Texas Baptists churches are at work strengthening churches to fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission every day in Texas and beyond. I wanted to share a story with you about how your church’s gifts to the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program made an impact.

Pastor Carlos Quijada first heard about Pastor Strong through lunches at the San Antonio Baptist Association and joined his first cohort in 2025.

Pastor Strong is a 5-month journey designed to strengthen a pastor’s ministry and personal resilience. Cohorts meet once a month for full-day gatherings to work through soul-care, leadership development and building habits for a strong life and ministry.

“One of the most helpful parts for me was exploring our personalities through the Enneagram to understand why I am the way I am. I found that very helpful,” said Quijada. “And also to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the people I serve with and how to navigate those.”

Quijada has also been blessed by connections made with other pastors.

“It creates the atmosphere for genuine relationships to be formed and continue,” he said. “I connected with some pastors in other parts of Texas, and one of them, every Sunday, he sends me a prayer, and I pray for him.”

Pastor Strong Cohorts also include a retreat to Rocky Mountain National Park. For Quijada, this retreat had a profound impact on his physical health and ultimately his ministry.

“The highlight of it was the retreat in Colorado. That was a life-changer for me … our hike to the mountains was not just a physical experience, but also a spiritual one,” said Quijada. “It really helped me wake up about taking better care of myself and know that being a strong pastor is not just spiritual, but also emotional and physical. I consulted my doctor and started a wellness journey to get healthier overall… I’m down 50 pounds and have already run two 5Ks this year.”

Quijada shared that his personal health journey has encouraged both his family and congregation, inspiring them to collectively pursue better health. He is planning a 5K for his church later this year.

“Pastor Strong has been very influential in understanding the importance of self-care in a healthy way, and taking care of the temple God has given me,” said Quijada.

Quijada was so impacted by his first Pastor Strong Cohort that he is participating in a second cohort this year and invited others to join him.

“The first one blessed me so much that I wanted my wife and a few other friends to also do it. I decided to join in again to support them and also as a refresher for me,” said Quijada. “I absolutely recommend it to other pastors. I think it’s very important for pastors to surround themselves with individuals that can understand the demands of this role.”

This kind of impact only happens through local churches making a difference right where they are. Thank you for your generous gifts through the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program. Because of your gifts, we are able to strengthen ministers to fulfill your calling to love God, love others and make disciples.

To learn more about Pastor Strong Cohorts, visit txb.org/strong.