By Juliana Moore. 

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day on which the worldwide Christian church remembers the gift of the Holy Spirit. To mark this occasion in the church year, our Sanctuary paraments and the choir stoles are red, symbolizing the tongues of flame described in the second chapter of Acts.

But my favorite aspect of Pentecost Sunday at Wilshire is the tintinnabulum because (a) it’s just a fun word to say, and (b) it’s got BELLS! The word derives from Latin, literally translated “to jingle.” Liturgically, tintinnabula have been employed as a means of illustrating the free-flowing work of the Holy Spirit. Wilshire’s tintinnabulum was created around 2006 by fabric artist Shirley Cunningham, who also designed the Sanctuary paraments.

So yes, today’s service is filled with the symbolism of the Holy Spirit. We start by seeing the red stoles and paraments and hearing the sounds of the marimba and tintinnabulum. Then we experience all the feelings as we witness the baptism of our beloved friend and staff member Chelsea, and we recognize, bless, and send out our graduates. Finally, we dedicate and welcome a new child of God. It is so much. It is a red-letter, spirit-filled day at Wilshire.

As I preview the order of worship, I find joy leaping off the pages. However, I must recognize that people sharing the pew with me may not be having the same reaction. You may be experiencing significant melancholy at the thought of graduation. You may struggle with baby dedications. Instead of beautiful jingling bells, your internal tintinnabulum may be barely audible, or it may sound like a tornado inside your head/heart/soul.

Nevertheless, whether it’s a calming sound of refuge or a siren song of distress, thank God, literally, for the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity. The Spirit, who comes to help us in our weakness. Our comforter and intercessor. Whether the Spirit comes as tongues of fire or as a dove, as a mighty rushing wind or the gentle chiming of bells, thanks be to God.

Lord, thank you for the gift of your indwelling Spirit. Bless this service of worship that we may hear your Spirit, that we may feel your Spirit and that we may know its abiding presence in our lives.

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Hometown: Mt. Calm, Texas;
Present City: Dallas;
Education: I didn’t initially go to college after high school but later earned about 45 college credits attending evening classes at Eastfield.
Profession: I retired from the Federal Government, where I was a tax computation specialist, and then worked for a couple of accounting firms in a specialty area involving taxes and interest.

Tell us about your family.
I am single with two adult children. My son lives in Rockwall with his wife, and they have an adult daughter and son. They also have a granddaughter, my great-granddaughter, who is 8. My daughter lives in Dallas and has a 14-year-old daughter.

How about your work or volunteer life?
I frequently help my daughter, who has always signed up to do far more than the average person could possibly do. Currently, I’m helping her with The Long Run, a fundraiser for J.L. Long Middle School, which she is chairing.

Any favorite hobbies?
I love to escape in a good book, and I’m in a couple of book clubs. I like walking and gardening. Also, for several years I’ve been studying Spanish both to try to learn it and as a way to keep my brain working — mixed results on both!

What are your favorite places to travel?
My daughter has a condo in Colorado, and I enjoy going there with her and my granddaughter once or twice a year. I really enjoyed trips I took with Wilshire to Ireland and Spain a few years back.

What brought you to Wilshire and when?
I grew up in a Southern Baptist church, but became disillusioned and didn’t attend for a number of years. I visited Wilshire on a friend’s recommendation in 2013 and liked it right away.

Where are you engaged at Wilshire?
I participated in the recent mission trip to Puerto Rico, and I was very proud to be part of such a wonderful group. I’m in Whosoever Wilshire Sunday School Class, and I serve on the Lord’s Supper Ministry Team.

What has surprised you most about Wilshire?
Maybe not surprising, but I appreciate the intelligence and open-mindedness here and that everyone is welcome.

What do you think God is up to in your life right now?
I’m trying not to be judgmental but to grow in the recognition that every person is created in God’s image and worthy of dignity and respect. Emphasis on trying.

