The First 20 Years
They loved me and loved my family. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

Dennis Hester • Senior Pastor
February 15, 2025

4 Minute Read

Twenty years ago today, February 15, 2005, I stepped through the doors at 6124 Plum Street as the new pastor of First Baptist Watauga. It was late on a Tuesday morning. I had preached my last sermon at May First Baptist on the 13th and it seemed appropriate to begin my official first day exactly halfway through the month.

THE FIRST DAY

My first duty was to meet with the Transition Team that had helped the church through a difficult interim period (if my memory is correct, that was Jimmy, Richard, and Tim). I only remember a few highlights from that first day. After meeting with those key leaders, I enjoyed dinner with my good friend Deron Biles and his family that evening. I asked Deron during dinner if there was a key person that I might visit that night outside of the leaders I’d already met. He suggested I get to know Dennis Serratt. So, I ended that first day with a wonderful day developing a new friendship with a special person who has become a partner in most every aspect of ministry.

Since that day, the Lord has taken us on a wonderful, sometimes, winding journey. Susan has suggested that my first official day was the 20th since that’s when I preached my first sermon as the “preacher” of my new church. I believe however that my calling is to pastor the church – not just preach! That’s why I consider Tuesday the 15th as the start of this new journey.

Many great memories come from those early days. I immediately got to work alongside a wonderful young man named Eric Costanzo. Jaye Biles had launched a choir in the interim and the Lord led her to be our worship leader for the first several years of my pastorate here. Miss Elaine, Zack, Kevin, PM, and many others have brought joy in the early years of this journey.

ONE STORY HELPS SUM UP THIS WONDERFUL CHURCH FAMILY

Because I began this new role in the middle of February, Susan and the girls remained in May during the week to finish out the school year. Susan was teaching special education while Kari, Kelsey, and Libbie all attended school. I would stay at Watauga during the week and they would join me on weekends. Our oldest daughter, Katie, had passed away on July 1st the previous year. Her passing coupled with the dramatic change including moving to the city, a new home, and changing churches put tremendous stress on our family.

In early April, I remember speaking with Susan about a difficult situation one of our girls was facing. I returned home early in the week to help them. During that time, the deacons for FBC Watauga called a meeting. I remember getting a phone call from the Deacon Chairman after late that evening that initially worried me. If you’re a pastor, you can imagine getting that call immediately following a deacon’s meeting while you were out of town – a meeting you had just missed and in the first couple months of your ministry at the church.

Thankfully, it wasn’t “that kind of call.” In fact, it was quite the opposite. I was told by the chairman that the deacons wanted me to take as much time as necessary over the next two months to care for my family. “Your family is most important. You’ve already accomplished more here that we expected in a year. Take care of your wife and girls during the week. We’ll see you on the weekend. Once school is over, you’ll be here full time.” I began to weep on the phone and had a hard time stopping when I got off. They loved me and loved my family. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

GOD’S HEALING

I had been greatly blessed by my deacons, church family, and the community of May, TX. It was uncomfortable to leave that all behind when the Lord called us to Watauga. The love shown by the deacon body of Watauga FBC in those early days was a wonderful comfort and encouragement as we began this new journey still grieving and trying to heal from our deep loss.

ONWARD

Tomorrow I begin the 21st year as the pastor at First Baptist Watauga. I rejoice in the Lord’s healing and help. I rejoice that I have the privilege of serving Him and pointing every day to the Great Shepherd of my soul and head of this church. What a privilege it is to serve such a great Lord alongside such wonderful people.

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From this Author: Dennis Hester
October 1, 2025 • 2 Minute Read
50 Years of Faith in Action
On May 4, 2025, our church family honored Roland and Nita Gorman for more than fifty years of faithful service at First Baptist Watauga. Their lives are a testament to steady obedience, humble service, and a heart fully devoted to God. Roland’s journey of faith began at age eleven when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. He was baptized here in 1973 and ordained as a deacon just a year later, a calling he has carried faithfully under multiple pastors, chairing the deacons several times and stepping into leadership whenever the church needed guidance. One of Roland’s most vivid memories is of the church’s building projects. “The Mayor of Watauga, some of our members, and even local 7/11 employees did the labor,” he recalled. “We did not have the funds to hire professionals. We were not trained carpenters or electricians. But it still stands!” That story reflects the spirit of service that has defined the Gormans' ministry: ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things through God’s power. Over the decades, Roland poured himself into nearly every area of church life. He taught Sunday School, led boys in missions, sang in the choir and with the Sweet Spirit Singers, served on countless committees, and participated in mission trips to South Dakota, Missouri, and Alaska. He and Nita opened their lives to ministries from prison outreach to senior adult ministry, always serving wherever there was a need. When asked about their shared ministry, Roland said, “We just served and have always helped each other. It’s not about us, it’s how God used us and others to accomplish His goals.” Together, they taught, prayed, cooked, and led, even serving as messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention. Their partnership is a model of what it looks like to labor side by side for God’s glory. Even after decades of service, Roland’s heart remains focused on what matters most. His encouragement to others is simple: “Love and take care of the children. Continue missions. Support the SBC. Above all, keep praying!” Honoring Roland and Nita reminds us that God’s work is accomplished not through the strength of a few, but through the faithfulness of many. May their example inspire each of us to step into the places God has called us, serve with joy, and keep our eyes fixed on Him who deserves all glory.

