Author: Russell Lightner

For border church, pandemic-induced difficulties created growing hunger for God’s Word

Not just surviving, but thriving

For Juan Camilo Del Valle, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Gestsemaní in this South Texas city just a few miles from the U.S./Mexico border, the pandemic was a time of suffering. Yet he also saw how God used that time of discomfort to positively impact his family life, his ministry, and his church.

“Not everything the pandemic brought was negative,” Del Valle said. “For me, it was a productive time.”

Gestsemaní is a 40-year-old Hispanic church that had been without a pastor for four years when Del Valle arrived as an intern from a theological seminary to offer help. He never imagined he would be recommended to apply for the pastoral vacancy sometime later and be installed as the church’s pastor in May 2017.

A lifetime of service to the Lord

Raised in Medellín, Colombia, Del Valle trusted Christ at age 7 and began teaching children’s Bible classes after being baptized and trained at age 12. From there, his passion for teaching the Bible grew and God continued to open doors for him to minister to preteens and teens in the city.

As he approached his 30th birthday, Del Valle moved to the city of Bucaramanga in northern Colombia and connected with a church where he met his wife of 17 years, Laura. While at the church, he served as a full-time youth pastor and studied at the city’s Bible seminary, graduating with a degree in theology and biblical studies. Later, in July 2011, his father-in-law started a church plant and he left with his wife to support that work. Del Valle was also ordained there and served as co-pastor until December 2015.

It was during his service to the church plant that Del Valle’s father-in-law recommended he move his family to Texas to study and further prepare for his call to ministry. After much prayer, God made a way for that journey to happen—though Del Valle’s plan was always to come to Texas, be trained, and then return to Colombia to continue ministry there. That plan changed when the Lord sent Del Valle to Gestsemaní to serve the church as an intern and, ultimately, as its pastor.

“It has been a great blessing to see church members begin to discover things in the Bible that they had never read before, to see how excited they are, and to see the special and deep way they are getting to know God.”

—Juan Camilo Del Valle Tweet

A hard time, but a good time

The transition to leading Gestsemaní, Del Valle said, was challenging due to his age and adjusting to leading an entire church, but the Lord gave him grace and he began to settle in. About that time, COVID-19 arrived and changed not only the dynamics in his church, but the world. Though the pandemic brought loss and pain, Del Valle said he also saw growth in the church, a resurgence of family involvement, and a congregation eager to deepen its relationship with God.

“It was a shake-up that the church needed,” Del Valle said. “I have seen the fruit in my personal life and in the congregation [after COVID].”

Personally, Del Valle found it a blessing that the pandemic gave him more time to spend with his two young children. For his congregation, suffering through a time when many people were shut in and isolated, the pastor saw an opportunity to begin ministries that would outlive the pandemic.

“As soon as we were forced to close the church, I started looking for a way to stay connected [with our people],” Del Valle said. “So I started sending them little devotionals through WhatsApp.” WhatsApp is an app that allows messaging between its users.

For many, these devotionals became part of their daily routine. When the pandemic ended, and though the church had returned to in-person meetings, members and other participants asked Del Valle if he would continue to send the daily devotionals.

Soon after, he began to challenge the congregation to read the entire Bible in one year using the devotionals. To assist with that effort, he added a YouTube channel that included a daily video of himself reading and talking about the assigned daily passages and concluding with a time of prayer. After completing the Bible reading plan at the end of 2022, church members again asked him to continue the effort, so they started a new reading plan. The church’s YouTube channel currently has 454 subscribers.

“There are church members who share these [devotionals] with family and friends who are non-believers,” Del Valle said. “One of these family members has already accepted Christ and traveled from her city to our church, was baptized, and was able to testify how she came to know Christ through reading the Bible.”

This year, Del Valle—who also serves as a workshop leader and panelist for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s en Español ministry and has been part of the planning committee for the Spanish track of the Empower Conference for two years—decided to start a separate YouTube channel called Creative Bible Teaching to broaden the reach of the Word of God beyond his church. That channel has 168 subscribers and more than 1,000 views on some of its videos.