Something interesting most people would not know about you?
I was working in downtown Dallas when President Kennedy was assassinated. We had just watched the motorcade pass by.

What adjectives best describe you?
Diligent, sincere, curious.

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Wilshire Prayer Notes: May 11 – 17

Condolences to:

• Polly Craig on the death of her son-in-law, Lee Reed, May 14. Graveside service May 24, 2:00pm, in Abilene, TX. 
• Sarah Knabe and family on the death of her father, May 12. 
• Louise Troh on the death of her mother. 
• Polly Barnes on the death of her husband, Richard ‘Dick’ Barnes, May 12. 
• Family and friends of Virgil Musick, May 10. 
• Kelly Park on the death of his wife, Nancy Park, May 5. 

Others in need of prayer:

James, John, Megan, Gaye, Montgomery, Neil and Carol Ann, Carolyn, Bobby, Cathy, Maria, Erin, Julie, Kathy, Ella, Martha, Sue, Elwyn, Owen, Emily

Friends and Family concerns:

• Dakota Rhea, 4-month-old great-nephew of Robin Sefzik, aggressive liver cancer tumor
• Tracy Yetter, stepdaughter of Janice Vergez, experimental cancer treatments
• Caroline Benson, niece of Tanya Benson, neurological condition
• Patricia Cole Saenz, sister-in-law of Joyce Harris, beginning cancer treatments

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By Dorrell Brown

Although I don’t do childish things anymore, my thoughts are sometimes childish, and my prayers can be, too. In my preparation for anything, prayer is usually done first, but like a child when it comes to some prayers, I’m at peace and might fall asleep, so this morning I’ll tell you a story instead.

There was an elderly lady who attended my childhood Baptist church. We all walked then, and no matter how early I left home, she was already in church singing the same lines over and over again to a children’s’ song I did not know then: “One door and only one, and yet its sides are two, inside and outside, on which side are you?” It made me wonder on which side I should be, and I would follow this lady if she went outside just to be on the same side of the door she was … but my mother noticed and wanted an explanation for my strange behavior. I had no choice but to believe my mother when she told me the lady was preparing, although I did not know for what. So l left it at that.

We sing today, Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth, and for that we are thankful. So let us all be engaged right now … it’s not difficult at all. Look around, name five things you can see and give thanks. Now four things you can hear, and also give thanks; three things you can feel — remember to be thankful for what you can feel — and two things you can smell — don’t forget to give thanks for that — and finally something you can taste, and again be thankful.

My earthly mother was correct after all. That elderly lady was preparing by praying through singing the repetitive lines mentioned above. And yes, I do know the rest of the song now. May our hearts be ready to receive and meditate on the word we will hear today, be appreciative and be thankful for our mothers or mother figures in our lives.

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Hometown: Bellmead (outside Waco)
Present City: Dallas
Education: Baylor University
Profession: Banking and Administration

Tell us about your family.
My ancestors moved from Arkansas to Texas just after the Civil War. I was born in Pursley Community outside Corsicana, Texas. I have a stepdaughter, Jeanne Poorman, of Wilmette, Illinois, and a stepson, Bill Hill Jr. of Austin. I have a niece, Carolyn Pearson, of Denver, and nephew, Louis Tobola, of Euless. My great niece, Adria Mauro, and my 5-year-old great-great niece, Nicole Mauro, live in Denver.

How about your work or volunteer life?
I worked in mortgage banking until 1992 and then went to work for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. I retired from the BGCT in 2002. I also worked at Wilshire for eight years.

Any favorite hobbies?
I enjoy genealogy research and have traced three of my family lines to the early 1800s in the U.S. I have assisted several friends at Wilshire and people from several states in their searches. I also am an avid reader. I have read over 500 books since 2020. I have a spreadsheet to keep track of the books I have read so I don’t reread one!

What are your favorite places to travel?
I love to travel in Italy and Greece. My two favorite cities I have visited are Florence, Italy, and Istanbul, Turkey. I have traveled to Europe and the UK several times and to the Holy Land with Wilshire and Temple Emanu-El.

