I was blessed to be born in a Christian home. My father was a deacon, and my mother was involved with the Women’s Missionary Union and was a Sunday School teacher. My parents set a wonderful example of what it means to love and serve the Lord, and I officially gave my life to Jesus at the age of 12 at a citywide crusade in Corpus Christi.
Growing up, I never felt the call to full-time ministry, but I served the church as a Sunday School teacher, Sunday School Director, Music Director, Youth Counselor (minister) and an ordained deacon.
However, my call began to shift In 1982 when my wife and I moved from Corpus Christi to Arlington. I had the opportunity to take classes at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth. It was difficult attending seminary, working a full-time job, and also serving at church, but God placed a desire in my heart to learn more about theology and the Bible.
I began growing even more in my faith through the classes, and God started placing opportunities in my path to share that knowledge with others. One week, my pastor asked if I could supply the pulpit while he was out of town. I was very nervous, but I said yes. After that first sermon, the pastor continued inviting me to preach from time to time. I was also asked to supply the pulpit at a church in Dallas, Unidos en Cristo, when their pastor would go out of town.
Through the connection at Unidos en Cristo, my first official call to pastor came. The pastor of that church was called to lead another church, and I was asked to supply the pulpit as an interim pastor. With the blessing of my pastor from Primera Iglesia Bautista, I went forward and started responding to this new call on my life.
Six months later, Unidos en Cristo asked me if I would consider being their new pastor full-time. After seeking the Lord’s counsel and the guidance of my community, I accepted my first pastorate. That is where my pastoral journey took off. My wife and I were there for five years before returning to Primera Iglesia Bautista Arlington as their Associate Pastor and Minister of Education. My wife and I then served at Primera for a total of 28 years.
After many years in Arlington, the Lord provided a way back home to Corpus Christi. I was called to pastor Segunda Iglesia Bautista in 2015. Once we were back in Corpus, I felt the Lord once again call me to pursue a theological education. I remembered hearing about a theological school in Corpus Christi, so I started to do some research. My wife and I came to the campus of Stark College & Seminary to get some information, and we ended up enrolling that same day.
Stark has been such a blessing for us. The staff and faculty truly exemplify the love of Jesus and encourage all of the students in their ministries and studies. Classes are accessible, very affordable, and held at times that you can still attend even if you work full-time. I am thankful for Stark, because the college has helped develop my leadership skills and has helped equip me to pastor Segunda Iglesia Bautista. I pray that others may come and learn more about the Bible so they too can become better ministers for the Lord.