We are very grateful for your love and support for the work here at Brown Trail. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
One of the greatest joys of my life is finding and visiting great servants of God. The kingdom of our Lord is vast and beautiful, and her servants are many. May we all bring praise and glory to Him.
Last week, my wife (Rebecca) and I were blessed to visit the Four Mile Hill congregation outside Searcy, Arkansas. While there, I was able to meet Herb Lee and Charles Collett. Brother Lee graduated from Brown Trail in 1969, and Brother Collett graduated from the Preston Road School of Preaching (which used to be in Dallas, Texas) in 1976. We met before Bible Class and after worship again for lunch at the house of Brother Collett’s son, Chris, an elder at Four Mile Hill, where we talked about our schools and their ministries. Between these two men, with their beautiful wives by their sides, they have served in pulpits for almost 100 years, serving congregations in Meridian, Vidor, Emory, Jacksonville, and Humble in Texas, along with serving the church in Colgate, Oklahoma, Leesville, Louisiana, Midway, Tennessee, and in Judsonia, Possum Creek, Pangburn, and Four Mile Hill, Arkansas. Though cancer, surgeries, age, and more have physically slowed them down, their love and zeal for God’s truth and preaching are just energizing! No one knows what the future holds, but these two men are evidence these preacher training programs work! And these young men we are graduating today have great lives before them.
While most of us reading this will have gone on to our rewards, the support and prayer we offer now for these young men will continue to bless God for decades after most of us have gone home! I wish everyone could meet these men. This chance meeting was a blessing to me, and I hope it serves as an encouragement to all of us who love the training of preachers.
L-R – Charles & Sue Collett, Heath Stapleton, June & Herb Lee
Our Wonderful Graduates
Each Sunday morning, I text dozens of our graduates with a few words of encouragement. They often get to chatting with each other, and here are a few things I have learned over the last few weeks. Brandon Ferguson (who graduated in 2017) was recently in India, teaching classes and working with local congregations. Spencer Ross (2008) is currently doing the same in India. Mark Teske (2003) is in South Africa, working with various congregations and trying to convince them to start a nationwide media program to reach the masses. Ed Stover (2007) built a small study group through his daily devotionals on Facebook. They have had five baptisms recently, partially due to these works and restorations. Landon Rowell (2005) from the Ramona, Oklahoma congregation places their sermons on Rumble and YouTube and shares them on social media. Scott Dykowski (2021) just baptized a lady in her 80’s. Jaelyn Downey (2020) reported they have recently baptized 13 into Christ. Nathan Boyd (who still needs to finish a class or two to graduate) said they had four baptisms in Enos, Oklahoma. Darrin Stapleton (2009) reported that one was restored who left the church four years ago. Rick Popejoy (1984) uses YouTube and daily messages to edify and is considering restarting a daily radio program. Ron Suiter (2001) has a “Continued Education” block in their weekly bulletin where he picks a gospel video from sound works in the brotherhood for the congregation to watch that week on the internet.
What brought about our technology conversation is I am sitting in Kermit, Texas, in a restaurant, getting ready to travel to Jal, New Mexico, to show the presentation and preach this morning. As I sat here, the “Search, The Lord’s Way,” television program with Brother Phil Sanders, came on the TV. And the entire restaurant got to hear a sermon about sin and false doctrine. Who would have thought this would have happened this morning? Technology, how is the congregation you attend using it to reach the masses? The advantages are many.
Mark Teske
2003 Graduate
New Student: Hayden Baker
Brother Hayden is just 18 years old and was born and raised here in north Texas, where he and his family have been attending the Brown Trail congregation all his life. His father, Derek, serves as a Deacon here over our youth and technology. He does a fantastic job keeping the congregation and the school on the breaking edge of technological advances.
I have been blessed to watch Hayden grow into the lovely young Christian man he is from a short distance away. He has spent countless hours at the church building helping his father, visiting and helping out local congregations, and teaching and preaching when he can. He has a great future ahead of him. As I sat down with Brothers Lee and Collett last week, listening to them speak about 100 years of collective ministry. I can’t help but wonder about the future of this young man. We appreciate your love and support for the school and young men like Hayden.
Obituary: David Lemmons
Brother David Lemmons, a 1982 graduate, passed away on the 12th of November after a hard-fought battle with cancer. He was 72 years old when he passed. He left behind his wife, Diane, and three children. Since graduation, David has preached in several states but spent most of his 41 years preaching in and around Benton, Kentucky. He was serving the Maple Hill congregation, just outside Benton, when he passed away.
I had the privilege to meet Brother Lemmons a couple of times over the last few years. He was a very kind, loving, and hardworking man. He is known for his “Lemmons Aids” that went worldwide. He loved mission work, and if you check out his Facebook page, you can see that many overseas are also grieving for his loss. On the maplehillchurchofchrist.blog site, you can find lots of his articles and recordings that he has done over the years.
Please keep his family and the congregation at Maple Hill in your prayers.
Brother Lemmons in Indonesia
Conclusion
As I conclude this newsletter, thinking of giants in the faith like Brothers Lee and Collett, who have slowed down a bit, and the future hope we have for young men like Hayden, 2 Timothy 2:2 comes to mind, “And the things thou hast heard of me among many faithful witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” And 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” Please pray for BTSOP as we strive to spread the sweet fragrance of God’s word in all places while training young men to continue this work after we are gone, which we are not worthy to do, for the glory of God.
Brotherly,
heath w stapleton