John Wheat
Pastor
Biography:
John is a Christ follower, husband, grandfather, son, brother, and avid sportsman. He and his wife, Melinda, have two daughters; Amy and Mandi with son-in-law Jake; and three grandsons.
John came to Trinity in 2012 from First Baptist Church in Kenedy, Texas. He has been in active vocational ministry since 1979.
He is a graduate of Baylor University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has completed the certificate of Advanced Biblical Studies at Bethel Seminary.
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Apr '25
For the Journey – April 2025
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Apr '25
Thank you, Trinity Baptist Church. You sure know how to throw a celebration. Dennis Swanberg, the Minister of Encouragement, blessed us with a fun-filled evening and had everyone laughing. I greatly appreciate the Swan’s message for our church to remain faithful to God’s generous calling. We are truly blessed to bless.
There are so many people who gave great sacrifice and time to help us celebrate in such a grand way. We owe thanks to Kaleb Kurz and his cook team (many of his family members); Marci Newby and her kitchen staff; Sue Owens and her decorations team (Trish Wilson, Paula Locke, Sharon Grimes, Donna Hinton); Don Nelson, Bobby Ayala and our set up team; Brian Bowers and our Deacon servers (along with others who helped, Sharron Hawk); Wes Henson and our student ministry for helping with drinks; our Family ministry team of JD Templeton and Kellee Parish for assisting in the inconvenience of our Bible Study classes missing tables or having more than usual; and Clint Brown who went above and beyond. We did not miss worshiping, as we always do, thanks to Charlie Barganier. I am certain I am missing some who helped in great ways. Please know we are very thankful. Happy 75th Anniversary Trinity Baptist Church. May God be as gracious to us for the next 75 years and beyond, should Jesus tarry.
We have begun receiving our anniversary gift and will add to it anything given between now and May 25th. This is not a shifting of our tithes and offerings but a combined generous, willing and sacrificial gift. It was great to see such an outpouring of our church on our first Sunday of bringing in this gift. To God be the glory!
Trinity selected seven new deacons: Chuck Coulter, Jordan Marcum, Tabor McMillan, Philip Meadow, Vern Stahl, Jay Stimson and James Tripp. Thanks again to our New Deacon Selection Task Force and their godly leadership over the last year and a half to bring us to this point. Thank you, David Sprouse, Diane Donaldson, Pennie Olivo, Dan Petty and Vern Stahl.
We now set our focus on Resurrection Sunday and the gift to our community we call “The Victor”. I hope you will allow the Holy Spirit to use you in inviting our community to come and experience the Resurrection story. We will be observing the LORD’s Supper at Midweek on Wednesday of Holy Week. No greater event has ever or will ever occur in history than the reality of God’s love through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. I look forward to our continued transformation as we journey together.
In Christ,
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Mar '25
For the Journey – March 2025
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Mar '25
God is at work in Trinity Baptist Church. There are good things going on and God is responsible for all of them. Several things will be added to our history this month. I hope you have marked March 23 as a special day on your calendars. On that day we will vote as a church on the approval of seven church members who have been nominated and recommended by our Deacon Selection Task Force. I hope you will take the time to read about those whom you may not know. There will be an information sheet with the names of each nominated, with a brief bio and picture, in our announcement guide and in the office.
I want to express thanks to our New Deacon Selection Task Force as they have been working for over a year to bring us to this place. They have done an outstanding job with the assignment given to them by our church. Thanks goes to David Sprouse for serving as chair of this task force and also to Diane Donaldson, Pennie Olivo, Dan Petty and Vern Stahl for their faithful research and commitment to the LORD and Trinity Baptist Church. Church members nominated are: Chuck Coulter (9:45), Jordan Marcum (9:45), Tabor McMillan (9:45), Philip Meadow (11:00), Vern Stahl (9:45), Jay Stimson (8:30), and James Tripp (9:45). The service they attend is listed in parenthesis.
Also, on March 23, we will be celebrating Trinity’s 75th Anniversary. We will have a special time on Sunday afternoon with a Banquet and special time with the “Minister of Encouragement,” Dennis Swanberg. The doors will open to the Family Life Center at 4:15 with Dinner beginning at 4:30 and our celebration in the Worship Center at 6:00 pm. Tickets are free but necessary to be certain we have the right amount of food. This will be a great time for Trinity to sit together and both celebrate and worship through God’s faithfulness and continued assignment together.
