Pastor, hundreds of miles away being treated for cancer, blessed as his church steps up and stays strong

FREER—Daryl Hall doesn’t like to talk about himself.

He doesn’t necessarily like to talk about his prostate cancer battle, either—about the yearlong struggle to find treatment at the height of the COVID pandemic, the 400-mile trip from FBC Freer to Irving (a suburb of Dallas) that he considered attempting weekly, or the grueling proton therapy that would be waiting for him once he arrived.

In fact, if you ask him about it, he’ll probably tell you the doctors caught the cancer early and that he’ll be fine.

There are things Hall likes to talk about, however, like his church. He loves to talk about his church—and how it has carried on the work of ministry in his absence.

FBC Freer has blessed Hall with the ability to stay in Irving rather than make a series of nearly 1,000-mile round trip commutes for cancer treatments, which will end in the next couple of weeks. Once they are done, he will have been away from the church for a total of about six weeks—a span of time he didn’t initially believe was possible.

The trek north for treatment that first Sunday left him exhausted not only from the sheer miles and the therapy, but also because he bore the concerns common to those who shepherd a flock: church finances, scheduling, a concern of feeling disconnected from his congregation while being away for days at a time. Staying in Irving for the duration of the treatment and not commuting—as church leaders had encouraged him to do from the beginning—just didn’t seem like an option.

The second Sunday, however, provided a relief that alleviated his and his wife Laura’s concerns and weariness. They had rushed home to see two of their deacons ordained, and the church was in full swing without him—from the deacons themselves, their wives, other church members, and neighboring church members. It was enough to encourage Hall that he could stay in Irving for the rest of his therapy, and he had peace that the church would be OK in his absence.

He has since watched the church flourish and is thrilled with the notion that it has stayed on mission. The deacons have led in services and prayer, made ministry calls, and ministered to Daryl and Laura, as well. Nearly every congregant has called, the children have made gifts, and the ladies class has made cards. The children’s ministry has also grown, and after an outreach in which free light bulbs were handed out in the community to share that Jesus is the light of the world, three new families joined the congregation of about 50.

Hall likens his congregation to the widow’s mite and salt of the earth, saying, “They give all they have—above their tithe, their work, their sweat. It is all about the Great Commission to them regardless of the pastor or anything else.”

His extended stay in DFW Metroplex has brought other blessings and revelations, as well. As a Tennessee native who moved to Texas only five years ago, getting started in ministry in the Lone Star State and making connections pastoring a church about an hour from the Mexico border proved difficult. Yet this year, he was able to meet and network with other pastors and leaders at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s annual Empower conference—held earlier this month across the street from the Irving hotel where he has been staying. At Empower, Hall said people continually stopped to encourage and pray for him simply due to a picture taken and posted on Facebook by Alex Gonzales, a church health and leadership associate who works with the SBTC and had asked for prayer for the pastor.

These aren’t incidental details to him. When first diagnosed, Daryl considered seeking treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, which would have been closer for him and Laura, but that plan ended up not working out. He now knows that, between the Facebook connections, Empower, and seeing First Baptist Freer thrive that the Lord wanted him in Irving for a reason: to reacquaint himself with his first love and to confirm something he already knew—how healthy the church really is.

“Because if the church is not healthy because you’re not there,” he said, “it’s not healthy.”

Hall’s faith has been central to healing and recovery. He has spent a lot of time praying, learning to be thankful, and reflecting on ministry. He has considered ministry careers versus the essence of the calling, asking himself, “Have you used your time and relationship with Christ wisely? Are you making disciples? Do you have a heart for the lost?” He said he has developed a thankfulness that God would include him in His mission. Even though Christ does not need us, Hall has been reminded, He chooses, wants, and uses us. And in recognizing his privilege in being in the service to his King, he asks himself now, based on Hebrews 12:28, “Am I making an acceptable sacrifice?”

With treatment soon in the rearview, Hall is developing a sermon series on gratitude and has started a blog entitled “Living Freer,” in which he gives a devotional on thanksgiving for every day of treatment. In building the blog, it dawned on him that he needed to take his own advice rather than dwell on the cancer and being away from the church. He says God is using this season to teach him and show him “all the ways He has blessed me.”

The Halls are focused on what’s ahead. They are working on a feature film titled “Armor” about ministry for children to benefit smaller SBTC churches. They are considering a barrel race and skeet shoot to raise funds, as well. All big ideas, all 100% for the sake of the mission.

Not that anything is too big for even the smallest of churches steeped in the power of the Holy Spirit and laser-focused on the gospel mission.

“I am humbled at the commitment of this tiny, multi-ethnic and multi-generational church,” Hall said. “These are very humble people with the deepest commitment to be the light of the world.”