Budget Summary 24
dear
Texas Baptists
Thank you for creating a culture of generosity in your church by investing in the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program! Every dollar you give to the BGCT results in more souls being saved and more lives being transformed as well as over 1,000 professions of faith in Christ every month! Together, we are sharing Christ and showing love through the extraordinary ministries and missions of Texas Baptists.
This 2024 budget demonstrates the priorities of your state convention in five major ministry centers: 1) Church Health; 2) Ministerial Health; 3) Cultural Engagement; 4) Missional Engagement; and 5) Collegiate Ministry.
Our number one priority remains strengthening the work of the local church. In the Center for Church Health, you will see one of the biggest budget increases in the area of church revitalization through the PAVE Church Health Strategy. We are quadrupling this budget as more and more churches are requesting coaching and training in effective strategies to make disciples and grow a healthy church. From the small town to the urban metropolis, churches of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities are implementing these principles and achieving wonderful results for greater health.
In the Center for Missional Engagement, our church starting team is working alongside BGCT sponsor churches to plant about 175 new churches with funding and coaching. Over a hundred professions of faith are being reported each month through these new church starts. We also coordinate the work of over 600 prison, house and apartment churches all across the state!
Through Texas Baptists River Ministry and Mexico Missions, we facilitate the work of 40 missionaries who are each sharing Christ and showing love. While we pray for a strong border to stop the flow of drugs and illegal human trafficking, we minister to everyone in need and celebrate over a thousand professions of faith every month through this ministry alone!
More Cooperative Program dollars also equals more souls saved on college campuses. We now have a gospel presence on 137 college campuses across the state with hundreds of students coming to faith in Jesus. We are commissioning hundreds of college students on short-term mission trips around the world. We are sending out hundreds of high school students in disaster response teams and equipping over a thousand students to share their faith through Congreso. Finally, we are investing over $6 million in theological education to prepare the next generation of ministers for your churches.
One prognosticator recently stated that the next five years will determine the future of this nation for the next 50 years. The USA is at an inflection point, and the question for Texas Baptists churches is this: will we work together to do more? The fields are still ripe for harvest, but the workers are few. Let’s pray more, share Christ more and create a culture of generosity as we give more until all people have the opportunity to say “YES!” to Jesus!
Your servant in Christ,
CRAIG CHRISTINA Associate Executive Director
Dr. Julio Gaurneri
GARLAND–Julio Guarneri began his time of service as executive director of Texas Baptists with an all-staff luncheon hosted by the First Baptist Church in Garland, TX, on Thursday, Nov. 30.
Craig Christina, associate executive director, introduced Guarneri. “It takes a special person…it takes a person of conviction to say this is who we are, and this is what God’s calling us to be and do.”
“You have a humble spirit. You are full of grace and love and compassion, but you also are clear about who you are, and we love that about you,” Christina said. Guarneri, addressing convention staff for the first time as executive director, expressed gratitude on behalf of him and his wife, Monica.
“We are just honored and elated at the opportunity to serve the Lord in this way,” he said. “We have felt your love…you have expressed your support for me in this new role and I really am grateful for that.”
Reflecting on the luncheon program led by First Baptist Garland’s minister of music and worship, Mark Hill, and music and worship associate, Clay Mobley, Guarneri pointed to the significance of the gospel message.
“In the midst of the laughter and food we are reminded it’s all about Jesus, right? It’s about knowing Jesus, it’s about worshiping Jesus and it’s about proclaiming him. That’s what
we’re about. I am excited to be a part of this team,” he said.
Guarneri, who has spoken previously of his Texas Baptists roots, shared with ministry staff that he considers himself a product of Texas Baptists. He responded to the call to ministry at Congreso, was discipled and shaped by the Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) in Corpus Christi, was a recipient of Mary Hill Davis scholarship funds, studied at Dallas Baptist University and was encouraged, inspired and mentored by various BGCT staff throughout his ministry.
