Great Commission Association of Southern Baptist Churches

What Great Commission Association of Southern Baptist Churches does

Great Commission Association of Southern Baptist Churches (GCA) is a regional non-profit religious association founded in 1947, headquartered in Morgan Hill, California. It serves as a coordinating body for approximately 90 partner Southern Baptist churches across the Bay Area and Central Coast of California, spanning from San Mateo to Solvang and Monterey to Milpitas. GCA's mission is to cultivate church health and gospel impact through four strategic ministry pathways: CARE (pastoral support and counseling), ReNEW (church revitalization for stagnating or declining churches), STIIR (leadership development and strategic training), and SEND (church planting and mission mobilization). The organization is led by Dr. Mike Stewart (Executive Director of Missions) with regional directors, ambassadors, and a support staff in the 51–100 employee range.

GCA's service portfolio includes the Great Commission Training Institute (GCTI), an online bilingual (English/Spanish) certificate and non-certificate program built on the Pastors-to-Pastors (P2P) 12-class curriculum covering discipleship, hermeneutics, church history, preaching, and theology. The organization also operates Hearts & Hands Christian Preschools (8 locations launched from a 2003 partnership program), Anthem Christian School (K-8 in Salinas), the Every Church Flourishing podcast, the annual Flourish Conference for women in ministry, and an Annual Missions Conference. International outreach extends to a partnership with Suceava Baptist Association in Romania and Afghan community ministry in the U.S. GCA has no proprietary technology platform; program delivery is supported through standard web tools (Wix-based website, Givebutter for donations, Eventbrite for event registration, Jotform for applications, and Zoom for synchronous training).

GCA is funded primarily through tax-deductible individual donations, church and organizational gifts to designated ministry funds (General Missions, ReNEW, Church Planting, Romania Partnership, Afghan Ministry, school ministries), and modest fee-based revenue from GCTI courses ($50/course for GCA-affiliated participants, $75/course for non-affiliated) and Flourish Conference tickets ($15–$30). Distribution is regionally focused, relying on direct engagement through Senior Directors and regional Ambassadors (North & Central English, North & Central Hispanic, South, Women in Ministry) who maintain personalized relationships with member churches. Membership acquisition occurs through associational applications, conferences, church planting initiatives, and revitalization referrals from national bodies like the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and California Southern Baptist Convention (CSBC).

Name

Great Commission Association of Southern Baptist Churches

Legal name

Great Commission Association of Southern Baptist Churches

Website

https://gcasbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Great Commission Association of Southern Baptist Churches is a 1947-founded non-profit association coordinating 90 partner churches across California's Bay Area and Central Coast through pastoral care, church revitalization, leadership training, and church planting pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Association / Church Network Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF), Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE), Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Church association services
• Ministry training programs
• Church revitalization pathways
• Church planting support
• Christian preschool operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Morgan Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute one-time or recurring gifts to support GCA's missions fund. Every dollar goes directly to GCA-approved frontline ministry, and donations are fully tax-deductible.
2. Church and Organization Donations: Churches and organizations make donations to various designated funds including General Missions, ReNEW, Church Planting, specific churches, Romania Partnership, Afghan Ministry, and school ministries.
3. GCTI Course Fees: The Great Commission Training Institute charges course fees: $50/course for GCA churches and employees, $75/course for non-GCA churches. Payment via registration form or check.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Great Commission Association operates four interconnected ministry pathways for its 90 partner Southern Baptist churches across the Bay Area and Central Coast of California: CARE (pastoral care and counseling), ReNEW (church revitalization with guided renewal pathways), STIIR (leadership development via the Great Commission Training Institute's bilingual Pastors-to-Pastors curriculum), and SEND (church planting, regional mission projects, and international partnerships). It also runs Hearts & Hands Christian Preschools across eight locations and Anthem Christian School (K-8) in Salinas, with revenue sourced from church and individual donations plus GCTI course fees.

Product overview

Great Commission Association (GCA) is a church association offering a portfolio of ministry programs organized around four core pathways: CARE (pastoral support), ReNEW (church revitalization), STIIR (leadership development), and SEND (church planting/missions). The flagship educational offering is the Great Commission Training Institute (GCTI) providing online/bilingual certificate and non-certificate programs for church leaders. Additional offerings include the Every Church Flourishing podcast, Hearts & Hands Christian Preschools (8 locations), Anthem Christian School (K-8), the Flourish women's ministry conference, Annual Missions Conference, and the Yellow Card evangelism initiative. GCA also provides church membership resources and supports ReNEW churches through revitalization programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ReNEW: Church revitalization and renewal ministry focused on helping stagnated or declining churches experience new life and fresh vision.
• Great Commission Training Institute (GCTI)
• CARE
• STIIR
• SEND
• Hearts & Hands Christian Preschools
• Flourish
• Every Church Flourishing

