Month: June 2023

De la luz a la oscuridad y de nuevo a la luz

Dios redime luchas personales de pastor para abrir nuevas puertas ministeriales en una comunidad “hambrienta” del Evangelio

liel Díaz recuerda claramente uno de los momentos más oscuros de su vida.

En el 2016, después de meses de debilitantes ataques de pánico que parecían surgir de la nada y poco después de ser ordenado como pastor, Díaz decidió ingresar en un centro de tratamiento de salud mental. Mientras estaba allí, el Señor usó a un consejero, armado con las palabras de Jeremías 29:11–para recordarle a Díaz que, aunque se encontraba en una situación difícil, debía recordar quién es él en Cristo y no dejar de cumplir su propósito.

Era un gran reto para Díaz: hablar a los demás de un Dios al que le costaba sentir y de una esperanza que él mismo no tenía.

“Voy a hacer lo que me estás pidiendo, aunque no tengo deseos,” recuerda Díaz haberle dicho a Dios.

Así que Díaz comenzó a hablar con la gente del centro sobre Jesús y a compartir con
ellos el plan de salvación. Después de compartir el evangelio con un hombre allí, el hombre le dijo a Díaz: “Yo necesito a ese Jesús.” Mas tarde, Díaz se acercó a una mujer con semblante decaído y también le habló de Jesús. Su respuesta fue casi exactamente la misma: “Yo necesito a ese Jesús.”

Sus respuestas separadas al mensaje del evangelio impactaron mucho a Díaz y le sirvieron como punto de inflexión. Le recordó que la esperanza en Jesús sigue siendo real y que Él es capaz de liberar a las personas incluso de sus sentimientos más oscuros. Después de ese encuentro, tres días después de llegar al centro, Díaz supo que su tiempo allí había terminado y que había comenzado una temporada de sanidad personal.

Díaz, ahora pastor de United City Church en Español en Humble, utiliza esa época oscura de su vida—que él describe como su desierto—como un trampolín para el ministerio en una de las regiones de más rápido crecimiento de Texas.

“Crecí en la iglesia, he servido al Señor durante muchos años, pero yo necesitaba mi desierto, porque aunque no los entendamos, son necesarios,” dijo Díaz.

De la luz a la oscuridad

Originario de Cayey, Puerto Rico, Díaz llegó a Houston en agosto de 2012. Se mudó con su esposa, Sharon, después de que algunos de sus amigos les invitaran a explorar nuevas oportunidades en Norteamérica. Díaz y su esposa hicieron la mudanza sintiendo que el Señor estaba obrando, pero sin saber cómo obraría.

A través de su preparación académica en el Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico en jazz y música afrocaribeña, Dios abrió las puertas para que Díaz fuera instructor de música y maestro de Biblia en un instituto de entrenamiento para ministerio de música en Houston. Mientras continuaban su jornada, ellos perdieron un bebé y decidieron encontrar una iglesia donde pudieran “sentarse y sanar,” dijo Díaz. Esa iglesia fue el campus de Conroe de la Iglesia Bautista Champion Forest, donde encontraron sanidad, compañerismo y un lugar para servir. En el 2015, la iglesia llamó a Díaz para servir como su pastor de alabanza a tiempo parcial mientras continuaba con sus deberes en el instituto de música.

El año siguiente resultó ser uno agridulce. En junio de 2016, Díaz fue ordenado pastor. Al mismo tiempo, su salud mental empezó a deteriorarse. Un día estaba en su casa sentado en el sofá cuando, de repente, empezó a sentir que le faltaba el aire. El episodio fue tan grave que lo llevaron a urgencias.

“No podía hablar, se me torcían las manos y empecé a sufrir ataques de pánico,” cuenta Díaz.

Los ataques de pánico evolucionaron durante los seis meses siguientes. Al principio eran semanales … luego diarios … y después empezaron a repetirse varias veces al día. Finalmente, alrededor de Navidad, Díaz compartió lo que sucedía con su pastor, Esteban Vázquez, y finalmente decidió ingresar en un centro de tratamiento de salud mental. Dijo que no entendía lo que le estaba pasando, ni podía ver cómo Dios iba a utilizar todo esto para bien.

Pero como Díaz aprendió a través de su encuentro de salvación con la mujer del centro de salud mental, Dios apenas estaba comenzando a obrar.

