Texas Baptists Executive Board reviews proposed 2027 budget and recommended Constitutional amendments during September meeting

September 22, 2026 – DALLAS – The September meeting of the Texas Baptists Executive Board was held on Sept. 21-22 in Dallas, TX. Board Directors approved the proposed reduced 2027 budget and a recommendation to amend the Constitution and Bylaws, elected officers, heard ministry reports and considered 24 unique recommendations during the two-day business meeting. The proposed budget and amendments to the Constitution will be presented to messengers at the 2026 Annual Meeting in November for review and approval.

Guarneri: One people on one mission

During his Monday evening address, Executive Director Julio Guarneri spoke from John 17:20-23 about Jesus’ prayer for unity among his disciples before he went to the cross. He shared that Texas Baptists are called to be one people on one mission. 

“As Texas Baptists step into the future with all of the changes that it entails, our focus is on the lost,” Guarneri said. “Being one people is not just an organizational slogan, but it is the nature of our mutual relationship as disciples of Jesus… [I pray] that we would commit to being one people on one mission.”

Guarneri also provided an update on the strategic realignment, rightsizing and upcoming implementation of the GC2 Strong Process. He shared with the board the personnel changes made to align with the 2027 proposed budget that reflects the GC2 Strong Process. He discussed the Texas Baptists staff realignment, launch of the GC2 Strong Pilot Program and discussed the new role of GC2 Navigators, noting seven of the nine navigator positions have been filled. 

“The GC2 Strong strategy is the expression of how we discern God is leading Texas Baptists to focus as one people on one mission,” Guarneri said. “Implementing changes and advancing strategies are risky… Yet, we step ahead to proclaim freedom to the captives and salvation to the lost.” 

Potter: Being a church that points people to Jesus

In her Tuesday morning address, Convention President Debbie Potter shared the story of her call to ministry. Referencing John 4, she shared that healthy Christian leadership points people to Jesus.

Potter challenged Texas Baptists to consider asking the question, “How do we recognize the calling God has placed on someone’s life and create space for that person to faithfully use the gifts God has given them?”

She concluded her address by encouraging Texas Baptists to be a church that loves people and points them to Jesus. 

“May every person who walks through the doors of our churches know, ‘There is a place for me here. I am seen here. I am valued here. I am loved here. And most importantly, Jesus sees me here,’” Potter said. 

2027 Budget comes from a place of financial strength

Ward Hayes, Texas Baptists treasurer/CFO, delivered a financial update. He said the Convention is coming from a foundation of financial strength.

“We are in a position of financial strength to launch new ministries in the years ahead that will have an impact on the kingdom,” Hayes said. 

The convention’s cash position maintained a good liquidity from the close of last year endowments and investments were at $279M, and the reserve fund was at $9.7M. 

The board approved the proposed 2027 Texas Baptists missions and ministries budget of $44,644,912. The proposed budget consists of $24.2M in Cooperative Program (CP) giving, $4.6M from investment income, $12.7M from donor designated giving, $1.7M from Mary Hill Davis Offering and $1.3M from sales, fees and sponsorships. The budget reflected a $3.8M reduction from the previous year to allow the convention to operate within its financial means, according to Hayes. The total budgeted revenue for next year’s budget is set at 93% of the 2026 budget.

A recommendation also passed for the allocation of $1.1M in Worldwide Missions Initiatives and Partnerships allocations. Both recommendations will be presented to messengers at Annual Meeting for approval.

Board approves recommendation for changes to the Constitution and Bylaws

Suzie Liner, chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Task Force and chair of the Executive Board, shared the committee’s recommendations on Monday night during the first session, which included several changes to both governing documents. 

Recommended changes to the Constitution included a more clearly defined understanding of “harmonious cooperation” and the requirement of a financial contribution within three years to be affiliated with the Convention; moving Annual Meeting messenger requirements to the bylaws, and the addition of a new section to ensure the Executive Board has authority to receive and remove churches from Convention. 

Recommended changes to the Bylaws included a new framework for Annual Meeting messengers including a minimum financial contribution and reduction of maximum number of messengers; moving Executive Board member criteria to Article V and providing a new sector for churches outside of Texas to have representation; clarification of the authority of the Executive Board to remove board directors; and the authorization of the Response Council moved from the Executive Board’s policy manual to the bylaws in Article V, Section 4 G.

During the Tuesday morning meeting, board members approved the recommended changes, with addition of one amendment. Presented by Board Director Chris McLain, the amendment would allow messengers from churches newly deemed in harmonious cooperation with the Convention to be seated at Annual Meeting in the same year of their acceptance, provided the church has contributed financially within two months prior to the Annual Meeting.

Changes to the Constitution will be presented to the messengers at the Annual Meeting for review. The changes will require a two-thirds majority vote for two consecutive years. Upon approval of the Constitution changes in 2026, the Bylaw changes would be presented to messengers in 2027 for approval. 

IRC, Officers and updates on GC2 Strong and CP Task Force

The Institutional Relations Committee (IRC) presented a recommendation for a revised special relationship agreement with Baylor University that was discussed in executive session and postponed. It was subsequently referred back to the IRC. 

