The California Southern Baptist Convention (CSBC) Executive Board convened September 9-10 for its first meeting in the Convention’s new Ontario office building.
Executive Director’s Report
CSBC Executive Director Pete Ramirez addressed the Board Wednesday evening, opening with news that the Convention is officially in escrow with a buyer for its Fresno resource building, which has housed CSBC operations since 1967.
“It is bittersweet but strategic for the mission that God has bestowed upon our convention,” Pete said, noting that CSBC ministry staff have already relocated to the Gateway Seminary campus.
Despite an anticipated shortfall in Cooperative Program receipts this year, Pete supported and celebrated the finance and budget subcommittee’s proposal to raise the national CP percentage as a reflection of CSBC’s ongoing commitment to the wider Great Commission.
“With strategic management and God’s blessing, the State Convention has seen healthy growth in our investments, which have allowed us to continue to raise the percentage to the national convention while continuing to serve our churches in California,” he said.
Ramirez shared that CP giving is projected to come in roughly $500,000 below last year’s total, but to date, the Convention has drawn only $80,000 from undesignated reserves to cover the gap.
“Fortunately, CSBC spending has been frugal despite being in a time of major transition, as we have added offices in Southern California,” Pete said. “I am prayerful that CP gifts will tick up in the months ahead, as seems to be the norm as we approach the end of the year. CP continues to be the most important vehicle to fund the work we do as Southern Baptists, not just in California but across the nation and the world.”
Pete also shared upcoming staff changes with the Board. The most significant is the retirement of Roger Byrd, a valued member of the Church Matters team, who will retire at the end of 2026 after more than 25 years of service. Byrd will continue to work with CSBC on a contractual basis.
“Roger has been and will continue to be a blessing to the churches of our Convention, and I am grateful for his servant heart,” Pete said.
In closing remarks, Pete encouraged the Board to stay faithful in the shared work of the Convention.
“God continues to move through our partnership with churches along with our state and national partners,” Pete said. “How sweet it was to have all our board members at Gateway’s Chapel service during our meeting! We truly are better together, and we need one another to continue to build His kingdom work. May we be found faithful in prayer, service, generosity, and most importantly relationally with our Lord as we serve our Lord in our generation.”
The Board’s business session continued Thursday morning with reports from Gateway Seminary, California Baptist University (CBU), and the Baptist Foundation of California.
Gateway Seminary
President Adam Groza reported the seminary’s Fall 2026 enrollment includes the largest incoming class in Gateway’s history, its highest total headcount ever, and its highest number of enrolled hours in 20 years. Compared to Fall 2025, total student headcount rose 12.88 percent and total hours sold rose 9.46 percent. New student headcount increased 46.23 percent, and new student hours increased 41.50 percent. Completed applications rose 43 percent over last year making it the highest single-term total in the seminary’s history.
Groza also reported the official launch of Gateway’s Hawaii campus, the second-largest regional campus launch in the seminary’s history behind the 1973 launch of its Southern California campus, with three classes now scheduled across three islands. Gateway’s Advance program and Gateway Español are each up 40 percent over last year, and student housing is at 100 percent occupancy.
California Baptist University
Vice President for University Advancement Paul Eldridge presented the university’s 2025-2026 Spiritual Life in Review. Eldridge highlighted CBU’s discipleship model of moving students from learner to practitioner to disciple-maker through Bible studies, Discipleship Groups, and the Campus Ministry Team. The university’s first Worship Night of the semester drew 1,151 students.
Through CBU’s International Service Projects, 289 students on 36 teams served in 21 countries this year. More than 6,000 students have participated in the program over the past 30-plus years. One team in South Asia shared the gospel with more than 900 people, and another shared with approximately 270 people, with a field worker later reporting that two young women had decided to follow Jesus and were preparing for baptism and discipleship.
Eldridge outlined three ongoing Great Commission initiatives at CBU:
- The newly established Institute for Great Commission Research, led by Dr. Matthew Niermann, to produce missiological research for churches and Christian leaders;
- The Lausanne Movement Emerging Leaders Endowed Scholarship, now at $6.8 million toward a $10 million goal; and
- CBU President Ronald Ellis’s participation in the Advancing the Kingdom Initiative, a global collaboration involving the Lausanne Movement, World Evangelical Alliance, and Global Kingdom Partnership Network.
Baptist Foundation of California
Bradley Frailey, Chief Investment Officer and Controller for the Baptist Foundation of California, reported the Foundation has surpassed $300 million in assets under management, standing at $302.7 million as of the end of July.
This year, the Foundation’s advancement committee approved 191 grants totaling nearly $700,000 for CSBC churches engaged in local outreach and evangelism. Those grants have contributed to more than 2,000 professions of faith this year, and over 17,000 professions of faith over the last 12 years. The Foundation’s estate planning pipeline now stands at nearly $391 million in future gifts, with $3.6 million in new commitments already made this year. The Foundation’s loan portfolio grew by $12 million this year to more than $56 million, supporting churches in property acquisition, renovation, and expansion.
Frailey also announced the Foundation’s first Pastors and Wives Retreat, funded through the Baxter Endowment, which sold out with more than 200 people on a waiting list. In response, the Foundation will host two retreats next year in Coronado and a third in Tucson for Arizona pastors and wives. Frailey presented CSBC with a $40,000 check designated to support church planting efforts in California.
Board Business
In the second plenary session, the Executive Board voted to seat trustees on two 2027 Special Purpose Committees:
- Board Development Committee: Ryan Rippee, Tony Rodriguez, Mark Standridge, Duane Tadlock
- Convention Membership Committee: Scott Hill, David Henry, Jenice Moore
The Board voted to receive three churches into CSBC affiliation and membership:
- Arcadia Living Stone Baptist Church in Arcadia,
- City Connect Church in Fontana, and
- Hillside Church in San Jose.
The Board also adopted the official duties of each Standing Committee and Special Purpose Committee, formalizing the process for developing, reviewing, and approving CSBC policy. The action, which builds on a directive the Board issued in May 2026, standardizes how committees bring policy forward and ensures all policy is reviewed by the Executive Committee and affirmed by the Executive Board before implementation.
2027 California Mission Offering Goal
The Board set the 2027 California Mission Offering (CMO) goal at $350,000, adjusted during discussion from an initial recommendation of $400,000 to align more closely with recent giving trends.
Marc Tempesta, CSBC’s CFO and Business Services Team Leader, said the adjustment reflects a realistic assessment of recent giving patterns.
“The goal was brought down to be more in line with the past several years of receipts,” Tempesta said. “It makes a lot of sense from an objective standpoint.”
Tempesta believes the Board was hopeful that the coming year would reverse the trend. “The prayer would be that this year would actually be a growth year for California Mission Offering, for the sake of mission work in the state of California.”
2027 Budget
The Board approved a 2027 CSBC Executive Board Ministries Budget of $5,879,816, including a Cooperative Program (CP) objective of $4,600,000. Any CP receipts above that objective will go directly to the SBC Executive Committee. The CP allocation to the SBC Executive Committee for 2026 gifts will increase from 31 to 32 percent.
“We’ve increased the percentage going to missions,” Tempesta said, noting the move reflects the Board’s commitment to advancing Cooperative Program giving even amid a broader decline.
“We’re striving to be good stewards of what God has given us by repurposing a significant asset to strengthen our ministry budget. But nothing replaces the cooperation of our churches. Their faithful giving is what makes this work possible, together. It’s allowed us to keep growing our commitment to missions while continuing to serve our churches here in California.”
[The full breakdown of the 2027 budget, including CP allocations to CSBC’s partner entities, will be published prior to the 2026 Annual meeting.]