What brought you to Wilshire and when?
I have joined twice. The first time was in 1957 upon my first visit. I rejoined in 1973 when I returned to Dallas after living out of state in Oklahoma and California.

Where are you engaged at Wilshire?
Discovery Class, Prayer Team, Adventurers Committee, WOW Brown Bag Book Club and the Belong Team.

What has surprised you most about Wilshire?
I am not surprised but am pleased by our welcoming spirit and involvement in missions here in Dallas and around the world.

Tell us about your faith journey.
My mother’s family was Baptist, and my father was Church of Christ. My mother was the influencer in my decision to join the Baptist faith. I made my profession of faith at age 12 at a youth-led revival led by Bruce McIver, later to become Wilshire’s pastor, and Baylor basketball player Jack Robinson.

Something interesting most people would not know about you?
I attended LBJ’s presidential inauguration in 1965. I also was privileged to hear Martin Luther King Jr. preach at Riverside Church in New York City in August 1961.

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Graduate recognition May 19
Wilshire will recognize its 2024 high school graduates during worship on May 19; their photos will be printed in the worship folder along with those of church members who received a bachelor’s degree from June 2023 to May 2024. Music in the service will include Youth Choir singing its signature Psalm 139 and 2024 graduate Joshua Brown playing the prelude on marimba.

Wilshire in the Park: Churchwide Picnic
Sunday, May 19 | 5 to 7 p.m. | Flag Pole Hill Pavilion
8015 Doran Circle, Dallas 75201
All are invited to this family-friendly annual picnic with food, face painting and Flag Pole Hill’s unique inclusive playground. The pavilion and picnic tables are ours to use; bring your own lawn chairs. Wilshire will provide fried chicken, rolls and drinks. The rest of the meal is potluck with these assignments by last name: A–F, veggies; G–M, fruit; N–S, dessert; T–Z, salad. Please bring enough to serve at least eight. Containers and serving utensils must be disposable. Please include a card with allergen information (gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, soy) if appropriate. Volunteers are needed to welcome guests, manage the buffet table and clean up. SIGN UP.

Up next for Stolen Lives: May 18 rally
On Saturday, May 18, Moms Demand Action is collaborating with Texas Impact and Giffords to host a rally for gun violence prevention and NRA accountability at Dallas City Hall Plaza from 9 a.m. to noon. The rally is scheduled in parallel with the National Rifle Association’s annual conference, which is being held in Dallas May 16–19. The Vidas Robadas (Stolen Lives) T-shirts we prepared will be on display at the rally along with T-shirts from other area churches. Attendees are asked to register in advance. Volunteers are needed at 7:30 a.m. to help hang T-shirts and at the end of the rally to take down the display. If you can help, contact Abbey Adcox.
■ Installation coming soon. Wilshire will host Vidas Robadas (Stolen Lives), a visual installation to bring awareness to gun violence, from May 26 through June 9. The display along Abrams Road will use T-shirts to honor local gun violence victims. Wilshire members prepared 225 shirts; colored shirts represent homicide victims, and white shirts represent suicide deaths. Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples said, “Participating in Stolen Lives is a way for our community of faith to demonstrate our commitment to helping create a safer world for our children and our community. We hope this exhibit takes the data and humanizes it. Each shirt is not just a data point, not just a shirt, but a life.” The initiative was created in partnership with Texas Impact, an Austin-based interfaith advocacy group.
■ Wear Orange on June 9. All are invited to wear orange on Sunday, June 9, in observance of National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend. Orange ribbons will be available. On June 9, the Christian Advocacy Committee will host a letter writing campaign for common sense gun reform.

