Being one people on one mission
Sept. 24, 2026
“I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23 NIV)
This week the Texas Baptists Executive Board met in Dallas. In addition to the 73 executive board members, our fellowship presidents and many of the Texas Baptists related institutional leaders were present.
After a day full of committee meetings, Monday night was a joyful celebration of worship. We sang praises and celebrated seven Texas Baptists staff members who completed either 20, 30 or 40 years of service. I also had the opportunity to present my executive director’s report.
The theme of my report was “one people on one mission,” based on John 17:20-23. I noted four things about this portion of Jesus’ high priestly prayer before he went to the cross.
Jesus prayed for those who have not yet believed (17:20)
At the final hour, Jesus interceded for those who were still not his disciples. His heart was set on those who were living without hope and without God. If Texas Baptists are to be on Jesus’ team, our heart and our focus need to be on the lost too.
Jesus prayed for oneness among the disciples (17:21a)
Jesus prays for the Father to make them one. This is not a unity that comes from complete agreement or some kind of compromised conformity. It is oneness that flows from the nature of God. The disciples could be one because they intimately knew a God who is One.
Our oneness is Jesus' desire and prayer for us.
Oneness with others flows from our oneness with Christ (17:22b-23a)
Spiritual unity is not something that we can work up on our own strength. It definitely does not come naturally to us. Yet, when Christ is Lord of our lives, which is a daily decision, the Spirit propels us to one another.
We are convinced that the strategies and the organizational structure we put in place to accomplish the mission will only be effective to the measure that the Holy Spirit is at work. That is why prayer is extremely important in everything we do.
Oneness brings the world to Jesus (17:21b, 23)
Unity is a powerful witness to an unbelieving world. Oneness is an instrument of God to accomplish his redemptive mission in the world.
My prayer is that as Texas Baptists step into the future, God would strengthen our bonds. That we would call ourselves to oneness. That we would commit to being one people on one mission.
Oneness and a ‘big tent’ convention
We have said in the past that Texas Baptists seeks to be a “big tent” convention. What does and doesn’t this mean?
Being a big tent convention does not mean that we do not have confessional boundaries. The BGCT has adopted the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message. Churches are received in harmonious cooperation if they state that they “hold to traditional Baptist beliefs as generally stated in either the 1963 or 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, or similar confessional statement.” The BGCT has acted decisively in regard to the biblical understanding of biblical sexuality. Numerous resolutions and CLC publications have upheld the traditional Baptist distinctives.
Being a big tent convention means that we respect church autonomy in regard to secondary and tertiary matters. It means that within the big tent, churches can be true to their convictions while cooperating with churches that may have different views within the confessional parameters recognized by the convention. It means that churches in the big tent do not expect all churches to agree with them in order to do gospel work together. It also means that churches and their leaders should listen to one another and treat each other with respect.
Being a big tent convention means that churches in the big tent generally agree on what constitutes primary, secondary and tertiary issues. This is where it gets challenging!
In today’s cultural milieu, where tribalism is valued more often than unity in diversity, maintaining a big tent convention is counter-cultural. In fact, I submit that it requires a supernatural power. The only way for Texas Baptists to be one people with one mission is for the same Holy Spirit who was at work in the book of Acts to be at work in our midst.
May it be so!
(Our communications team has provided an excellent recap of the executive board meeting, which you can access here).
Dr. Guarneri is the 21st executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He holds degrees from Texas A&M University Kingsville, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Dallas Baptist University. He has more than 39 years of ministerial experience and is passionate about sharing the Gospel with the nations and cross-cultural missions and ministry.