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By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions I want to praise the Lord for all He is doing in Texas Missions and the Baptist Progress. In June, you placed the Baptist Progress in the care of Texas Missions with a plan to financially stabilize the ministry. We are pleased to report that Texas Missions and the Baptist Progress finished 2025 on budget and in the black. I thank each of you for your support and our team for their careful handling and investment of donated funds. The first six churches have made the switch to the new subscription plan this month, with a list scheduled to follow them in the coming months. This plan saves the church and the Baptist Progress money while offering more to the reader than ever. Be watching in the next few months for a Baptist Progress show for ladies that will debut. Will you join me in praying for and encouraging Redemption Hill Church in Fort Worth as they move off mission support this month? We celebrate this milestone with Missionary Pastor Brad Cauley and all the church family. This church is spiritually thriving, and they are as ready for this moment as they can be.
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
Stranger, sojourner, poor, crippled, lame, blind, neighbor, saint etc.… The Bible is clear to whom we should show care and hospitality towards. In short, everyone! As believers, it is our responsibility to reflect the heart of Christ and replicate the example He gave here on earth through our own actions. This past month, while playing at the park with our children, we overheard a couple around our age interacting in Arabic. Their 5-year-old boy was playing with our 3-year-old, and our 1-year-old was staring at their 1-year-old who was eating a cookie. I approached the lady around my age and said, “Hello.” We visited for a while and exchanged numbers before parting ways. They told me they had come to America from Egypt only one year before, and had not yet made many friends. A few days later, our family invited them over for tea and coffee. Our children played together in our apartment. They informed us that no Americans had ever invited them to their home before. We were saddened by this but stated we would love to get together again. The following week, they welcomed us for lunch in their home, and we shared a lovely Egyptian meal together. While the children played and we visited, my new friend spoke to her husband in their native language. She then looked at me and in her broken English she explained, “I told him this is the first time since coming a year ago that this has felt like home…to have friends over and just relax”. In that moment, our hearts were filled with the joy that came from a simple invitation to our home. You never know how the love extended toward someone will impact their lives. We must never miss a moment to show hospitality and be the hands and feet of Christ. Romans 12:9-13 states, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality”.—Audrey Tew
A man who needed counseling was blessed when I shared the gospel with him. His home, his financial situation and his self-esteem were at rock bottom. I advised him to seek God, and he chose to study and return to church. Many times, situations are calls of love, shepherding the sheep; pride and ingratitude prevent us from hearing that tender voice. He took heart, and his response was, "It's true, I have to obey God." Prayer Needs: First and foremost, thank you all and especially my brothers and sisters in missions who help me so much financially. My brother Michael is also very attentive to me and my family, the mission and the Hispanic community. Let us pray fervently for our Hispanic brothers and sisters who are currently looking for work and have housing or rent expenses. They ask me if I have a job, and it saddens me to know their need. Even there, I see an opportunity to preach. May God continue to use me for His glory.  Our home worship service
Redemption Hill Church is healthy and thriving by God's grace. We are continuing to welcome new guests each week, baptized a man going into the Navy Seals a few months ago and are seeing people love one another as the Lord commands. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray that 2026 is a year of spiritual formation for my family and me, as well as the people of Redemption Hill Church. As we study the book of Acts and see the Lord grow the church, pray we become more like Jesus. Thank you!
I am preaching every Sunday morning in the "Ministerio en Espanol" at First, Conroe. I am sharing a missionary mindset with the attendees, sharing many of the experiences I have had in cells. Prayer Needs: Please pray for a fruitful ministry in 2026.
This month, we have seen deeper relationships form as our small group has walked through personal spiritual warfare together, creating space for honesty, prayer and growth. We have also been encouraged to see newcomers openly asking deeper spiritual questions. Our leaders are growing in ownership of the mission, and we thank God for strengthening them with faith and a growing passion for His kingdom. We are truly grateful for your continued prayers and support. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray that future leaders would rise up within this mission, equipped with strong faith, humility and a heart for God’s kingdom.
Our church is doing well and grew about 25 percent last year. We have a diverse congregation; 45 percent black, 40 percent white, and 15 percent Hispanic. We had two people give their lives to Christ and were be baptized on the second Sunday in February. Prayer Needs: Be in prayer for our revival in May.
Howdy from west Texas! 2026 is off to an amazing start here at Oasis. We continue to see new faces every week and new doors and opportunities continue to open that I can't wait to share with you as they get confirmed. We officially set aside six men as elder candidates. This is such an amazing moment for our church. I am so thankful for these men and their families and the wisdom and leadership they are bringing to Oasis and the help they are giving me. It has been a heavy burden bearing the weight of shepherding and leadership alone for the last four years, so having these men to lean on and come alongside me has been such an amazing answer to prayer. There are BIG things coming at Oasis. I can't wait to share them soon. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to be a part of what God is doing here in west Texas. Prayer Needs: Please pray for a unique opportunity that may have arisen to acquire a new meeting space for our growing church, the selection of new elders and for the start of a new work in Sundown.
Matthew 6:33 was our focus verse this first month of 2026 here at Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler. We decided to allow more time of sharing during our worship services this month, as many shared their successes and struggles of last year and were excited to begin a new year by seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We were happy to hear how our people are committing their lives to Christ and His work here in Tyler. Throughout this month, I was also able to connect in a more profound way with some of our men. I am happy to know that our men are wanting to be led by God. We had the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday and right before the cold. We had our meal celebrating birthdays of the month after the service. We also had a great time with our youth at our home on a Saturday evening that connected them. Then the cold weather came, and although it might have kept us apart physically, we were all checking on each other in case someone lost power or needed anything. Everyone offered their homes if there was a need, not only amongst us but also our neighbors and coworkers. Fortunately, no one had such a need. God was so good to all of us, but everyone felt the warmth and support of their church family. Speaking of that, we would like to express our gratitude to all the BMA churches that continue to support us in various ways. We praise God for all of you! Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for those baptisms. We want to share with you about them next month!
Our mission this month has begun to hold meetings in the homes of brothers, such as the home of Marco Jimenez and family who live in Lewisville, inviting neighbors and relatives from the area. Prayer Needs: I ask for prayers for every mission and church, that we may continue to fulfill our mission and reach more souls.
We are praying about a new meeting place, but our people remain encouraged. They understand that we are on mission and that our calling is to share the gospel. They have taken initiative to seek a place of worship for us, and in the meantime practice hospitality as we meet in one of our family's houses. We know God will lead us to a place He wants to plant us in His timing. Prayer Needs: Please pray for us to find a regular meeting place, that is reasonably priced, to rent per month, long term.
Testimony of provision. My insurance boss offered to sell me a trailer through a credit company with a down payment. I was rejected twice. In the end, he gave me a $10,000 discount and financed it for me with no down payment for five years. I'm currently renting and will be paying it off soon. My house is at the disposal of the ministry. Prayer Needs: Please pray that the Lord would send me a wife to serve by my side in my ministry.
We are experiencing low church attendance. Let's pray for a revival. Prayer Needs: Let us pray that faith may not be lost and that we may continue proclaiming the gospel.
We are continuing to build relationships here in the Golden Triangle. For the last couple of months, I have been meeting with Abel and his wife, Grecia, for English classes. Because of the holidays, we had a slow start, but we are starting to get into a rhythm. Please pray that God would work in their hearts and open the door for gospel conversations. Prayer Needs: Please be in prayer for spiritual growth in our discipleship group members. Also, pray for health for our family, so we can focus our energy on ministry and, of course, pray for fertile soil to receive the gospel. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions Introducing new missionaries: We are excited to introduce to you three new missionaries who have been accepted for support from your BMA of Texas Missions Movement.
Will you commit to being on the prayer and care team of these new missionaries?
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
Happy New Year to all the BMA churches from Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler. We had a wonderful time during Christmas and New Year's. We were able to attend the Christmas program of our host church, which was in English, but it served as an encouragement to our people to practice their English. We also attended our host church's One Service, which was also in English. We hope to continue joining them for their One Services, but hopefully, we'll get to use translation equipment so that everyone can understand. We might even use such equipment as a tool to serve our children, who may be better ministered to by hearing my message in English. This was a great recommendation by Brother Heith Mitchell, whom we had the pleasure of visiting at one of our services this month. We were very encouraged. We thank the Lord for the wisdom and guidance we receive from him and Brother Elvis. We also thank you all for your support in our church plant in Tyler. Your prayers are making an impact! We had some conversations with some of the people we've been asking you to pray for so that they may make a decision for Christ and be baptized. There is a desire to surrender to God and serve Him. We hope to have some baptisms soon. Please pray that it be a good handful or more! Thank you! In Christ, Jose Torres Prayer Needs: Keep praying for baptisms! Pray for a band and for the purchase of translation equipment.
Right now, the situation for missionaries and pastors in Texas is a bit difficult due to immigration policy. This teaches us to seek people and houses of peace that have stability in this country, without neglecting our primary mission. Prayer Needs: Pray for the purchase of the house where I'm currently renting. It will be an operations center.