“It has been a great blessing to see church members begin to discover things in the Bible that they had never read before, to see how excited they are, and to see the special and deep way they are getting to know God,” Del Valle said. “People who have been in the church for years have been transformed and their perspective on God has changed.”

Lone Star Scoop • May 2023

SBTC DR ministers in wake of Arkansas tornadoes

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.

Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief workers served survivors of the tornadoes that devastated parts of Central Arkansas on March 31, meeting needs and seeing several people come to faith in Jesus.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief groups, along with other first responders and aid organizations, headed to Arkansas within days of the tornadoes. SBTC DR sent 45 volunteers, included feeding teams, shower teams, chainsaw and recovery crews, chaplains, and assessors.

Volunteers manning an SBTC DR quick response mobile kitchen prepared meals for disaster relief workers and first responders, while a mass-feeding kitchen cranked out 2,000 meals per day distributed by the Salvation Army.

For the full report on SBTC DR’s response to Arkansas, scan the QR code.

—Jane Rodgers

SBC President Bart BarBer visits native Arkansas to encourage volunteers after devastating tornadoes

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.

Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber, a native Arkansan and pastor of First Baptist Farmersville, visited SBDR response sites in early April along with Send Relief President Bryant Wright to encourage volunteers and help minister to storm survivors.

“I know very well that you guys here are doing ‘chopping cotton’ kind of work and are really working hard,” Barber said to a group of Oklahoma SBDR volunteers at Levy Baptist Church in North Little Rock. “I just want you to know how thankful I am for that and how important it is.”

Southern Baptist volunteers from Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas have been clearing trees off homes, affixing temporary roofing to damaged roofs, and providing meals to survivors of the deadly tornadoes that touched down in Arkansas as part of a storm system that spun off tornadoes across the nation.

—North American Mission Board

National CP giving tops $97 million at 6-month mark

NASHVILLE

Southern Baptist churches have given more than $97 million through the National Cooperative Program Allocation Budget in the first six months of the fiscal year with $15.8 million given in March.

The convention-adopted budget for 2022-2023 is $192,270,000 and includes an initial $200,000 special priority allocation for the SBC Vision 2025 initiative. Cooperative Program funds are then disbursed as follows: 50.41% to international missions through the International Mission Board, 22.79% to North American missions through the North American Mission Board, 22.16% to theological education through the six SBC seminaries and the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives, 2.99% to the SBC operating budget, and 1.65% to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

If national CP gifts exceed the budget projection at the end of the fiscal year, the balance of the overage is distributed according to the percentages approved for budgetary distribution.

—Baptist Press

SWBTS, TBC launch new websites, add improvements

FORT WORTH An enhanced user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing website for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary launched on April 4, with an updated website for Texas Baptist College that went
live April 10.

“I’m delighted that we are able to launch new websites for Southwestern Seminary and Texas Baptist College, which will serve current and future students and communicate the mission and identity of this institution to equip students to live their callings,” said David S. Dockery, interim SWBTS president.

Before beginning the transformation, which has been more than a year in the making, the Office of Communication commissioned an audit of the former websites, with the goal of identifying needed improvements in their design. According to Jaclyn Parrish, director of marketing, the team also reviewed feedback from students on what information they most needed from the online presence.

—SWBTS

State Department: Refugee resettlement numbers rise

WASHINGTON Refugee resettlement in the U.S., a cause promoted by Southern Baptists and other evangelicals, doubled in March from the previous month, the Department of State said in its monthly report.

The U.S. accepted 6,122 refugees in March, double the February total of 3,069 and far surpassing previous months this fiscal year ranging from 2,152 to 2,481. Yet, if resettlement continues monthly at the March count, resettlement would still fall far below the annual national cap of 125,000, the National Immigration Forum reported.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) praised the increase but said more progress is needed.

“It is encouraging to see, at long last, the U.S. refugee resettlement program regain traction in helping the most vulnerable reach safety” ERLC Policy Manager Hannah Daniel said. “There is certainly more work to be done in rebuilding this vital program, but these recent numbers offer a first glimpse that progress is being made.