Wednesday nights on break
Wilshire’s Wednesday evening activities have ended for this school year and are now on summer break. This includes Koinonia Café; KidConnect; Preschool Music, Missions & More; and the 6 p.m. Bible Study.
■ Watershed has also ended, but Wilshire’s youth will have a tailgate event on May 15.
■ Sanctuary Choir rehearsals continue Wednesdays at 7 p.m. with some summer breaks planned.

Lunch & Learn continues through June 5
All are welcome each Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in Community Hall for lunch ($10 each) followed by minister-led Bible Study. Pay at the door. No RSVP needed.
■ On June 5, the final Lunch & Learn before a summer break will be a joint event with Wilshire Adventurers featuring New Song Community Choir’s end-of-season concert.

Wilshire Winds concert, June 2
Wilshire Winds will present a concert on Sunday, June 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. An ice cream social will follow in James Gallery. Shana Gaines directs the volunteer group of woodwind, brass and percussion players. The concert’s theme, Scoops!, ties in with the ice cream social and hints at the program of different musical flavors — familiar tunes, concert band classics and even a David Bowie medley. Highlights will include: the debut of a new arrangement by Shana Gaines, “Heavenbound: A Sacred Harp Medley”; “America, the Beautiful” with Minister of Music Ariel Merivil singing; a solo marimba piece by Joshua Brown, a graduating high school senior; and three pieces with euphonium player Tom Fletcher as featured soloist.

Vacation Bible School: Seekers in Sneakers
June 10–14, 9 a.m.–noon.
At Vacation Bible School, kids will use their investigative skills to dig into the Bible. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends, sing fun songs, solve clue puzzles, do art projects and science explorations and play active games. For older preschoolers through sixth graders. VBS is free; class sizes are limited. Register by June 3.

Children and Preschool Summer Camps 
Find all the details on our summer offerings for children and preschoolers at wilshirebc.org/summer-camps.  
■ Vacation Bible School | June 10–14 | 9 a.m.–noon | Three-year-olds through grade 6
■ Cooking Camp | July 8–12 | 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Grades 1–6  (Sold out; waitlist available)
■ Listen to Your Art Camp | July 8–12 | 12:30–5 p.m. | Grades 1–6
■ Full day Cooking/Art option available for grades 2–6, July 8–12 (Sold out; waitlist available)
■ Passport Kids Camp | July 27–30 | Overnight camp in Brownwood | Grades 3–6
■ Kindergarten and Preschool Camp | July 22–25 | 9 a.m.–noon

Join the summer fun!
Looking for a place of service at Wilshire? Do you enjoy working with kids? Are your kids grown, or do you not have kids? Are you retired? Do you have a flexible schedule or work from home? I’d love to have you join us for one or more of our children’s summer activities. Or on a more regular basis for Sunday School or Wednesday nights — or as a sub. It’s fun, easy, rewarding and we’ll train you! Let me know if you or someone you know is interested, and we’ll find the right spot. Our greatest need is for someone with special needs experience. Contact me at [email protected] or 214-452-3104. —Julie Girards, Minister to Children

Men’s book club begins June 18
Wilshire’s new men’s book club will meet for the first time on Tuesday, June 18, at 7 p.m. in the Parlor. The group will meet the third Thursday of every month; all men are welcome. On June 18 the group will discuss Greg Garrett’s The Gospel According to James Baldwin: What America’s Great Prophet Can Teach Us About Life, Love, and Identity. From the publisher: “Baldwin’s writing offers critiques of religion, culture, and discrimination, and in the witness of his life he holds up hope and the primacy of love despite all the difficulties of the present moment. … Garrett presents the life and work of Baldwin in all his writing genres, on themes of equity, justice, and reconciliation.” Garrett is a professor of literature and culture at Baylor University and a friend of Wilshire.

