May Board hears insurance program and GC2 reports; adopts new relationship agreement with Dallas Baptist University

The May meeting of the Texas Baptists Executive Board was held on May 19-20 in Abilene, Texas, on the campus of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. Board directors heard ministry reports and voted on business related to the new Texas Baptists Indemnity Program, GC2 Strong initiative and institutional relationship agreements. 

Guarneri: God’s movement in Acts and GC2 Strong development 

During his Monday evening address in Logsdon Chapel, Executive Director Julio Guarneri spoke from Acts 1. He shared that Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and the solution to the problem of lostness is to “give witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Referencing Acts 1:8, Guarneri said God’s movement in Acts is holistic, it changes everything; global, it catalyzes a people; and transformational, it changes us so that we can be agents of change. 

“The heart of God goes beyond one city. The heart of God goes beyond one nation… God wants to put his love and beauty on display for the whole world to see, and he’s chosen to do that through his people, through you and through me,” said Guarneri. 

Guarneri also provided an update on the GC2 Strong initiative, a strategy through which Texas Baptists will move forward “strengthening a multiplying movement of churches to live out the Great Commandment and Great Commission.” The strategy focuses on three areas: churches, leaders and missions. 

Key components of the strategy include a discovery process, where Texas Baptists ministry staff work with churches who desire to assess and strengthen their Great Commandment/Great Commission practice, and the “GC2 Strong” process consisting of customized pathways and resources to support churches in reaching their next level based on their current stage of development.

Guarneri introduced changes to the executive leadership team to carry out the development of the GC2 Strong strategy and other ministry priorities, with Sergio Ramos now serving as senior director for relational development/GC2 and leader of the GC2 Design Team and Joshua Minatrea now serving as senior director for resource development and process designer for the GC2 Design Team.

Guarneri encouraged board members to “look for opportunities to be in prayer about what God is preparing us to do.”

“I hope that you will prepare your heart for a prayer movement so we can be a part of a God movement in the days ahead,” said Guarneri. 

Guarneri will provide another “GC2 Strong” progress report at the September board meeting, with the hope that a number of churches will be able to begin the process in the new year.

The board unanimously voted to affirm Guarneri’s report. In its May 2024 meeting, the Board voted to affirm a GC2 Study Group and a new staff position to further develop the initiative.

Marriott: The church as a place of peace 

In his Tuesday morning address in the Johnson Building, Convention President and Lead Pastor of First Baptist Richardson, Ronny Marriott, challenged board members to “begin to pray and take steps to ensure that your church is a place of peace.” 

He told board members that “[the church] is still the organization he has ordained to tell the greatest news of all time” and continuing to be the light in a “growing darker world” starts with being a place of peace. 

“I ought to be in a place that I can sit down and talk with others who might disagree, or others who might see a different way, or live in a different way, and be able to have a communication, a talk in an effort to share the gospel, but [also] to show them love,” said Marriott. 

Referencing Acts 8, Marriott explained that Philip went to Samaria to share the gospel despite the risk and discomfort. He said a lot of churches today are “not willing to get down into the dirt” in order to share the gospel. 

He challenged board members to go back to their churches and lead them to ask two questions as they consider how they are sharing the gospel in their community: “God, what are you doing in our church?” and “Lord, will you please give us the courage to follow?”

Texas Baptists risk management and indemnity program progress

Opening up the Tuesday morning session, Associate Executive Director Craig Christina updated the board on the development of the Texas Baptists Risk Management (TBRM) and Texas Baptists Indemnity Program (TBIP) approved by the Executive Committee at the February board meeting. 

TBIP will offer insurance coverages for qualifying BGCT churches, including property insurance, general liability, professional liability insurance, directors and officers liability insurance, sexual abuse coverages, cyber liability insurance, auto insurance and workers’ compensation. 

Christina said that the TBIP Board has enlisted “some of the best lawyers, accountants, insurance consultants and third-party administrators from nationwide firms to shepherd this project.” 

He also shared that the TBIP Board expects to apply soon with the Texas Department of Insurance and is pending approval. Conversations with reinsurance brokers have begun, and applications will be started soon. 