Products and services

• Great Commission Training Institute (GCTI) An online and hybrid leadership development program offering certificate and non-certificate tracks for pastors, lay leaders, women ministers, and bi-vocational leaders, using the Pastors-to-Pastors (P2P) 12-class curriculum covering discipleship, missions, evangelism, hermeneutics, Old and New Testament surveys, church history, leadership, preaching, and theology. Offered in English and Spanish with tuition of $50/course for GCA-affiliated and $75/course for non-GCA.
• ReNEW Church Revitalization Pathway A church revitalization ministry providing guided renewal pathways, training, coaching, and foster-church partnerships for churches at varying stages of health. Currently serves 7 ReNEW churches including Foothill Baptist Church, FBC Nipomo, and Red Oaks Baptist Church.
• CARE Pastoral Care Ministry A pastoral care ministry offering support and encouragement through retreats, regional lunches, confidential counseling, practical church support, crisis response, and relational care for pastors, leaders, and congregations.
• STIIR Leadership Development Pathway A ministry development pathway (Strategy, Training, Inquiry and Insight, Inspiration, Relationships) providing strategic tools, practical training, leadership development, cohorts, workshops, and residencies for church health and mission, including church and leader assessments and spiritual encouragement.
• SEND Church Planting and Missions Pathway A church planting and mission mobilization pathway engaging unreached people groups, regional mission projects, leadership development in ethnic contexts, church planting support, and international partnerships including the Romania partnership with Suceava Baptist Association and Afghan American Church outreach.
• Hearts & Hands Christian Preschools A Christian childcare and preschool program operated in partnership with GCA churches across 8 locations in the Bay Area and Central Coast of California. Churches provide facilities while GCA handles operations, licensing, insurance, and programming.
• Anthem Christian School A K-8th grade Christ-centered school located in Salinas, CA, providing academic education integrated with spiritual development.
• Flourish Conference An equipping conference for women in ministry featuring worship, encouragement, practical tools for developing leaders, and community building, with tiered registration: $15 early-bird for GCA members and $30 regular for non-GCA.
• Annual Missions Conference GCA's annual celebration event featuring worship, connections, and recognition of God's heart for the nations, including recognition of ministry milestones such as GCTI graduates.
• Every Church Flourishing Podcast A podcast dedicated to sharing stories and insights designed to encourage local congregations in gospel ministry, hosted by Pastor Chase Thompson.
• GCA Church Membership Church membership program providing governance resources including model bylaws, ordination templates, and Baptist governance documentation for partner churches.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 students completed GCTI certificate program in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Suceava Baptist Association (Romania)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025GCA partners with SBA to strengthen ministries globally. In 2025, SBA ministries raised new leaders, celebrated baptisms, and guided nearly 100 children to engage deeply with Scripture through Bible Contest. Humanitarian and preaching teams continue serving in Ukraine with practical aid, gospel hope, and handmade bulletproof vests paired with New Testaments. SBA churches have also offered counseling, meals, cleanup, and rebuilding in flood-affected communities.
• North American Mission Board (NAMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCA partners with NAMB resources for church planting support. NAMB endorsement is required for church replanting roles, as seen with Pastor Jeff Woolstenhulme endorsed as a Replanter for Foothill Baptist Church.
• California Southern Baptist Convention (CSBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCA collaborates with CSBC for church planting through strategic partnerships. CSBC Evangelism Workshops are hosted through GCA, and CSBC resources support church planting efforts.
• Shadow Mountain Community ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn summer 2025, Shadow Mountain Community Church partnered with four GCA Hispanic churches (San Jose, Salinas, Gilroy, and San Martin) to minister to Hispanic migrants through Super Circus VBS outreaches.
• Yellow Card InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCA participates in Yellow Card Initiative for FIFA World Cup evangelism project June 13 - July 1, 2026 at Levi's Stadium, expecting 6 million attendees. Training available on YouTube, gospel tracts available for purchase.
• Hearts & Hands Christian PreschoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGCA launched its first preschool partnership program in 2003. Currently runs eight preschools in the Bay Area and Central Coast of California. Churches provide space while GCA handles operations, licensing, insurance, and programming.
• Magnolia ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with 11 GCA churches to host the first Summer Youth Bash in Morro Bay, uniting more than 150 students and leaders.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Western Conservative Baptist Seminary (Portland Seminary): SBC-aligned theological training institution providing ministerial formation—comparable to GCA's GCTI certificate program in subject matter (theology, leadership, ministry) and target audience (pastors and church leaders).
• SEND International: Faith-based mission agency mobilizing church planters to unreached people groups—comparable to GCA's SEND ministry and Romania/Afghan partnerships, though operating nationally and globally.
• Acts 29 Network: Church-planting network that supports church planters and replanters with assessment, coaching, and resources—directly comparable to GCA's ReNEW and SEND pathways, though operating across a different (Reformed-evangelical) denominational stream.
• Church Multiplication Network: Church planting and revitalization network providing assessment, coaching, and residencies for replanters and planters. Functionally aligned with GCA's ReNEW pathway and SEND mobilization focus.

Direct peers

• Golden Gate Baptist Association: Adjacent regional Baptist association serving Northern California, offering church revitalization, missions support, and pastoral care parallel to GCA's pathways. Comparable structure, target audience, and geographic overlap in the Bay Area.
• North American Mission Board (NAMB): National Southern Baptist missions agency that GCA partners with for church planting endorsements and replanting pathways (e.g., Pastor Jeff Woolstenhulme). NAMB provides analogous church planting, leadership residency, and Send Network services at a national scale.
• California Southern Baptist Convention (CSBC): Statewide Southern Baptist convention that GCA partners with for church planting and evangelism workshops. CSBC operates an overlapping ministry network with similar training, missions, and church health support across California, making it the most direct comparand.

Others

• Childcare ministries operated by other faith-based networks: Other church-affiliated preschool networks (e.g., those operated by local Catholic dioceses, Methodist networks, or independent Christian school systems) operating preschool-in-church facility models comparable to Hearts & Hands.

Broad incumbents

• Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT): Major state Baptist body with a wide portfolio including theological education, church planting, and ministry support networks. Comparable to GCA in associational mission but operates at substantially larger scope and scale.
• Southern Baptist of Texas Convention (SBTC): Large state Baptist convention providing church planting, training, and associational support at much greater scale. Operates comparable ministry functions (church networks, missions, education) as part of a much broader portfolio across Texas.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@gcasbc
• Facebookfacebook.com/gcasbc
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatcommissionassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-commission-association-of-southern-baptist-churches

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Great Commission Association of Southern Baptist Churches