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| Moving Southwest '4' Ward |
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| eNewsletter | January 23, 2026 |
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Dear Southwest Region Conference Family:
The year, 2025, was another banner year for our Conference! We give God all praise, honor, glory, and thanks! We also thank you, our Pastors, Teachers, Workers, and Members for working together and being led by God’s Spirit to “Move Southwest ‘4’ Ward!”
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| 2025 Conference Highlights |
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We give God all praise, honor, glory, and thanks!
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| Baptism |
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We had 947 baptisms - constituting a gain of 82 baptisms over 2024 (as we had 865 baptisms in 2024)!
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| Tithe |
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$15,550,276.45 was returned in tithe dollars in 2025, the highest total in the history of the Southwest Region Conference! This represents a tithe gain of $720,755.18 over 2024 (as tithe was $14,829,521.27 in 2024).
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| The Dallas Project Church |
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The Dallas Project Church remitted over $2 million in tithe ($2,010,348.21) for a single church in a given year! This is the first in the history for a church in our conference, and with this total, “The Dallas Project” Church ranks in the top five tithe churches among Regional Conferences in the North American Division!
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| Lone Star Camp |
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Two additional hotel lodges (Lodge #3 and #4) were constructed and completed at Lone Star Camp!
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| New Food Store (ABC) |
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We also constructed and completed a new food store (ABC) and office area at Lone Star Camp, along with new restroom facilities at the cafeteria at Lone Star Camp!
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| BAYDA |
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Over 250 youth from our Conference attended BAYDA’s United Youth Congress in Orlando, FL!
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| Summer Camp |
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We held a successful Youth Summer Camp with nearly 150 campers and staff members in attendance.
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| Shekinah Haitian |
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The Shekinah Haitian Church in Alvarado, TX moved into its new facility.
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| Retired Mortgages |
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The Arlington Metro, Dallas Fellowship, Okmulgee Maranatha, and Waco Mt. Lebanon churches all retired their mortgages!
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| School Enrollment |
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School enrollment reached 283 students, the highest total in our conference in seven years!
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For all of this, we say, “To God be the glory!” Yet, God is not through yet! He has even greater things in store for our conference in 2026! We want to continue to serve Him and see lives transformed for His glory and by His grace!
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| 2026 Conference Theme |
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We’ve chosen as our 2026 theme, “Rooted, Revived, and Reaching!” We want to be rooted in the Word, revived by God’s Spirit, and reaching individuals for God’s kingdom! In the name of Jesus, let’s continue to “Move Southwest ‘4’ Ward!”
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Baptisms in 2025
We set 1,000 baptisms as a goal for our conference in 2025.
We came up just shy of our goal by 53 baptisms, but we praise God for the 947 baptisms! Our 2025 Baptism Report for our Southwestern Union Conference is below.
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Conference
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Dec 2025
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Dec 2024
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Gain/(Loss)
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Arkansas-Louisiana
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372
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524
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(152) - (29%)
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Oklahoma
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324
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392
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(68) - (17%)
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Southwest Region
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947
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865
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82 - 9%
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Texas
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2,477
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2,549
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(72) - (3%)
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Texico
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246
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334
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(88) - (26%)
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TOTAL
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4,366
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4,664
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(298) - (6%)
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Ministry Training Events
In the first quarter of 2025, we have multiple ministry and training events on the calendar. They are:
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Marriage Retreat
We’re looking forward to our first-ever Southwest Region Conference Couples’ Retreat, hosted by our Family Ministries Department on Valentine’s Weekend, February 12 - 15, 2026, at Lone Star Camp in Athens, TX!
This historic event will provide couples with the opportunity to step away from the hustle and bustle of life and invest in their marriage through intentional time together, spiritual renewal, engaging workshops, and uplifting fellowship with other couples. This retreat will be a time of laughter, learning, and love as we seek to strengthen marriages and celebrate the gift of God’s design for the family.
