Communio and Texas Baptists Partner to Strengthen Marriages, Equip Churches and Share the Hope of Christ Across Texas

DALLAS (March 9, 2026) — Texas Baptists (The Baptist General Convention of Texas) and national marriage ministry Communio are announcing a new statewide partnership aimed at helping churches care for marriages, support pastors and church leaders and reach families across Texas with the love and truth of Jesus Christ. 

Texas Baptists Executive Director Julio Guarneri shared, “At a time when many couples and families are under growing strain, the local church is best positioned to respond not only by preaching the gospel, but by walking alongside people in their most important relationships. This partnership with Communio is timely.” 

Communio is a nonprofit Christian ministry that helps churches strengthen marriages and relationships as a way to share the Gospel and build healthy congregations. Through data-informed tools, coaching and relationship ministry programs, Communio is proven to equip churches to reduce divorce, renew families and advance the mission of Jesus Christ. 

“We have already seen tremendous transformation coming from our partnering Baptist churches in Texas with double-digit increases in church attendance, hundreds of first-time guests and a number of marriages saved,” said JP De Gance, founder and president of Communio.  

“I am thrilled that this new partnership with the Texas Baptists will give thousands of pastors easier access to our ministry support services. This means many more people meeting Jesus and many more thriving Christian marriages,” continued De Gance. 

One Texas pastor has seen his church and community transformed by partnering with Communio in two different churches he’s led. 

“Engaging Communio as a ministry partner is like adding another staff member with tons of resources, experience and ideas,” said Ronny Marriott, senior pastor of First Baptist Richardson and former Texas Baptists president. “Communio got to know our church, assessed our needs and developed a fresh approach for us to accomplish our goals. They helped us move this part of our vision farther and faster than we could have on our own.”  

Through this joint agreement, Texas Baptists churches will have direct access to Communio’s ministry experts, coaching and tools. Pastors and ministry leaders will be supported as they: 

• Better understand the relationship needs of congregations 
• Invite couples and singles into welcoming, relationship-focused events 
• Offer practical faith-based classes and retreats that build skills for marriage and dating 
• Use relationship ministry as a bridge for outreach, discipleship and spiritual growth. 

This new partnership builds on the vision behind Communio’s National Strategy to save the family by seeing churches become places where marriages are strengthened, families are supported and faith is passed on to future generations. 

How Communio is already making a difference in other churches across the country: 

• Churches that have partnered for 12-24 months with Communio average 24% growth in Sunday attendance.  
• In 2025, over 56,000 people attended Communio outreach experiences, with nearly 1/3 of attendees coming from outside each church’s membership. In 2025, over 82,000 people participated in in-person relationship ministry experiences at Communio partner churches.  
• Among couples who entered Communio’s most intensive programs, 74 percent reported being very or completely satisfied in their marriages afterward. 

Behind these numbers are real stories of couples learning to communicate effectively, marriages pulled back from the brink of divorce and families finding renewed hope through the care of their local church. The scale of this effort opens the door to reaching thousands of Texas churches and, in turn, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of Texans. 

Communio is currently working through numerous partnerships with church bodies and family policy organizations, such as  Texas Baptists, the Arizona Mission Network, the Family Leader and the Center for Christian Virtue, among others. 

By the Numbers: Texas Marriage & Family 

• Family Structure: 54% of Texas children are raised by their married, biological parents, meaning nearly half are growing up outside a married home. 
• Births Outside Marriage: 42.1% of all children born in Texas are born to unmarried parents. 
• Marriage & Divorce Rates: Texas reports 5.8 marriages per 1,000 residents and 2.1 divorces per 1,000 residents, indicating both continued marriage formation and ongoing marital breakdown. 

About Communio 

Communio is a nonprofit ministry that partners with churches nationwide to launch data-informed marriage and relationship ministries. By equipping churches with tools, training and strategic insights, Communio helps reverse the trends of divorce, family breakdown and social disconnection one relationship at a time. For more information about Communio and its initiatives, visit http://www.communio.org/. 

About Texas Baptists 

Texas Baptists is a state denominational convention comprised of about 5,300 affiliated congregations across Texas and beyond, more than 25 associated institutions (healthcare, human care and education) and ministry staff of about 260 individuals. Since its inception in 1886, the convention has been actively involved in missions, evangelism, Christian education and benevolent work and ministry.