Howdy from west Texas! Well, the holiday season is in the books. It was a really great and steady month for us in every way. We had lots of visitors, put on our first ever Festival of Lights, and had our largest ever attendance for our Christmas Eve-Eve service. We continue to grow and are beginning to seriously push the limits of our current building. It’s a great problem to have, but it’s a problem nonetheless. But as with the other obstacles we have had, we can’t wait to see how God solves it! It’s definitely a sweet time for Oasis. Prayer Needs: Please pray for direction and discernment in regard to a possible new space, new contacts and connections in Sundown, and for continued leadership development.  Christmas Eve-Eve service at Oasis
Our church had a booth at our community's Christmas event and was able to interact with many people from our community. We had a lot of solid conversations about our church with people by our 13 volunteers. Several Bibles were given away and received with surprising enthusiasm. Prayer Needs: Please pray for me and our church to be more intentionally evangelistic as we engage others for prayer and gospel conversations. Pray for a new opportunity that has arisen to equip our people as we pursue more of a church culture that is intentional about evangelism and outreach.
As we begin this new year, we are thankful for God’s faithfulness after a challenging season. Last year brought setbacks that required recovery, but the Lord has sustained and renewed us. Recently, we were encouraged by a brother who experienced a major career setback and had to postpone the completion of his training for several months. What seemed like a loss became an opportunity for God to restore his confidence and open new doors. His testimony has reminded us that God is still at work even in difficult seasons. With renewed hope, we are looking forward to a fresh beginning this year. Thank you for your continued prayers and partnership. Prayer Needs: Pray for a new season for the ministry to receive new members and spiritual growth.
t has been a whirlwind of emotions, tears and gratitude to God for everything. Our faith has been tested, but here we are, still doing what God commanded us, starting a new year with many goals and plans to reach our friends and family. We know that God has a plan, and we trust in Him completely. Prayer Needs: Immigration status, my household economy, my children and wife, my family in Venezuela.  Our Christmas Celebration
Our mission as a group of Christians is to share the gospel, that is, the Word of God. Now we have a challenge ahead for outreach: deportations, which are causing people to stay home. I ask for wisdom to carry forward my commitment to God, and I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ that we may remain steadfast in our calling. Prayer Needs: I ask for prayer and understanding to carry out the work that has been kindled within me.  Mission members celebrating Christmas
Thanks to the generosity of BMA of Texas churches, we now have a completed meeting space in what was once a garage on our property! We had our first Bible study the Sunday before Christmas and are so excited to see God use this space to bring others to Him and grow them in the faith! Prayer Needs: Pray for boldness and fertile soil. Specifically, pray that opportunities would open with coworkers to share the gospel.  Our first Bible study in the new meeting space
December is a month to look back and celebrate God's faithfulness this year. We have a deeper family-like relationship with church members who are growing more like Christ, parenting with His principles, their marriages reflecting His love and faithfulness and people are growing together in the Lord. Our people are sharing their faith regularly and the ones being discipled are beginning their own discipleship groups with new/young believers. Each member is taking the privilege of being a minister and reaching others for Christ. Prayer Needs: For continued favor with neighbors and the community. For wisdom as we plan 2026 goals and objectives. Transition of a Bible study to a house church and for leaders to run with energy and focus.
I was the invited preacher at the 2025 closing service of TEBA and it was a blessing to promote the missionary work in Conroe, New Caney, and nearby areas. Prayer Needs: Keep the hope and share it with those going through tough times.
Though the church is growing, Sunday worship attendance dropped this month. However, enthusiasm is still high. Prayer Needs: That God would send someone to help with our vision and sound tech ministry.
This month we are going to sing at a farmers' market. We will sing songs and have a table to talk with people. Please pray that we make many connections. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our outreach efforts at the farmers’ market. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions I can’t believe we are coming to the conclusion of another year already. November marked 10 years that I have had the privilege of serving you and the Lord in the missions department. Time is flying. So many of your missionaries are finishing up their five-year plans right now. This month, The Bridge Church in Seagoville is coming to the end of support. They had three saved and three baptized this month. Time is flying, and God is faithful! Would you encourage and pray for The Bridge Church as they step into the exciting and scary season of independence? They are ready, and God has them, but it is scary. Pray for Brother Tim. I and the staff of your BMA of Texas Missions pray that you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our Savior being born, dwelling among us, dying for our sins, and rising from the dead changes everything! In Christ, we can look into 2026 with anticipation and say, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done.” We can look to eternity with excitement knowing this journey ends with “home.” Merry Christmas!
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
We have packed multiple Samaritan Purse boxes together, as well as collected toys for a Christmas event where we get to give toys to 67 different families and share the gospel with them.
The mission is facing some absences this month, but there are also two couples becoming more established in the faith. Brother Marco and his wife asked us to meet at their house on some Wednesdays to share the gospel with their friends and family from Nepdalia who live in the area. Prayer Needs: Pray for the mission and for my business so that I may have the wisdom to guide them with God's favor.
Church membership has grown by 15 new people. Youth has increased from two to eight. God answered our prayer with a soon to be associate pastor. Prayer Needs: Pray for a youth leader.
This month we have seen God at work in some really encouraging ways. We were connecting with some friends who didn’t show up for a while. We had good conversations and prayed together in small, meaningful moments. It’s been a steady reminder that God uses unexpected ways to strengthen friendships and open hearts. As the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’re grateful for the friendships growing, the prayers answered, and the sense that God is quietly guiding us forward. Prayer Needs: Pray for spiritual growth for all people we encountered and ministered to for the past year and give all thanks to God.
This month, we are going to go to different neighborhoods to carol, where we will sing songs and give out gift bags. Please pray that we connect with many new families. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our caroling.
Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler is extremely grateful to all our churches of the BMA of Texas for continuing your support of our ministry. We felt loved and embraced at the state meeting. It was great to see many of you there. Our ministry continues to proclaim the Word of God individually and collectively. We continue to pass out gospel tracts and receive family and friends of those attending regularly, with the commitment of allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in those that come to our groups and worship services, so that they can come to the knowledge of the gospel of Christ and give them that new life in Christ that we are experiencing. We have a young man who's been coming to our worship services on a regular basis this month. We hope he will make a decision for Christ soon. There's also a handful in our groups that need to be baptized. Help us pray for their obedience to the gospel. Thank you again, and may God bless your ministries as well. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for a praise and worship band.
God continues to bless our little church as we took our first evening of discovering spiritual gifts and personalities together as a church. It was powerful to see both the confirmation that the community of believers was able to provide each member and the joy and confidence that came to each believer as their gifts and personalities were affirmed by the community. There's an excitement to now cooperate with how God has gifted us to make a deeper impact in the kingdom and in this community for his glory. We also hosted a neighborhood Friendsgiving where we invited unbelieving neighbors to join us for a grilled homemade pizza night. Our church members joined us and connected with our neighbors in meaningful ways. The whole evening we had very little contact with our church members, as they were networking, building relationships and sharing Christ with our neighbors. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for the Lord to bless our evangelism. God has been so faithful to build a strong sense of family within the body of Christ, and now we're asking that He would add to our number daily those who are being saved.
Howdy from west Texas! God continues to move and grow our church. So much so that we are actively looking for possible new spaces for the next phase of Oasis Church. We celebrated another baptism this month and hosted 43 students from South Plains College for a Friendsgiving dinner. We are also preparing to call our first elders, as well as preparing for first steps into starting a new work in the neighboring town of Sundown. God continues to shape and refine the vision He has for west Texas. Our people are sharing their faith and walking in the vision and values we preach every week, and God is moving. Thank you for walking with us and allowing us to be part of God’s big vision for west Texas. Prayer Needs: Please pray for next steps in reaching Sundown as well as an open door for a new space to grow.
We have launched three Discipleship Groves which are groups of 3-4 men or women who come alongside one another for six months for the purposes of maturing as a disciple of Jesus and then making disciples. Through daily spiritual disciplines, outstanding books, and personal accountability, we are helping one another grow to the point of overflowing into others. Our nine current people will hopefully each start their own Grove upon completion! Prayer Needs: Please pray for our love for people both outside and inside of our church. Also, pray that we will intentionally engage others for outreach and evangelism, open our homes generously to others, and that we will warmly care for those who worship with us.
I met Javier, a Catholic man who has a family here in Gilmer. I plan to follow up with him, since the times I've spoken with him, and he shows genuine interest in Jesus. Prayer Request: First, I want to thank you all for your support and prayers. I bless you. Let us pray, please, for all the brothers and sisters in the church.
Last time I gave an update, I shared about Ms. Betty, who had made a profession of faith. I asked for prayers as she underwent surgery for a blocked artery. I am happy to share that she had her procedure and is feeling much better! We have started meeting with her on Wednesday evenings and are looking forward to her health progressing to where she can join us for Bible study on Sundays. Prayer Needs: Pray for soft soil as we share the gospel and spiritual growth for those in our discipleship groups. Pray for health for our family as we enter the winter season.
We had a one-on-one retreat with Baptists from Kyle, Seguin, and San Antonio, Texas. It was led by Pastors Luis Perez, Ciro Gonzalez, and myself. There were nine of us. It was on Nov. 7 and 8 and we rented two cabins in Seguin. The theme was: Committing ourselves more to serving the Lord. Although we hadn't planned it, there were two baptisms. Prayer Needs: I moved to a house; I hope to have the group meetings there on Sundays.
