to determine what it believes best aligns with Scripture. But within that body, clarity and alignment are essential.

The network of churches: Doctrinal affinity

When we gather as a network of churches, doctrinal affinity is both necessary and sufficient. As Guarneri emphasized, “It is enough for us to be orthodox Christians and historic Baptists in order to lock arms for missions.”

This “big tent” approach allows us to pursue missions together without demanding identical positions on every issue as it relates to the local church. What binds us together is a family resemblance of belief and practice rooted in Christian orthodoxy and historic Baptist principles.

Affinity makes cooperation possible, even across lines of difference.

The entities we support: Doctrinal agreement

Entities—our seminaries, universities and mission boards—are in a different category altogether.

These organizations exist to serve and resource the churches. Because they are entrusted with teaching, training and sending, they should be expected not only to share doctrinal affinity, but to fully affirm and champion the doctrinal stances of the network as a whole. In other words, our entities must operate in doctrinal agreement.

Agreement conveys a binding commitment to the statements of faith adopted by our network. These standards are not restrictive for the sake of control, but for the sake of confidence. They ensure those who are trained and sent out by our entities faithfully reflect Baptist convictions.

This is how we, as churches, can support them in good conscience—knowing they are aligned with us in belief, conviction and mission.

A framework of use

Doctrinal statements are valuable so long as we recognize their different uses in different contexts:

• The local church: Doctrinal alignment—leaders and members walking in the same direction.
• The network of churches: Doctrinal affinity—a generous, cooperative spirit across differences.
• Our entities: Doctrinal agreement—formal affirmation of Baptist convictions.

None of this is about control or restriction. Rather, it is about fostering genuine partnership, mutual assurance and a free, open spirit of cooperation.

We are a large body of churches, and while we will not all agree on every particular, we should be confident those who represent us—especially in education and missions—do so with convictional faithfulness.

Conclusion: Cooperation with conviction

I am deeply encouraged by the vision Dr. Guarneri has cast. His call for doctrinal affinity is a much-needed reminder we are better together when we unite around the essentials and extend grace in areas of freedom.

By carefully distinguishing between doctrinal alignment in the local church, doctrinal affinity in our cooperative network and doctrinal agreement in our entities, we can remain both convictional and cooperative.

We do not have to choose between clarity and cooperation, between conviction and unity. We can hold fast to the truth with courage, while also locking arms with one another for the mission of Christ.

That balance—anchored in Scripture, guided by Baptist principles and motivated by the gospel—will allow Texas Baptists to flourish as a centrist, cooperative, mission-minded family of churches clear on what we believe and eager to work together for the kingdom.

Josh King is pastor of Valley Ridge Church, formerly known as First Baptist Church of Lewisville. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.