“Todo esto es un milagro que sólo Dios puede hacer. El noreste de Houston estaba esperando algo en español. Estaban sedientos ..."

—Eliel Diaz Tweet

De la oscuridad a la luz

Después de salir de la institución, Díaz comenzó a reconstruir su salud mental al comprometerse a entregar su vida completamente a Dios. En enero de 2018, después de recuperarse de sus luchas personales, Díaz fue contactado por Ramón Medina, pastor de Champion Forest en Español, y Stephen Trammell, pastor del campus de North Klein de Champion Forest. Ellos le dijeron a Díaz que el campus de North Klein se estaba preparando para comenzar un ministerio en español e invitaron a Díaz a servir como su pastor. Díaz aceptó.

Díaz y su esposa comenzaron el ministerio en español en el campus de North Klein con sólo unos pocos miembros de la familia y amigos cercanos. Su primer servicio de adoración se celebró en agosto de 2018, y durante cuatro años, el Señor los bendijo con un ministerio próspero. En medio de este tiempo vibrante, Díaz–ahora con una familia de cuatro–comenzó a sentir que se acercaba una nueva temporada de ministerio.

Un día, mientras Medina comentaba con Díaz todas las maneras en que Dios se estaba moviendo en el campus de North Klein. Durante esa conversación, Medina mencionó que United City Church en Humble estaba buscando un pastor para dirigir un ministerio en español que estaba comenzando. Aunque sólo fue una breve parte de esa conversación, Díaz no pudo dejar de pensar en United City desde ese momento. Antes de terminar la conversación, Díaz compartió que estaba sintiendo que se aproximaba una nueva temporada de ministerio y le pidió a Medina que estuviera en oración con él.

Algún tiempo después, tras investigar sobre United City y orar sobre esta oportunidad, Díaz volvió a Medina y le preguntó si le parecía que él pudiese ser la persona adecuada para dirigir el nuevo ministerio en español de la iglesia de Humble. El pastor dijo que sí, y Díaz finalmente se puso en contacto con los líderes de United City. Una de las cosas que entusiasmó a Díaz fue que la iglesia estaba situada cerca de la zona donde vivía su familia cuando llegaron a Texas desde Puerto Rico. En ese momento, no había iglesias bautistas del sur hispanas en la zona.

“Dios nos permitió vivir en esa zona y conocer a la gente y luego regresar para iniciar un ministerio en español,” dijo Díaz.

United City Church en Español se lanzó oficialmente en enero de 2023, poco después de que Díaz fuera comisionado para dirigir esta obra por Chris Kouba, pastor principal de United City.

United City Church en Español ha sido intencional en construir una comunidad de líderes replicables a través de grupos pequeños, el compañerismo y
atendiendo sus necesidades por medio de eventos para mujeres, hombres y matrimonios.

“Todo esto es un milagro que sólo Dios puede hacer,” dijo Díaz. “El noreste de Houston estaba esperando algo en español. Estaban sedientos … Queremos ver vidas salvadas y construir una iglesia de gente imperfecta sirviendo a un Dios perfecto–una iglesia que abrace a la comunidad tal como es para que pueda ser transformada por el evangelio de Jesús.”

25 years of answered prayer with Byron McWilliams

In November, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention will mark 25 years of answered prayer at its annual meeting at Cross City Church in Euless. Each month until then, the Texan will feature a brief conversation with past SBTC presidents about how they have seen God answer their prayers for the convention over the past quarter century and how they are praying God will bless the convention moving forward. This month, we feature past SBTC president Byron McWilliams (2009-2011).

What were some of your earliest prayers for the SBTC?

From the earliest days of the SBTC I have prayed for growth. Whenever I would receive the Texan [newspaper] and witness the growing number of churches affiliating, I felt like this prayer was being answered. I have also prayed for our convention to maintain a pristine biblical fidelity that aligned with what it meant to be a New Testament gathering of churches. God has continually answered this prayer, as the SBTC is a confessional fellowship of churches that are likeminded in faith and practice and stand on the inerrancy of Scripture as the basis of all we do.

How have you seen God answer some of your prayers regarding the convention?

We have grown in ways I could not have imagined 25 years ago. We are now a convention of thousands of churches uniting with one mind and heart for the purpose of advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, things are different in many ways. Leadership has changed, strategies have come and gone, cooperative giving has continually increased, founding fathers have gone to glory, but the call and stance upon inerrancy that drew me to the SBTC from the start remains the same.

