Worship session focuses on partnerships and the presence of God’s kingdom

The third worship session of the 2024 Texas Baptists Annual Meeting took place on the evening of Monday, Nov. 11. Messengers and guests gathered at the Waco Convention Center for worship, preaching, prayer and ministry updates.

The session opened with a scripture reading from Psalm 127:1 and prayer from Cal Todd, executive director of VisionBridge Consulting, who sponsored the evening. 

Following the opening prayer, WMU of Texas and Texans On Mission presented ministry reports. Tamiko Jones, executive director of WMU of Texas, shared an overview of programs WMU is able to offer thanks to giving to the Mary Hill Davis Offering, including Christian Job Corps, Multicultural Ministries and Sisters Who Care. John-Travis Smith, associate executive director of Texans On Mission, reported they provided 201,000 meals following disasters and saw 1,200 new believers through their work in 2024.

After the reports, Katie Frugé, director of the Center for Cultural Engagement and the Christian Life Commission (CLC), was honored with a special award, “Partner of Life,” by Rachel Wiles, deputy chief of staff at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) for her commitment to valuing life and providing resources for pro-life ministry. Wiles highlighted Frugé and the CLC’s work placing an ultrasound machine at a pregnancy resource center in Hobbs, New Mexico. 

“I am honored to give this partner for life award to Katie Frugé… Texas Baptists, thank you for your commitment to valuing life and providing resources on the front lines of this important ministry,” Wiles said.

A time of worship was then led by DBU Chapel Worship.

Greater impact through kingdom partnerships

After the music, Texas Baptists Executive Director Julio Guarneri shared the Executive Director’s Report. 

During his report, Guarneri emphasized the importance of partnership in order to make the greatest kingdom impact. Texas Baptists has partnerships with 25 Baptist entities around the world, including the North American Mission Board (NAMB), International Mission Board (IMB) and national and international Baptist organizations. 

“These are kingdom partnerships to connect our churches with His kingdom agenda,” Guarneri said. “These will afford your church an opportunity to either pray, give, send or go to these mission fields.”

During the service, nine kingdom partnership agreements were signed on stage.

Partnership agreements were signed with the National Baptist Convention of Mexico, Brazilian Home Mission Board, Brazilian International Mission Board, Ukraine Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention of America, Baptist Convention of Argentina, Baptist Union of Scotland, GlocalNet and Baptist World Alliance (BWA). 

Tomás Mackey, president of BWA, brought greetings and celebrated the partnerships, saying, “We need each other.” He also invited attendees to the 2025 Baptist World Alliance World Congress in Brisbane, Australia, on July 7-12.

Guarneri closed signings with a time of prayer. He asked attendees to “pray for his kingdom to come through our partnerships.”

The kingdom of God is here

To conclude the session, Joel Gregory, George W. Truett Endowed Chair of Preaching and Evangelism at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, gave a sermon. He was also honored by Guarneri for over 50 years of impact in his ministry. 

“Everything good that has ever happened to me in the kingdom of God had some connection with the BGCT. From my very beginning in the faith to this very hour,” Gregory said upon receiving the award.

Gregory spoke from Mark 1, sharing that the kingdom of God is a gift, invisible, inherently powerful and is here, but is also not yet.

“[Jesus is a] king of a kingdom that is eternal,” Gregory said. “We don’t build the kingdom; the kingdom builds us.”

The kingdom comes without observation, he said.

“It’s our job to make visible that invisible kingdom so that people are born from above and see the kingdom of God,” said Gregory.

The kingdom contains a “remarkable power we can’t explain” that is on a “higher, holier, heavier level.” 

When Jesus first speaks of the kingdom in Mark, he declares that the kingdom is already here, but Gregory said a fuller version of the kingdom is yet to come.

He encouraged pastors in attendance to preach the whole gospel, including that Jesus is coming again. The kingdom is here, Gregory said, but it is also coming back in its fullness when Jesus returns.

“You don’t preach the whole gospel if you don’t preach that blessed hope,” he said.