budget Summary 2025
Dear
Texas Baptists
As my first year of service as your executive director comes to a close, I can say with great confidence that God’s kingdom is advancing in mighty ways both in Texas and beyond!
What a blessing it is to travel each week to meet with members of the Texas Baptists family and witness first-hand what God is doing through our network of kingdom partnerships, including churches and institutions like yours. The Great Commandment and the Great Commission are being lived out, and for that, we praise God!
We know well that your generosity makes the ministry of the convention possible. For that reason, we express our deepest gratitude while also remaining fully committed to stewarding your investment to achieve the greatest possible kingdom impact.
Treasurer/CFO Ward Hayes recently shared with the BGCT Executive Board that your state convention is fiscally sound, fiscally responsible and fiscally strategic as we approach another year of collaborative work and ministry. The Proposed 2025 Missions and Ministries Budget Report, of which this report is a summary, is an excellent expression of that soundness and stewardship.
You will notice that in this proposed budget, we are projecting a 2% increase in total revenue and planning much-needed increases in areas including Church Starting and our GC2 Initiative. We are so very grateful to be in the position to address these areas of need that align with our strategic vision, especially at a time when other ministry budgets are constricting.
With a focus on Jesus’ kingdom agenda, I am convinced that we cannot go wrong. Thank you, Texas Baptists churches and partners, for your culture of generosity as together we seek to push back lostness and live out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission until Christ’s return!
Blessings,
JULIO GUARNERI, PH.D. Executive Director
txb.org/julio
DAYS
Since our last Baptism
First baptism in seven years sparks excitement and growth in Mathis church
by teresa young
USING THE BAPTISM
ALLOWED US TO PROMOTE
THAT THE CHURCH WAS ALIVE AND ACTIVE AGAIN
Pastor Felix Treviño knew the metric stating a healthy church should have one baptism for every 15 people in average worship attendance per year, but the First Baptist Church of Mathis simply was not seeing God move in that way.
Treviño assumed the pastorate at First Mathis in August of 2023. When he arrived, the church was running about 30 in attendance and was not effectively reaching their changing community of around 5,000.
“They wanted to rebuild and give back to the community,” he said. “It was predominantly an Anglo church originally, but they are in a mostly Hispanic area, and they wanted a younger, bivocational pastor with more of a missional mindset. Being a church planter, that transitioned well for me.”
Treviño signed up to attend a PAVE workshop offered by Texas Baptists’ Center for Church Health. In February, he joined a cohort to work through PAVE principles of church revitalization with other pastors in similar situations.
Within a month, the church began to see results!
“When we left the cohort, [director of Church Health and Growth] Jonathan Smith said, ‘Don’t microwave the brisket. You can’t rush this process, but there were things you can do already,’” Treviño recalled. “We had one woman who wanted to be baptized, so we implemented the plan for baptism that Jonathan had shared with us.”
The new baptism sparked a flame across their small community.
“Using the baptism allowed us to promote that the church was alive and active again,” said Treviño. “We shared the video on Facebook and with local community groups, the area Baptist association shared as well, and that helped people to get excited about what God was doing.”
The church is already planning the next such celebration.
“One man came up and said he wanted to surrender to Christ and be baptized as well. There’s impact already,” said Treviño. “He had been searching for a while and had grown a lot in the past few months. Seeing that really pushed him to make that commitment.”
‘God is not through with us yet’ Emmanuel Baptist Church in Waco’s replant story
by jessica king
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Emmanuel Baptist Church in Waco temporarily closed its doors for the safety of its congregation but had considered the possibility of permanent closure because of its dwindling numbers and lack of a lead pastor.
When the holiday season approached, the church decided to gather for a Christmas service. In hopes of finding someone to come preach a sermon, a deacon at Emmanuel reached out to Truett Seminary, who connected him with Marcelo De Oliveira, who gladly accepted.
He returned to preach the following Sunday.
In late January 2021, Oliveira said he and the church were in agreement that he should stay and pastor their congregation. Oliveira led the church through an intentional replant process. Since then, the church body has grown from 17 members in 2020 to 72 active members today. He said the church’s inspiration to replant came from the Holy Spirit.
“God, for sure, is the one who inspired us. His Spirit, his life, being brought to life as a church,” said Oliveira.
Involving themselves in international missions through prayer and financial offerings, Oliveira said the church has developed a heart for reaching the people in their neighborhood.
