Mark Newton: What a privilege to serve a church and community as pastor

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Mark Newton has been pastor of First Baptist Church in Lufkin since January 2016. From deep in the heart of one Texan, he shares his background and thoughts on church and ministry. To suggest a Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated minister to be featured in this column, or to apply to be featured yourself, click here.

Background

Where else have you served in ministry, and what were your positions there?

While a sophomore at Baylor University, I served as minister of music at First Baptist Church in Marlin.

Pastorates have included First Baptist Church in McGregor, Baptist Temple in San Antonio and First Baptist Church in San Marcos.

Prior to coming to Lufkin, I served at Baylor as director of church engagement.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Burnet, as did my great-grandparents, grandparents, parents and siblings.

How did you come to faith in Christ?


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The summer before my fourth-grade year during Vacation Bible School, I accepted Christ at First Baptist Church in Burnet and was baptized several weeks later with friends I later would graduate from high school with. To this day, I love VBS and always look forward to sharing the gospel as my pastor did with me.

Where were you educated, and what degrees did you receive?

After graduating from Burnet High School, I went to Baylor as a ministerial student and received my bachelor of arts degree in religion. I attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where I received my master of divinity degree in 1989. I am a proud honorary alumnus of Baylor’s Truett Seminary.

Ministry/church

Why do you feel called into ministry?

It is difficult to remember a time I did not feel called into ministry. The local church always has been a huge part of my life. I began teaching VBS, Sunday school, Royal Ambassadors and even Training Union as a teen. (Training Union scarred me, however, as I grew up missing Sunday evening Walt Disney!)

My pastor allowed me to begin preaching monthly at the nursing home as a freshman in high school. God gave me a pastor’s heart to serve others and to proclaim the good news of God’s grace and Christ’s love.

What is your favorite aspect of ministry? Why?

My favorite aspect of ministry is equally pastoral and preaching. I love to study and bring a message of hope and encouragement week by week, but also to be involved in the lives of my congregants and community. Serving as a pastor humbles me daily as I am allowed into the lives of children, teens, young families as well as senior adults. What a privilege to serve a church and community as their pastor.

How has your ministry or your perspective on ministry changed?

During my early years of ministry, I jumped on the latest convention idea for growth and significance. I tended to lead my church to “adopt this program; it will be great for us.” Of course, it was seldom great at all.

I now strive to have a deeper understanding of my congregation and build ministry around relationships and actual needs. Fewer programs and more intentional intergenerational relationships have impacted my ministry, and my perspective of ministry has moved from “let’s do” to “let’s be”

How do you expect congregational life to change in the next 10 to 20 years?

I expect congregational life to continue to change in tremendous ways in the next 10 to 20 years. I’m not sure at all how—but it will change.

Twenty years ago, who would have thought Sunday morning Bible study, discipleship training, Wednesday prayer meeting, monthly business meeting, deacons meeting, outreach/visitation, and even worship—everything—would look almost totally different. I agree with church leaders who say the local church has changed more in the last 20 years than in the previous 60 years.

In 20 years, many of our churches will be smaller but perhaps more committed to our mission and ministry. Church staffing will look entirely different than it does today. And, of course, budgets and financial stewardship will change as well.

What qualities do you look for in a congregation?

When I look at the qualities of First Baptist Church in Lufkin, I hope to see a dynamic congregation filled with grace and forgiveness toward each other and unconditional love to the community around us.

At First Baptist Lufkin, we say, “Unity does not mean uniformity, and diversity does not me division.” We celebrate our unity and our diversity. Our diversity makes us a better church in all ways. We are diverse in theology, gender and ethnicity. We are Democrats and Republicans, moderates and conservatives. We like each other, too. That sure helps and is a great quality in any church.

About Baptists

What are the key issues facing Baptists—denominationally and/or congregationally? What would you change about the Baptist denomination—state, nation or local?

Denominational life is in such transition. I grew up and began my pastoring in a time when the denomination from national to state to association was the thing. At times, I’m afraid the denomination was celebrated more than the local church—not so today in the least. I spent many of my years in ministry fighting to keep the Southern Baptist Convention out of the grips of the Fundamentalists. We lost, and I gladly helped birth the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. I have seen the Baptist General Convention of Texas go from the state convention to one of two state conventions. I haven’t been involved in a meaningful way with a local association in more than 15 years.

Thus, the key issue of the denomination is simple survival and relevance to our churches and the world around us. Our churches no longer are willing to fund a denomination out of past loyalty. Missions and ministry must be the driving force of the denomination for local churches to have any buy-in.

National and state conventions would do well to enlarge the tent and not make it smaller by excluding those autonomous churches who choose to do church differently than others. Yes, that unity and diversity thing again!

About Mark

Who were/are your mentors, and how did/do they influence you?

My mentors include my Baylor and seminary professors as well compassionate church members who guided me, especially in those early pastorates.

Baylor professors such as Bill Bellinger, Naymond Keithley, Dan McGee and Glen Hilburn challenged and encouraged me. Dr. David Garland at Southwestern Seminary not only taught me to love the Old Testament but officiated my wedding and called me every three months for years until his death.

In my first few pastorates, faithful deacons like Bill Engelke, Ed Whitt, Donald Mize, James Sims, Jerry Beauchamp, Max Brunnamann, Jimmie Scott, Ross King, Ron Wilson and others taught me grace and gave me grace week by week.

What has been the impact of the ministry on your family?

I am one of those fortunate pastors whose wife loves the church and is equally called to serve alongside me. Every church I have pastored gladly let me move on but wanted Aurelia to stay!

My children love and serve the church today because they were unconditionally loved and allowed to be kids in the community and in the church with normal expectations. They saw churches treat their parents with respect, and they saw women and men serve as ministers in the church. Both of our children are preparing for vocational ministry today. Our son, Truett, is a ministry student at Baylor, and Adolynn will begin Truett Seminary in the fall.

If you could get one “do over” in ministry, what would it be, and why?

If I could get one “do-over” in ministry, it would be in regard to time management. I would spend less time in meetings, more time in prayer; less time worrying about those who were upset with me, more time with my family; less time in the office, and more time building relationships.

To read other “Deep in the Hearts of Texans” profiles, click here.


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