We finished the scheduled 2025 Bible studies. We praise the Lord for the blessing of seeing people falling in love with a real deep search in God's word. Prayer Needs: Peace of mind. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions It is BMA of Texas Annual Meeting time! I look forward to seeing so many of you and reporting on all that God is doing in Texas Missions. Your missionaries saw 30 saved this month. Your missionaries are faithful, and God is building His churches. We get to celebrate the 125th birthday of the BMA of Texas, Texas Missions, and the WMA at the meeting. God has been so good to us! I hope you can join us in the important business and the celebration. If you are new to the BMA, join me at 3:30p.m. Monday in room 2410 for a breakout session called BMA 101. It will be an orientation and a connection to resources. I look forward to seeing you there.
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
The Lord is growing Redemption Hill, both in number and maturation. We are celebrating at least one baptism this Sunday with a man who came a few weeks ago. He professed faith in Jesus and a desire to follow Him in baptism. He is in a struggling marriage, but because of his recent conversion, he has decided to fight for that marriage rather than walking away. There is a long road ahead, but we are hopeful for God's continuing and sustaining grace to transform them. Prayer Needs: Please pray for wisdom regarding some significant leadership decisions.
We are celebrating with one of our members, Allen Hong, who welcomed a healthy baby boy, John, this month! We have been helping them with meals, prayers and support. Their joy has been contagious, reminding us all of the peace of being a believer and belonging to a group of believers. Prayer Needs: Thank you, BMA churches, for your continued prayers, encouragement and support. We are grateful to be part of this family of churches, and enjoying the beauty of new life, both for our member family's new baby and our new life in Jesus Christ!
God is continuing to build up our church members in Christ. Last month, an older couple who led a weekly Bible study in their apartment complex also met with a Hindu couple, an agnostic man and a man interested in learning more about God in one week! Their joy at sharing with our church was priceless. We also had a church member who started cautiously to speak Jesus' name, now boldly sharing Jesus with others, praying for opportunities to share, and discipling her daughter-in-law to speak Jesus' name in conversations. Our church member shared a photo of two young ladies who her daughter-in-law had just led to Jesus. What a transformation! She was once hesitant to share but is now boldly leading others to Jesus. God is faithful to His people and to His mission to seek and save the lost. We are overwhelmed with the privilege of joining Him. Prayer Needs: Please pray for wisdom as we work to reach our neighbors and empower our people to reach their neighbors. We are also transitioning an evening Bible study to a house church, so please pray for the Lord to direct steps and keep the enemy from distracting people from God's mission for us to be the body of Christ.
Howdy from west Texas! We are praising God for another wonderful month here in west Texas and Oasis. We continue to grow and welcome new visitors almost every week. We had a chance to serve the middle school staff in Sundown and continue to make progress toward starting a new work there. But greatest of all, we are celebrating the answered prayer of the salvation of the husband of one of our members we have lifted in prayer for four years! It is a beautiful story of a faithful wife living out her faith and loving her husband well and actually leading him to Christ after bringing him to church a few weeks ago. God is so good! Prayer Needs: Please pray for leadership development, new connections and work in Sundown, and new connections and work at SPC.
Greetings, churches of the BMA of Texas. I would like to share that Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler was able to have a worship service without the pastor being there on Oct. 12. I had inventory at work that weekend, and John was unable to bring a message in my absence that day. Diego, our 22-year-old son, was gladly willing to direct the service and have our members participate with scriptures and testimonies that day in my absence. I managed to get there at the end of service and saw that we had visitors, so I jumped in and made an invitation. Other than that, the service was held without me being there. Before that day, I was worried, but after seeing the response from Diego and the rest of the church to have service, I was greatly encouraged. Diego has been helping with our audio visuals, but will now be helping us direct service at least on first Sundays when we have the Lord's Supper. Thank you for supporting our ministry with prayers, various resources, training and offerings. May God bless all your ministries as well. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for leaders within our church, no matter how young they may be!
This month has been very difficult, but the most beautiful thing is that we have seen God in every moment. Despite what we are going through, God has been good. We have been attending Garland Baptist Church for a month now, and it has been a blessing. We want to continue there. The pastor has welcomed us with so much love. We continue to pray for the immigration situation, for my son's girlfriend who is still detained, and for my wife who had her checkup this month and has some health problems. We know that we have on our side the One who can do all things, Jesus. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my family, my son’s girlfriend (Nachiel), our immigration status, our economy and prayer groups.
I am so glad to report that we've had our first salvation! Mrs. Betty Gillory lives in Port Arthur. I met her when our eldest daughter, Zoe, and I went out to share the gospel a few weeks ago. Mrs. Betty started sharing about some serious health issues she's struggling with and the possibility of surgery. I took the opportunity to share the gospel, and she placed her faith in Jesus right there on the playground sidewalk. Please pray for her growth as a new believer and for her family to hear and respond in faith. On another front, we've been working on a garage/work shed that is on our property, transforming it into a meeting space for Bible studies. In the last few weeks, the insulation has been done, a new door installed and sheetrock delivered. We hope to have it finished and ready to meet in by the end of the month. Thank you to the churches of the BMA of Texas who have faithfully given so that we can prepare this space to meet in. May the Lord bless you! Prayer Needs: Pray for more soft soil to hear and respond to the gospel. Pray for health for our family as we've been dealing with viruses on and off. Pray for endurance in the work.
One of the projects that Ciro González and I had was to organize a man-to-man camp for the Kyle, Seguin and San Antonio areas. Thank God we're going to have it in Seguin on Nov. 7. Prayer Needs: Please pray for the integration of the Kyle, Seguin and San Antonio areas.
Despite our tight agenda with work, we have had great progress in the Bible studies at the Conroe cell group. For the time being, we have covered four foundational topics: God's nature (Trinity) + Human's nature (physical + spiritual); Revelation + Illumination; Sin (origin and consequences); Salvation (justification + sanctification + glorification). Most of the attendees have shared that they had never received this "systematic" teaching. I praise the Lord they have not fallen asleep; in fact, they show a genuine interest. Prayer Needs: Please pray for wisdom in developing stronger synergy in each cell group and between the cell groups.
We hosted our Second Annual Women's Conference and had almost 40 women participate, 17 of whom were from outside of our church. The theme was “Content in Christ”. My wife, Jacklyn, headed it up along with a team of volunteers. I taught on contentment from Philippians 4, and one of our women led the ladies in worship. We created a 30-day contentment journal for each person. The event was a thorough success, and I'm so very proud of my wife for this fruitful experience. Prayer Needs: God is giving me and others at our church greater courage in initiating conversations with strangers to offer assistance or prayer or to invite them to church, give away a Bible or talk about Jesus. Please pray that this continues all the more so that we stay on mission.  Second annual Women's Conference at Grace Church Jarrell Mission
This month we are going to do our Feast of Praise, where we eat a lot of good food and sing praises. Please pray that we connect with many new families. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our Feast of Praise. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions It is the season for all 25 of the local BMA associations to have their annual meetings. I look forward to seeing so many of you at these meetings. The overlap means that it isn't possible to be at all of them every year. I want to encourage you to attend your local association. I want to encourage the many churches outside of a local fellowship to try one out near you. I want to challenge each of us with the truth that churches fellowshipping together is so important for health. It is good to learn from each other and sharpen one another. Exposure to our differences between churches makes us better. In times of hardship these relationships are so valuable. Maybe your local association is not currently the best fellowship. I want to challenge that in Christ it can be amazing and impactful. Get involved and help change the course. We have seen that the associations that engage missions together, serve and encourage each other and practice regular loving fellowship are healthy and add to the health of each local church. I hope to see you on the association trail.
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
Redemption Hill is healthy by God's grace. The Lord is growing us every year both in the quality and quantity of disciples of Jesus. We installed more new members this month than ever before, and some of those are already leadership quality folks. My wife Sydney and I are hosting our group leaders once a month at the house for in-depth discipleship in hopes that our groups become healthier, more Jesus centered, more neighborly focused and evangelistic and eventually a new church plant comes from this. Thank you for your prayers and support. Prayer Needs: Please pray that my family and I continue to pursue Jesus together amidst a busy ministry season.
Praise God! Anchor Austin mission here in Georgetown is growing in a healthy way, teaching God's Word, discipling committed individuals, developing leaders and building environments to meet more people and evangelize. Prayer Needs: Pray that God would bless with more new families to be a part of this mission that God is leading at Anchor Austin. God is doing amazing things here at Anchor Austin. We are excited to see new milestones reached and healthy challenges in our leadership as we look forward to serving God in a mighty way in Georgetown and the surrounding areas.
We started a series of Bible studies in the Conroe cell group. The objective is to equip them with a healthy foundation in the faith to multiply the gospel. We began with nine, but last week we gathered 14. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my health as sometimes an old weakness in my cardiovascular system shows up.
This month, our prayer meeting was blessed with a lady from Ghana who joined us for the very first time. Her presence was a wonderful reminder of how God is drawing people from different places into fellowship with Him. We were encouraged by her openness and the joy of welcoming her into our group. Prayer Needs: Please pray for more people to join our prayer meeting.
