In any organization, ministry or otherwise, it is absolutely imperative to have a clear understanding of why you exist.  What is our purpose?  What are we trying to accomplish?  How do we know when we’ve done that?

That’s why we spent 18 months (starting in the spring of 2025) engaging in a strategic planning process known as “Fresh Paths Forward.”  If our association of churches is to be effective, we need to be able to clearly answer these questions.

The theme for this project comes from Isaiah 43:18-19, “See, I am doing a new thing! . . . I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”  Throughout this project, we have asked the Lord to show us where fresh paths are needed to move our family of churches forward for His glory.
Below is the full Fresh Paths Forward report that will be presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting at South Gate Baptist Church on October 1, 2026.

The content of this report comes directly from nine focus groups that were held in the fall of 2025.  These groups, comprised of various subsects of our association, shared their viewpoints on the strengths and weaknesses of GCBA, as well as what we should be focused on moving forward.  This information was extremely valuable, and we appreciate all who participated.  For those who were part of these groups, our hope is that you will read the report and say, “Yes, I remember talking about that!”

At the end of the day, our prayer is that we have produced a compelling mission and vision for GCBA that our member churches will get behind and say, “Yes, we see value in this.  We want to be part of this!”  May God be glorified in our family of churches.