Our Story
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)
Tommy and Virginia both grew up in the same small town of 1000 people in Oklahoma raised by families who were a part of the working class poor of the 1950s and 1960s.
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After they graduated high school, Tommy and Virginia began dating. In the first days of their dating, Virginia, a preacher’s daughter, invited Tommy to join her at a revival service at Caddo’s First Baptist Church. During that service, Tommy was touched by the telling of the story of Jesus’s crucifixion. As Tommy and Virginia were leaving the service, Tommy shook the hand of Brother Bud Jenkins and told Bro. Bud he would like to talk to him sometime. Bro. Bud replied, “What about right now?” and took Tommy to his office, where he shared the Roman Road gospel presentation. That night, on his knees at the age of 19, Tommy’s life was forever changed, as he surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Tommy started reading his Bible every day. He would open to a passage, put my hands on his Bible and pray for God to help him understand what he was going to read. Since he did not grow up learning about the Bible, Tommy found it difficult to understand.
Six months after making a decision to follow Jesus, Tommy began pastoring his first church and preached his first sermon to a crowd of seven.
Tommy and Virginia were married in 1969 and together served in ministry to rural Oklahoma churches. Because time and money were tight, Tommy was not able to complete seminary, but instead poured his time and energy into the pastorate.
After pastoring for about 10 years, Tommy became very discouraged because he couldn’t seem to find an approach to Bible study that would bring the Bible to life for him. His most difficult service to make interesting was Wednesday night. Finally, in 1979, while pastoring Ridgeway Baptist Church in Nashville, Arkansas, Tommy decided he would teach through the Bible in about a year on Wednesday nights. Tommy had never been able to put the Bible in perspective, especially the OT. His plan was to teach through the Bible for basic Bible knowledge, with little emphasis on technicalities or language.
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The Wednesday evening class was a success beyond Tommy’s wildest dreams. People who had never been to church or who had been out of church for years, began coming to learn more about what the Bible says. After teaching through the Bible on Wednesday evenings, Tommy taught the “Journey of a Lifetime” lessons again on Sunday mornings as a Pastor’s class for new members and guests.
After pastoring for about 10 years, Tommy became very discouraged because he couldn’t seem to find an approach to Bible study that would bring the Bible to life for him. His most difficult service to make interesting was Wednesday night. Finally, in 1979, while pastoring Ridgeway Baptist Church in Nashville, Arkansas, Tommy decided he would teach through the Bible in about a year on Wednesday nights. Tommy had never been able to put the Bible in perspective, especially the OT. His plan was to teach through the Bible for basic Bible knowledge, with little emphasis on technicalities or language.
​
The Wednesday evening class was a success beyond Tommy’s wildest dreams. People who had never been to church or who had been out of church for years, began coming to learn more about what the Bible says. After teaching through the Bible on Wednesday evenings, Tommy taught the “Journey of a Lifetime” lessons again on Sunday mornings as a Pastor’s class for new members and guests.
After pastoring for about 10 years, Tommy became very discouraged because he couldn’t seem to find an approach to Bible study that would bring the Bible to life for him. His most difficult service to make interesting was Wednesday night. Finally, in 1979, while pastoring Ridgeway Baptist Church in Nashville, Arkansas, Tommy decided he would teach through the Bible in about a year on Wednesday nights. Tommy had never been able to put the Bible in perspective, especially the OT. His plan was to teach through the Bible for basic Bible knowledge, with little emphasis on technicalities or language.
​
The Wednesday evening class was a success beyond Tommy’s wildest dreams. People who had never been to church or who had been out of church for years, began coming to learn more about what the Bible says. After teaching through the Bible on Wednesday evenings, Tommy taught the “Journey of a Lifetime” lessons again on Sunday mornings as a Pastor’s class for new members and guests.