Texas Baptists completes realignment, right-sizing for GC2 calling

DALLAS - July 28, 2026 – During the July Staff Week on Monday, July 27, Texas Baptists leadership announced the final round of staff and structure changes to realign and right-size Convention ministries. Previously, on June 1, Executive Director Julio Guarneri announced the creation of three new focus teams – Church Strong, Minister Strong and Mission Strong – and a field staff transition from area representatives to GC2 navigators. The realignment shared with staff builds upon that new structure.

“Through prayerful consideration, we are further aligning our staff to strengthen a multiplying movement of churches to live out the Great Commandment in Texas and beyond,” said Julio Guarneri. “In addition to the new team structure, we are also positioning the organization to be more collaborative across departments and to create more customized assistance for our churches.”

Guarneri provided additional details related to personnel changes. These included 12 new ministry assignments for current and new staff and 26 full-time or contract position eliminations spread across ministry and ministry support areas. Of the 26 position eliminations, 5 were vacant, 2 were contracted positions, 4 accepted retirement offers and 5 transitioned to new ministry assignments within the organization. Eight individuals from various ministries departed from employment with Texas Baptists as a result of the strategic rightsizing. Position changes will be effective in 2026 to allow for a reduced budget in 2027. 

The personnel reductions and additional budget cuts equate to an estimated $3.8 million, approximately 14% of the current budget, which will be proposed for the 2027 budget. The Executive Board Financial Committee will review the proposed budget in advance of the September board meeting. A final version of the proposed 2027 budget will be presented to messengers for approval at the 2026 Annual Meeting on November 15-17 in Waco. 

“Right-sizing was necessary to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us by Texas Baptists churches. Decreased Cooperative Program giving over the last 20 years, as well as the spending power of the financial resources, precipitated the need for substantial changes,” said Guarneri. “These decisions were difficult and our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by these changes. Texas Baptists is still in a strong financial position and we are equipping staff to come alongside churches to continue to do meaningful ministry in the future.”

GC2 Navigators and Strong Focus Teams begin new roles

A significant shift in the way Texas Baptists relates to churches will be from area representatives to GC2 navigators. The navigators are seasoned ministry leaders who primarily serve as a relational guide who walks alongside church leaders in a prayerful, customized process of discovery, reflection and action toward greater GC2 faithfulness. The navigators will be located in geographic regions across the state to supplement the work of all staff to build and maintain relationships with Texas Baptists churches. 

Currently, four full-time navigators have been hired, including Joe Aguilar, Al Curley, Steve Quinn and John Silva. Additional navigators will be hired this fall. The inaugural GC2 Navigators training was recently held in Dallas in preparation for the pilot program of the GC2 Strong Discovery Process to begin with pilot churches in September. 

Staff member Mac McLeod, consultant for Western Heritage and Country Churches, attended the navigator training in July. He stated, “This training was incredibly beneficial to me and will assist me in my consultations with Cowboy churches. I learned so much and feel better equipped to serve the local church.”

Navigators will work with all three GC2 Strong Focus Teams – Church Strong, Minister Strong and Missions Strong – to provide customized and contextualized equipping and resourcing for churches as they seek to find their next step towards GC2 faithfulness. 

“GC2 Strong will invest in local churches. Church starts, struggling churches, thriving churches and multiplying churches all have a role to play,” said Guarneri. “Texas Baptists will pray, come alongside, assist, connect and equip churches in a personalized manner to maximize Great Commandment and Great Commission practice.”

The Church Strong team, under the leadership of Jonathan Smith, is focused on strengthening churches to make disciples, engage their communities with the gospel and fulfill the Great Commission. Ministry areas include church health and growth, including ministries like Pave; discipleship and NextGen; evangelism; music and worship; church architecture and GC2 Navigators. 

The Minister Strong team, under the leadership of Kevin Abbott who successfully launched Pastor Strong cohorts across the state, desires to journey with ministry leaders to transform, thrive and finish well. The team will include the specific ministry offices of Pastor Strong Cohorts, Bivocational pastors, counseling services, pastorless churches, Women in Ministry network and young leadership development. 

The Missions Strong team, under the leadership of Noe Trevino, is focused on connecting churches with strategic mission opportunities from their local communities to the ends of the earth, all while intentionally living out their missional calling. 

Starting new churches remains a core focus of the convention and will now be known as the Church Planting Network. Four church planting mobilizers, including new bilingual strategist Santiago Rodríguez, will be located around the state to train, equip and resource new church plants and replants. 

David Vela, former area representative, has been named the new leader for River Ministry/Mexico Missions, with a renewed emphasis of connecting churches to mission work along the border between Texas and Mexico. Additional Missions Strong ministries include Chaplaincy, Church Multiplication Pathways, Missionary Adoption Program, Texas Baptists missionaries and micro-church planting with multi-housing and house churches. 

The three focus teams will also collaborate in “clusters” on cross-organizational areas of emphasis such as leadership development and evangelism and discipleship strategies. 

The Christian Life Commission, under the leadership of Katie Frugé; Collegiate Ministry, under the leadership of Mark Jones; and Affinity Ministries, under the leadership of Carlos Francis, remain important emphases for the convention as well. These three areas will relate to the GC2 Strong focus teams in providing resources and connections for churches, ministers and missions. 

Additionally, Texas Baptists remain committed to supporting institutional partnerships and theological education. Gabriel Cortés has been named the director of Institutional Engagement and will continue to work with theological education and the Hispanic Education Initiative. 

“As we look to the future, it is important that we have clarity of our mission, a strategy for accomplishing it, and the right sized team,” said Guarneri. “During Staff Week, we celebrated the many amazing ways God is at work through Texas Baptists to serve the local church. We are rallying together as one team, encouraged by God's presence and promise.”