Dennis Hester

Senior Pastor

June 16, 2025 • 12 Minute Read
Life's Unwanted Detours
On the first 4700 miles of a 14k+ trip, Susan and I have faced several unwanted detours. These redirections have come in many ways, and each have had interesting outcomes. Though we may get frustrated, especially when the detour is caused by our own failure, we are continuing to learn the true meaning behind one of the most miss used passages of scripture. We are confident that, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Before I go any further, let me remind you of a couple truths from this text that are often ignored when it is quoted. First, the text does not teach that all things that happen to us are good. Certainly, rotten stuff comes our way. Sometimes, we face pain because of someone else’s sin. Sometimes, our pain is caused by our own sin or simple mistakes. Other times, we face pain and suffering simply due to circumstances that come from living in a fallen world. What may be the most challenging for a believer is that sometimes our Heavenly Father not only allows but plans and orchestrates things that cause us to suffer to discipline us and mature our faith (1 Peter 1, Heb. 12:3-6). Jesus assured His disciples that “in this world you will have trouble.” (John 6:33) Second, Romans 8:28 does not promise that all things work together for good for everybody! The text is a promise made specifically to believers who meet two criteria. They must be His kids (called according to his purpose). And, they are actively pursuing a relationship with Him (those who love God). Susan and I can have confidence in God’s plan and purpose for us even in the unwanted detours of life because we know that we are His and we are seeking to follow His will because of our love for Him. In just the past week, we have been challenged with at least four different types of challenging detours. Each could have cause great frustration and anxiety. In all but one case, we found that by keeping our focus on our Lord we have been able to walk in the peace and joy that only He provides. [I’ll confess that when the detour was caused by my own stupidity that I got frustrated for a short while.] Additionally, in EVERY case, the Lord has provided something through the detour that worked out much better for us than our original plan. The Planned Detour Our plan included leaving Johnston Campground in Banff National Park on Monday morning and driving up through Jasper National Park. I’ve told many people that I believe this is the most beautiful and awe-inspiring stretch of road that we have every traveled – and we’ve travelled much of all 50 states and several Canadian provinces. Leaving Jasper, we planned to head North to the beginning of the famous Alaskan Highway beginning at Dawson Creek and travel the length of the ALCAN through Whitehorse, Yukon. However, in Glacier National Park, we began to encounter a lot of smoke. Upon investigation, I learned that almost 100 wildfires were out of control in NE British Columbia. Those fires would be right along our route. Not wanting to deal with the smoke, we planned an unwanted detour to travel west from Jasper and get “behind” the fires. This would be a detour of several hundred miles but only added about 40 miles to our trip. Though we planned the detour, the short notice ended up causing some frustration that I’ll detail later. Besides, we’d miss a few of the iconic mile markers along the first few hundred miles of the Alaskan Highway. In spite of our frustrations, this unwanted detour took us to some incredible places that we’d have otherwised missed. We saw a lot of wildlife and enjoyed the scenery so much that we plan to retrace some of those miles on the way back down to the states. Along the way the Lord provided people and experiences that really blessed us each day. Unplanned Detour – Caused by Me This unwanted detour was caused by my mistake. After getting over the mountains west of Jasper, I began trying to plan for where we would camp that evening. We stopped off at the visitor center at the Mount Robson Provincial Park to get some information. It had a beautiful view and a lot of good information, but the service was a bit lacking and caused a little frustration. I picked a couple providential park campgrounds that would be about the correct distance for our travel that day. I was using a booklet provided by the parks system that had a small inset map of each region. I picked a park that looked right along our route, headed NW out of Prince George. This is where I made my mistake! After traveling over 30 miles toward that campground, we got stopped in a construction zone. As I sat there, I reviewed my travel plan on the “big map” and found that I was going the WRONG WAY! In fact, the way we were headed would take us directly back to the area of the fires near Dawson Creek. We had learned that smoke was no longer the only problem. The highway had been shut down in two locations with over 200 miles of highway closed. We had no other choice except to continue through the construction, get back in line, and travel back through the construction and back to Prince George. By now, we were tired and realized that my mistake had taken us over 60 miles out of the way with a two-hour delay. By the end of the evening, we eventually found a campsite along the correct route. The Lord blessed us with one of the only sites left in the area. A fellow traveler from Texas met us in the campsite and help us find the spot! It was a beautiful site and provided just the rest we needed. Unplanned Detour – Not Caused by Me Though this unplanned detour was caused by my mistake, some detours in my life have been created by other means. The birth, suffering, and death of our first-born daughter is one example of this kind of detour in our life. Though we were earnestly seeking the Lord, we ended up facing years of painful challenges. I started to write that they eventually ended at Katie’s graveside, but that would not be true. Though those years hold many great memories, they also created many scars. Even today, we periodically feel the sting of