“Southern Baptists remain committed to supporting the refugee resettlement program, welcoming those who arrive in our communities and sharing the gospel with as many of them as possible.”

—Baptist Press

Who are your people?

Several years ago, I was an associate pastor entrusted with leading a mission trip to serve a church halfway across the country. As the deadline to sign up for the trip neared, I was approached by a woman in our church who wanted to know more about the trip. While she seemed interested in going, she was also struggling with whether she could have any meaningful impact due to her age.

I encouraged her to pray about it, but told her I was sure the Lord could use her. She ultimately decided to go and, though I can’t remember all the details, I know God used her to bless the church and ministries we went to serve.

But as He often does, God was up to something else none of us could immediately see.

On our church mission trip the following year, this woman, who was in her 60s, connected with two other women, both in their 30s, from our group. After each day’s work was done, the three women began to talk and get to know one another. Shortly after we returned from the trip, the older woman began to meet with the two younger women to study the Bible and talk about life. The younger women began to grow in their faith, and some months later, another woman was invited into the group. Eventually, one of the women in her 30s began meeting with college-age women to do what had been done for her—help a younger generation learn more about God and life.

"Chances are, you’re surrounded by various groups of people all week long: at school, work, church, and so many other places. In each of those places, someone is desperate, lonely, hopeless, hungry to learn about God, or craving connection."

jayson larson Tweet

Put another way, God brought a couple of younger women into the life of an older woman, and she made those younger women her people. God did the same thing in the life of the woman in her 30s, bringing to her even younger women, who, in turn, made them her people. Though time has marched on and people have moved away, several of them have stayed in contact. I think most, if not all, of them would say the Lord used those groups to draw them closer together and closer to Him.

So who are your people?

In this month’s issue of the Texan, we highlight the next generation, featuring several articles focusing on the impact of children’s, student, and collegiate ministries across Texas. In each, you’ll meet someone who has seen a need in a particular group of people and declared, “God, those are my people.”

Many in our churches feel they are not equipped to pour into anyone else, much less a younger generation. Some of these people feel like they’re too old. Some feel like making disciples is a task reserved for the pastor or church staff. Others feel like they don’t have enough biblical knowledge to be effective.

On the contrary. I believe the Lord only has three requirements. You’re eligible if:

1. You are alive.

2. You have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

3. You’re willing to submit yourself to His work—even if you can’t imagine how He would use you to do it.

Chances are, you’re surrounded by various groups of people all week long: at school, work, church, and so many other places. In each of those places, someone is desperate, lonely, hopeless, hungry to learn about God, or craving connection. They are looking for someone to invest love, time, experience, and patience in them.

Could some of them be your people? Here’s an even better question: Are you willing to take a step of faith and find out?

Having a big vision for a small town

FBC Waskom pastor sees ‘plenty of people to reach’ in surrounding area

The last town in Texas heading east on Interstate 20 before the Louisiana state line, Waskom counts about 2,000 people in its population. Even so, Ivy Shelton—pastor of First Baptist Church—says “there are plenty of people to reach” as he leads the congregation to share Christ.

“Even though it’s a small town, if you do a demographics study, within a 15-mile radius around our church there are 108,000 people,” Shelton said. “There are pockets of people that are around us in the neighborhoods outside of town.”

First Baptist Waskom is the church where Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Executive Director Nathan Lorick served as student minister while attending college in nearby Marshall. Lorick said the church is where he first learned about the SBTC.

“It was in this church that I would fall in love with this family of churches that I have the honor of serving today,” Lorick wrote in the Texan last year.

The church was established about 120 years ago, and now 150-200 people attend each week. About a year ago, they enlisted the help of a consultant to map out a 12-month evangelism calendar including revival meetings, a marriage conference, student camp, Disciple Now, and children’s activities.

“Once a month we have people meet at the church for GROW teams,” said Shelton, who has been pastor there since 2017. “We have certain portions of the group that will write cards and letters to people. We have a section that will make phone calls and a section that will go out and make visits.”