God continues to bless our teams as they build rhythms of sharing Jesus. Our Sunday evening group is preparing to transition from a Bible study to official house church with many members already leading others to Christ. Our Sunday morning house church is continuing to grow deeper together and make great steps in reaching others with the gospel. This has been a good summer for ministry with our church having members serve overseas, build relationships and serve lower income communities through a VBS partnership with another church, discipling interns with a partner missions ministry and investing in refugees through area ministries. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our transition to house church, for our leadership development and for our members to continue sharing Jesus in relevant and life-giving ways.
We are still getting visitors and more potential growth. Our people are growing in the Lord and showing a hunger for His Word as we preach through the Book of Daniel. Prayer Needs: Please pray that some of these visitors come to know the Lord and are baptized. Another prayer is for our fall festival on Oct. 26. Pray that we get to connect with several new families and that it is a success.
Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler is sharing the gospel by handing out tracts every week. We give out five tracts to each person every Sunday so that they can share the gospel with friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and people in the grocery stores. We always have more available in case they want to take more but we have a commitment of each to share at least five tracts per week. They then share their experiences the following Sunday. It is awesome to hear some say that they intentionally go places to give out their tracts and talk to people about Christ. We have been encouraging this and taking them to do so ourselves, but it excites us that they are doing so of their own initiative. I have also felt encouraged by the recommendations and prayers of some of our strong believers who have had pastoral and missionary ministries in the past. Suddenly, I feel that my preaching is becoming bolder, and I know it is because of those two factors. We are blessed to have these wonderful and experienced servants among us. Prayer Needs: Please pray for more people in our groups to obey the Lord and be baptized.
This past Sunday we had a special time as a church plant as we celebrated our first baptism. This was a special time for our family as well as it was our youngest son, Gabrial, who was baptized. We held the celebration at our house and he was baptized in our pool. We used the opportunity to invite some friends over and made the gospel clear through it all. After the baptism we celebrated with burgers and swimming. It was a wonderful time with family, our Bible study group and friends. Prayer Needs: Pray for us as we settle into our new neighborhood and area of Nederland. Ask the Lord to give us open doors with those we come in contact to build relationships. Pray for me (Kevin) as I have started my first year of teaching. It really is going well so far but there's a lot to learn.  Gaberial's baptism!
I have seen that the first thing that helps a Christian is to have a closer relationship with God. Sometimes we run out of ideas, projects and goals. But the more time we spend in prayer, the more the Lord clarifies our thoughts. Situations change for the better. Prayer Needs: Thank God! My knee is much better. I am losing weight. In September we will start a new group in the south of the city. Please pray for that group.
A couple came to us a few months ago. The husband had spent 25 years in prison and was released last October. A church member invited him to come. His wife has had a difficult past as well. They came and multiple church members were able to love them in practical ways. I met with the husband and while he has already been saved, he desires baptism. A few weeks ago, at a church service, the wife repented of her sins and placed her faith in Jesus to save her. We will be baptizing them both once he gets his ankle monitor removed or we are given permission to work around that obstacle. They both desire to go all in with us as church members. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our people to have compassion for the lost around us and the courage to engage in conversations about Jesus.
We are going through an unpleasant situation. One of our people was detained and is in the process of being deported to Honduras. We continue to pray for her and that she will soon be reunited with her son. Prayer Needs: Please pray for Jennifer and her family.
This month God has shown His power, as some of you know I have a monitoring device. Still, I feel blessed because God has not abandoned me. We want to continue doing what God entrusted to us. We are rising from a difficult situation. Still, we have seen the hand of God in everything. We want to continue to bring the message of Jesus to the community. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my situation, my family, my children and our finances. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions It is a big transition season for some of your missionaries right now. Five of your missionaries are taking their first scary steps into financial independence. The mission works prepare for this and never feel prepared when the time arrives. You generously provide funds to them through your cooperation with Texas Missions for five years. We have never seen so many at this moment at once.  Lighthouse of Hope Church is now an organized BMA church in Katy that is made up entirely of Nigerian immigrants. They are a healthy congregation that is well-formed. Their pastor, Aderemi Badru, is a missionary by calling and is burdened to plant another church. Pray for him as he committedly stays and prepares the church to stand and call a pastor when it is time for him to depart. This church is made up of low-income members, yet they are sacrificially giving both to salary and to their new church facility.  Iglesia Bautista Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, translated) is an organized BMA church in Kyle. This church has endured some rough seasons, and its pastor, Luis Perez, has endured hardship over the last few months. He buried his mother and father back-to-back. The church takes the gospel and discipleship very seriously. They have grown and strengthened steadily.Iglesia Bautista Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, translated) is an organized BMA church in Kyle. This church has endured some rough seasons, and its pastor, Luis Perez, has endured hardship over the last few months. He buried his mother and father back-to-back. The church takes the gospel and discipleship very seriously. They have grown and strengthened steadily.  Harmony Baptist Church in Normangee reached out to us with a burden to see their community reached. They needed help and were willing to face their reality and make sacrifices to engage the Great Commission. Robert Lee and his family felt led to engage with them. This family and church are a great fit for one another, and they are impacting the community with the gospel.  Iglesia Bautista Hispana Conroe (Conroe Hispanic Baptist Church, translated) is an organized BMA church in Conroe that has met at Northside Baptist Church. Their pastor Isaias Martinez is a Cuban American and has faithfully served this body. Brother Isaias needs your prayers because he was recently laid off as the company he worked for entered foreclosure. This young church is producing leaders effectively. They are saving for their own building.  Anchor Austin Church is an organized BMA church in Georgetown/North Austin made up entirely of immigrants from India. They are a healthy congregation pastored by Chris Mindi. Their call is to make disciples among Hindu people. This is obviously difficult and a God sized challenge. God is bringing glory to Himself because migrants from India are walking together in this new church. Unique to this congregation, they take a several- day retreat together annually with near-perfect attendance. One thing each of these churches have in common is that they all began during COVID. You can imagine how hard that has been. Baptist Progress: I am glad to report that the Baptist Progress transition to agency status within your BMA Texas Missions is going well. The team led by Chris Driver is doing a good job with the paper. This is the third paper they have produced. They are working hard on improvements and expansion of your news outlet. You are seeing more news from our churches and interest articles. Last month, they launched a podcast, which will give you the option to watch or listen to BMA news. This month, you are seeing the eNews Update show up in a new phone-friendly format. Good job, Progress team! Finances are looking good. We are operating on budget with one small challenge. The Anniversary offering has dropped by over half from last year. We anticipated a drop but didn’t plan for it to be this severe. Thirty less churches have participated in the special offering. It isn’t too late to participate. The Progress still needs your help.
