I have been married to Kelly, who is truly the love of my life, for more than 32 years now. We met in the youth group at Southern Hills Baptist Church in Tulsa, OK, dated for four years before we got married, and have had the joy of serving the Lord together for all of these years. Kelly is truly my helpmate in life and ministry and a constant blessing to me personally, to our family, and to those we serve. Growing up the daughter of a minister, she not only understood ministry but she felt a personal call to ministry herself, which has brought us both so much fulfillment and joy as we have served together. Kelly has many spiritual gifts, including the gifts of service, discernment, mercy, and maybe most of all, a beautiful voice that she uses to glorify the Lord and lead others to worship Him. I believe that Kelly and I

make a great ministry team, as God has gifted me with the spiritual gifts of leadership, teaching, exhortation, and service. We have always loved using our gifts to serve together from the very first year of marriage when we had junior high sleepovers in our 650 square foot loft apartment, to years later when we took all three of our young children with us to Mexico year after year on mission trips, to making visits together, counseling together, performing weddings and funerals together, and leading small groups together. In every season of life and ministry-student ministry, family ministry, and pastoral ministry, we have truly enjoyed doing it together! As a pastor, it is my calling and my heart to not

only preach and teach the Word of God, but also to love, serve, and shepherd God's people. Early in marriage, we chose 1 Thess. 2:8 as our family life verse," as it captures our desire to not only share the message of Jesus Christ with those we serve, but also to share our lives with those we serve. Lord willing, we look forward to "coming home" to First Baptist Church Liberty City, where we had the great joy of serving previously for 15 years, to reconnecting with those we already know and love, and to building relationships with those we don't know yet. We hope to join you on mission, as together we share the gospel of Jesus Christ and our lives with the community of Liberty City, the surrounding area in East Texas, and around the world, for the glory of God alone!

We are so proud of Ashley, our firstborn, and the godly young woman and amazing wife, mom, and ministry partner she has become. Ashley met her husband, Austin Damron, in the youth group at First Baptist Church Lake Jackson. They both attended East Texas Baptist University and received both their bachelor's and master's degrees from there. Married for six years now, they moved to Lubbock four years ago for Austin to serve as the Student Pastor at Southcrest Baptist Church, where he also preaches regularly now in The Venue, their contemporary service. Ashley works remotely with 240 Certification, an online teacher certification program. They have one daughter, Jane Ellanore, and they are expecting a baby boy in January. Becoming Jane's PawPaw and KK has been the absolute best, and we can't wait for the arrival of our second grandchild!

We are also incredibly proud of Austin, our middle, and the godly young man he has become. Austin graduated from Texas A&M University in 2024 with a degree in chemical engineering. While at TAMU, he served at Grace Bible Church as a junior high Sunday school teacher and also served in ministry with Impact as a counselor, co-chair, and exec member, leading and discipling fellow Aggies. After graduation, Austin worked as an engineer with INEOS, a global chemical manufacturer, at their Chocolate Bayou location in Alvin. Recently, however, Austin has stepped away from engineering for a season and moved to Dallas, where he is helping a family friend, a pastor, and the CEO of a nonprofit ministry with writing a book. In this season, he is seeking the Lord’s plan for his life and future, while actively pursuing community, mentorship, and service in ministry at Eastside Community Church.

Last, but not least, Ashton, our youngest, is a senior at Dallas Baptist University, majoring in Biblical Studies, and will graduate in December. While at DBU, Ashton has served as the Student Director of Rec Life, overseeing intramural sports and other student activities, and has served as an officer for his Christian fraternity. After graduation, he will begin serving as the Student Pastor at the 517 Campus of Clear Creek Community Church, where he has previously served as an intern. Ashton met his high school sweetheart, Serena Aad, at Brazosport Christian School. Serena is a senior at DBU, majoring in Business, and will also graduate in December. Ashton and Serena will be getting married in February and living in League City. We are so proud of the godly young man Ashton has become, and we look forward to God’s plans for them as they begin life and ministry together.