Our Story
The Great Exchange Network (TGX) began with a simple conviction: churches are better together.
In 2023, a handful of pastors from across Iowa began meeting to pray, encourage one another, and dream about what God could do if like-minded churches partnered intentionally for the Great Commission. Those early conversations evolved into a vision for a network that could plant churches, replant struggling congregations, and equip church leaders—all while upholding the theological integrity and relational warmth that foster healthy churches.
Today, TGX is a growing family of churches committed to seeing more and better churches across the heartland. Our name reflects two realities: the Great Exchange of the gospel—that through Christ, God has taken our sin and given us His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21)—and the great exchange that must take place between churches, sharing people, resources, and encouragement to establish healthy congregations in new and needy communities. This good news and shared mission fuel everything we do.
Foundation of Cooperation
The Great Exchange Network exists because we believe churches are stronger together.
From the earliest days of the church, gospel partnerships have been central to God’s mission. The Apostle Paul traveled with teams, planted churches with the help of others, and wrote to churches that supported one another in prayer, provision, and mission (Phil. 1:3–5; Acts 13:1–3; 2 Cor. 8:1–5). Local churches were never meant to stand alone—they were designed to collaborate for the glory of Christ and the good of his people.
In that same spirit, The Great Exchange Network unites churches that share theological clarity, relational trust, and missional urgency. We joyfully cooperate to strengthen one another, develop leaders, plant and replant churches, and build healthy gospel communities across the American heartland.
We’re not a denomination, a hierarchy, or a brand. We’re a family of churches—united by shared doctrine, common convictions, and a passion to see Christ proclaimed in every corner of our region and beyond.
OUR MISSION
The Great Exchange Network exists to make more and better churches across the American heartland.
We believe the local church is God’s plan for reaching the world—and we want to see more of them, and see them flourish. Our mission has two core expressions:
- Making More Churches – We plant churches where gospel witness is weak or absent. Every town matters. Every soul matters. Our aim is to see gospel-preaching churches rooted in every community across our region.
- Making Better Churches – We walk with existing churches to help them become vibrant again—grounded in the Word, alive in mission, and healthy in leadership. Through encouragement, training, and strategic partnership, we help churches rediscover the gospel mission
OUR VISION
By God’s grace, we long to see a healthy, local church in every county in Iowa.
This vision isn’t just about geography—it’s deeply spiritual. We dream of faithful churches planted and replanted all across our state, each one proclaiming Christ, making disciples, training leaders, and transforming their community. And we believe that’s possible—through God’s power and gospel partnerships.
OUR STRATEGY
We pursue our mission through four core strategies: Relate, Resource, Replicate, and Replant.
These aren’t just organizational pathways—they flow from deep theological convictions.
- Relate – Cultivating meaningful relationships among like-minded pastors and churches.
- Resource – Equipping churches with tools, training, and biblical philosophy of ministry.
- Replicate – Multiplying disciples, leaders, ministries, and churches.
- Replant – Partnering to restore gospel health in struggling congregations.
Family Traits
These shared convictions define who we are and shape how we lead. They’re not just priorities—they’re our DNA. Every church in our network pursues these with conviction, creativity, and a spirit of collaboration.
- Expositional Preaching
Strong churches begin with faithful preaching. We sharpen, encourage, and center our ministries on proclaiming the whole counsel of God with Christ at the center. - Discipleship-Based Evangelism
Evangelism begins with relationships and is grounded in Scripture and the Spirit’s power, aiming for conversions that lead to lifelong discipleship. - Meaningful Membership
Membership is a shared life under Christ’s lordship, marked by commitment, accountability, and service. - Plurality of Pastors
Churches thrive under teams of godly men shepherding together in humility and accountability. - Biblically-Shaped Worship
Worship is rooted in Scripture, rich in theology, and crafted to glorify Christ and shepherd hearts. - Multiplication Mindset
Healthy churches multiply disciples, leaders, and new congregations for gospel advance.
Family Doctrine
We believe that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written, were verbally and plenarily inspired by God through Spirit-controlled men and that these Scriptures alone constitute the inerrant Word of God.
We believe the Bible supports using a grammatical, historical method of interpretation in light of the progress of revelation. Thus, we believe that the Bible is clear, sufficient, and the supreme authority for all belief, life, and ministry and that it is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice, above all human opinion, tradition, and confessions of faith.
We believe in one living and true God—immutable, omnipotent, omniscient in all things past, present, and future—eternally existing in three equal Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the full deity and perfect humanity of Jesus Christ, in his virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and ascension into heaven.
We believe that he is the only Savior from sin and the sole mediator between God and mankind.
We believe in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that at the moment of salvation, he regenerates, baptizes believers into Christ and his body, indwells them, seals them, gifts them, and empowers them for service.
We believe that gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to build up the Body of Christ and that the sign gifts were temporary, providing revelation for the church and authenticating the ministry of the apostles.
We believe in the personal existence of angels as created spirit beings who serve the purposes of God and that Satan and the fallen angels oppose God and his people.
We believe that God created the universe and all life in six literal, consecutive 24-hour days apart from any evolutionary process.
We believe that God created human beings as male and female in his image, giving each person inherent dignity, value, and purpose, that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society, that marriage is the covenantal union of one man and one woman for life, designed to reflect the union between Christ and his Church, and that life begins at conception and that children are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.
We believe that through Adam’s sin, all people inherit a sinful nature and are totally depraved, that all people, except Jesus Christ, are guilty before God and under his just condemnation and that we commit acts of sin because we are sinners by nature.
We believe that the Triune God saves sinners by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
We believe that regeneration brings new spiritual life, that justification is God’s declaration of righteousness based solely on the imputed righteousness of Christ, and that sanctification is the believer’s progressive growth in holiness through the Spirit and the Word, culminating in glorification at Christ’s return.
We believe that all true believers are eternally kept by the power of God and that God secures the eternal salvation of believers, having sovereignly chosen them to receive his grace through the redeeming work of Christ.
We believe in the priesthood of all believers, that every believer has direct access to God through Jesus Christ without the need for any human mediator.
We believe that the universal Church is the body of Christ, comprised of all true believers from Pentecost to the present, with Jesus Christ as its sole Head.
We believe that the local church is a congregation of baptized believers, led by pastors and served by deacons, independent and congregationally governed, in fellowship with other churches of like faith and order.
We believe that the local church practices two ordinances: baptism by immersion, symbolizing the believer’s union with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection; and the Lord’s Supper, commemorating Christ’s death until He returns.
We believe that local church membership is reserved for those who have professed faith in Christ and identified with Him through believer’s baptism.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead and the final judgment of all people and that unbelievers will face eternal punishment in the lake of fire and that believers will enjoy eternal life in the new heavens and new earth.
We believe that at that time, Christ will begin his reign over the world for one thousand years and continue to reign into the eternal state.
Leadership
josh Smith / Network Coordinator
Josh serves as the Network Coordinator of TGX and the Growth Groups Pastor at Soteria Church in West Des Moines, Iowa. He has a passion for equipping leaders, strengthening churches, and multiplying gospel work across the Heartland.
Ankeny Baptist Church
Ankeny, IA
Jason Blunk
Carlisle Baptist Church
Carlisle, IA
Jared Segerstrom
Clear Lake Baptist Church
Clear Lake, IA
Jason Reynolds
Holmes baptist Church
Holmes, IA
Cody Huber
Prairie Flower Baptist Church
Washington, IA
Tim O'Tool
SoteriaChurch
West Des Moines, IA
Mike Augsburger
