After ministering in the Los Angeles area for twenty years, Pastor Scott and Shelly Kirkland have returned to their native west Texas. Bro. Scott grew up in Abilene, graduated from Cooper High School, and went on to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. Shelly graduated from Merkel High School and received her degree from McMurry University in Abilene. They served on staff in Borger, Texas for three years before the Lord called them to Southern California. Pastor Kirkland taught on the faculty of Pacific Baptist College for fourteen years and pastored an inner-city church in Gardena. The Kirklands have one son, Chandler, who is pursuing his Master's at West Coast Baptist Bible College in Lancaster, California. They are excited to be back home and ministering to the great people of Texas.

Bro. T.J. began attending TBC at the age of 16 after being invited by a friend. He was saved at the age of 17, and God called him into the ministry at the age of 18 . Laura (Davis) Lipham was saved at the age of 10 at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Big Spring. Laura and her family joined TBC when she was in the 9th Grade. It was then that she met the love of her life (Bro. T.J.)! Laura dedicated her life to serve the Lord in the ministry during High School. Bro. T.J. graduated from Arlington Baptist College in 2003, and Laura graduated from ABC in 2004 as Valedictorian.

After graduating Bible College, they served for 2 years as youth directors at the Calvary Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas before the Lord moved them to TBC. They have served on staff at TBC for the past 14 years.  They have been married for 17 years, and have three children (Andrew, Addison & Audrey).

Bro. T.J.’s favorite verse of Scripture is Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Laura’s favorite verse of Scripture is I Timothy 1:12, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”

Their goal in the ministry is to lead an active and exciting youth ministry in which teenagers are transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ, and trained to be His life-long disciples.

Bro. Earl has been attending services at Trinity since he was an infant. At the age of 14, he accepted Christ as his Savior during a Sunday morning salvation message preached by Dr. Claude Craven. Bro. Earl was baptized that night. His wife Natalie was saved at the age of 9 at a church in Arizona, but had never been scripturally baptized. And so, on Earl and Natalie’s first “church date” at Trinity, Natalie was baptized by Dr. Craven in the evening service.

Earl and Natalie were later married at Trinity. Several years later, they were blessed of God to have a son, Nathaniel. Nathan was also saved and baptized at the age of 5. Bro. Earl was hired by Dr. Craven in August of 1990. He has grown to love his job and church family more each year.

One of his favorite verses of scripture is Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”