March 22, 2000

Amatuer cabinetmaker now 'a cabinetmaker for the Master'
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___Garland Clark clearly understands his calling.
___"I used to be a master cabinetmaker," Clark says. "Now I'm a cabinetmaker for the Master."
___Clark, a member of First Baptist Church in Clayton, leads the cabinetmaking crew for

GARLAND CLARK operates a radial saw at the construction site.

Texas Baptist Men Retiree Builders.
___Unlike most of the volunteers, he brings more than a quarter-century of building experience to the job site. Clark, whose primary career was as a newspaper press operator, also ran his own cabinet and furniture manufacturing business on the side for 27 years.
___His partner in the building business was his wife, Valle. While she now works primarily with the Retiree Builders wives on handicraft projects for benevolence ministries and on community outreach, she still is pressed into nail-pounding service occasionally.
___When Texas Baptist Men Builders worked on Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary, she put together 179 raised-panel doors.
___In recent weeks, the cabinetmakers and other Texas Baptist Men Builders resumed work on the Robert Dixon Missions Training Center in east Dallas. It is Clark's 45th job in the nine years he has volunteered.
___"We feel like we're giving back a little of what the Lord has given us," he said.
___The missions training center is being built on a four and one-half acre site on the Buckner Baptist Benevolences campus. Buckner has leased the building site to Texas Baptist Men for 99 years at a rate of $1 per year.
___The center will provide facilities where Texas Baptist Men can do hands-on training, orientation and debriefing of volunteers. The 45,200 square-foot building also will provide a garage where Texas Baptist disaster relief vehicles can be housed and maintained, along with storage space for non-perishable food and other supplies.
___The building dedication is scheduled for May 6.
___

Send this story to a friend

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!