“Any community you go to, whether it’s white collar, blue collar, whether it’s affluent or there’s a lot of poverty, the answer is Christ in any of those situations.”

—Ivy Shelton Tweet

Many residents of Waskom work in Shreveport or Marshall, Shelton said, and the town “has its issues like any small town does. Drug use is probably pretty heavy. There are just people who struggle, and the answer is Christ. Any community you go to, whether it’s white collar, blue collar, whether it’s affluent or there’s a lot of poverty, the answer is Christ in any of those situations.”

To serve the community, First Baptist Waskom partners with other churches for a monthly food distribution serving 80-100 families.

“For those who need food, they can fill out an application, and they get a monthly food box,” Shelton said. “Twice a year, around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and around Easter, they get an extra food box. There’s also a clothing closet and some assistance for utilities and things like that.”

The church also supports, financially and with volunteers, two pregnancy resource centers, one in Shreveport and one in Marshall.

First Baptist Waskom recently reworked its vision statement to highlight its purpose: “Glorifying God in our community and around the world.”

“I encourage people to think about our vision in their personal lives with their neighbors—not only invite their neighbors but share the gospel when the opportunity arises and to do that actively, on a one-on-one basis, families reaching families, people reaching people,” Shelton said.

A young man who grew up at First Baptist Waskom, Jason Spurlin, and his wife, Audrey, now serve with the North American Mission Board in Portland, Ore., where he pastors a church.

“We have been on a mission trip up there, and we support Jason on a monthly basis. He comes back and gives us reports,” Shelton said.

In addition to supporting missions through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, First Baptist Waskom has connected with a couple serving in Malawi.

“They’re planting churches and doing medical care and soccer clubs,” Shelton said. “They’ve shared the gospel with thousands of people there. They’ve been to our church twice, and we support them through the monthly budget. We’re going to take our first team this summer to Malawi so we can put boots on the ground there.”

In his assessment of the kingdom work accomplished through First Baptist Waskom, Shelton said, “It’s been a church in a small place, but I think it has had a grand vision. The Lord has blessed that.”

Through the daily highs and lows of ministry, Shelton anchors to the fact God has called him to pastor First Baptist Waskom. “When I get up every day, whether I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen that week or I’m discouraged by what I’ve seen that week, I think, ‘God has called me here,’” he said.

Shelton said the church has been greatly supported in working to achieve its mission through its affiliation with the SBTC.

“The SBTC has been a great help,” Shelton said. “Anytime I’ve called and said, ‘I need help,’ the SBTC has always been right there. I have called the SBTC for everything from revitalization to walking through our facilities. I’ve had architects sent to our church. I’ve had sound people sent to our church.

“If I can say anything to pastors who ask, ‘What is the benefit of a convention?’ we have seen it in so many ways. In a small church, we may not be able to afford to go out and get a consultant for this area or that area, but the SBTC provides so much for us, and we’re very, very thankful.”

25 years of answered prayer with Bob Pearle

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 Bob Pearle (2007-2009).

What were some of your earliest prayers for the SBTC?

My earliest prayers for the SBTC were for it to survive and thrive. We needed wisdom and good leadership because we were being greatly attacked. It was important that people would see that we were not radical. It was essential that the SBTC got a hearing from churches who wondered what we were about.

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

God answered those prayers in the early years by sending us Jim Richards (the convention’s first executive director and current executive director emeritus) and Joe Davis (SBTC chief financial officer and senior strategist). They guided the SBTC wisely and well. Jim Richards was a wise leader—the man for the job. He was a strong conservative but not a radical. God gave us a leader who was able to listen to others without compromise. He was controlled by the Spirit.

“My prayer today is very similar to what I prayed at the beginning. We need to hold to biblical principles and follow strong leadership.”

—Bob Pearle Tweet

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

I served as president of the SBTC in her 10th and 11th years. We had a great 10-year celebration in Houston. Those are fond memories and those present rejoiced in the goodness of God. God answered the prayers for the SBTC because we grew faster and were stronger than our critics predicted. We grew rapidly during the first 10 years because people saw that we were grassroots Southern Baptists. God gave us favor with some of the larger churches, and that gave us credibility with some other churches.