Katie’s suffering and her passing. Leaving our campsite this morning, I knew I needed to get gas soon. The first two places we came to that were supposed to have fuel were closed. Such is the challenge of traveling in remote places. The problem was that I had planned on one of these two being open and we were about to be in trouble. Instead of panic, we prayed. There was one more place on the map that we hoped would have enough fuel to reach. If we took it easy on the accelerator, we might just make it. Our “Distance to Empty” indicator was showing under 20 miles when we pulled up to the above ground fuel tanks. This wasn’t where we hoped to fill up and it wasn’t what we had hoped to pay for fuel. However, on this unwanted detour, the Lord provided again. While I was filling my tank, a young trucker walked up and told me about a wreck that had just happened a few miles down the road. He said that it could take hours to clear. He gave me some great advice on getting around the wreck that probably saved us at least an hour. The Lord worked through this unwanted detour to save us hours. If that wreck had been before the fuel pumps, well that would be a different story. When I think of these kinds of unwanted detours, I can’t help but remember the life of Joseph in Genesis. He experienced several unwanted detours after the Lord gave him a great vision. From the pit, to a mansion, to prison, to the palace, none of the detours were a part of his plan, but they certainly were used for his good, for his family’s salvation, and for God’s greater purpose for mankind. Helpful Detour – Following Good Advice The providential encounter with this trucker also provided and answer to a prayer that we had been lifting up the past few days. We were struggling with whether to include a trip all the way to the Artic Ocean that would include pulling our trailer over 1080 miles of gravel road. I love the idea of the challenge, but the main reason to go beyond a certain point would be just to be able to say that we had been there. Susan and I had been trying to decide and just were uncertain. While visiting with the afore mentioned trucker, he told me he was from Tuk –the small indigenous village at the end of the road on the Artic Ocean. When I told him we would be camping on the Dempster Highway at the Tombstone Mountains, he answered our prayer. He let us know that the road was in worse shape than usual. There was planned construction this summer to deal with its conditions. He said the best part of the trip was the Tombstone Mountains and a certain distance beyond. Once you pass that area, the scenery just wasn’t worth it. He recommended we camp at Tombstone Provincial Park and leave our trailer there. We could then drive a couple hours beyond the park and enjoy the best of the road without the stress. This was already something I had specifically considered and prayed about. Just a few hours later, the Lord intervened with another individual to meet our needs. When closing our trailer earlier this week, it became evident that a key component of our camper would not last the whole trip. I needed to repair a bracket that would require an experienced welder or metal fabricator. My backup plan was a fix I could do myself, but I was uncertain of its effectiveness. After leaving the trucker and making the detour he suggested, I found a welding shop that I had a peace about. He looked at my bracket and said he was willing but was unsure that he could do what I needed without removing the bracket from the trailer and I know that would be a long task and practically impossible with our schedules. When I told him my “plan b,” he said that was a great idea. He felt that would hold better than a weld on the thin metal. A few miles down the road, as I stopped in a big parking lot to take care of it, I found a couple other issues that I hadn’t seen. By me doing the repairs on my own, I was saved a LOT of issues that were on the near horizon. The Lord used two unwanted detours to work things out “for our good.” He provided great advice from a providential meeting with the trucker that came from one unwanted detour to provide an answer to prayer – a detour that would come from following the trucker’s advice. I am certain the Lord orchestrated these unwanted circumstances to provide the advice needed for tomorrow’s detour. As long as I take the advice, I’m certain we’ll find the “good things” God has for us down the road the next few days. Trusting the Lord in the Detours Every unwanted detour can be frustrating. Many can be downright painful. When we are faced with unwanted detours, whether we have a say in them or not, we have a couple directions we can take. We can get anxious, panic, get made at God, blame the cause of the detour, or blame others for our mistake (or sin) that caused the detour. If we take this route, we will never find peace and will be regularly frustrated throughout our journey on this earth. There is another route we can take. When faced with life’s unwanted detours we can take them to the Lord in prayer. We can turn to His Word for guidance. Scripture is filled with men and women who faced unwanted detours – some trusted God and some didn’t. Consider Job’s unfair life of suffering. Take a look at how David responded to the spear chunking of King Saul. Maybe even revisit the story of Joseph and see how God took horrible circumstances and used them for His glory. This evening, I am grateful for the detours. The unwanted detours have provided new experiences. We’ve found new friends. We’ve learned a little more about ourselves and we’ve learned to lean on the Lord. I think I’ll take the trucker’s advice. He knows the territory and he has been where we want to go. He knows the dangers and the beautiful blessings of the land. I also think I’ll continue to trust in the Lord, His word, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He’s been there. He knows the terrain of the blessings and even the sufferings. When life brings us to a detour, I’m certain that it will result in our good and His purposes – whether we initially like the detour or not.