“It’s becoming like a mission field, so to speak, and I think it’s coming into the hearts and minds of the people who are in the church, that they prayed and they sent offering and prayers and love and cards to missionaries around the world and now God placed them here and their new mission field is their neighborhood,” said Oliveira. “This is encouraging us to grow back up and to see God working.”
GOD, FOR SURE, IS THE ONE WHO INSPIRED US. HIS SPIRIT, HIS LIFE, BEING BROUGHT TO LIFE AS A CHURCH
OMinister Connection helps match churches, pastors
by teresa young
Once Scott Patz and his wife Angela agreed that God was leading them to move to Texas from Orlando, Florida, the long-time pastor began the usual process of putting out resumes and seeking open positions. In early 2023, the couple settled in College Station to be near family.
While his wife quickly found work at a Christian school nearby, Scott encountered a little more difficulty.
“I was sending out my resumes, but I really didn’t know too many people in Texas and no one in College Station,” said Scott. “I
started working at a Christian bookstore while I was looking.”
While at work one day, Scott met a local pastor who mentioned that he found his current church through Texas Baptists’ Minister Connection and explained the process. Scott reached out to the Texas Baptists’ Center for Ministerial Health for assistance.
“He set me up on Minister Connection in May 2023, and in two months’ time, I had talked to a few churches and even preached at one,” he said. “While that one turned out not to be a good fit, I wanted to help them out, so I kept
MINISTERCONNECTION
preaching while we both looked. I tried to set up the next pastor and prepare the church for them as well.”
In July, Scott first heard from First Baptist Church in Van Vleck, a town of about 2,000 located 90 miles west of Houston.
“We went through an interview on Zoom, and they had questions for me. In September, they called me to preach, and I accepted the position in October,” said Scott. “Really, it was about two months from getting connected on Minister Connection that it happened.”
His time at FBC Van Vleck has been a whirlwind. Scott came on board just before the busy holiday season, followed by winter activities and, most recently, his first Easter Sunday there. Running around 40-50 members when he arrived, the church has grown a bit to around 65.
Scott says he has enjoyed the sweet congregation and being able to build long-term relationships in the small community. He is excited to plug in and make even more connections toward ministry. He credits the ease and efficiency of Minister Connection with allowing him to find this ministry opportunity.
FBCVANVLECK
WAVE Student Conference sees fifty salvations and
‘hundreds
of liberations’ during San Antonio meetup
by jessica king
More than 500 students and leaders learned to “make a wave” in the culture for Jesus while attending African American Ministries’ Wave Student Conference, a four-day event for 7th graders to college students held June 9-12 at Resurrection Baptist Church in San Antonio, TX.
According to Robert Purvey, director of NextGen and WAVE coordinator, the purpose of WAVE is to bring students and student leaders from predominantly African American churches together and give strategy, concept, inspiration and hope for the next generation. The conference’s theme, ‘See Something, Say Something,’ encouraged attendees “when you see someone who needs Jesus, when you see somebody who needs to hear something about God, say something.”
“One of the biggest things was just the movement of the Holy Spirit each night. I mean, the students really gave themselves to the moment,” said Purvey. “Yes, there were 50 salvations, but there were just hundreds of liberations.”
Among the crowd of worshippers that saw liberation was a mother-daughter duo, a youth leader and volunteer and her 9-yearold living with stage four cancer.
“These kids weren’t just spectators of worship, they were participants in worship, and she was one of the students with stage 4 cancer, younger than the actual age to be in the conference, and she was worshiping God. It was amazing,” said Oza Jones, director of Evanglism at Texas Baptists.
“It was almost like if she’s nine and she’s committed to Christ and starting a WAVE in culture for Christ, what’s your excuse?” said Purvey.
According to Purvey, the young girl’s mother served every day of WAVE, setting an example for adult leaders to lean into serving where they are called.
“To the adult leaders, it’s like, ‘okay, this woman is battling her own health issues, and her daughter has stage 4 cancer, and she’s been here every day and she serves in her church every week,’” said Purvey. “What’s your excuse when it comes to serving?”
During the final morning session on June 12, Purvey called the mother-daughter duo back to WAVE, where the whole conference prayed over the 9-year-old’s illness, spurring attendees on in worship.
Over the course of the event, WAVE saw 50 salvations, with 40 on the first night, 106 rededications and seven surrendered to a call to ministry.