Whether you’ve been married for one year or fifty years, this retreat is for you! You will be enriched, encouraged, and empowered to experience deeper intimacy and joy in your relationship. Some of our retreat highlights will include:
- Presentations by Renowned Family Ministry Speakers, Dr. Beverly and Mr. Ted Odell Robinson
- Workshops by Various Conference Family Ministry Enthusiasts
- The “Not So Newlywed Game”
- Marital Vow Renewal Ceremony Officiated by Dr. Carlton P. Byrd and Pastor Raynell Smith
- Formal Dinner (following the Vow Renewal Ceremony)
- Couple Photographs and Gifts
Please mark your calendars now, plan to attend this unforgettable weekend, and share information regarding this momentous event to your families and friends. The registration fee for those residing in the hotel lodges on the campground is only $500.00 per couple. This includes lodging, meals, gifts, and access to all the workshops and events. The registration fee for those not utilizing the “on campground” housing option is only $300.00 per couple. Please note that all of the hotel lodges on the campground are booked for this retreat, which means, while couples are still invited to come and be a part of this wonderful weekend, you must register to be in attendance and secure off campus housing. For more information, please call 214.943.4491 and ask for our Family Ministries Department.
We believe marriages are worth celebrating, worth investing in, and worth strengthening! We look forward to seeing you at the Southwest Region Conference Couples’ Retreat—Valentine’s Weekend 2026!
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Private School Education
Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the State of Texas will provide Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA). This is a state-funded education savings account program created by the Texas Legislature. TEFA allows eligible families to use state education funds for approved educational expenses, including private Christian school tuition.
We’re pleased to announce that our four Adventist Church Schools in Texas – 1) Applegate Christian Academy in Round Rock, TX (Austin Metropolitan area), 2) Bethel Elementary School in Texarkana, TX, 3) Excel Adventist Academy in Houston, TX, and 4) Southwest Christian Academy in Dallas, TX are all affiliated with this program which will provide funding in the amount of $10,000 to $12,000 per student, and up to $30,000 per student with qualifying disabilities for approved applications. This is an excellent opportunity for our youth to be enrolled in our schools free from tuition challenges. Parents must register with TEFA beginning February 4, 2026 with registration ending March 17, 2026. It is crucial that interested individuals begin inquiring now. Please see the information below.
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Special Worship Experience
Given the impending winter storm that is forecasted to adversely impact our conference territory this upcoming weekend, many of our churches will not be having “in-person” worship services this Sabbath, January 24, 2026. In response to this, our Conference, in collaboration with “The Dallas Project” Church, will have a special virtual Worship Experience, which will begin at 11:00 am CST this Sabbath. This full virtual experience will feature the preaching ministry of Pastor Roger Bernard, Executive Director for the Office of Regional Conference Ministries. Please feel free to join us virtually via “The Dallas Project” or “Southwest Region Conference” YouTube Channels and Facebook Pages.
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Moving Southwest '4' Ward
We need your continued prayers and support to our “Moving Southwest ‘4’ Ward” initiative as we seek to advance the mission of the Southwest Region Conference through Evangelism, Adventist Education, Media Ministry, and Youth/Young Adult Ministry. Please be reminded that our annual conference goal for this initiative is $500,000. All financial gifts, large and small, are needed and appreciated. To remit your charitable gift for “Moving Southwest ‘4’ Ward,” you can do so in one of the following ways:
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Thank you very much for your continued prayers and support.
May God continue to bless you is my prayer.
Sincerely,
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| Congratulations to |
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| Congratulations to Dr. Lawanna McCoy! |
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Dr. McCoy recently completed the requirements and received (December, 2025) her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from Aurora University! Her dissertation was entitled, “An Examination of Psychological Empowerment and Instructional Coaching and Mentoring on the Second-Year Experiences of Post Secondary Faculty.” Dr. McCoy is our Conference Children’s Ministries Director and Director of Special Projects for the Model School System for our Conference Education Department.
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| Ministry Life Around the Southwest Region Conference |
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| Women's Ministries Leadership Training | Houston |
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| Dr. Lawanna McCoy | December 2025 |
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| Leadership Training in Spanish | Houston |
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| Berean and Area Pathfinders at MLK Parade | Houston |
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“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be open you” (Matthew 7:7)
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| Baptism & Profession of Faith Report |
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December 2025
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December 2024
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Gain
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947
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865
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82 – 9%
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December 2025
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December 2024
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Gain
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$15,550,276.45
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$14,829,521.27
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$720,755.18 – 4.86%
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Tithe funds are used to expand the global gospel ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, primarily in the territory of the Southwest Region Conference. We thank you for your honesty and faithfulness to the ministry of the Southwest Region Conference through the returning of tithe. Praise the Lord for the faithfulness of God’s people! Remember, “salvation is free, but ministry takes money!” Let’s “Move Southwest 4 Ward” in ministry!
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