“May we not lose our effectiveness in linking arms and loving this world to Jesus Christ as we evangelize the lost.”

—Byron McWilliams Tweet

During your service as president, how were you praying for the convention?

The SBTC, under the tremendous guidance of Jim Richards [who now serves as executive director emeritus], has always been top shelf. This leadership strength continues today with Nathan Lorick. As SBTC president, I gladly received wisdom and tutelage from Dr. Richards, praying for him and the rest of the SBTC staff regularly. The SBTC was growing rapidly, and my prayers continued to center around biblical fidelity and faithful practice. I also prayed for myself, as did others—of which I am eternally grateful—because the last thing I wanted to do was drop the ball in leading the convention with what I prayed would be integrity of heart and skillfulness of hand (Psalm 78:72).

What is your prayer for the next 25 years of the SBTC?

My prayer for the next 25 years is that we [as Southern Baptists] would once again adopt the missional embrace of William Carey and that we would, “Enlarge the place of your tent and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread about to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities” (Isaiah 54:2-3). May we never compromise on the inerrancy of Scripture. May we not lose our effectiveness in linking arms and loving this world to Jesus Christ as we evangelize the lost. May we recapture Carey’s encouragement to expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.

What’s your story? His will is perfect for my life

never thought I’d be a pastor. I’d grown up in a pastor’s home and we moved around Texas. In fact, the first question my wife, Nancy, asked me before we got married was, “Are you going to be a pastor like your dad?” I said, “No, I know what he’s gone through. I’ll work at the church, I’ll serve the Lord there, but I don’t want to be a pastor.” I had a good job that paid well. My intention was to live in Dallas and make money.

Growing up in a pastor’s home, I thought salvation was a family package. My brothers and I went up at the invitation and I thought we were saved. It wasn’t until I was 11 years old that I realized that it’s an individual decision that I had to make. At age 11, I was baptized and came to know the Lord.

After college I was living in Dallas and doing OK when my dad called me. He said, “What are you doing in Dallas?” I told him, “Well, working and living.” He said, “No, no. What are you doing? Are you going to church? Are you serving?” I said, “Yeah, I’m going to church.” And he says, “Well, what are you doing [at church]?” I said, “I go to Sunday school, I go to the service, to the prayer service.” He said, “But you’re not serving.” And I wasn’t.

He got me in touch with a friend’s son and soon I was teaching a Sunday school class, but still didn’t plan to be a pastor.

It was a little later, soon after Nancy and I married, that I understood that God did want me to be a pastor. We prayed together about it and soon I was serving as a children’s minister in Grand Prairie. Those children became like our children, and we’ve been blessed to follow some of them through the years.

After 10 years of that, the pastor said he was going to retire. He asked if I felt the Lord calling me to step into the pastorate in the church. I said, “Well, I would love to serve the Lord in that way.” I told him that it would be up to the Lord first of all, and then the congregation. He brought it up to the congregation and they accepted me as pastor. I had already been ordained, so I became the pastor in 2008. I’ve now been pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Grand Prairie for 15 years—bivocationally at first and then full time.

What’s my story? God is sovereign over my life and His will is perfect for my life. I have to learn not just to accept His will, but to embrace it and walk where He leads me.

Joe Rivera Tweet

The transition went well. We had good attendance, then we saw it increase. So we were thanking God for that, that we were seeing more people coming—more people listening to the message and making decisions. We saw that as God’s approval of what we were doing.

About two years after becoming the pastor, in 2010, was when Nancy got a cancer diagnosis. Her mother had died of cancer and now she was facing surgery and treatment for the same disease. Five of her family members got cancer. I think Nancy was the second to be diagnosed and go through treatment. Her mom’s testimony during her fight was strong, and this was an encouragement to Nancy. We saw it as a growing opportunity for ourselves and for our church because our church just teamed up around us and prayed and held us up as she went through all this.

Nancy had some difficulties with her treatment and the Lord worked through that as well. I was amazed also at Nancy’s testimony because right after surgery, I remember one Sunday morning I was getting ready to go to church and my intent was to leave Nancy at home with her niece, who was going to come stay with her. When I went downstairs, Nancy was dressing for church. I said, “What are you doing?” She’s like, “I have to go to church. I have to go to Sunday school.” I said, “No, you don’t. You’re going to stay home.” She said, “No, I already told her [her niece] that I’m going to go to church.”