A word from your missionaries: CHRIS MINDI—ANCHOR AUSTIN, MISSION IN LEANDER [email protected] We have reached a good milestone. We have a worship leader at Anchor Austin. He is a gifted individual and passionate for the Lord. While he is growing in his faith, he still struggles but as his pastor, I am embracing the duty to mentor this individual. I am glad in my heart that God has sent him to Anchor Austin. Prayer Needs: Pray that God would bless us with more new families to be a part of this mission that God Himself is leading at Anchor Austin. God is doing amazing things here at Anchor Austin, we are excited to see new milestones reached. We are looking forward to serving God in a mighty way in Georgetown and it's surrounding areas.  ERIC JORDAN—BREATH OF PRAISE—BROWNWOOD [email protected] We had two people join the church, a young lady gave her life to Christ and was baptized, and had a great VBS. Prayer Needs: Pray that the Lord will send an associate pastor.  HAITAO HE—FREE SALVATION BIBLE MISSION— CORPUS CHRISTI [email protected] We’ve been walking through the book of James in our weekly Bible study, and it’s been both challenging and refreshing. This series has sparked great discussion about faith in action. One participant shared how the teachings helped her get out of a period of depression. We praise God for the power of the Word! Prayer Needs: We met some new friends and we are praying for a good relationship with them. Please pray with us that we will have those new friends join our prayer meeting.  ISAIAS MARTINEZ—CONROE MISSION [email protected] The mission is progressing well. We celebrated all our accomplishments. The wedding event was significant for its attendance and the topic discussed. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our future meeting place.  MIGUEL RAMOS—HURST MISSION [email protected] The Mission continues to strengthen itself mainly in the faith and this is reflected in the way we live and how we express ourselves. Prayer Needs: Let us pray for the government and the advisors of this country so that their decisions are correct.  LUIS H. PEREZ--IGELSIA BAUTISTA GRACIA SOBERANA—KYLE [email protected] We have been quite busy in the ministry, which is a joy to work in the business of our God. Time passes and we do not realize. It is a little tiring but very joyful. We need prayer to be able to work with the new converts and for those who get a little jealous because of the attention given to the newcomers while helping the others continue to grow and welcome the those new to the faith. We continue working with others so that they can do and develop their gifts and talents for our God. Prayer Needs: For the spiritual growth of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, Kyle.  JOSE TORRES—IGLESIA NUEVA VIDE EN CRISTO—TYLER [email protected] Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler began two new groups and restarted a women's Bible study at the home of sister Marisol who is a phenomenal host. One of the new groups is in the home of recently baptized member, Natividad Fino and his wife Carmen. We have been well received in their home as well and they are very excited to learn more about God's Word. The other new group is with sister Graciela, who is widow of a former missionary. We gather for prayer in her home and receive lots of motivation and helpful advice in doing mission work. We have also started to motivate our people to share the gospel by giving out gospel tracts that we provide for each person. Each tract has our church plant name, address and telephone number. We then set aside some time during our Sunday worship service for a few to share their experiences as they give out their tracts. This has been a wonderful experience for all of us. We are very grateful for all the support all the churches of the BMA of Texas provide our church plant. May God continue to bless your ministries! Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for the formation of a worship band.  RUDY VILLAREAL—HOMETOWN CHURCH MISSION IN HELOTES [email protected] We are growing. We have had several new families come and they are excited about connecting to our Church. They have enjoyed the preaching, fellowship and our brisket Sundays. Prayer Needs: Pray that this momentum continues in the fall and for our Fall Festival outreach.  ABNER NUNEZ—SAN ANTONIO MISSION [email protected] Generally, the Spanish- speaking church planters of the BMA are associated with immigrants who don't have the immediate possibility of obtaining residency unless something extraordinary happens. While continuing to serve this group, we must pray that God will place people with residency and citizens in our paths, thus balancing our membership. The goal is to have stable and healthy churches. Prayer Needs: For my health. I have a bad knee and cannot put weight on my foot. I'm looking for a location for our Sunday meetings. We currently have one monthly.  JOSE GIL—PROYECTO MISIONERO "LIDIA" – SPRING [email protected] Lourdes and I are enjoying not an easy but a fruitful ministry, and this month we just want to express gratitude in our prayers. Prayer Needs: That more friends in the cells are born again and baptized.  Jesus Calderon's baptism. We also baptized his wife in 2024. Praise the Lord!  KYLE CHEATHAM—GRACE CHURCH JARRELL [email protected] Thanks to the support of our church, I was able to take my annual three-week study leave in order to invest time, energy and focus into our discipleship strategy that will launch soon. While out, three men of our church that are on our teaching team stepped up to bring the Word and each did well. It is so exciting to see God drawing in these men and equipping them to use their gifts in this way. Prayer Needs: Please pray for us as we launch our first few disciple making Groves in September, where disciples will mature alongside one another for ten months before multiplying and each starting their own Grove.  MARVIN MEDINA—PLANO MISSION [email protected] This month has been hard since I had to attend an immigration appointment where they placed a device on me. At first, I felt very distressed. But we are seeing the hand of God in it all. May His will be done in our lives. Thank you for your prayers. I ask that you continue praying so that I can get a job. Prayer Needs: My immigration, economic and family situation. May God strengthen us.  KEVIN WILLIAMS—PORT ARTHUR MISSION [email protected] It has been a wild summer. We bought a house in Nederland (right next to Port Arthur) and I got hired to be a 7th grade English teacher. We are still doing our Thursday evening discipleship and Sunday evening Bible study. We have had a couple of new people come over the last several weeks as guests of Roberto and Betsy. But we have had no return visits yet. We are excited to get settled in our new area of the Golden Triangle and seek out relationships to share the gospel. Prayer Needs: Pray for protection over our family (both physical and spiritual). Pray for Kevin as he starts his new teaching job and all the pressures that come with that. Pray for a person of peace in our new neighborhood that will be open to hearing the Gospel and can be a connector to others.  CHRIS DRIVER—OASIS CHURCH, LEVELLAND PASTOR CONNECTION/BAPTIST PROGRESS [email protected] Howdy from west Texas! What a busy and exciting month we had out here in Levelland. We really spent a lot of time engaging with the communities out here in west Texas this month. We started out the month with a great Fourth of July celebration in Whitharral at our friends' house where many of our people were able to attend and make new connections with my hometown community. We had a mission team from Antioch, Gilmer, come out and help us with a nursery project at the building and put on a "slammin'" good community outreach here in Levelland with Mike Watt and Trevor Cowan, the pro wrestling preachers from CrossWork, Tahoka. We ended the month by loving on our neighbors and students from the SPC Cosmetology department as they got ready to go back to school this semester. It was definitely busy, but we had a blast. It is so amazing to be able to be part of what God is doing out here in west Texas. Thank you for all you do and all your support. Prayer Needs: Please pray for new contacts and a new ministry work in Sundown and wisdom as it may be necessary to start looking for a bigger building soon.  TIM ALBA—THE BRIDGE MISSION IN SEAGOVILLE [email protected] We had many people take the initiative to get baptized. We so far have six people getting baptized this month. We have had about 80 people coming to our services when our members invite, which they have been more aggressive in doing so. Prayer Needs: Please pray for me and Nancy. Our marriage is strong, but we often get overloaded by church duties. By Heith Mitchell BMA of Texas Missions Director I had the privilege of serving and connecting the youth groups of Pathway Baptist, Waxahachie, and First Baptist, Rice with Lighthouse of Hope, Katy, for a week-long mission trip. Lighthouse of Hope is your Mission to Nigerian families in Katy. The students passed out church and VBS invitations around the community, held a two-day VBS, and worshipped and fellowshipped with the congregation. The mission church was strengthened and encouraged and the teens were forever changed for all they learned and experienced. Would you consider mission work beside a BMA of Texas Mission? We would be honored to connect you and assist you.
A word from your missionaries Eric Jordan - Breath of Praise – Brownwood [email protected] This month we raised up two new leaders: a Youth leader, and a Nursing Home leader. Prayer Needs: That the Lord continues to open opportunities to share His gospel, and that we have a successful VBS at the end of this month.  Isaias Martinez - Conroe Mission [email protected] The mission is going well. We have a strong focus on discipleship cells. We celebrated Father's Day. We are going to raise three brothers this summer. Prayer Needs: Pray for the church's goal to have our own place by 2026.   Chris Driver– Oasis Church, Llevaland Pastor Connection/Baptist Progress [email protected] Howdy from west Texas! Summer is here and things have heated up for Oasis (even if the temps in west Texas haven’t). We continue to grow both spiritually and numerically. It is an exciting time for Oasis. We had another amazing baptism service where three believers gave their testimonies of God’s salvation and transformation in their lives. It is always such a beautiful time for us as a church family. We also had our first ever Fifth Sunday Serve day. We canceled regular services and went out into the community to be the church and serve the Lord in various ways. It was amazing! I am so proud of our people and how God is moving in and through them. Thank you for letting us be a part of God’s plan and mission here in west Texas. Prayer Needs: Pray for new connections in Sundown, open doors for the gospel, and the start of our new discipleship groups and strategy.  Jose Gil - Proyecto Misionero "Lidia" – Spring [email protected] Lourdes and I are so grateful. After 18 months since our shy beginning in The Woodlands we have preached to more than 50 people and baptized three. At the present time we are serving in three cells: Spring, The Woodlands and Conroe. Despite the usual absences due to work schedule changes of the cell attendees, we are sharing the good news of salvation to approximately 25 every week. More than preaching doctrine, which we do, we are making friends and letting them witness the blessing of being part of the family of God. Prayer Needs: Resilience, health, and income  Luis H. Perez - Igelsia Bautista Gracia Soberana - Kyle [email protected] Thank God! Now there are three men and four women who are already beginning to develop biblical studies, they are not scholars but they are already beginning to structure their biblical studies and I give them the opportunity to present it on Wednesdays before the church prayer. Prayer Needs: Last week, and to be more precise, on Monday, I was also having anxiety attacks, and it is not easy; I had to sit down and try to relax. I ask for your prayers since I see that they are no longer as constant as at the beginning.  