Stephen Barton is a Master of Divinity graduate of Criswell College who is the recipient of the Criswell College Preaching Award for the class of 2024.

Julio Guarneri was born in Mexico City and grew up in Monterrey, Mexico as his

parents did evangelism and discipleship work among university students in both cities.

Guarneri obtained a B.S. in Secondary Education from Texas A&I University, Kingsville;

an M.A. in Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort

Worth; and a Ph. D. in Leadership Studies with a concentration in ministry from Dallas

Baptist University, Dallas. His dissertation, “COMIBAM 1984-2000: A Historical

Analysis of a Majority World Missionary Sending Network” was recognized by the DBU

faculty as the most distinguished dissertation in 2014. The dissertation has also been

published by the Evangelical Missiological Society.

Dr. Guarneri was licensed to the ministry and pastored his first church shortly

after High School graduation in 1984 in Freer, Texas. During his 39 years of pastoral

ministry he has served churches in the Corpus Christi area, Fort Worth and McAllen.

Guarneri is the current Executive Director for Texas Baptists, a role which he will began

on November 30 of this year.

He most recently served as the Lead Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, McAllen

where he served for 13 years. Before going to McAllen he served as the Pastor of Iglesia

Bautista Getsemani in Fort Worth where he served for 17 years.

Julio Guarneri served on the board of Buckner International for nine years,

including serving as vice-chair for two years and as the chair during 2023. He was

elected twice as president and as first vice-president of Texas Baptists. In the past he

also served as chair of the Stark College and Seminary board and as moderator of the

Tarrant Baptist Association. Dr. Guarneri has spoken in seminary and university chapel

services as well as for graduations, and pastors/leadership conferences around the

state. One of his greatest joys has been speaking to gatherings of pastors in the

Philippines for multiple years about making disciples.

Guarneri’s passion is to make disciples who make disciples, living out a holistic

mission that brings the gospel to bear on the whole person and the whole community

for the whole world. He has had the privilege of sharing this passion in Texas, Mexico,

Colombia, Argentina, Spain and the Philippines.

Dr. Steven Sanders has been an adjunct professor of New Testament and Greek at Criswell since 2020. He now serves as the full-time Assistant Professor of New Testament and Greek, as well as the Program Director of B.A. in Christian Ministry. Additionally, he holds the position of adjunct professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Sanders earned his master's degree in Pastoral Leadership and his doctorate in New Testament Studies from DTS. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, he relocated to Atlanta to attend college at Georgia Tech.

Todd Kaunitz is the Lead Pastor of New Beginnings Baptist Church, located in East Texas. Since his arrival in 2010, God has moved in a gracious way, allowing New Beginnings to baptize more than 2,200 people. The church has grown from an average of 450 in weekly worship attendance to three campuses and more than 2,750 people. Todd is a Pastor, conference speaker, and consultant who is passionate about leading people and churches to pursue God's presence through prayer. A graduate of East Texas Baptist University, Todd and his wife, Adrian, have been married for twenty-two years and have three children.

Reverend Cokiesha Bailey Robinson is the Founder of Cross Spring Ministries, an itinerant ministry of preaching & publishing and she is the first African American Dean at Grace College in Winona Lake, IN.  She serves as Associate Dean of Diversity.

Becoming & belonging, justice & Inclusion are her passions as she strives to help all students feel loved, seen, prepared & affirmed. She also is passionate about racial reconciliation & advocating for students of color to have a voice, a place, belonging, equality & equity.

She is the wife of Rev. Timothy Robinson, her seminary sweetheart.  Both are 2007 Master of Divinity graduates of Beeson and enjoy serving God’s people uniquely.

Cokiesha serves as an advisory member at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL, is a graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, TN, and is currently a doctoral student at Truett Seminary at Baylor University In Waco, TX. 

Cokiesha is a national Bible teacher, conference speaker, and minister of the gospel but being a godmother, aunt, and mentor are her favorite jobs.