We will also use our anniversary to consider a corporate anniversary gift to Trinity Baptist Church. You should have already received a letter from me regarding our plans. God blessed us with timing and faithful sacrifice during COVID to give us space for future ministry. That space is being used in a great way to encourage as well as grow new disciples at Trinity. We will announce more of our intentions on March 23 and begin to receive our financial blessings from March 30 through May 25. To God be the glory, we are truly Blessed to Bless.
We will also recognize Wes Henson for his 6th anniversary as our Student Minister this month. We are grateful for Wes and Mica, Anna and Charis and all they bring to our staff and church. Thank you, Wes, for six years of anointed leadership and ministry.
These are exciting days at Trinity Baptist Church and I am so fortunate and blessed to be present, as you are, for God’s opportunities in our Faith Family, community and world.
In Christ,
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Feb '25
For the Journey – February 2025
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Feb '25
Thank you, God, for a good ending to 2024. We were blessed to see baptisms on the next to last Sunday in 2024 and also baptisms on the second Sunday of 2025. We anticipate good things coming for the rest of the year.
I hope you are saving the date of Sunday, March 23, at 4:30 for our Church Wide Banquet to celebrate our 75th anniversary. We have scheduled the Minister of Encouragement, Dennis Swanberg, to be with us on that evening. I have enjoyed being with “the Swan” in several events celebrating God’s goodness in great places. This will be a wonderful evening with a good meal and great laughter. Tickets are free and will be available in March. By securing tickets, we will have a better idea as to number of meals and seating.
This month we will be holding our Third Prayer Wall praying around the clock. On Friday, February 21st from 7:00 a.m. to Sunday, February 23, 7:00 a.m. we will have church members praying around the clock. There will be some prayer points published by our church to assist in our prayer times. Members will select an hour between the times available and will receive a call from another prayer person letting them know they are on the “wall.” After they finish their prayer time, they will call the next person and do the same. Yes, some people will be praying at late hours of the night and early hours of the morning. Call the church office to get on the list and we will be sure to get the information to you regarding details and prayer points. Thanks for being a part of keeping a continued voice before the LORD from Trinity Baptist Church over this weekend.
Our Deacon selection process is moving forward with interviews taking place soon for the nominated deacons. Our Deacon Selection Task Force will have recommendations for church consideration soon. We are blessed to have great deacons serving our faith family and excited to add new deacons to that faithful team of servants. We will be voting in a worship service soon.
Be in prayer for your participation in our 75th anniversary birthday gift. You will be receiving letters in the mail soon detailing more of our plans. God has gifted us with His presence and His provision. We are the blessed recipients of many faithful members of Trinity Baptist Church and are in an incredible position to bless others who will come our way. I am so honored to know the names of our faithful church members and anticipate learning new names as God sends people our way. Thank you for your continued faithfulness.
This month we will also be celebrating Kellee Parish’s tenth anniversary as our Children’s Minister. We are so grateful for Tres and Kellee and their excellent ministry among us. Be sure to share your wishes and thanks for all Kellee and Tres do within our church and ministry. Also, we are celebrating 10 years of anniversary with AJ Lopez who has been so faithful in helping us keep our church clean and ready for our next ministry opportunity. Please express your thanks to our faithful employees.
In Christ,
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Jan '25
For the Journey – January 2025
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Jan '25
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13
Happy New Year! As we set our sights on what is ahead, we really don’t forget 2024. We are grateful for the lessons learned and blessings received. I have heard from several of you regarding our reading of Scripture together last year. We will continue to do so this year as we begin reading the Old Testament. You can pick up a reading guide for 2025 at the church. We will start with Genesis 1 on January 1.
The church has nominated some incredible men to serve as deacons and the names are now moving through the process of selection and interviews by the New Deacon Selection Task Force. The deacon leadership has interviewed four deacons who have served in other churches and have been a member at Trinity Baptist for at least one year. We are hopeful that these men, as well as those recommenced by the Task Force, will be in place in the next few months. We have incredible deacons who serve Trinity as faithful servants.