New WOW shirts, summer plans
Women of Wilshire has new T-shirts available ($15) and a slate of summer activities planned, including a game night and pool party. To order a shirt and RSVP for events, see this SignUpGenius link.
■ WOW Tuesday Evening Book Club | June 11 | 6:30 p.m. | Parlor | Horse by Geraldine Brooks. Contact: Debby Burton ([email protected])
■ WOW Brown Bag Book Club | June 6 | Noon | 1205-L | A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Contact: Carolyn Murray ([email protected])
■ Let’s play mahjong! Join Women of Wilshire for mahjong the first Friday each month at 10 a.m. and the second Wednesday each month at 6 p.m. Please sign up.
■ Evening knitting group. Anyone who enjoys knitting is invited to Peggy Tinsley’s Garland home one evening each month, usually the third Thursday, to work on their projects in fellowship with others. The group is open to knitters of all skill levels. Contact Sara Tinsley for more details.

MOPS is now The MomCo; registration open for fall 
After 51 years, MOPS International is updating its name to The MomCo (short for Mom Community) to better align with its mission of reaching all moms, not just mothers of preschoolers. Wilshire’s group began in 1997 and is still going strong, meeting six to seven times during the school year on Friday mornings. Childcare, called KidsCo, is offered, and programming for moms includes brunch, a speaker and sometimes a craft — but always community. The group includes Wilshire members but consists mostly of local moms looking for connection. Wilshire MomCo will still focus mostly on moms with young kids, but as with all things Wilshire, the more the merrier. Registration for the fall is open.

Youth Camp
“Find Your People” is the theme for this year’s Youth Camp for grades 7 to 12, to be held July 1–6 at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in Little Rock. Pastoral residency alum Jared Jaggers will serve as camp pastor. Registration is open. 

Minister to preschoolers sought
Wilshire is actively seeking applicants for the position of minister to preschoolers, a part-time ministerial role. Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples said, “Last year we began a process of intentionally assessing our ministries from birth to age 18. With learnings from guest speakers, surveys and all-church listening sessions, we now feel we are in a better spot to begin searching for a minister to preschoolers. This doesn’t mean we’ve finished listening or dreaming, but it’s time to bring in someone with great expertise to help us continue planning for the future.” In accordance with Wilshire’s personnel policies, the Personnel Committee will work with Associate Pastor Darren DeMent in the hiring process. A job description and instructions for applying can be found at wilshirebc.org/employment. Applications will be accepted through June 1.

WOW: Women of Wilshire
■ Tuesday Evening Book Club | May 14 | 6:30 p.m. | Parlor | Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon. Contact: Debby Burton 
■ Brown Bag Book Club | June 6 | Noon | 1205-L | A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Contact: Carolyn Murray

Adopt-a-Book raised $1,100
Wilshire Librarian Barbara Peterson and the Library Committee would like to thank the congregation for its support during the recent Adopt-a-Book event, which raised $1,100 to help purchase new books. Thank you, Wilshire!

Library summer hours are in effect
Sundays: 9–10:45 a.m.
Weekdays: 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
Saturdays: Closed

Adam’s Baskets
Wilshire’s Adam’s Baskets ministry, created in memory of Adam Malcik upon his passing in 1987 by his parents Vy and Michael Malcik, provides members the opportunity to keep our food pantry stocked. Our small pantry meets immediate needs when a neighbor stops by for assistance. Wicker baskets are located around the church, and you can place nonperishable items into a basket at any time. Proteins, peanut butter and pop-top canned goods are most needed. Items are collected from the baskets on the second Sunday each month.

ECLC enrolling for fall
Wilshire’s Early Childhood Learning Center is enrolling for the 2024–2025 school year. ECLC is a licensed early care program offering a comprehensive approach to education for infants to Pre-K. Learn more at wilshirebc.org/eclc.

Subscribe to sermon podcast
Sermons from Timothy Peoples and other Wilshire preachers are available as a weekly audio podcast on all major podcast platforms. Search for “Wilshire Baptist Church” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or iHeartRadio.

Chronic illness support group
Wilshire’s support group for those experiencing a chronic or undiagnosed illness meets on Zoom the second and fourth Tuesdays every month at 7:30 p.m. To learn more, contact group leader Annette Miller.