Kyle Cheatham– Grace Church Jarrell [email protected] We are 92 sermons into our series through the book of Acts. A man in his seventies has been attending our church. During a conversation in his home, he said that our church is the friendliest church he has ever attended. He loved that people didn’t just shake his hand and say “Hi” but had real conversations with him and remembered his name. We love seeing God grow us into a place of grace and truth. Prayer Needs: Please pray for the marriages in our church, that husbands will lovingly lead and that wives will respectfully submit as they both serve one another selflessly.  Jose Torres– Iglesia Nueva Vide en Cristo - Tyler [email protected] Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler had a new profession of faith during one of our worship services. Brother Eduardo is excited about the next step of baptism. We hope to connect with his wife and sons to have Bible study in their home soon. The group that meets for worship is realizing this is a very exciting outcome of our service. We were also happy to host the East Texas meeting of our Spanish churches and plants in the area. Our group was blessed to serve and to receive encouraging messages from brother David Lopez and Jaime Lengua and reports from other church planters in the area. We also enjoyed singing along in worship with Fair Park, Tyler band. Please continue to pray for the formation of a worship band in our church plant. Thank you for all your support. You are a blessing to my family, church plant, and myself. Prayer Needs: Please pray specifically for Diego, that God may guide and prepare him in music.  Jaime Garcia– Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida - Gilmer [email protected] Most of the families of the church do not have documents and are suffering in fear; some are not working after having worked for many years in the same work. Finances also affect us, and we will have to make several adjustments. Prayer Request: Please pray for the families to keep coming to the services. I am trying to encourage them with biblical messages that reinforce their faith, and may God comfort us.  Abner Nunez– San Antonio Mission [email protected] The main reason for prayers in our meetings is the immigration issue. We have seen that all the visits to the court of our brothers have been without problem. They no longer go with anguish, but with the conviction that God is in control of everything, whether they are deported. Prayer Needs: May we be able to find more church planters for the San Antionio, Texas area.   Brad Cauley– Cedar Park Mission [email protected] God allowed our family and another family from our church to serve in the Dominican Republic for a week. Our families (11-yearolds to 50-year-olds) shared the gospel, built relationships with children and adults, and served the community. Our children learned first-hand how the Lord can use them to impact others for Christ, how He answers their prayers, and what a joy it is to live for His glory. Our groups continue to grow and share their love of Christ with others, and our first multiplication group is ready to branch out and start meeting in a new group. God is faithful to build His church and gracious enough to let us be part of it. Prayer Needs: For our leaders to be unified in vision as they step into new leadership roles. For God to empower and embolden our evangelism relationships.   Marvin Medina– Plano Mission [email protected] After much discouragement and situations, we continue working to take the message to our community. We started with a group where there is a lot of family, God has been good, we are praying for people to arrive, but we want God to show his will. Prayer Needs: My family, my children, my wife, and the ministry that God gave us, and our economy  Rudy Villareal– Hometown Church Mission in Helotes [email protected] O u r f i r s t V B S w a s awesome! We met many families, our theme was Minecraft oriented, called Biblecraft. As a high school teacher, many of my students said that I look like Steve from Minecraft. So, we figured we would leverage that and built something really fun for kids and taught them that Jesus Christ is our foundation and Cornerstone for life. We shared the gospel with them and then had our Brisket Sunday two days later. This is where we got to continue to fellowship with families that returned for Sunday worship. Prayer Needs: Please pray that these families we have met get connected to our church and that some of them find Christ and are baptized. By HEITH MITCHELL BMA of Texas Missions Director God is faithful! God is faithful to His mission, and we have really seen that this month. Your missionaries reported 31 saved and 23 baptized in April. This is a record for baptisms. We praise the Lord and remember that He is with us when we are faithful to the great commission. The Lord also blessed the annual Hombre a Hombre Hispanic Men's Conference with two saved and 11 surrendering to ministry this month. The conference grew from 80 last year to 160 this year. BMAT Staffing Changes We are working through some role shifts in your Texas Missions this month. Todd West has stepped down as the Pastor's Connection Coordinator. He continues on as lead for missionary training. Todd has made this change in order to be a planting pastor with a new mission in Celina, Texas. He will be working with Travis Sellers, the lead missionary in Celina. Chris Driver will be taking on the role of Pastor Connection Coordinator, along with team lead for the Baptist Progress. We wanted to move the Progress to more of a team development approach with its lead primarily in the field among the churches. Chris and the team will host conferences and trainings and Chris will meet with pastors and leaders. The result should be stories from our churches and ministries. He will be supported by a team of Morgan Standifer, Lisa Maynard, Abby Clark and Elvis Garcia. Chris will also continue to lead Oasis Church, Levelland. This ministry is committed and, by design, bivocational. Elvis Garcia takes on the role of Missionary Care Coordinator for all our missionaries. He has been in this role as Hispanic Missionary Coordinator while Chris Driver has been the coordinator for English-speaking missionaries since 2019. Elvis will continue to work with all Hispanic churches in BMAT as well.  PROJECT 2029 100 Churches/10 Years
A word from your missionaries:  Eric Jordan - Breath of Praise – Brownwood [email protected] Our church had a financial hardship with church repairs and the leadership team came together and committed to give more to the repair project without me asking. Hallelujah! Prayer Needs: Pray for a God-sent associate pastor.  Isaias Martinez - Conroe Mission [email protected] I t w a s a b l e s s i n g t o participate in the Hombre a Hombre retreat and to be able to take six men, four of whom are new to the Evenagelio. It was also a blessing to see how a cell group led by a young person who has just been discipled and baptized can advance and strengthen, demonstrating that it is possible to make disciples who make disciples. To God be the glory! Prayer Needs: Pray for the strengthening of the ministry, Churches at Home, that our church develops.  Miguel Ramos– Hurst Mission [email protected] This month was a great blessing as our mission is bearing fruit. We have three couples that we are equipping as they are also discipling family members in their home country. Prayer Needs: Pray that each church and mission will continue to be strengthened and not cease to share the gospel and continue to do so with passion to reach more souls.  Brad Holcomb– Redemption Hill Ft. Worth [email protected] We are seeing more nonChristians involved in the life of our church and some of those moving closer to Jesus as He draws them. Prayer Needs: We are praying for the Lord to grow us, both spiritually among our members and numerically among those not yet in the church this summer. We would love it if you’d join us in that.  Jose Gil - Proyecto Misionero "Lidia" – Spring [email protected] Eight of our friends in the cell groups are struggling with changing work schedules and therefore we are having some difficulties gathering all at once. For the time being, we are taking one additional night every week to share with all, but our own schedule is tight. We pray and hope about this. Prayer Needs: Our friends in Spring are facing an increasing number of robberies. Two weeks ago, the four tires of their car were stolen from the parking lot. They are considering moving. Please join us in prayer because they are the host of the cell group.  Celebrating my birthday (May 13th) at home with some of my closest ones: my wife, my mother, and part of the Spring cell attendees.  Chris Driver– Oasis Church, Llevaland Pastor Connection/Baptist Progress [email protected] Howdy from west Texas! All is well here in the flatlands. We finished up school, so summer has officially arrived. We had such a great month with several special services that came right on the heels of Easter (Mother's Day and Graduates Day). We also had a couple start up a new "foodies" group that meets in Lubbock and tries out new and strange foods. The food was good for our first night out but the conversation and fellowship was everything I've been trying to develop here at Oasis. We shared stories and connected in ways you just can't in a larger group. Bonds were built and I believe it's going to have a major impact on us as a church moving forward. What I love the most is that it is an example of how someone's personal passions and hobbies are Kingdom-valuable. I am praying that others will see that God can use the things we like and love to build His kingdom and strengthen His people. As always, thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to be a part of God's work out here in west Texas. I am so thankful to be part of the BMAT family! Prayer Needs: New connections in Sundown Possible partnership with Levelland Christian School Open doors for the gospel  Kyle Cheatham– Grace Church Jarrell [email protected] We recently celebrated the baptism of an awesome young man, Calvin, who wonderfully articulated the gospel when we met and it was evident that God had drawn him to salvation. Around 50 people gathered at a home with a river running behind it. His sister wrote an amazing song and sang it for him while playing guitar. We all gathered around and prayed over Calvin. His dad and I jumped into the cold river and did his baptism together. It was a remarkable evening for Calvin, for his family and friends and for our church family! Prayer Needs: Please pray for our people to love one another so much that we will fight for unity by fiercely resisting gossip, quickly moving toward one another and reconciling whenever there is a fracture in a relationship.  Chris Mindi– Anchor, Austin Mission in Leander [email protected] P r a i s e G o d ! We a r e excited that new families and individuals are coming to Anchor Austin and finding it to be their home. Pray thatthey would grow closer to God as they hear God's Word preached. Pray that the vision of disciples making disciples revives everyone. Please continue to pray for us at Anchor Austin that we would take the gospel and seed the good news wherever we go and build more people for God's glory and His kingdom. Prayer Needs: Pray that we diligently develop leaders faithfully. Pray for the annual retreat that is coming up. Pray for the new families that are coming and if it is God's will, for them to find Anchor Austin to be a home where they belong.  Jaime Garcia– Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida - Gilmer [email protected] At this time, I see God doing his work with my brothers. I believe that the church is beginning to stand on its own without me having to be so heavily involved. It is something that only God can do. Prayer Request: Please pray for my family and for more quality time for them and for the ministry.   Abner Nunez– San Antonio Mission [email protected] With the immigration c i r c u m s t a n c e s w e a r e witnessing, we had to suspend a meeting in a park on the Sunday before Memorial Day. We intended to do evangelistic work before our monthly service there. We have had to reconsider how to do ministry outside our homes but the Lord is going to give us wisdom to face this situation. Prayer Needs: Please pray for more planters for San Antonio. This is a very sprawling city.  