SPEAKERS Jason Burden Burden, a graduate of Tarleton State University, earned both his Master of Divinity degree and Doctor of Ministry degree from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. He has been pastor of First Baptist Church in Nederland since 2011. Previously, he was pastor of churches in Trinity and Chilton. In addition to serving two terms as first vice president of the BGCT, he has been moderator of both the Golden Triangle Baptist Association and the Falls Baptist Association. Jason and his wife Kristi have three children—Hayden, Hallie and Rylie. Thom Rainer Thom Rainer is CEO and Founder of Church Answers. They are committed to providing resources, experts and community to guide church leaders through the ups and downs of ministry and church health. Thom Rainer is the former president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources and has written 36 books dedicated to church health and ministry. Sam Tolbert Reverend Samuel C. Tolbert, Jr. graduated from the Historic Bishop College formally of Dallas, Texas. He has also received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Union Baptist College and Theological Seminary, New Orleans, Louisiana, an Honorary Doctors Degree from Christian Bible College, New Orleans, Louisiana, an Honorary Doctorate from Temple Bible College, Cincinnati, Ohio and earned a Master of Divinity from Payne Theological Seminary, Wilberforce, Ohio. Reverend Tolbert serves as President of Greater St. Mary Community Development Foundation, President and CEO of Strategic Faith Leadership Ministries, President Emeritus of the Louisiana Home & Foreign Missions Baptist State Convention, member of Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention, and President of North American Baptist Fellowship (NABF). A devout man of faith, Reverend Tolbert has dedicated his life to religious service. He was the former Pastor the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, in Cameron, Louisiana. Currently, Reverend Tolbert is the Pastor of the church he grew up in, Greater Saint Mary Missionary Baptist Church in Lake Charles, LA and has been serving as their Pastor for more than 37 years. Having a heart for missions and doing his part to fulfill The Great Commission in Matthew 28, Dr. Tolbert has organized, lead, partnered and participated in many global missions trips spreading the Gospel of Christ in the Bahamas, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama,, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe. Jordan Villanueva Jordan Villanueva, former lead pastor of Indian Hills Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, recently became instructor of Christian Studies in Howard Payne University’s School of Christian Studies. He served in student ministry at Grace Temple in Oak Cliff, Primera Iglesia in Brownwood, and First Baptist El Paso. Villanueva graduated from Howard Payne with a Bachelor of Arts in youth ministry and Spanish and from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with the Master of Divinity degree. He will soon graduate from SWBTS with a PhD in church history. He currently serves the BGCT as Second Vice President.
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