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

My prayer for the next 25 years of the SBTC is to retain our founding vision and principles. Historically, as conventions get older, they have a tendency to stray from those principles. Thankfully, we have Nathan Lorick leading us to stay on course. My prayer today is very similar to what I prayed at the beginning. We need to hold to biblical principles and follow strong leadership. The younger generation doesn’t see the denomination in the same way as the founders. Nathan has the ability to relate to them and fill in those things that they might not understand. He’s an ambassador for the convention. He’s got common sense and is fluent in different ways of reaching people that are not as familiar to previous generations. That’s what is needed.

Thanking God for 25 years of answered prayer

I was a senior in high school in November 1998. I was engaged in the life of my church and on fire for the Lord. I was enjoying the end of my senior football season and had already been offered the opportunity to play college football. I felt the world was in front of me and believed that, through my faith in Christ, I was going to change the world.

At that point, I had no idea what the Southern Baptist Convention was all about. I didn’t grow up in an SBC church. I didn’t know that during November of my senior year, a group of churches was gathering, praying, and organizing to see a movement of God across Texas. Today, I am thankful to God for that group of churches that had a bold vision to reach Texas and impact the world together.

I could not in my wildest dreams imagine God allowing me to eventually serve the movement that came to be known as the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. As I look back over the last 25 years of the ministries of the SBTC, I am in awe of how God has blessed us and continued to answer prayers. Here are three prayers He has answered throughout our history as a network of churches.

"God was so gracious to send us leaders from among the 120 churches who stepped up and led in the formation of the SBTC."

Nathan Lorick Tweet

1. Godly leadership

God was so gracious to send us leaders from among the 120 churches who stepped up and led in the formation of the SBTC. So many people played a large role in laying the foundation of where we are today, including men like Stan Coffey, Miles Seaborn, Casey Perry, Gerald Smith, and Ronnie Yarber. God also gave the SBTC an incredible gift by sending Jim Richards to serve as the SBTC’s first executive director. His leadership allowed the SBTC to grow from 120 churches to more than 2,700 affiliated churches today. I thank God for sending us the right leaders at the right time.

2. Generous provision

God continually brings into our family churches that are generous partners. The Cooperative Program has always fueled our ministry engine, and I am humbled by how SBTC churches have faithfully given to mission causes. I know there are many ups and downs—even in our denomination—but SBTC churches have always been able to stay focused on the mission God has called us to do together.

3. Great Commission churches

SBTC churches hold to the inerrancy of Scripture and agree to work within the parameters of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. We have been incredibly unified in doctrine and mission and care deeply about the Great Commission. I believe God has blessed us throughout our history because we keep the mission at the forefront of our minds and hearts.

I am so grateful for all the prayers God has answered over the past 25 years. Looking back at our history excites me about the future, and I pray the next 25 years are the best days for our family of churches. I believe God wants to continue to use the SBTC in ways we can’t imagine.

I hope you are making plans to celebrate our 25 years together at our annual meeting in November. I am honored to serve you!

Three things that can rob you of a joy-filled Easter

Each year, I am tempted to allow Easter to sneak past me without taking time to really enjoy it. That probably sounds strange since it seems like everyone else enjoys Easter: parents, kids, church members—even the unchurched, to a degree.

Even though Easter is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our freedom from sin and death, for too many years I let three things rob me, and consequently others, of Easter joy.

"The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is a powerful story of redemption and grace. Be sure to practice the grace you preach about this Easter weekend."

Mark Dance Tweet

Busyness

Church leaders (and parents) can easily work themselves into exhaustion during the days and weeks leading up to Easter. If we are not careful, we will end up depleted before Easter is here. I now give myself permission to say “no” to some of the negotiable activities that could fill my calendar. This gives me some needed margin to say “yes” to the Easter-related events I consider essential.

I suggest you keep Easter weekend simple by avoiding the temptation to crowd your church or personal calendar with events. For example, if your church hosts a Good Friday event, let another church in town rock the kid’s event, or vice versa. If you plan on adding a worship service on Easter, consider taking a break from small groups that day.

