SR637 - Recognizing Green Acres Baptist Church on the occasion of its 70th anniversary.

          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 637          WHEREAS, For seven decades, families have come together to   celebrate their faith at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler; and            WHEREAS, Established on May 1, 1955, with nearly 300   charter members, Green Acres Baptist Church has since played a   vital role in the community, providing area residents with myriad   opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship, and community   outreach; its ministries serve numerous groups, among them young   and senior adults, couples, singles, married adults, women, men,   people with disabilities, and people in recovery; it also offers   a preschool ministry and a ministry for children with   disabilities, staffed by adults experienced in the field; in   addition, its multifaceted GraceWorks ministry incorporates   counseling; and            WHEREAS, Green Acres Baptist has benefited from the able   leadership of a number of notable pastors, beginning with Pastor   Cecil Johnson, who was succeeded in 1962 by Pastor Lester   Collins; Pastor Paul Powell guided the church for 17 years   beginning in 1972, and David Dykes became senior pastor in 1991;   since 2021, Dr. Michael Gossett has served as lead pastor; the   current leadership further includes Todd Haymans, executive   pastor of ministries, Dr. John Roach, missions pastor, Eddy   Espinosa, business and operations administrator, and Hixon   Frank, associate pastor; and            WHEREAS, Affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the   church has grown through the years to encompass two campuses, in   Tyler and in Flint; its membership exceeds 18,000, and its services   garner an average weekend attendance of approximately 4,000; Sunday   services in Tyler feature the Worship Choir, and the Highest Praise   Choir, for adults age 55 and older, also performs nationally and at   local nursing, retirement, and assisted living facilities;   moreover, adult musicians in the orchestra provide music for both   worship services and special events; the church also offers   recreational opportunities at its Family Life Center, Retreat   Center, and Green Acres Sports Complex; and            WHEREAS, Members of the church are dedicated to sharing their   faith in missions at home and abroad; recently, congregants traveled   to Kenya, and they plan to take many other missions in 2025 to places   ranging from Bucksport, Maine, to Colombia; the church maintains a   host of local outreach partnerships as well with such organizations   as Bethesda Health Clinic, Breckenridge Village, Celebrate   Recovery, Christian Women's Job Corps, Hope Haven of East Texas,   Mentoring Alliance, Refuge of Light, The Fostering Collective, and   Triumph Village, Tyler; connect groups and volunteers from the   church serve schools in the Tyler Independent School District and   have collaborated with Churches Serving Schools, a community-wide   group of churches; moreover, the congregation participates in   disaster relief and prison ministry; and            WHEREAS, Green Acres Baptist Church has long served as a   source of inspiration and spiritual enrichment to those who   worship there, and its continued existence is a tribute to the   unwavering commitment of its members, both past and present; now,   therefore, be it            RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th   Legislature, hereby commemorate the 70th anniversary of Green   Acres Baptist Church and extend to the congregation sincere best   wishes for many more years of shared prayer and fellowship; and,   be it further            RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be   prepared for the church as an expression of high regard from the   Texas Senate.     Hughes                 ________________________________          President of the Senate               I hereby certify that the     above Resolution was adopted by     the Senate on May 31, 2025.                 ________________________________          Secretary of the Senate                 ________________________________           Member, Texas Senate