It means a lot to the pastor. Yes, it does, and it encouraged me. She constantly encourages me with what the Lord is doing in our lives. Nancy’s doing well now but is working through diabetes. I get concerned about her because she’s the type to say, “No, let’s keep going. I’m OK.”

What’s my story? God is sovereign over my life and His will is perfect for my life. I have to learn not just to accept His will, but to embrace it and walk where He leads me. I think that’s what drives me in the ministry right now—that it’s not what I do, but what the Lord does in spite of me through our church.

Want to share a story of what God is doing in your life or your church?

Share your story here

Redeemer Lubbock has used its residency program to train leaders and help 24 new churches spring to life

Planted to Plant

Redeemer Church started as a plant of Southcrest Baptist Church in 2008 and within two years was planting churches itself. By 2023, the family of churches planted by Redeemer—known as the Redeemer Network—consisted of more than two dozen congregations.

One might say Redeemer was planted to plant.

“By fall 2023, some 24 churches were planted by us or by our ‘grandchildren,’” said Brandon Gilbert, Redeemer Lubbock senior ministry director of college and residency. Already an elder, Gilbert came on staff full time in 2020 when the church shifted its focus to planting in college towns.

Recent plants soon to launch in conjunction with the Redeemer Network and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) include New City in Austin and Doxa Church in Tucson, Ariz. New City, in particular, has benefitted from partnership not only with the Redeemer Network, but also with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s church planting partnership with NAMB called Send Network SBTC.

“We love the SBTC. We love NAMB. Our missions align, and when we can, we partner,” Gilbert said, adding that sometimes other congregations partner with Redeemer Lubbock on specific plants. For example, Coastal Community Church in Galveston is extensively involved in the new Tucson church plant pastored by Chris Cummings.

Such partnerships provide resources and funding to help plants get going. NAMB’s assessment process to screen potential planters complements that of Redeemer. “There’s not a lot of differences,” Gilbert said, “but the two assessments allow for different sets of eyes. We want to create the healthiest church plants we can.”

The program

Potential church planters who qualify for Redeemer’s program are invited to spend two years at Redeemer Lubbock or another network church as church planting residents. There is no charge for the program, but residents must raise support for living expenses.

During the residency, participants live near the network church they serve. A few are bivocational; most raise support or save money to enable them to serve without other obligations. Generally, no more than two residents are assigned to a church: ideally, one first-year and one second-year resident serve a single congregation at the same time.

There are boundless opportunities for participants to gain practical knowledge.

Residents meet weekly during the school year in cohorts to go through the two-year curriculum. Twice a month, they gather to meet with Redeemer Lubbock Pastor Dusty Thompson in what Gilbert describes as a “free for all” session to ask questions of the senior pastor who himself was once a planter.

“There’s lots of job shadowing,” Gilbert said.

Summers see the residents serving in the church’s seasonal ministries. Residents do not meet with their cohorts over the summer but have one-on-one time with their supervisors at church.

Residents also attend four retreats over the length of the program: two with their spouses and two with other network pastors. The spouse retreats are “marriage intensives,” as church planting is a family commitment, Gilbert said. “The wife and family must be on board.”

“The college campus is the most strategic domestic mission field we can be part of in Texas, the South, and the Southwest.”

—Brandon Gilbert Tweet

A more narrow focus with explosive gospel potential

Most churches in the Redeemer Network follow what Gilbert calls an “opportunistic” model of planting. He gave as a general example a planter who loves his hometown, receives training, and returns there to start a church as the opportunity arises. But since 2019, Redeemer Lubbock residents have focused specifically on planting in areas near colleges, as the network has realized the potential that exists in those settings.

“The college campus is the most strategic domestic mission field we can be part of in Texas, the South, and the Southwest,” Gilbert said. “Now we recruit church-planting residents who have the same heart to start college churches.”

Redeemer Lubbock intentionally approaches men who are already doing significant work in college ministry at churches, schools, ministries, or other organizations, Gilbert said.

“We recruit those guys to come to Redeemer, embed into the Redeemer staff, be part of everything our staff is part of, and work heavily with college ministry—preaching, discipling, and leading classes,” he said.

As the resident completes the program and heads to a college area to plant, Redeemer also recruits team members from its large base of Lubbock-area college students and recent graduates to help.

