March 16, 2026 — Irving, Texas The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) held Empower 2026, a leadership conference from February 23-24 at the Irving Convention Center, focusing on biblical training, evangelism strategies, and discipleship for Texas church leaders. Related sessions, including a women’s gathering and the Spanish-language Apoderados event, emphasized spiritual renewal and equipping faith leaders.
The main conference, described as free for pastors and church leaders across Texas, featured worship, connections, and ministry visioning. A women’s session on February 23 highlighted Bible teacher Jen Wilkin’s teachings on collective obedience and discipleship. In Fort Worth at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Apoderados gathering on February 20-21 drew 520 participants for Saturday sessions on evangelism and discipleship.[TEXAN Online](https://www.texanonline.net/articles/sbtc/empower-2026-wilkin-calls-christians-to-embrace-the-power-of-working-together)
Key Themes and Sessions
Wilkin, drawing from John 14:12-14, stressed the power of corporate prayer and Holy Spirit-empowered works exceeding Jesus’ earthly ministry in scope. She critiqued individualism, stating:
The Bible spends very little time talking about your personal relationship with Jesus Christ… We need each other. We need a collective obedience.
She advocated layered biblical interpretation and defined discipleship as “learning and making disciples,” noting, “Discipleship takes a lot more time and a lot more work than converting.”[TEXAN Online]
Apoderados sessions reinforced evangelism as a church’s core identity. Pastor Adrián Amézquita urged spiritual renewal through private devotion:
Public power is born of private presence.
Humberto González promoted Sunday school for disciple-making, while José and Natalie Arzate emphasized transformative biblical discipleship: “If discipleship does not result in a transformed life, it is not biblical discipleship.” Workshops equipped attendees for missions, including FIFA World Cup outreach.[TEXAN Online]
Organizers and Impact
SBTC, with partners like SBTC En Español and Send Network, funded the events through the Cooperative Program. Joe Lightner, SBTC Associate Executive Director, said:
Here you will experience resources, connection, and the advancement of the mission together.
Approximately 175 pastors attended Apoderados’ Friday dinner. Post-event reports highlighted refreshed vision and practical tools amid cultural challenges.SBTC Facebook
The conference aligns with ongoing efforts to renew faith leaders through biblical coaching and training, as seen in attendee feedback on complacency and faithfulness.SBTC Instagram