Perfectionism

Several years ago, I almost let perfectionism ruin one of the most important Easters of my life. I was serving as senior pastor at Second Baptist Church in Conway, Ark., and we were having the first public worship services on our brand-new, 50-acre campus on Easter morning. I arrived early and noticed several dead oak tree branches laying near one of the primary entrances. I allowed myself to become furious with the staff member who had agreed to take care of it. Acting like a complete idiot, I started dragging those big limbs across the campus in my Easter suit. I was literally sweating the small stuff!

If you are planning for Easter to be executed perfectly, you will end the day both exhausted and frustrated. How ironic is it to practice perfectionism on a day when grace is celebrated? While avoiding the bigger mistakes on this high-stakes holiday, be careful not to let the little mistakes sneak up on you and steal your joy.

Familiarity

One temptation that mature Christians may face is reading, preaching, or teaching the resurrection story too casually. This is my 36th Easter as a pastor or serving pastors—so yeah, I’ve got this story down.

Read the gospel with fresh eyes, then preach it with a fresh voice. Retrace the steps of Jesus slowly instead of waltzing casually through it. Ask God to remind you afresh of Jesus’ courageous and sacrificial love. Before you remind your family, church, or unsaved friends how Jesus defeated sin and death, take whatever time you need to remember your own former life of slavery.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is a powerful story of redemption and grace. Be sure to practice the grace you preach about this Easter weekend.

Pastor, encourage a pastor

As the three-day training drew to a close, Moea, a village chief and pastor, spoke firmly and gently to a younger generation of African pastors. He reminded them that it is a great honor to call and check in on your fellow pastors.

The words of this older, respectable leader found their mark, as his exhortation encouraged the young pastors to band together in the work of the Lord by praying for and encouraging one another.

For the African pastors in attendance, the day-to-day grind of life and ministry is void of many western amenities we take for granted. But their faithful bivocational service begs for godly edification and love from fellow servants of the Lord. Being a part of this closing moment was not only a profound reminder for these African pastors, but also a timely reminder for pastors in any context.

Other pastors are not your competition, but fellow generals on the battlefield leading the Lord’s army. The bond pastors share is rooted in our Lord, and His call to serve the church must not to be a point of contention, but of Christ-centered friendship. Unfortunately, unity among pastors is often frayed by petty differences, tertiary squabbles, a competitive spirit, or because we simply don’t make room on our calendars to spend time with other pastors.

To call on another pastor for prayer and wisdom requires time and yields great blessing. To text Scripture and faithfully pray for a pastor in the midst of fiery trials only takes moments, but could save him, his family, and his church years of pain and regret. When the Holy Spirit brings another pastor to mind, remember that you may be the lifeline he needs even though he may never divulge the depth of his despair.

“When the Holy Spirit brings another pastor to mind, remember that you may be the lifeline he needs even though he may never divulge the depth of his despair.”

Brett Hoyle Tweet

When you reach out to your brothers in the pastorate, you’ll be a blessing to them and receive a blessing in return. When you pray for them and their church on Sunday mornings, you’re imploring the Lord for His kingdom to come and for the gospel to advance through all of the church, not just your congregation. Don’t be afraid to discuss your sermons together, pray for one another’s families, minister to another minister, and bear one another’s burdens. In doing this, you fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2) and exhibit His love practically to other church leaders.

Words cannot express my gratitude for fellow pastors in my life. Matt, Russ, Richard, Eric, Ted, Jeff, and many more have given encouragement, fellowship, friendship, wisdom, and have proven to be godly examples in ministry. When I think about the connections between these faithful servants in ministry, Philippians 1:3 comes to mind: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.” Without timely encouragement to and from other pastors, you will isolate yourself from co-laborers, placing yourself on an island and potentially setting yourself up to become more easily discouraged when trials roll in.

Instead of lamenting the lack of other pastors checking on you, take a moment to reach out to a fellow pastor, grab lunch with the new pastor in town, text Scripture to another pastor in the midst of trials, and by all means, encourage a pastor today.

Prayer is the game!