Justin Smith, pastor of the Send Network SBTC-supported New City Church plant in Austin poised to launch in 2024, said of his experience in the Redeemer Network residency program, “I learned a lot from doing a residency with Redeemer Network. More than anything though, I was taught how to be a healthy church planter, pastor, husband, father, and ultimately, a disciple.”

Blessings are hidden in our mistakes

Iwant to tell you about one of the worst mistakes I’ve ever made.

When I answered a call to serve in vocational ministry, God blessed me with incredible mentors who, verbally and by example, helped equip me to serve the kingdom. Those men drilled into me an uncomprimising duty to preach the inerrant Word of God. They taught me to sacrificially shepherd the people the Lord placed in my care. I watched and learned as they cast vision and executed strategy.

So when the Lord opened a door for me to serve as the lead pastor of a church after working as an associate pastor for several years, I felt like I was ready to minister from a pretty strong foundation. But there was a problem. Woven throughout my strong ministry foundation were hairline fractures caused by the stress of a few lies I had started to believe.

The first lie was that serving on a church staff would give me more time to spend with the Lord. The second lie took a similar shape: When God called me to serve as a lead pastor, I figured I wouldn’t have to fight as hard for my time with the Lord like I did as an associate pastor. After all, my responsibility to study and preach the Word of God each week necessitated biblical proximity, right? The third lie might have been the most damaging of all because it sounded so noble: Giving up my time with the Lord was acceptable as long as I was doing something for the cause of ministry.

It was a devastating mistake for me to believe these lies. Before long, I found myself effectively ministering to others while simultaneously depleting myself. Spiritually, I was running on empty.

"I learned that anything we do through the call of ministry for the cause of the kingdom must be an outgrowth of a personal, intimate walk with Jesus."

jayson larson Tweet

God redeemed this very difficult season in my life by teaching me truths I don’t think I would have learned any other way. I learned that anything we do through the call of ministry for the cause of the kingdom must be an outgrowth of a personal, intimate walk with Jesus. To approach ministry any other way is to engage in spiritual battles in our own strength, and, friends, no human being can carry that kind of weight.

I hate making mistakes. They can be painful, frustrating, and embarrassing. But they are also gifts. God can redeem any mistake. Because of this, the older I get, the less I want to hear about someone’s successes and the more I want to hear about the mistakes they’ve made and how the Lord used them in amazingly redemptive ways. I think the best stories—the real ones—recount how God can take what seems like the worst mistakes of our lives and craft them into something beautiful, something poignant.

Mistakes are rarely terminal and they aren’t ornaments of shame hanging upon the boughs of our lives.

They are opportunities for God to grow us and teach us more about our need for Him—
if only we will embrace them for what they truly are.

From light to darkness and back again

Pastor’s personal struggles redeemed by God, used to open new ministry doors in community ‘hungry’ for the gospel

liel Diaz remembers clearly one of the lowest points of his life.

In 2016, following months of debilitating panic attacks that seemed to strike out of nowhere shortly after he was ordained as a pastor, Diaz checked himself in at a mental health treatment center. While there, the Lord used a counselor—armed with the words of Jeremiah 29:11—to remind Diaz that, although he found himself in a difficult situation, he should remember who he is in Christ and not stop fulfilling his calling.

It was a big challenge for Diaz: telling others about a God he was struggling to sense and a hope he wasn’t feeling.

“I’ll do what you are asking me to do, even though I don’t want to,” Diaz recalls telling God.

So Diaz began talking to people at the facility about Jesus and sharing the plan of salvation with them. After sharing the gospel with a man there, the man told Diaz, “I need that Jesus.” Later, Diaz approached a woman who looked troubled and told her about Jesus as well. Her response was almost exactly the same: “I need this Jesus.”

Their separate responses to the gospel message impacted Diaz greatly and served as a turning point. It reminded him that hope in Jesus is still real and that He is able to deliver people even from their darkest feelings. After that encounter, three days after he arrived at the facility, Diaz knew his time there was over and that a season of personal healing had begun.

Diaz, now the pastor of United City Church en Español in Humble, uses that dark time in his life—which he describes as his wilderness—as a springboard for ministry in one of the fastest-growing regions in Texas.

“I grew up in church, I served the Lord for many years, but I needed my wilderness, because even though we don’t understand [these times], they are necessary,” Diaz said.

