The lead pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Marshall recently shared his story with the Southern Baptist Texan. He said his first year as lead pastor was intense, with spiritual struggle and tension within the church. He said the church lost about a third of its members, or 120 people. Near the start of his second year, he said he did not know what to do or whether he could keep serving.
He said he had been at Immanuel since 2008, when he took a discipleship role, and that he became lead pastor in 2024. He said the congregation was divided at the time. In summer 2025, he and his wife, Katy, prayed about whether to stay, and he said he felt called to remain.
He said SBTC regional catalyst Steve Cochran invited him to consider Thrive, a new ministry that SBTC senior strategist for Church Health and Leadership Jeff Lynn was developing. The pastor said the group focused on pastoral wellness and on helping pastors through hard seasons. He said the monthly meetings included book studies, shared struggles and prayer.
After four or five months, he said he felt more courage in ministry and more support. He said he still keeps those relationships.