The post Current News appeared first on Wilshire Baptist Church.

A beautiful thread of love runs through our worship this morning. Our Young Musicians sing of spreading kindness, our Gospel reading reminds us to love one another and the choral offertory offers a prayer of restoration and peace to all. When we are gathered for worship, God’s message and commandment to love feels easy, but outside this space, in the messy, divisive world, loving the stranger, the enemy — loving all of humanity — can be quite complicated.

In her book “See No Stranger,” Sikh activist Valarie Kaur calls us to commit to “revolutionary love,” which she defines as the choice to labor for others, our opponents and ourselves. Despite our best efforts, we carry unconscious biases that cause us to be suspicious of the stranger and condemning of the enemy and prevent us from loving all of humanity. Othering is pervasive, and we become vulnerable to creating irreconcilable gaps between ourselves and those we see as the other.

Psychologist Susan Fiske has demonstrated with brain imaging that our brains process members of ‘out-groups,’ people who are different from us, as nonhuman, and the areas that activate in the brain are those activated when viewing something of disgust. Our propensity to “other” is a reflex of our neural biology.

Kaur’s response is to see others with curiosity and wonder, because once people stop wondering about others, once they no longer see others as part of themselves, they disable their instinct for empathy. In the Sikh tradition, one approaches others by acknowledging that they are a part of themselves they do not yet know. Wondering about a stranger’s favorite meal or the childhood nickname of your enemy creates familiarity and commonality, which makes love possible. It allows us to see past our differences and honor the image of God that is present in all. It is not easy, and often boundaries are important, but it is necessary. We are called to love one another as Christ loves us and to see the other as somebody, even as a part of ourselves. We are called to the work of justice and bringing the Good News into the world.

As we worship today and live in this brutal and beautiful (brutiful?) world, may we lead with curiosity and wonder as we encounter the stranger, and may we live into revolutionary love.

The post Preparing for Worship appeared first on Wilshire Baptist Church.

Hometown: Dallas;
Present City: Dallas;
Education: MS;
Profession: Teacher;

Tell us about your family.
I have two sons, Charles, 8, and William, 7. My mother lives with us. I am a widow.

How about your work or volunteer life?
I teach sixth grade at Merriman Park Elementary, and I’m a BETA Club sponsor there. This fall I’ll be teaching at the Winston School. I help in children’s ministry at Wilshire.

What are your favorite hobbies?
I love to travel, crochet, refinish furniture, read, swim, play board games, build Legos and do science experiments with my boys.

What are your favorite places to travel?
I have visited Mexico, Russia, England, Spain, Italy, Singapore, Thailand and Cambodia. There is not a place I haven’t liked. My favorite thing to do is go to a local market where I can try the native foods of an area.

What brought you to Wilshire and when?
We moved back to Dallas in June 2023. I was looking for a church that had solid teaching and was also open to people in the LGBTQ+ community for when my brother-in-law visits me; I want him to feel welcomed. A dear friend recommended Wilshire, and when we came, we were welcomed with open arms.

What has surprised you most about Wilshire?
I was most pleasantly surprised by how much the church welcomes children to be involved in serving.

Tell us about your faith journey.
I was raised in a Christian family, but each part of my family went to a different church: Catholic, Methodist, Disciples of Christ and nondenominational. I learned at a young age to embrace difference in whatever form it comes. I made friends with good people and didn’t ask anything else. I became a believer at age 10 and was baptized shortly after that. I had some struggles with my faith along the way, but ultimately I came back to the church and my faith. I can’t say I’ve loved the challenges in my life, but God makes sure I can grow in the journey, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Something interesting most people would not know about you?
I went to Arts Magnet and studied theater and visual arts. On my honeymoon, I was walking the gardens of Highclere Castle and discovered some sheep. I started petting them and discovered Lord Carnarvon in his Land Rover. I was at a play where Martin Freeman played Richard III, and I was drenched in his “blood” as he “died” because of how close we were seated.