Haitao He– Free Salvation Bible Mission - Corpus Christi [email protected] We have been walking through the book of James in our weekly Bible study, and it has been both challenging and refreshing. This series has sparked great discussion about faith in action. One participant shared how the teachings helped her get out of a period of depression. We praise God for the power of the Word Prayer Needs: Pray for the two members who are graduating and relocating. Ask God to guide them in their new season and help them find strong Christian communities where they can continue to grow and serve.  Samuel Arellano - Henderson Mission arellanosamuel10@gmail.com A s a c h u r c h w e a r e supporting families who are out of work, giving marriage counseling and spiritual and material support. Prayer Needs: Pray for your servant that doors will be opened to me and that I will preach the Word of God.  Luis H. Perez - Igelsia Bautista Gracia Soberana - Kyle [email protected] D e s p i t e m y h e a l t h situation, I continue to visit two families, and one is new. I have three young men who can already develop and give a Bible study and two of them can already preach. We also have four sisters who can get up and share their testimonies with us. Prayer Needs: Pray for the brothers and sisters who are already developing their gifts and talents and for those who are just wanting to take the step.  Jose Torres– Iglesia Nueva Vide en Cristo - Tyler [email protected] Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler is alive and well. We praise God for allowing us to celebrate the baptism of brother Natividad Fino this month. It was a great time of joy and with it came some new visitors to our worship service. We celebrated the Lord's Supper that same day since it happened to be the first Sunday of the month and we have been celebrating it faithfully that day since we launched. Of course, we had a delicious meal afterwards. All of this was a wonderful reminder that God is at work amongst us and for that we are grateful. We are also excited that a praise and worship band could be forming in the near future. We will be needing to buy some instruments and sound equipment but we trust the Lord will provide as He has up until now. We continue to thank God for the generous support that all BMA churches give us through the mission's office. Thank you for all the training and coaching provided for my wife and I by brother Elvis and his wife, Wendy. Most of all thank you for the prayers lifted on our behalf. May God continue to receive glory through all our BMA ministries. Blessings. Prayer Needs: Please pray for the formation of a praise and worship band and for the resources to purchase instruments and sound equipment.  Natividad Fino Baptism  Rudy Villareal– Hometown Church Mission in Helotes [email protected] We are going to put on our first VBS to reach out to families. Please pray that the gospel is heard and He is glorified. Prayer Needs: Pray for our VBS June 20  Marvin Medina– Plano Mission [email protected] Due to the immigration situation we have had a little discouragement on the part of the people who attend but God has taken care of us. He has provided for us. He has filled us with His peace, and we continue in the call. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my family, ministry, economic situation, and for a job.  A Word form your Missions Office By HEITH MITCHELL BMA of Texas Missions Director Your Texas Missions will humbly take on the important responsibility of The Baptist Progress should you approve the proposed constitutional changes in the executive committee meeting May 20, 2025. We know how important this ministry is to our BMA family and every ministry that comprises our partnerships. We know that it must continue. We believe in the importance of the physical paper that we are all used to and love. We also understand the necessity to pursue multiple different avenues to connect with different ages and different cultures. We can see a path for partnership that could dramatically reduce the costs of The Baptist Progress and allow for several staff to work together in this ministry. We do not believe that we are equipped to do better than the fine job that Bro. Jerry Fulton has done for decades. We do believe the Lord is orchestrating this change. We believe that God faithfully equips us when we follow His lead by faith. In Christ, I expect big things from a future agency known as The Baptist Progress. To each BMA of Texas Missions giving partner, we want to assure you that your investments in missions will remain missions investments. You are faithful, and giving has increased by over 14 percent this year. We are humbly grateful and want to steward those funds faithfully as intended. We believe a Baptist Progress agency budget should sustain itself through shared costs and reductions that would come from no longer operating as a department. Of course, this would depend on continued partnerships with BMA churches and ministries. As the director of BMA Texas Missions, I have also been assigned the role as executive director of the BMA of Texas, a duty assigned to me by each of you in the BMA of Texas Constitution. In that role, it is my responsibility to promote the BMA of Texas and each of our important ministry departments. I know that BMA of Texas churches are also BMA of America churches and also value each of the ministries that make up BMA of America. We are all better off in a healthy, thriving, informed BMA. In Christ, I trust that the future will mean progress for BMA Baptists. Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done.
A word from your missionaries:  Brad Holcomb– Redemption Hill Ft. Worth [email protected] Alex is a non-Christian friend I met at a climbing gym. He and I connected over climbing, but soon he began to share with me his recent struggles with suicidal thoughts. I shared the Gospel with him and invited him to church, and he came. He has been coming for a few months now and is getting closer and closer to putting his faith in Jesus. He and I have been walking through a book called Multiply by Francis Chan each week. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our family as we prepare for baby number 5  Isaias Martinez - Conroe Mission [email protected] Thank you so much to our beloved BMA churches and Texas Missions for your support and blessing to be able to share as part of a wonderful family in faith. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our summer program.  Chris Mindi– Anchor, Austin Mission in Leander [email protected] Praise God, Anchor Austin mission in the central Texas area is growing in a healthy way, teaching God's Word, discipling committed individuals, developing leaders and building environments to meet more people and evangelize. We just celebrated our one-year anniversary of gathering for public worship on Sundays. Continue to pray for us at Anchor Austin that we would take the gospel and seed the good news wherever we go and build more people for God's glory and His Kingdom. Prayer Needs: For the upcoming annual retreat that God will renew our commitment and refresh us with His spirit in encouraging us to be faithful in the mission.  Haitao He– Free Salvation Bible Mission - Corpus Christi [email protected] One of our church members shared that his wife got pregnant again. While they are very happy, he is also worried about the future. The other two children and his long working hours require a lot of attention so he will need extra help and strength to face the challenge when the baby comes. We pray for this family and learn together to trust in the Lord and try to support each other. Prayer Needs: Pray for the love among our church to support each other's needs in difficult times.  Luis H. Perez - Igelsia Bautista Gracia Soberana - Kyle [email protected] Thank God. I can see the progress and spiritual growth of some brothers. I was absent for about fifteen days due to the death of my parents, and they took care of everything they were asked to do on Wednesday prayer night, Sunday school and Sunday preaching.  Jose Torres– Iglesia Nueva Vide en Cristo - Tyler [email protected] Thank you for your prayers, the resources coming from the missions department and all financial support. We were blessed to host a Sunday School conference this month brought to us by Editorial Bautista. This gave our congregation the opportunity to serve and also receive great teaching. We have also been blessed to have the wisdom and experience of retired missionaries in our congregation. This has kept us on our toes about details on what we are all about. I truly feel that as a result we had someone surrender their life to Christ during our worship service this month. We also enjoyed a great Easter service. Greater things are yet to come for Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler. Blessings to all. Prayer Needs: I ask prayers for three events in our area association that we will be hosting in the coming months: a Sunday school workshop in a few days, our East Texas church meeting in June and a women's meeting in September. We are very excited about this blessing but we need prayer that the name of the Lord will be exalted in these events.  Rudy Villareal– Hometown Church Mission in Helotes [email protected] Pray for more opportunities to share the Gospel, that our VBS has a great outreach, and we are able to share the gospel with families Prayer Needs: Pray that those who we have connections with will become more committed and for our planning for VBS.  Kyle Cheatham– Grace Church Jarrell Mission [email protected] A woman in our church who was saved and baptized with us last year volunteered to plant some flowers in the planters in front of our church. We meet in a shopping center, and so this has been empty since we moved in. It was her idea, and she did a wonderful job. Further, people from the shops on either side of us have gone out of their way to comment on how nice they are and even offered to water them for us. One of those was someone who has been hard to reach in the past. I had no idea it would be a bridge-builder like that. Prayer Needs: Please pray for us as we follow up with the visitors that God has been bringing to us. That we share the gospel clearly, help them know if we are a good fit and help those who are to come all in with us.  Chris Driver– West Texas Multiplication Network/ Texas Missionary Care [email protected] How hey from west Texas! Another smacking month at Oasis! The highlight was our Easter services! Our Good Friday communion service was one of our highest attended services since we started…until our first ever Easter Sunrise Service where we saw almost 60 people get up early and come worship our risen Lord! God continues to open doors in places we weren’t expecting. Please pray about a possible partnership with the Levelland Christian School. We are so blessed to be able to serve the Lord and the churches of the BMA of Texas! Thank you for all you do for us!!. Prayer Needs: Connection with Levelland Christian school and sundown golf course  Tim Alba– The Bridge Mission in Seagoville [email protected] Our Church has grown in the past few months. Our average attendance has been up to 60 people every Sunday. Our events have reached around 80. We have seen both spiritual growth and the attendance grow in our church. We had 8 baptisms and 1 salvation last month. Prayer Needs: Please pray for a member of ours named Carmen. She is struggling with cancer. Please pray for healing. Thank you.  Jose Gil - Proyecto Misionero "Lidia" – Spring [email protected] My wife and I welcomed Paz, a friend who was detained by the ICE last month. He is back home, after weeks of waiting in prayer. It was a blessing time and we celebrated God's mercy together with his family. Prayer Needs: Endurance and a firm faith. Gratitude for having God's peace in our family.  Abner Nunez– San Antonio Mission [email protected] We're living through somewhat difficult times for immigrants in this country. Sometimes they don't want to open the door when you knock because they think it's ICE. But this also provides an opportunity to work in homes through Bible study, as many families decide to stay in their homes longer. Prayer Needs: Job opportunity for BMA missionaries to supplement the aid received.  