Beach Reach spring break outreach ‘saw God move,’
by teresa young
TThrough Beach Reach, a spring break outreach ministry organized by Texas Baptists, 1,256 volunteers provided van rides, served pancakes and prayed for the lost. As a result, 276 individuals accepted Jesus.
The number of gospel conversations and shared prayers also increased over the previous year, according to Joe Osteen, Beach Reach coordinator and BSM regional director for East Texas.
“We just really saw God move and students be available and ready and willing,” Osteen said.
“We’ve been working to grow and establish an evangelistic culture statewide,” he said.
“We’ve been working to have some shared tools and language, prioritizing personal evangelism.”
Forty-four groups consisting of Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) students and leaders, churches from across Texas and beyond, and ministry partners like Texans on Mission (formerly TBM) converged on the island to support the two-week effort.
Osteen noted that students gather on the island each spring for various reasons, including to relax, blow off steam and party. He described the environment in which Beach Reach volunteers minister as dark.
“We serve pancakes right outside one of the biggest clubs on the island. We get to meet them where they are and shine the light of Jesus in a dark place,” he said.
“Meeting them where they are provides such great opportunities to share the gospel.”
Undergirding the entire Beach Reach effort is an intentional student-led prayer ministry held in the sanctuary of Island Baptist Church. The South Padre Island congregation has graciously provided facilities and supported Beach Reach for years.
As volunteers give van rides and serve pancakes, navigators in those vans share prayer requests through social media accounts. Students in the church’s prayer room read those requests and lift them in prayer from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. each day.
Osteen said the Beach Reach training stresses the importance of prayer.
“We see in scripture the tremendous priority Jesus places on prayer,” Osteen said. “What we have found at Beach Reach is the more we can pray while others are going, how powerful that is.”
Across the two weeks, Beach Reach participants prayed with 9,198 people.
Volunteers provided 16,027 safe van rides, served 15,362 pancakes, held 11,795 gospel conversations and reported 94 recommitments. Island Baptist Church and Beach Reach leaders also baptized 79 individuals on the beach.
Fast Facts
276 79
individuals accepted Jesus individuals baptized on the beach individuals prayed with safe van rides given pancakes served gospel conversations recommitments
9,198
16,027
15,362
11,795 94
Budget Summary of the Baptist General Convention of Texas
The 2025 Budget was approved by the Executive Board on Sept. 24, 2024. 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
MINISTRY CENTERS
Center for Church Health
Evangelism & Apologetics
Church Health Specialists
GC2 Press/Baptist Way Press
Music & Worship
Discipleship
Ministry to Women
Young Adult Ministry
Church Architecture
Center for Ministerial Health
Associational Relationships
Financial Health
Connections Ministry
Area Representatives
Pastoral Health Networks
Counseling Services
Western Heritage
Bi-vocational Pastors
Center for Cultural Engagement
Christian Life Commission
African American Ministries
Texas Baptists en Español
Intercultural Ministries
Chaplaincy
Center for Missional Engagement
Church Starting
River Ministry
Missionary Adoption Program
BOUNCE
Center for Collegiate Ministry
-15,000 70,000 $ 398,500 810,00020,500 $ 65,000 125,000 85,000 57,500 79,000 20,000 $ 319,400 $ 85,000 $1,229,000 $ 431,500 2024
$ -
The
The
The
The
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Administration
Texas
Administration & Executive Board
Committees
Health & Human Care Institutions
Universities & Theological Educ.
ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TREASURER/CFO
Administration
Cooperative Program & Ambassadors
Human Resources
Event Planning, Confs & Production
Process Imprvmt & Ministry Safe
Finance & Accounting
Information Technology
Building Support & Engineering
Building Operations
Internal Usage Fees
Historical Collection
Minister’s Protection & Retirees’ Ins
Total Undesignated Budget
Less: Investment Income
Net CP Budget % of Prior Year Budget
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
1,438,589 (910,590) 419,430 1,218,817 $27,117,920 6,675,190 1,044,888 456,996 300,000 1,100,000 5,522,713 2,282,400 $33,739,110 $6,675,190 $27,117,920
Baptist General Convention of Texas
2025 Budget Detail of Theological Education & Institutional Support
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
Admin/Other Related Expenses
Buckner Children and Family Services
INSTITUTIONS
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
510 Health & Human Care Institutions
530 Educational Institutions Total
255,000 400,000 $ 30,175 381,650 275,650 68,925 24,250 18,300 56,735 489,350 23,725 39,300 0 79,300 0 0 0
A movement of God’s people.
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