From light to darkness

Originally from Cayey, Puerto Rico, Diaz came to Houston in August 2012. He made the move with his wife, Sharon, after friends invited them to explore new opportunities in North America. Diaz and his wife made the move sensing the Lord was at work, but not knowing how.

Through his academic preparation at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico in jazz and Afro-Caribbean music, God opened doors for Diaz to become an instructor and Bible teacher at a music ministry training institute in Houston. As they continued their journey, they lost a baby and decided to find a church where they would be able to “sit and heal,” Diaz said. That church was the Conroe campus of Champion Forest Baptist Church, where they found healing, fellowship, and a place to serve. In 2015, the church called Diaz to serve as its part-time worship pastor while he continued his duties at the music institute.

The next year proved to be bittersweet. In June 2016, Diaz was ordained as a pastor. At the same time, he said his mental health began to decline. He was at home one day sitting on his couch when suddenly he began to feel short of breath. The episode was so bad, he was rushed to the emergency room.

“I couldn’t speak, my hands were twisting, and I started experiencing panic attacks,” Diaz said.

The panic attacks progressed over the next six months. At first, they happened weekly … then daily … and then they began happening several times a day. Finally, around Christmas, he consulted with his pastor, Esteban Vazquez, and ultimately decided to admit himself into the mental health treatment center. He said he did not understand what was happening to him, nor could he see how God was going to use the outcome for good.

But as Diaz learned through his gospel encounter with the woman at the mental health facility, God was just beginning.

“All of this is a miracle that only God can do. Northeast Houston was waiting for something in Spanish. They were thirsty."

—Eliel Diaz Tweet

From darkness to light

After leaving the facility, Diaz began to rebuild his mental health by making a commitment to surrender his life completely to God. In January 2018, after recovering from his personal struggles, Diaz was approached by Ramon Medina, pastor of Champion Forest en Español, and Stephen Trammell, campus pastor of Champion Forest’s North Klein campus. The men told Diaz the North Klein campus was preparing to start a Spanish ministry and invited Diaz to serve as its pastor. Diaz accepted.

Diaz and his wife started the Spanish ministry at the North Klein campus with only a few family members and close friends. Their first service was held in August 2018, and for four years, the Lord blessed them with a thriving ministry. During this vibrant time, Diaz—now with a family of four—began to feel that a new season of ministry was coming.

One day, Medina was telling Diaz about all the ways God was moving on the North Klein campus. During that conversation, Medina mentioned that United City Church in Humble was looking for a pastor to lead a Spanish ministry it was starting. Though it was only a brief part of that conversation, Diaz couldn’t stop thinking about United City from that point on. Before the conversation ended, Diaz shared that he was sensing a new season of ministry on the horizon and asked Medina to be in prayer with him.

Some time later, after researching United City and praying about the opportunity, Diaz went back to Medina and asked him if he felt like he would be a good fit to lead the Humble church’s new Spanish ministry. The pastor said he did, and Diaz eventually connected with United City’s leadership. One of the things Diaz was excited about was that the church was located near the area where his family had lived when they first came to Texas from Puerto Rico. At that time, there were no Hispanic Southern Baptist churches in the area.

“God allowed us to live in that area and get to know the people, then come back to start a Spanish ministry,” Diaz said.

United City Church en Español officially launched in January 2023, shortly after Diaz was commissioned to lead the effort by Chris Kouba, United City’s lead pastor.

United City Church en Español has been intentional in building a community of leaders through small groups, fellowship, and meeting their needs.

“All of this is a miracle that only God can do,” Diaz said. “Northeast Houston was waiting for something in Spanish. They were thirsty. … We want to see lives saved and build a church of imperfect people serving a perfect God—a church that embraces the community as it is so that it can be transformed by the gospel of Jesus.”

Lone Star Scoop • July 2023

Kinkeade retires from FBC Springtown after 30 years

SPRINGTOWN Pastor Hal Kinkeade retired from First Baptist Church Springtown in May after serving 30 years at the church. In his final sermon on May 7, Kinkeade preached on Isaiah 41:10, 14 and John 3:16, reminding the congregation of God’s faithfulness and love.

The church honored Kinkeade, who was called by the church in 1993, during the morning service, including the presentation of a plaque following remarks by deacon Robert Burtnett.

“He’s served the Lord all his life, and he’s going to continue to serve the Lord,” Burtnett said. “When you were in need, he was there. When you were hurting, he hurt with you.”