One of my favorite hobbies as a parent is watching my kids play sports. If I’m honest, I probably love it more than they do. I rarely miss a game.

In fact, I love getting to the games early to watch the pre-game activities. I have learned you can tell a lot about a team by the way it approaches the pre-game. This routine is intended to give players time to warm up and get focused for the action of the game. It allows players to go through game-like activity without game-like intensity. It’s not the game, but it is intended to prepare a player for the game.

I fear many Christians have unintentionally minimized prayer to a type of pre-game activity that gets us ready for the action of life or ministry—failing to see prayer as the action itself. Prayer in many ways has become perfunctory or preparatory for whatever activity we have before us. I’m embarrassed to admit that at times prayer at my church has been used as a placeholder for transitions in our services. No wonder our prayers are so small and churches are so powerless.

"Let’s pray game-time prayers! Let’s pray like people who understand the real battles of the Christian life are won on our knees in prayer."

Todd Kaunitz Tweet

We must make a paradigm shift in the way we think. Prayer is not the pre-game—it’s the game itself! Prayer is the action. As my friend Jason Paredes said at the Empower Conference this year, “Prayer isn’t preparation for spiritual war. Prayer is warfare itself.” Spiritual victories are won and lost in prayer. As a pastor, it is crucial that I prepare my messages with great care and diligent study. But more important than a well-prepared message is a well-prepared messenger. If the messenger isn’t prepared, it really doesn’t matter what the message is. On the flip side, if the messenger is prepared, the Holy Spirit will prepare the message through Him.

The truth is, the enemy doesn’t fear prayerless preaching, he doesn’t fear prayerless ministry, he doesn’t fear prayerless Bible study or prayerless programs. What he does fear is praying pastors, praying Christians, and praying churches. He trembles when we pray because he knows we have moved beyond our own strength, gifting, creativity, and efforts. He sees us fully dependent upon the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. R.A. Torrey once said, “When the devil sees a man or woman who really believes in prayer, who knows how to pray, and who really does pray, and, above all, when he sees a whole church on its face before God in prayer, he trembles as much as he ever did, for he knows that his day in that church or community is at an end.”

Let’s pray game-time prayers! Let’s pray like people who understand the real battles of the Christian life are won on our knees in prayer. Let’s stop pretending prayer is merely preparing for the action and let’s see it as the action itself.

25 years of answered prayer with George Harris

What were some of your earliest prayers for the SBTC?

I remember praying for our first executive director and God leading us to Jim Richards. He was an unheard of preacher in Arkansas. I had serious reservations at the time, but those were all eradicated as I prayed.

Our church was divided down the middle [about being] part of the new convention. I was strongly in favor of the new convention but had to get our church unified first. My greatest prayer was [that God would] keep our church from splitting over the issue. Prayer was our only hope. There was a group of men who joined a doctor and myself in a covenant to pray for unity and the right time to push for a vote to make the change. We were given the go-ahead after the convention had its first anniversary. The church voted without a dissenting vote to become part of the SBTC. All of our mission churches followed behind us and the rest is history. Prayer is the only thing that kept us together.

When I look back, it is with deep gratitude to God for leading in that direction and letting me have a small part in such a colossal movement. It was the single most important thing I had a part in over my nearly 30 years at Castle Hills First Baptist Church.

“I have seen God answer those early prayers by doing more than I ever asked Him to do.”

—George Harris Tweet

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

I saw God adding to the convention numerous churches of a small size. I wanted to see more large churches that were conservative come into the convention, and that began to happen in the third year. Larger churches began to attract others of like size. That is when we began to be noticed as an organization worth paying attention to. A group of people with a purpose and a vision, not just a bunch of disgruntled people.

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

I have seen God answer those early prayers by doing more than I ever asked Him to do. The outreach in missions, Cooperative Program gifts, and Christian education affiliations crowned our efforts and brought respect nationwide.

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

My prayer for the future is that we will not lose our missional vision and our zeal for winning people to Christ and that we never compromise our stand on the Holy Scriptures. These are the things that have brought us where we are. We must not lose them.