A dear friend

He was a dear friend, a friend, and a shepherd to many. He was a tremendous influence in my life. I did not know him that long but we developed a strong bond as I worked alongside him for six years. He believed in me, and because of his faith in me, he gave me a lot of responsibility while I was serving as the assistant dean at Truett Seminary. We talked often in his office, we laughed together, cried together, prayed together, shared meals together, played a lot of golf together, and traveled down the road together. I learned so much from him.

He taught me how to love people and to love the church. He brought pastors to the seminary and trained them to preach and lead. While we were together we started the Black Preaching Conference and the Hispanic Preaching Conference. We also hosted the Bi-Vocational Small Church Conference and the Cowboy Church Conference. He showed me the value of connecting to Texas Baptist pastors and churches, and of course he taught me how to ask people for money. He would always say, “We want you to do two things for us – pray for us and give to us. If you can only do one, give to us. We will find someone else to pray.”

He befriended my dad and my dad loved him and always wanted every book Paul would write. I also have many, if not all, of his 50 books. Books about how to be a pastor and preacher – that was his passion and that passion definitely rubbed off on me. I cherish the time I served along side of him, even when he asked me to blow the leaves from the porches of Truett each morning. At times he we would ask me to sit with him and Dr. Reynolds, the Pipers and the Baughs, and others who loved and believed in his leadership. I learned so much from him and will always be grateful for his influence in my life.

More than anything, he believed I could lead a university. Not just any university, the most strategic Texas Baptist university. So he called and recommended me to the BUA trustees. I was proud to serve there and to have his support and to office in the Paul Powell Presidential Suite.

I talked to him often and most recently in early December. I thanked him for his new book and told him about my new work at First Woodway and he said he was proud of me. He was a dear friend and I will miss him. Thank you Paul Powell for believing in me.

I love this quote: Dances with Wolves! I am Wind In His Hair. Do you see that I am your friend? Can you see that you will always be my friend?