Texas Baptists Annual Meeting 2025

Rolando Aguirre

Rolando D. Aguirre serves as the associate pastor of Teaching and Spanish Language Ministries at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, where he devotes his life and ministry to Christ and the advancement of His kingdom. With a heart for discipleship, biblical teaching, expository preaching, leadership development, missions and community outreach, Dr. Aguirre brings a wealth of pastoral experience and vision to his role.

Originally from Colombia, he has served across Texas and Latin America in a wide range of ministry contexts. He is the visionary founder of Calvary en Español at Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen. He served as president of the Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas. Dr. Aguirre is the founder and author of “Un Minuto con Dios (A Minute with God)”, a daily devotional podcast and book that is deeply appreciated for its theological clarity, accessibility and pastoral warmth. He resides in Richardson with his wife, Janet, and their two children, Celina and David.

Elijah Brown

Rev. Dr. Elijah M. Brown, a native Texan, serves as general secretary and CEO of the Baptist World Alliance, representing 53 million Baptists in 134 countries. A global leader and advocate for religious freedom, he has traveled to over 60 nations to advance missions, peace and gospel-centered collaboration worldwide.

Ray Brown

A gifted preacher, teacher and leader, Pastor Ray Brown’s range touches every mood and expresses every level of human emotion. He is a fresh, clear, multigenerational voice to people who are yearning to hear God’s age-old truth and apply it to their lives—to the glory of God! Under his leadership, Resurrection Baptist Church in Schertz, Texas, continues to thrive and expand, not only as a local assembly but also as a regional ministry with a global impact where an increasing number of souls are being saved and people are growing maturely in their faith.

Pastor Brown is motivated by his love for people, his love for preaching and his belief that no one is beyond God’s reach.

Julio Guarneri

Dr. Julio Guarneri has a long history of service within the Convention. Prior to being elected executive director, Guarneri served two terms as BGCT president and two terms as first vice president. He has served as the chair of Buckner International, vice-chair at Buckner, chair of Stark College and Seminary and on the BGCT Executive Board.

Guarneri has also served as a faithful Baptist pastor for about three decades. He has led Calvary Baptist Church since 2010, and before that, he served as senior pastor of Iglesia Bautista Getsemaní for 17 years. Additionally, he has served as the minister of education and youth at Segunda Iglesia Bautista in Corpus Christi, founding pastor of Shalom Baptist Mission in Corpus Christi and pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Taft.

Guarneri completed his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University in Kingsville. He also earned a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Dallas Baptist University.

He and his wife, Monica, have four children and two grandchildren.

Gregory Love

Gregory Love is the managing partner at the law firm of Love & Norris. He is the co-founder of MinistrySafe and Abuse Prevention Systems.

His clients include denominations, churches, camps, private schools, universities, public and private charities and youth sports groups.

He is an expert in legal standards of care related to child sexual abuse and has consulted with organizations such as the U.S. Olympic Committee, U.S. Center for SafeSport, Awana International, Trail Life USA, the North American Mission Board and several faith-based organizations and denominations.

Love is a visiting faculty at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he teaches the only graduate-level course on Preventing Sexual Abuse in Ministry Contexts.

Love regularly provides instruction and continuing education training to lawyers and risk management professionals.

Ronny Marriott

Ronny Marriott is the pastor of First Baptist Richardson. He served at First Burleson from 2016 – 2024. Marriott served as pastor of First Baptist Church of Temple, First Baptist Church Corpus Christi and Sunset Baptist Church in Dripping Springs. He also served at Shady Oaks Baptist Church in Hurst—initially as youth minister and later as senior pastor. He also served on staff at Northlake Baptist Church in Dallas as their youth pastor.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University. He holds a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He has served on the Texas Baptists’ Theological Education Council, the BGCT Executive Board and the Christian Life Commission.

He and his wife, Robin, have three children—Molly, Morgan and Ryan.

Dennis Wiles

Dr. Dennis Wiles, an Alabama native, earned degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has pastored churches in Oklahoma, Alabama and Texas, serving as pastor of First Baptist Church Arlington since 2001. He and his wife, Cindy, have two children and five grandchildren.

317 Collective

317 Collective is a worship collective from Fort Worth, TX, with one goal in mind - to worship and glorify Jesus through song. We believe that one moment in the presence of Jesus can change someone forever. We lead worship for retreats, conferences and events to help individuals develop a growing relationship with Jesus.

Eric McElhaney

Eric, a native of Garland, Texas, joined Pioneer Drive in 2016 as the associate minister of music and became worship pastor in 2020. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Music in 2001 and a Master of Arts in Worship Leadership in 2008, both from Dallas Baptist University. Eric married his wife, Pamela, in 2002, and together they have three wonderful children: Ali, Bryce and Carson. He enjoys spending time with family and friends and relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Florida.

Tiffany Stotts

Tiffany Stotts serves as full-time music faculty and director of Worship for Hardin-Simmons University, where she teaches classes on leadership, ministry, team-building and music. She trains and equips students that lead worship for weekly chapel services, nights of worship and community worship events with HSU. She attends Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, where her husband, Craig, serves as the worship pastor for The Gathering. They have lived in Abilene for 8 years and have 4 beautiful and wild children! She loves all things coffee, movies and music!

Jeff Wash

Jeff Wash serves as the pastor of worship arts at First Baptist Church, Midland, Texas, where he leads the worship, media and communications teams across multiple campuses. With more than 30 years of ministry experience, Wash is passionate about Christ-centered worship that combines biblical depth with creative excellence.

A graduate of the University of Texas at the Permian Basin and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wash has directed large-scale worship events all over the country, bringing together multigenerational teams to glorify Christ through music and the arts.

He and his wife, Laurie — head choral director at Odessa Permian High School — frequently collaborate on worship and production projects, equipping churches to share the gospel through music, media and story.