Liner, current chair, retired physician and director from Sector 2 representing First Lubbock, was reelected to serve as Executive Board chair in 2026-2027, and Keith Warren, executive pastor of North Side Baptist Church in Weatherford and Executive Board director from Sector 6, was reelected to serve as vice chair.

Sergio Ramos, director of relational development/GC2 Strong, shared an update on the development and implementation of the GC2 Strong strategy and the GC2 Strong Discovery Process. He shared that the GC2 Strong pilot, including 20 churches from across the 9 areas, officially launched on Sept.15 and will continue through Dec. and conclude with a time of celebration and evaluation. 

Vice Chair Warren, who also chairs the Cooperative Program Task Force, provided a brief update on that group’s work. He shared some data on church attrition and giving declines over five years, and noted that a CP survey would soon be sent to Texas Baptists churches. He expressed that the giving data represented the “what” of recent giving declines, and that survey responses would help the task force members to learn the “why” behind them. He pointed to the February meeting as a time to present a report and recommendations. 

Additional Business

The following individuals were elected to fill vacancies on councils and committees:

• Audit Council: Heather Fairman, First Baptist Church, Anna; Julia Maw, First Baptist Church, Farmers Branch; and Deborah Woods, First Baptist Church, Farmers Branch.
• Theological Education Council: Dana Moore, Second Baptist Church, Corpus Christi; Leonard Hornsby, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Mansfield.
• Hispanic Education Council: Gilma Martinez, First Baptist Church, Kaufman; Joe Rangel, Alamo Heights Baptist Church, San Antonio; Rebeka Retta, Primera Iglesia Bautista, Belton; Jordan Villanueva, First Baptist Church, Blanket.
• Western Heritage Council: Jay Johnson, San Angelo Cowboy Church, San Angelo; Wes Brown, Cowboy Church of Collin County, Princeton; Werth Mayes, Cowboy Church of Erath County, Stephenville.
• Affinity Ministries Council: Eric Brown, New Jerusalem Church, Greenville.
• Communications and Publicity Council: Jonathan Taylor, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Mansfield; Ashley Smith, First Baptist Church, Belton.
• GC2 Press Advisory Council: Abby Stuckle, The Woodlands First Baptist Church, The Woodlands; Randy Robertson, First Baptist Church, Richardson.
• Cooperative Program Council: Victor Castillo, Rio Grande Baptist Church, McAllen.
• Texas Baptist Missions Foundation Council: Randy Bigbee, First Baptist Church, Chappell Hill; Manny Ruiz, First Baptist Church, San Antonio; Dean Kornegay, First Baptist Church, Garland; Cheryl Jones, First Baptist Church, Temple; Charlie Jones, First Baptist Church, Vernon; Doug Anderson, First Baptist Church, McKinney; Sam Jones, First Baptist Church, Arlington; James Westbrook, First Baptist Church, Richardson.
• Music and Worship Council: Connie Anthony, First Baptist Church, Conroe.
• Baptist Student Ministry Council: John Sturrock, First Baptist Church, Tyler; Ann Tyree Hollub, First Baptist Church, Midlothian; Sherry Lindsey, First Baptist Church, Big Spring.
• Pastoral Health Council: Jason Burden, First Baptist Church, Lubbock; John Silva, Real Life Fellowship, Lubbock; Jeremy Bell, First Baptist Church, Holland; Daniel Messina, Crosspoint Church, McKinney.
• Chaplaincy Endorsement Council: Regina Allen, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, Houston; Leslie Craymer, Rothbury Community Church, Rothbury; Doug Brock, Community Bible Church, Richmond Hill; Randal Potter, First Baptist Church, Hurst; Greg Schwartz, Westgate Memorial Baptist Church, Beaumont.
• Missions Engagement Coordinating Council: Jackie Faughn, First McKinney Baptist Church, McKinney; Nathan Buchanan, First Baptist Church, Mineral Wells; Chris Benites, Freedom Church, Fort Worth; Donnie Brown, First Baptist Church, Plainview; Tom Revilla, First Baptist Church, Temple.
• Missions Funding Council: Debra Perry, Coulter Road Baptist Church, Amarillo; Bryan Pinson, First Baptist Church, Midland.
• Christian Life Commission: Tanner Watson, First Baptist Church, Conroe.

Other business included the passage of the following recommendations:

• A recommendation to secure 2026 Independent Auditor Batts Morrison Wales & Lee to conduct the 2026 financial audit under a one-year contract.
• A recommendation to designate the purpose of the Houston and Lenora Hill endowment and its generated earnings to promote and assist the work of church strengthening and revitalization through Church Health Strategy (PAVE) and GC2, particularly with small and/or rural churches.

The Texas Baptists Annual Meeting will take place Nov. 15-17 in Waco, Texas. New this year, some of the voting will likely be conducted using SMS/text messaging services for real-time votes and to streamline the business process. Messengers will need a unique phone number and will need to ‘opt-in’ to receive text messages from the convention for voting purposes.