“We’ve been together through some horrible times … some great times,” Kinkeade said. “God honored me by bringing me here 30 years ago.”

—Jane Rodgers

Signups for next round of Regenesis underway

GRAPEVINE Applications are being accepted for churches interested in participating in the next round of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Regenesis church health process.

The SBTC offers coaching and consultation through the Regenesis process, helping churches identify barriers to growth, ministry struggles, and other issues. Regenesis trainers lead cohorts of eight to 10 churches from the same region through an eight-month process of evaluation and coaching, helping churches discover where they are and where God is calling them in the future.

The inaugural Regenesis cohorts completed their eighth and final meeting in May. “This session challenged the churches to realize their unique disciple-making vision for the next three years,” said Anthony Svajda, pastoral ministries associate for the SBTC’s Church Health & Leadership department.

For more information, or to apply, visit sbtexas.com/regenesis.

—Texan staff

Vindication set for September return

BURLESON The producers of the PureFlix original series Vindication announced that season three, consisting of eight episodes, will begin airing this September on the subscription streaming service.

Vindication, a production of FlyRock Media and Retta Vision, is a ministry of Burleson’s Retta Baptist Church, whose members are involved as volunteers and extras, complementing the professional cast and crew. Vindication is a procedural drama highlighting the professional, personal, and spiritual journey of Sgt. Gary Travis, his family, and colleagues in fictional East Bank, Texas. Since its premiere in 2019, the series has garnered more than 1 million views on streaming platforms nationally and internationally.

Seasons one and two are available on PureFlix and Redeem TV, a donation-based streaming service. Plans are in the works for season four.

—Jane Rodgers

What can happen when we respond rather than react

couple of years ago, my 15-year-old son started playing rugby. He has really grown and become a good player. But recently, he called me after his team lost a close match. He was upset and began pointing out all the things everyone did wrong during the match.

I let him rant for a few moments, then told him to take a deep breath and reminded him that there are always lessons to be learned—even in the losses.

“What lessons are there to be learned,” he asked?

I told him that leaders don’t react. They respond.

Reaction is usually a temporary emotion to a temporary situation. Responding is an action that can lead to substantial change. When it comes to life, ministry, business, and even sports, those who react will do so almost every time circumstances change. Leaders, on the other hand, respond with forward action.

As a state network that cooperates with our national Southern Baptist Convention, there are plenty of opportunities to react. All you have to do is spend a few moments on Twitter to see an unending display of emotional responses. As you scroll through all the gossip, slander, and half-truths, some may wonder why we cooperate.

"Friends, let’s move forward and respond—rather than react—by being a stronger network of churches than ever before."

Nathan Lorick Tweet

I would rather encourage our Southern Baptists of Texas Convention network to respond rather than react. With the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans now behind us, here are some ways we can do that:

Prayer

We can call our people to be prayer warriors. Our churches can commit to prayer that passionately seeks the heart of the Lord. What if our network was defined by our efforts to lead others in responding with earnest prayer?

Evangelism

Rather than lament statistics about declining evangelism, what if our churches committed to leading the way in sharing the gospel? Wouldn’t it be awesome if, while others share the negative statistics and create their own narrative, SBTC churches could see a greater number of people come to Christ than ever before?

Making disciples

In a culture of chaos and confusion, we can re-engage our people and equip them to make disciples. Wouldn’t it be incredible to see disciple-making movements multiply across Texas and the world?

Sending

More people live in our state than ever before. We desperately need to plant more churches and send out more missionaries. What if we committed to plant more churches than ever before? What if we covenanted together to call out the called and eagerly send our best to live out the mission as an extension of our church?

Partnership

The SBC has plenty of ups and downs, but we are still the greatest national network of churches anywhere. We send 3,700 missionaries to the field and plant hundreds of new churches each year. It’s an honor to partner with our six seminaries and train more than 20,000 leaders each year. The Cooperative Program is the greatest missions-giving strategy in the world. What if the SBTC committed to leaning in together and seeing God expand our influence and impact because we were focused on expanding our partnerships?

So what happened when I challenged my son to respond rather than react? He agreed, committed to responding to adversity during his next match, and ended up scoring twice to help lead his team to victory.

Friends, let’s move forward and respond—rather than react—by being a stronger network of churches than ever before. We can set the tone and lead the way for others to follow a path of gospel-focused response. I love you and am honored to serve you.