“It’s been so exciting to watch you. All of you are doing just incredible things for the kingdom of God. I am honored to pray with you, to dream with you and then to work together for the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of the king,” said Guarneri.
Christina thanked staff for their support as he served as acting executive director beginning Jan. 1 until Guarneri’s start, calling the opportunity “one of the great joys” in his life.
Christina called on Oza Jones, director of African American Ministry, and David Miranda, director of Ministers Development and Missional Network, to pray over Guarneri and his wife as staff gathered around the couple.
Hispanic Education Initiative, WinShape partnering to build disciple-makers
Nathan Escamilla, manager of partner development for the southwest region of the WinShape College Program, has been a major player in a partnership with the Hispanic Education Initiative (HEI) of Texas Baptists en Español, which is equipping college students to serve Hispanic churches across the state.
“Our focus is on Matthew 28:19 –go therefore and make disciples of all nations. That’s our focus at WinShape, and it’s a big focus at HEI, investing in future generations,” noted Nathan.
WinShape accomplishes this through Discipleship Intensives, three- or five-day trainings aimed at preparing college students to learn how to lead small groups in their churches and on their campuses.
But up until 2020, the WinShape College Program had seen no Hispanic participants, and that’s where Rolando Rodriguez, director of Texas Baptists en Español, entered the picture.
“WinShape reached out to Rolando, and he asked me to help find some students for the program, which I saw as a great opportunity for discipleship and leadership development for the HEI,” said Nathan, noting that since 2020, HEI has helped 81 students receive WinShape training.
“By investing in these students, we are ministering, discipling, mentoring and developing leaders that will impact the generations that are coming behind them. Our churches do not need more members; our churches need more disciples of Jesus, and this is what this program is about: making disciples that make disciples,” said Rolando.
This past summer, 16 students from six Texas Baptists Hispanic churches attended the WinShape training through HEI, and already three small groups have been started out of those efforts. Two of those students are attending the WinShape internships offered to graduates to help lead trainings in Orlando and learn even more leadership skills.
For Rolando, the reports of multiplication coming from across the state have proven the Hispanic Education Initiative to be successful in its effort to “fulfill the mission, vision, values and priorities affirmed by Texas Baptists” and apply an intention al, comprehensive strategy to ensure church growth continues into the next generations.
Learn more about the Hispanic Education Initiative and how you can get involved or support at txb.org/hei
By Teresa Young
GC2 church plant in New York sees ‘revival like never before’
by Meredith Poe, contributing writer
“In my 12 years of experience as a church planter, I’ve learned it’s a team effort … we need all the partnership we can get … and to me, one of the most strategic partnerships we have is with GC2,” said Larry Mayberry, a church planter in New York.
In 2019, Mayberry planted Queens Church in partnership with GC2, an organic movement of like-minded Christians across Texas and beyond who identify with the Texas Baptists mission to fulfill the Great Commission to share Christ and the Great Commandment to show love.
Through GC2, churches receive valuable networking opportunities, resources, financial support, prayer and connection to the Texas Baptists community of believers.
“We attended the state convention in Waco a few years ago and met lots of people there. This translated into some financial partnership from BGCT,” said Mayberry. “We also partner with FBC Tyler directly through GC2.”
“We have also hosted mission trips from churches as part of the movement. So many of these churches leave and say they were inspired by the way we do something or encouraged to think outside the box in ministry to meet a need. To me, this is really what partnership is about … it’s not just about us receiving; we can give back too and both sides benefit,” said Mayberry.
So far, more than 50 churches outside of Texas have affiliated with GC2 and are sharing Christ and showing love all across the nation.
“Our church is growing rapidly. In the last year alone, we’ve more than doubled in size through baptisms,” said Mayberry. “God is
bringing salvation to our community, and the neighborhood is experiencing revival like never before. People who have lived here since the 50s and 60s have told us, ‘We’ve never seen a movement like this.’ It’s just really fun to be a part of it.”
