Cowboy Church of Mineral Wells

Devin Gulliford

Educational Background: Master of Elementary Education (Adams State College), Master of Theology (Andersonville Theological Seminary), Master of Divinity (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), Doctor of Christian Education (Andersonville Theological Seminary), Doctor of Theology (Andersonville Theological Seminary) Ordination/License: Calvary Baptist Church, Monte Vista, Colorado 1996 Where was your first Pastor position? My first pastor position was at Patillo Baptist Church in Lipan, TX. In 1990, God called me into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I was attending a bible study in a home of a friend of mine. I started going to church in a rural Baptist church in South Fork, CO. God lifted me up out of the pit of sin a destruction I was spiraling down. He allowed me another chance, and even though I am still a sinful man, I am forgiven. Therefore, we press on toward the goal that Jesus Christ has blessed us with. Shortly after God calling me into a personal relationship with Christ, He divinely inspired me to lead a youth group in the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado. This was a God calling. After becoming a youth director, God led me to full time ministry in a pastorate. I would have to say, today, John MacArthur inspires me the most. He makes no quams about anything. He preaches and teaches God’s inspired word without apology. He works hard at rightly dividing the word of Truth. As far as my approach to church leadership, as Pastors, we are called to teach and proclaim God’s word to all people. We are called to lead and shepherd people, to walk along side and direct the sheep, to lead them to fountains of pure water, and to pastures of life. My approach to pasturing is along the lines of coaching. I believe we must teach and instruct in the ways of righteousness that can only come from God’s word. The most gratifying part of church leadership is being involved with leading someone to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To see genuine contrition on a person’s face and to know at that moment God’s Holy Spirit is working in the heart and mind of that person. Know God is working a miracle at that moment is so exciting. I approach the scriptures expositorily. Expository Preaching is the only way to proclaim God’s word. Take each verse and break it down in the Hebrew and Greek texts, then see to whom the author is writing and the purpose behind the writing and then bring it all back and explain exactly what is going on. Proper hermanutics is the only way to approach God’s word. When selecting a church home, I have always said find a church where the preacher is proclaiming God’s word. If nothing else just reading the scriptures would be enough. Find a home where people are treated as family, and God’s word is right in the middle.