Monthly meeting of Bible Study groups in a hotel  Brad Cauley– Cedar Park Mission [email protected] We held our first combined service with our morning group and our evening group the Sunday after Easter. We shared a meal before worshiping under the evening sky, hearing a message, sharing communion, and baptizing three people (Gabe 11, Sophia 10, and Bob 79). Bob prayed to receive Christ just four weeks ago, after joining our group in August. I love how the Lord works! This baptism can be traced back to the death of Caden, my student and the 15 year old son of our friends who host the Sunday evening group (Rob and Kristi). After Caden's funeral, where Rob and Kristi glorified Jesus so powerfully through their grieving, a neighbor ran up to Rob's truck in tears saying he didn't know God like Rob knows God. That led to our Sunday evening group's launch. As Mark grew in the Lord, he was changed! One Sunday he hosted the group, inviting his family and friends to a party before group, hoping many of them would stay. That evening his sister shared how grateful she was for the Bible study because her brother was a new man. It was Mark who brought Bob to group, so Bob could hear the good news about Jesus for the first time and after months of being loved and hearing the word, he received Christ and was baptized. The week leading up to baptism our own Gabriel prayed to receive Christ, not out of fear as he said he did two years ago, but out of desire to have relationship with Him. When we asked if he wanted to be baptized at our worship night, his eyes lit up and asked if he could be baptized with Bob. The next day as I spoke with Bob about the baptism and the conversation i had with Gabe, Bob's eyes lit up and he asked if they could be baptized together. The day of the baptism, Mark's daughter, Sophia, asked if she could be baptized as well. After Kristi spoke with her to make sure she understood the gospel, she was excited to be baptized with Bob and Gabe. What a gift to be baptized with the man Gabe saw come to group, wrestle with Christ, receive Christ, and now commit to following Him with his life. The three were baptized together, Bob in the middle, holding each child's hand on either side. What a gift for a man who never married and never had children. What a gracious God! Prayer Needs: Please pray for our new group that will be launching soon, for our new believers to grow deeply in the Lord, for our favor with the community and neighbors as we build relationships, and for our ministry opportunities with local missions to refugees and internationals. A word from your Missions Office By HEITH MITCHELL Your Texas Missions will humbly take on the important responsibility of the Baptist Progress should you approve the proposed constitutional changes in the executive committee meeting May 20, 2025. We know how important this ministry is to our BMA Family and every ministry that comprises our partnerships. We know that it must continue. We believe in the importance of the physical paper that we are all used to and love. We also understand the necessity to pursue multiple different avenues to connect with different ages and different cultures. We can see a path for partnership that could dramatically reduce the costs of the Baptist Progress and allow for several staff to work together in this ministry. We do not believe that we are equipped to do better than the fine job that Bro. Jerry Fulton has done for decades. We do believe the Lord is orchestrating this change. We believe that God faithfully equips us when we follow His lead by faith. In Christ, I expect big things from a future agency known as the Baptist Progress. To each BMA of Texas Missions giving partner, we want to assure you that your investments in missions will remain missions investments. You are faithful, and giving has increased by over 14 percent this year. We are humbly grateful and want to steward those funds faithfully as intended. We believe a Baptist Progress agency budget should sustain itself through shared costs and reductions that would come from no longer operating as a department. Of course, this would depend on continued partnerships with BMA churches and ministries. As the director of BMA Texas Missions, I have also been assigned the role as executive director of the BMA of Texas, a duty assigned to me by each of you in the BMA of Texas Constitution. In that role, it is my responsibility to promote the BMA of Texas and each of our important ministry departments. I know that BMA of Texas churches are also BMA of America churches and also value each of the ministries that make up BMA of America. We are all better off in a healthy, thriving, informed BMA. In Christ, I trust that the future will mean Progress for BMA Baptists. Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done.  PROJECT 2029 100 New Churches/10 Years
A word from your missionaries:  Kyle Cheatham– Grace Church Jarrell Mission [email protected] One of the things I love most about our church is the willingness of our people to serve. We have four men who are becoming a teaching team to cover about 25 percent of the preaching throughout the year. I will oversee them and help to equip them, with all of us giving input. At our Member Meeting this month, I shared needs for a repair to a light fixture, for someone to oversee all maintenance needs, for someone to do data entry from visitor cards, and for someone to keep our sanctuary chairs straightened and stocked with Connect Cards, envelopes, etc. Before the day was over, all of those needs were covered with people enthusiastic to help. Additionally, so many of our people served our family at the memorial for my father-in-law and blessed us with food, time, help and more. It’s wonderful when the church family truly interacts as the Body of Christ! Prayer Needs: Please pray for wisdom and financial provision as the shop next to us in our shopping center has become available. Expanding would be a wonderful opportunity, especially due to the few space options in our small town. However, to do so would require a good bit of support.  Brad Cauley– Cedar Park Mission [email protected] God continues to build His love and grace through our community. Mark came to our group last year with a Catholic background, but not a vibrant faith in Jesus. We worked through conspiracy theories and many other ideas as we directed his heart to the Word of God. After a few months in the word, Mark began to change. He eventually hosted our meeting in his home on Sunday evening, but had invited family and friends over for a party beforehand in hopes that they would join us in Bible study. Some stayed. His sister was not able to, but made sure to tell us how grateful she was for our Bible study because her brother had been changed through our time in the Word. A few months later, Mark brought his neighbor Bob to our meeting. Bob had no church background and was also concerned about conspiracy theories. After one Bible study, he was discussing those concerns as I tried to redirect the conversation to Christ. Mark finally interrupted and said, "You don't need to worry about all that. What you need is truth. Jesus is the truth. You just need Him!" What a change God has worked in Mark's heart and mind. A few months later, after being loved well by our people, Bob put his faith in Jesus and prayed to receive Christ with tears of joy around the room on March 16. Mark, our new evangelist, experienced the love of Christ, grew in the Lord and poured out that love on his neighbors, one of whom had his name written in the Lamb's book of life this month. What a faithful God we serve! Prayer Needs: Please pray for more members to share the love of Jesus with others and have the privilege of watching them receive Christ. Please ask for more favor with the community and opportunities to make relationships and to serve.  Eric Jordan - Breath of Praise – Brownwood [email protected] We have had wonderful testimonies about how the Word of God is transforming. People are now able to live in a way that pleases God understand that the Lord Jesus wants to live His life through them. Prayer Needs: That the Lord sends an Associate Pastor.  Haitao He– Free Salvation Bible Mission - Corpus Christi [email protected] We have a young man with an addiction who is seeking help. He is struggling mentally and emotionally. We listen to him without judgment and share the story of the prodigal son that God welcomes back those who turn from their ways. We encourage him to live a lifestyle change to avoid any temptation and put God first. We are helping him with the process and praying for God's healing power to work on him. Prayer Needs: Pray that God will heal and renew the spirits for those who suffer from addiction and want to be set free.  Kevin Williams– Port Arthur Mission [email protected] A lemonade stand was not what I would have expected God to use as a bridge to crack open doors into our neighborhood, but that's exactly what happened a few weeks ago. As I took my children to knock on doors and let neighbors know that they would be selling lemonade, I had some good conversations. One in particular was with a lady named Irasema who lives a couple houses down from us. We have had contact before, but it had been a while since we had talked with her. I told her that we had started having Bible study on Sundays in our home and invited her to join us. She told me before that she attends the Catholic church a couple blocks away. However, she expressed interest and went so far as to say, "I believe God has brought you into my life for a reason." She has yet to attend, which I believe is due to shyness, so I plan to go by this week and try to touch base and encourage her. Please be in prayer for Irasema and ask the Lord to work in her to draw her to Himself. Prayer Needs: Please be in prayer for continued physical and spiritual protection for our family. Also, pray for Roberto and Betsy, who are basically part of our core team, as we have been discipling them for several months now. Lastly, pray for the seeds planted with neighbors and coworkers through conversations to grow into opportunities for full gospel conversations.  Jose Torres– Iglesia Nueva Vide en Cristo - Tyler [email protected] God’s Word has been challenging us to a full surrender to serve our Lord at Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler. There is no doubt that God is with us. We sense His presence in our lives but especially when we gather for worship. He is being praised in spirit and in truth, and when that happens, He speaks to us and directs us to what is next. What is next at Nueva Vida is for us to surrender and serve. We are being challenged to serve our Lord with what He has given us. We have a small band of believers. We do not have our own building, but there is a true church forming. We look forward to hosting three exciting events involving other churches and plants in our area that will give us a great opportunity to put our service into action. God is good, and so are the churches of the BMA of Texas. Prayer Needs: I ask for your prayers for three events in our area association that we will be hosting in the coming months, a Sunday school workshop in a few more days, our east Texas church meeting in June, and a women's meeting in September. We are very excited about this blessing but we need prayer that the name of the Lord will be exalted in these events.  Isaias Martinez - Conroe Mission [email protected] During this month we were able to deepen the work of the prayer and discipleship cells, organizing a new cell. To God be the Glory! Prayer Needs: Please pray for our church as we move toward having a place of our own.  Chris Driver– West Texas Multiplication Network/ Texas Missionary Care [email protected] Howdy from west Texas! Things continue to go well here in west Texas, except for the two major dirt storms that came through last month. We continue to grow and have new visitors almost every week. We are finally making some progress in Sundown and even the college. We hope to have a new group started in Sundown in the next few months. Thank you for your support and your prayers. Prayer Needs: Ministry van Coffee shop/trailer ministry start up New group to form in Sundown Open doors for the gospel  Ministry challenges in west Texas are different. |