*If you are interested in being featured in an upcoming I Am Wilshire feature, contact Carolyn Murray ([email protected])

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As you prepare for worship today, take a moment to reflect on what brings you here. Why do we gather for worship? What are our hopes as we open our hearts and minds for this sacred time together?

Let’s explore the essence of worship. Corporate worship is a dedicated time where we collectively acknowledge the presence of the Divine in our lives. In our context, we structure our worship using sacred elements rooted in ancient traditions that have evolved over millennia. The book of Acts illustrates the early church’s commitment to fellowship, teaching, prayer, Communion and offering. This foundation encourages our gathering to listen for God’s voice, communicate with God, receive divine gifts and reciprocate by offering our gifts to God and one another.

At its essence, worship is a dynamic practice of nurturing and honoring relationship. It’s a dedicated time to foster, celebrate and deepen our bond with God and our community. It’s not a passive act of observation but of active engagement. Like any significant relationship, worship requires an open heart and mind, inviting us to be responsive to the Divine. Our weekly gathering should reflect the ongoing work of the Spirit in our lives, drawing us closer to God and each other.

You may notice subtle shifts in our service order in today’s worship. These adjustments reflect our ongoing pursuit to engage more intentionally with God’s voice through word, song and prayer. As you join in our worship, stay attuned to where you may encounter God’s presence in fresh and transformative ways.

Let our prayer resonate with the words of our hymn: “Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit into every troubled [heart]. Finish then [a] new creation; pure and spotless let us be. Let us see [your] great salvation perfectly restored in [us].”

The post Preparing for Worship appeared first on Wilshire Baptist Church.

Hometown: Dallas;
Present City: Dallas;
Education: UNT, Biology; UNT, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine; Michigan, MBA.
Profession: Physician (internist), health care executive;

Tell us about your family.
I’ve been married to Rhonda for 43 years. We raised four sons: Steven, married to Ashley with two children, Kennedy, 6, and Carter, 3; Daniel, married to Ami; Benjamin, married to Taylor; and Andrew.

How about your work or volunteer life?
I retired in 2023 and now consult for clients working to improve healthcare for Medicaid and the medically underserved. I volunteer on a federal advisory committee focused on Medicare and Medicaid reform. I’m a hospice volunteer for VNA Texas and a visiting professor in Healthcare Disparities and Strategic Management for UTD and Rutgers.

Favorite hobbies?
Gardening, hiking, scuba diving and reading.

What brought you to Wilshire and when?
We moved from Waxahachie in 2013 after our last son left for college. We found Wilshire because of its mature leadership and application of Christian theology around social justice and egalitarianism.

Where are you engaged at Wilshire?
Epiphany Class and the Missions Committee.

What’s surprised you most about Wilshire?
Wilshire’s maturity and openness to being an early adopter for how Christian institutions can recognize and respond to the urgent need for diversity, inclusion and equity in leadership, membership and practice in society.

What do you think God is up to in your life right now?
God is teaching me to slow down and recognize the power of developing new relationships with strangers — reducing the distance between myself and others with different backgrounds and lived experiences and better connecting with what God is up to in the world.

Tell us about your faith journey.
Raised as a Methodist, I was influenced by Young Life leaders and became a Christian in 1984. I struggled to express my faith as a husband, father and physician, but in the last decade I’ve experienced a renewal of faith, coming to a deeper understanding of God’s love for both me and the world.

Something interesting most people would not know about you?
In Waxahachie, I transitioned from private practice to making “house calls” for impoverished survivors of complex neurotrauma living without health insurance in Dallas. This gave me opportunities to participate on medical teams responding to the healthcare needs created by natural disasters and the long-term consequences of poverty and social injustice.

What adjectives best describe you?
Curious.

*If you are interested in being featured in an upcoming I Am Wilshire feature, contact Carolyn Murray ([email protected])

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