“Every time I go to Texas,” Mayberry said, “I tell our GC2 partner churches, ‘You guys are a part of this too. You share in this revival through your sacrificial giving and support.’”
To sign up to be a part of GC2, visit gc2movement.org
FBC Buffalo uses PAVE strategies to grow attendance and baptisms
When Alan Grisham reached out to Texas Baptists almost two years ago, he understood changes were necessary. First Baptist Church of Buffalo had slid past plateau and was toward decline. Nevertheless, he was reluctant. After a long conversation, he asked Jonathan Smith, Texas Baptists director of church health strategy, to provide encouragement and “a kick in the pants.”
The church’s average weekly attendance had dropped almost by half. Grisham wondered: “Could the church do better if a new face came in?” Amid that context, he called Smith and talked for a couple of hours.
Fast forward to the present. After dipping into the 60s in weekly attendance, First Baptist Buffalo rebounded to its pre-COVID weekly attendance numbers of 125-135.
These numbers are even more encouraging: In 2022, First Baptist Buffalo baptized one person. Through July 2023, they baptized 14.
“The most important thing,” Grisham said, “was just communicating to the church where we were and where we could be. And I think we’ve been excited.”
Among the most difficult things for a church to do, Smith said, is “simply to look in the mirror and really ask, ‘Why
are we here? How did we get here?’
Few churches and pastors are willing to actually take that look and say, ‘We’ve got to figure out what it’s gonna take for us to grow again.’
“But the Lord has given (Grisham) that courage.”
And the Lord has given First Baptist Buffalo a fresh wind. Along with the baptisms and weekly attendance, Sunday school classes have filled up again. They’ve changed the structure and, by happy necessity, even added some classes. They changed the format of the children’s church. A couple of evenings a week, they opened the gym to the community for pickleball.
“We’ve just been able to look and see some things we needed to change,” Grisham said. “We knew it would be hard on our church to make changes, but our church was willing because our church has a heart for the Lord.”
“For me personally, Jonathan has been such an encouragement for me,” Grisham said. “He’s stretched me. Whenever I say, ‘I don’t think I can do that,’ he’s encouraged me to do it. That helps.”
Learn more about PAVE at txb.org/pave
By George Schroeder
“We’re a part of the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program because it’s sufficient. It has the ability to take the resources God has given us… and it allows us to do missions in a way we could never do on our own. The fact that we can pool resources, that we can come together as individual churches, governed individually and to the glory of God, reach out for a common goal that is spreading the gospel, that we can fund agencies that we could not do on our own is hugely important and grossly underestimated by those who have always had it. When you live without it, you realize how important it really is.”
Clint Reiff senior pastor, Rice Temple Baptist Church, Houston, TX.
“I thank God for using us as an example to be able to show other churches, particularly rural churches, particularly African American churches, that you know what? Texas Baptists is here for you as well. I’m just thankful to be a witness for the kingdom, and I pray that God will continue to use me to help more people to understand here’s how we work together to do more ”
Royal Johnson senior pastor, Rising Star Baptist Church, Rockdale, TX.
Pastor Testimonies
“So many times, a lot of churches become islands to themselves, but together we can accomplish so much more… And I’m just looking forward to help build the kingdom of God through Texas Baptists and through what they have to offer for the churches.”
Anthony Land pastor, West Union Missionary Baptist Church, Bryan, TX.
“I’m committed that our church is a part of the Cooperative Program and the percentage of giving that we do out of our ministry budget. We see people reached all over our state and all over our world because of that gift that we give and that work that we do. I’m a supporter of the Cooperative Program, and I pray you are too.”
Bill Skaar pastor, First Baptist Church, Grand Prairie, TX.
24
BUDGET SUMMARY of the Baptist General Convention of Texas
The 2024 Budget was approved by the Executive Board on Sept. 19, 2023. Preparing the budget involves months of prayer, projections, research and planning to arrive at the resource plan for the coming year.