Dennis Hester

Senior Pastor

Currently Reading
February 15, 2025 • 4 Minute Read
The First 20 Years
Twenty years ago today, February 15, 2005, I stepped through the doors at 6124 Plum Street as the new pastor of First Baptist Watauga. It was late on a Tuesday morning. I had preached my last sermon at May First Baptist on the 13th and it seemed appropriate to begin my official first day exactly halfway through the month. THE FIRST DAY My first duty was to meet with the Transition Team that had helped the church through a difficult interim period (if my memory is correct, that was Jimmy, Richard, and Tim). I only remember a few highlights from that first day. After meeting with those key leaders, I enjoyed dinner with my good friend Deron Biles and his family that evening. I asked Deron during dinner if there was a key person that I might visit that night outside of the leaders I’d already met. He suggested I get to know Dennis Serratt. So, I ended that first day with a wonderful day developing a new friendship with a special person who has become a partner in most every aspect of ministry. Since that day, the Lord has taken us on a wonderful, sometimes, winding journey. Susan has suggested that my first official day was the 20th since that’s when I preached my first sermon as the “preacher” of my new church. I believe however that my calling is to pastor the church – not just preach! That’s why I consider Tuesday the 15th as the start of this new journey. Many great memories come from those early days. I immediately got to work alongside a wonderful young man named Eric Costanzo. Jaye Biles had launched a choir in the interim and the Lord led her to be our worship leader for the first several years of my pastorate here. Miss Elaine, Zack, Kevin, PM, and many others have brought joy in the early years of this journey. ONE STORY HELPS SUM UP THIS WONDERFUL CHURCH FAMILY Because I began this new role in the middle of February, Susan and the girls remained in May during the week to finish out the school year. Susan was teaching special education while Kari, Kelsey, and Libbie all attended school. I would stay at Watauga during the week and they would join me on weekends. Our oldest daughter, Katie, had passed away on July 1st the previous year. Her passing coupled with the dramatic change including moving to the city, a new home, and changing churches put tremendous stress on our family. In early April, I remember speaking with Susan about a difficult situation one of our girls was facing. I returned home early in the week to help them. During that time, the deacons for FBC Watauga called a meeting. I remember getting a phone call from the Deacon Chairman after late that evening that initially worried me. If you’re a pastor, you can imagine getting that call immediately following a deacon’s meeting while you were out of town – a meeting you had just missed and in the first couple months of your ministry at the church. Thankfully, it wasn’t “that kind of call.” In fact, it was quite the opposite. I was told by the chairman that the deacons wanted me to take as much time as necessary over the next two months to care for my family. “Your family is most important. You’ve already accomplished more here that we expected in a year. Take care of your wife and girls during the week. We’ll see you on the weekend. Once school is over, you’ll be here full time.” I began to weep on the phone and had a hard time stopping when I got off. They loved me and loved my family. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. GOD’S HEALING I had been greatly blessed by my deacons, church family, and the community of May, TX. It was uncomfortable to leave that all behind when the Lord called us to Watauga. The love shown by the deacon body of Watauga FBC in those early days was a wonderful comfort and encouragement as we began this new journey still grieving and trying to heal from our deep loss. ONWARD Tomorrow I begin the 21st year as the pastor at First Baptist Watauga. I rejoice in the Lord’s healing and help. I rejoice that I have the privilege of serving Him and pointing every day to the Great Shepherd of my soul and head of this church. What a privilege it is to serve such a great Lord alongside such wonderful people.

Dennis Hester

Senior Pastor