Come Journey With Us … You will hear more about the plans for 2025 as we continue to spend time together. In March, we will celebrate Trinity Baptist’s seventy-fifth anniversary. We are making plans for a church-wide banquet on March 23. You will hear more about it, but we are also hoping to give ourselves a great birthday present by knocking down our debt in a great way. Our newest building is being used in incredible ways every week. God has been so good to us and our church has been so faithful to cover our debt. I look forward to the day when we will once again be debt free and allow ourselves to continue blessing others.
Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate Christmas in such a grand way. From choirs, to dramas, to invitations for services, Trinity has been active in expressing God’s goodness and inviting others to join us on our journey. God has great plans for us and I am excited about what God is making known to us. May this year be even a greater year of worshiping, connecting, and serving the LORD together.
In Christ,
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Dec '24
For the Journey – December 2024
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Dec '24
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
What a blessed time of year to remember and declare God’s goodness to us. When we are truly thankful for all God has done, we can be joyful in all He is doing. God is at work and we rejoice in all of His activity among and around us. Prepare yourselves this season to celebrate Jesus, God’s greatest gift. Take notice and advantage of the many gatherings to do so at Trinity Baptist Church.
On December 15th, we will be gathering in our times of worship to nominate potential deacons to serve at TBC. Our New Deacon Selection Task Force is ready to complete their task of securing additional deacons. Each church member will have the opportunity to nominate up to three men to possibly serve as deacons of TBC.
What to do? Pray about who God may place on your heart to nominate. Ask that individual if they would be willing to serve as a deacon should they be selected. Should God lead you to do so, nominate up to three men. You can nominate one, two or three. Don’t nominate anyone you have not talked with about serving.
What to consider? I am not sure anyone qualifies to serve as a pastor or deacon. We all need the LORD in our life to lead us and we don’t qualify on our own. However, there are qualities that need to be present in the life of those who serve in these positions. Scriptures would lead us to these qualities: serious purpose, honest in speech, temperate in living, steward of possessions, spiritual integrity, proven spiritual maturity, Christian family life.
Trinity deacons also feel strongly that they should: attend worship services, belong to a Bible study class, contribute faithfully to the finances of the church through stewardship, assume service with responsibility and support the ministers of the church.
Church members who may not be nominated are men currently serving as deacons and those who have not been a member of TBC for at least one year. A list of current deacons will be published. As you pray about this and the LORD places a name on your heart, ask them if they would be willing to serve before nominating them. We are hopeful and prayerful that we will have a list of potential deacons for church vote in February. At that time, each person presented will need to carry a two-thirds vote by the church to be selected.
We have incredible men who serve as Trinity deacons. They are a blessing to us in many ways that go undetected. Thank you, deacons. Thank you, Trinity.
Merry Christmas,
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Nov '24
For the Journey – November 2024
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Nov '24
Thank you, Trinity, for the appreciation shown to our ministerial staff during Pastors’ Appreciation Month. I love our team of ministers and am so blessed to learn from them as we lead Trinity toward next steps and missional purposes.
We took our church vote in October regarding the recommendation from our New Deacon Selection Task Force to allow women the opportunity to serve as deacons at Trinity. The vote did not carry the percentage needed to change the bylaws, though 54% voted in favor and 46% voted against. Therefore, we will move toward our next step of deacon selection and seek the nomination of men to serve as deacons soon. I want to again share my appreciation to David Sprouse, Diane Donaldson, Suzii March, Pennie Olivo, Dan Petty and Vern Stahl for the first half of their responsibility. They now will lead our church through the nomination process and selection of new deacons.
November is the month for thanksgiving. Though we recognize it, nationally we also celebrate gratitude throughout the year. Every day is a day of gratitude for those who recognize God’s great gifts. “Don’t be deceived my brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:16-17
God is so good to us all. His gift of Jesus makes all the difference and, in faith, we have a purpose and place. God’s gift of family goes beyond expectation and I celebrate not only my physical family but my spiritual family as well. God calls us together for His glory and reputation. I am thankful today and every day. God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good. Let us praise Him together.
“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.” Psalm 150:6
In Christ,