The detailed budget is published annually and is provided to the Executive Board and committees involved in the budget preparation process. The Executive Board is authorized, on a contingency basis, to adjust spending based on actual receipts. The Budget Summary and the Detail Budget Book are available online at txb.org/budgetsummary.
BAPTIST GENERAL CONVENTION OF TEXAS 2024 BUDGET SUMMARY
MINISTRY CENTERS
The Center for Church Health
Evangelism & Apologetics
Church Health
Baptist Way Press
Music & Worship
Discipleship
Women’s Ministry
Single’s Ministry
Church Architecture
The Center for Ministerial Health
Financial Health
Connections Ministry
Area Representatives
Counseling Services
Western Heritage
Bi-vocational Pastors
356,146
The Center for Cultural Engagement
Christian Life Commission
African American Ministries
Texas Baptists en Español
Intercultural Ministries
Chaplaincy
The Center for Missional Engagement
NAMB
Church Starting River Ministry
Missionary Adoption Program
BOUNCE
World Missions
443,000 29,050 25,000 50,000 228,174 $ 4,000 $ 389,746 $1,428,728 $ 775,224 2023 $64,00050,00036,200125,000 $--15,000 135,000 $ 446,500705,00022,800$ 71,000 124,000 87,500 53,400 65,000 20,000 $ 275,200 $ 150,000 $1,174,300 $ 420,900 2023
307,120
The Center for Collegiate Ministry
EXECUTIVE
Administration
DIRECTOR
Texas Baptist Missions Foundation
Special Projects
Associations/CP/Ambassadors
GC2 Churches
Human Resources
Communications
Historical Collection
Texas Baptist Men
ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Administration
Exe Board, Annual Mtg & Comm
Health & Human Care Institutions
Theological Educational
TREASURER/CFO
Administration
Event Planning, Confs & Production
Process Imprvmt & Church Admin
Finance & Accounting
Information Technology
Building Support & Engineering
Building Operations
Internal Usage Fees
Minister’s Protection & Retirees’ Ins
Total Undesignated Budget
Less: Investment Income
Net CP Budget
% of Prior Year Budget
REVENUE SOURCES
Cooperative Program
Investment Income
Conference & Booth Fees
Product Sales & Other Revenue
North American Mission Board *
BGCT Worldwide *
Donor Designated *
Mary Hill Davis Mission Offering **
Grand Total
% of Prior Year
1,332,823 (884,668) 1,260,000 $27,251,966 6,649,000 951,509 607,025 300,000 1,000,000 6,109,182 2,232,900 $33,900,966 $6,649,000 $27,251,966 $9,248,041 $6,354.804 $45,101,582
BAPTIST GENERAL CONVENTION OF TEXAS 2024 BUDGET DETAIL
Baptist University of the Américas
Baylor University
Dallas Baptist University
East Texas Baptist University
Hardin-Simmons University
Houston Christian University
Howard Payne University
Truett Seminary
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Wayland Baptist University
San Marcos Academy
Stark College
Valley Baptist Missions Education Center
Ministerial Scholarships
Admin/Other Related Expenses
& HUMAN CARE INSTITUTIONS
Admin/Other Related Expenses
Buckner Children and Family Services
Children at Heart Ministries
South Texas Children’s Home Ministries
Baylor Health Care System
Hendrick Health System
Hillcrest Baptist Health System
Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas
Baptist Community Services, Amarillo
Baptist Memorials Ministry
Breckenridge Village Scholarships
Total Health & Human Care
Total Institutional Support
0
520,000 260,000 520,000 0 520,000 520,000 168,902 0 20,000 0 143,055 260,000 250,000 $ 52,900 396,025 297,775 51,975 38,025 14,150 43,350 654,500 31,300 31,925 0 88,600 0 0 0