To offer risk management services and insurance to BGCT churches, a separate, non-profit entity has been formed by renaming the unused corporation that was established several years ago to Texas Baptists Risk Management (TBRM).

The TBIP Board will begin offering quotes to qualifying BGCT churches as soon as they receive a certificate of authority from the Texas Department of Insurance and secure a reinsurance partner. Applications will open first for the 241 churches that completed the feasibility study, then TBIP will expand coverage to churches who give, or set a goal to give, at least 1% of their undesignated receipts to the Cooperative Program. 

Christina noted that the ministry staff had already heard from some 900 churches interested in applying for coverage. He said the TBIP Board wants to give the program “every opportunity to succeed because it's going to bless our churches, and in time, it’s going to bless the convention.”

“We really believe that God’s hand is on this. He’s provided every step of the way,” said Christina. “We’re really excited about the blessing this will be to our churches, the BGCT and the kingdom of God.”

Cooperative Program aims for ‘deeper partnership’ and ‘stronger support’ for kingdom impact

Ward Hayes, Texas Baptists treasurer/CFO, delivered a financial update.

The convention’s cash position was strong at the close of last year, with $14.6M spread across multiple accounts. Endowments and investments were at $251M, and the reserve fund was at $8M.

Cooperative Program (CP) receipts were down slightly in 2025, closing out the first quarter at 97% of the prior year. 

During his report, Hayes introduced Cooperative Program Director Clay Jacobson. Jacobson, who transitioned to the CP role last summer, said he intended to focus on three areas moving forward: deepening relationships, creating a quarterly reporting system and developing a toolbox so that Texas Baptists staff, board directors and churches could talk about and promote the Cooperative Program more effectively.

“We’re not just aiming for increased giving. We’re looking for deeper partnership, clearer communication and stronger support for our churches’ Kingdom impact in Texas and beyond,” said Jacobson. 

Clay concluded his report by encouraging churches to review their CP giving to ensure allocations are accurate and contact him with any questions.

Hayes noted that BGCT Worldwide was slightly up, but that special mission offerings were down, likely due in part to timing and processing.

Annie Armstrong was down from $.7M to $.5M; The Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions was down from $.9M to $.8M; Lottie Moon Christmas Offering was down from $6.5M to $5.6M; and Texas Baptist Hunger Offering was down from $.2M to $.1M. 

TBRM Board positions filled, BGCT and DBU Special Agreement adopted

The board considered two recommendations from the Executive Committee during the Tuesday business session.

The first sought to approve ex-officio positions for TBRM, with BGCT’s associate executive director as president and chairman of the TBRM board, and BGCT’s chief financial officer as treasurer and board secretary and also appointing Keith Warren, executive pastor of Northside Baptist Church of Weatherford, as vice president and vice chair of the board of Texas Baptists Risk Management. The recommendation passed.

The board also voted to authorize securing a letter of credit, including all of the required documentation and transactions, from Inwood National Bank for the benefit of capitalization in the Texas Baptists Indemnity Program.

The board also passed a recommendation from the Institutional Relations Committee to adopt the special relationship agreement between the BGCT and Dallas Baptist University (DBU). The board of DBU requested a change related by special agreement to reaffirm, strengthen and clearly define its relationship with Texas Baptists.

The Executive Committee went into an Executive Session towards the close of the meeting.

Additional Business: 

• The board heard ministry reports from Texans on Mission, WMU of Texas, the Texas Baptists Missions Foundation and the Christian Life Commission
• A recommendation passed to adopt the Restated Articles of Incorporation of STCH Ministries
• A recommendation passed to revise Policy 809: Information Technology and Services Usage
• A recommendation passed to revise Policy 870: Retirement Eligibility to clarify eligibility for the BGCT’s contributions to a BGCT employee or employee with any other Baptist-affiliated entity to fully vest.
• A recommendation passed to change Policy 425.1: Hispanic Education Initiative Council Policy

The next board meeting is set to take place Sept. 22-23 in Dallas, Texas.