She worked in the field of radio and newspaper and also enjoyed a rewarding career supporting church staffs.  She is a daughter of Concord Church where she served in ministry with her parents, founding Pastor, Dr. E.K. Bailey, and Dr. Sheila Bailey for more than 25 years.

She was licensed to preach the gospel at Concord Church by her late father, Dr. E.K. Bailey, and Pastor Bryan Carter in 2003 and she was ordained by Dr. J.M. Green at Mt. Neboh Church in Harlem, NY in 2010 where she served as Assistant Pastor.

Cokiesha served in ministry under the leadership of Dr. A.B. Sutton at 6th Ave Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL, and feels like a surrogate member & spiritual daughter of Living Stones Temple in Birmingham. She served on the pastoral staff of Concord Church as Director of Growth after seminary with Pastor Bryan Carter, one of her fathers in the ministry, and attributes her professional growth to pastors who have invested in her life.  In 2015 she launched Cross Spring Ministries. In recent years she has traveled full-time as an evangelist and gospel minister serving churches, conferences, publishing houses, and seminaries.  She has also found great pleasure in teaching students in middle school and high school as well as being a mentor to college students and seminarians.

Known by some as Rev. Robinson and by others as Mrs. Robinson and now as Dean Robinson, Cokiesha has contributed to nearly 10 books and co-authored 2 books.  She is also a contributing writer for Our Daily  Bread and still enjoys traveling to share the gospel despite a new role on her professional journey.

She was named 2020 alumnus’ of the year for Beeson Divinity School and attributes Beeson to helping her to find her footing and focus in her life calling as an adult in ministry.

 Rev. Robinson is a national conference speaker, Christian minister, pastoral leader & national speaker in Higher Education.

Cokiesha has served as a missionary in Africa, Turkey and Jamaica, and throughout the United States.  She has a heart for evangelizing, preaching, leading leaders, encouraging students, equipping disenfranchised communities with fresh water, and building racial bridges for people with dignity.   Seeing people come to know Christ, and discovering their purpose and voice in Him are her greatest passions, as well as helping others to value the diverse heritage & perspectives of all people made in the image of God.

 Family, friends, ministry, mentorship, writing & higher education are her great loves & gifts of grace.

In her free time, Rev. Robinson enjoys traveling, concerts, cooking, meeting people & cheering for the next generation of leaders & preachers.

Dr. Bart Barber has served as the pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas, since 1999. At the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, June 14-15, 2022, Bart was elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention. A native of Lake City, Arkansas, Bart has served churches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. He has earned degrees from Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, culminating in a PhD in Church History.

Dr. David S. Ritsema has served as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Waxahachie since 2012. He has taught on the faculty in the Graduate School of Ministry at Dallas Baptist University, the Doctoral of Ministry at Truett Seminary at Baylor University, and as a Resident Fellow at B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary, where he also serves on the Board of Governors. He holds a B.A. in Christian Ministry from East Texas Baptist University, an M.Div. in Theology from Truett Seminary, and a Ph.D. in New Testament from B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary. He has been serving in church ministry since 1997, including five pastorates in Texas. He regularly writes for GC2 and has authored a book titled Fear

Dr. Kevin Warstler received his Th.M. in New Testament Studies and Ph.D. in Old Testament Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. Currently, he serves as an Associate Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Criswell College in Dallas, Texas, where he is also the Program Director for the B.A. in Biblical Studies.

Black History Month Panel guest speakers: Dr. Clarence Preston, Leroy Fountain, and Dr. Nancy Turner.

Winston Hottman has been a member of Lake Highlands Baptist Church since 2015 and has been blessed to serve as Associate Pastor since October 2022. Prior to that, he served as Chief of Staff at Criswell College in Dallas. Winston's passion is to minister the word of God through preaching, teaching, and personal discipleship. In addition to his general pastoral responsibilities, he oversees a small group and children’s ministries, as well as the discipleship of new believers. Winston is currently working on a doctoral dissertation in the field of early Christian studies and hopes to graduate in May 2024.