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Former SBTC president Turner retires from Mesquite Friendship
MESQUITE After 32 years of faithful ministry at the church he founded, Terry M. Turner stepped down as pastor of Mesquite Friendship Baptist at the end of June 2023. The congregation celebrated Turner’s 32nd anniversary as pastor with a special church service on Sunday, June 25.
At the service, Alex Gonzales, SBTC church health and leadership associate, presented Turner with a gift from the convention. Daniel Alemán Jr., mayor of Mesquite, announced the street leading into the church’s property will be named Dr. Terry M. Turner Drive by the city.
Turner was further honored by his church with the title of pastor emeritus.
The prior evening, Turner and his wife, Nancy, were celebrated at a banquet at the church. Tony Mathews, SBTC senior strategist of missional ministries, spoke at the event.
Turner spent a decade as pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in his hometown of Guthrie, Okla., before moving to Dallas to attend Dallas Theological Seminary. While there, he earned two master’s degrees and a Doctor of Ministry. He was recruited by Town East Baptist Church to start Mesquite Friendship as an outreach to the African American community in Mesquite. With his wife, who earned a Th.M. from DTS and a Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Turner has served the church and community well.
The Turners have three adult children and eight grandchildren. Turner’s son Caleb succeeded him as pastor of Mesquite Friendship on July 1. As pastor emeritus, Terry Turner will remain involved in marriage and bereavement counseling at the church while continuing to pursue writing projects and genealogy research.
—Jane Rodgers
Bowman accepts call to lead SBC prayer effort
NASHVILLE Kie Bowman has been tapped to lead a prayer assignment given to the SBC Executive Committee (EC).
“Our scope in the prayer assignment is enormous and so are our possibilities. With nearly 50,000 churches, and over 6,000 missionaries on the field in North America and around the world, we have a lot to pray about,” Bowman said.
The additional ministry assignment given to the EC in 2021 instructs it to, “Assist churches through elevating the ministry of prayer [and] provide strategic leadership to lift up and promote coordinated prayer for spiritual awakening, ministry effectiveness, and the completion of the Great Commission.”
In addition to creating prayer resources, Bowman says he intends to “host training events and powerful prayer gatherings led by recognized SBC prayer leaders.”
Bowman retired in March 2023 from Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, where he served for 26 years. The Alaska native has written seven books and contributed to 13 others.
—Baptist Press
Busy summer brings blessings for SBTC DR
SBTC DR volunteers have spent a busy summer serving the Lord. Summer storms led SBTC DR to send volunteers to Winona, Hardin and Jefferson counties, Amarillo, Hawkins, Winnsboro, Spring, and Perryton. Volunteers also deployed to Bloomburg and Rotan, N.M., following tornadoes.
Additionally, SBTC DR completed work overseas in partnership with the Ukranian Baptist Union, associations, and churches, serving 12,000 refugees in shelters. SBTC DR provided eight loads of food shipped into Ukraine, helped purchase a vehicle to transport supplies into Ukraine, and helped provide $50,000 of generators for Ukraine.
“God has truly blessed the ministry of SBTC DR volunteers,” SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice said, adding that reports from the border, where West Brownsville Baptist and Pastor Carlos Navarro are actively ministering, have also been a blessing.
“On July 9, Carlos officiated funerals for two Venezuelan immigrants who were tragically killed by a driver who drove through a group of immigrants,” Stice said. “Carlos was able to bless the families of these migrants and reported 21 professions of faith at the funerals.”
—Jane Rodgers