The 5: Refocusing on an often overlooked spiritual discipline: personal worship

When we think of spiritual disciplines, there’s one we often don’t consider: personal worship. We’re accustomed to corporate worship with our church family, but we sometimes neglect the practice of personal worship—and that is a problem. In fact, A.W. Tozer wrote, “If you do not worship God seven days a week, you do not worship Him on one day a week.” Here are a few suggestions to help you focus more on personal daily worship:

1

Plan time daily to listen to a favorite hymn or praise chorus—and sing along.

That may seem like a basic approach to worship, but it’s a great way to turn our attention to God. Music and lyrics grab our hearts because we know the song well, and singing along will help drown out concerns that might be gripping our minds. I sometimes do this kind of worship where I can sing as loudly as I want without anyone hearing.

2

Start the day with a ‘verse of the day’ in your inbox.

Through a simple Google search, you can sign up for a free subscription and get a verse sent to your email each day. Look at the verse and read it again and again before you start checking other email. Let it sink in and praise the Lord for the way He guides us through His Word. Just a few minutes of meditating on the Word can provide powerful moments of worship.

3

Send a quick email or text to someone about a prayer God has answered.

When God intervenes in your life in a clear response to prayer, tell somebody. As you write the words about what the Lord has done, thank Him for His goodness. Rejoice that you get the privilege of telling somebody else about Him. Worshiping Him as you write about
Him can be sweet.

4

Read Psalms 145-150 aloud.

These psalms reverberate with worship and praise. It’s tough to read phrases and words like, “I will praise your name forever and ever,” “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live,” “Our Lord is great, vast in power,” “Praise Him,” and “Hallelujah!” without worshiping God. The few minutes you read the Word aloud might drive you to your knees in worship.

5

Take 15 minutes next Sunday morning to read the Word and pray before you go worship with your congregation.

Again, Tozer’s words are helpful to me: “You must prepare yourself to worship God.” Get up a few minutes earlier next Sunday morning, slow the pace down, and focus on God and His grace. Pray for your pastor. Ask God to make Himself known as you gather with others. Go with expectation of God’s blessings because you’ve already been with Him.

Chuck Lawless is dean of doctoral studies and vice president of spiritual formation and ministry centers at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. For more from Lawless, visit chucklawless.com.

5 minutes with Marty Collier

Marty Collier became lead pastor of Arlington’s Rush Creek Church in 2019, following Russ Barksdale’s 25-year tenure. Collier was no stranger to the multi-campus Rush Creek, which he has served for two decades, beginning as a student minister and then as pastor of the church’s second campus for 15 years. Collier and his wife, Stephanie, have three children: Anna-Kate, 20; Cole, 18; and Davis, 16.

What is something you’ve been able to celebrate at your church recently?

In 2022, we baptized more people than we have ever baptized in a one-year period. Rush Creek has been in existence since 1984. To come out of 2020 and 2021 and break our yearly record … was just a real encouragement to my heart and to our church, reminding us that God is still at work.

What have been some of the biggest challenges in your ministry lately?

I would have to say that after the pandemic, the culture of staffing has changed so drastically that it has taken me a little while to figure it out. … So many staff have wanted to go part time or work from home that it changes the vibe and the culture of your staff and affects how we lead. Before, I could walk down the hall of our campus and talk to any one of our staff any time all day, every day. That’s just not the case anymore. Now we have staff who work part time from home or are present on campus a few days a week. That forces leaders to become more intentional in their communication.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned to this point of your ministry that you know you’ll never forget?

One that I’ve learned over and over and that I keep reminding myself of is that there is no such thing as over-communicating vision. This is where it bleeds into the previous question. I have had to become a lot more intentional with making sure everyone knows why we are doing what we are doing. You cannot let off the gas and just coast. With people attending church less often, and more staff working remotely or part time, you have to be creative and consistent in making sure everyone is on the same page.

What’s one thing you want to see God do specifically in your church this year?

To increase our prayer culture. We are incorporating more times of intentional prayer and fasting and have seen God do some amazing things in the lives of our people. I’d like to see increased prayer at Rush Creek at all of our campuses.

How can the other SBTC churches be praying for you?

I would love for the SBTC to pray that I—as a leader, pastor, husband, and father—would stay hungry and humble: hungry for God’s Word and the vision He’s put in my heart, and humble, never thinking that what He’s doing is about me.