Commissional Corner: Alumnus Tommy Derrick

Tommy Derrick graduated from DBU's MA in Global Leadership program in August 2017. He is currently a Family Pastor at First Baptist Church Bandera, where he works with students ranging from 0 to 18 years old and is responsible for working alongside their parents. Additionally, Tommy is helping a traditional church to walk and engage in a non-traditional community. He is also aiding the church by influencing and reaching out to this community and its families.

Tommy was raised in a Christian household, and during this time, his family attended Royal Haven Baptist Church. During a particular service they attended, when Dr. Colton was preaching, Tommy felt the call to give his life to Jesus. He was only six years old. If Tommy could use one word to describe God's role in his life, it would be "presence."

One of Tommy's most important lessons from the MAGL program was constantly being mindful of culture and context. He shares, "It seems so obvious now, but coming from a person raised in church and serving in more traditional settings, engaging people in the midst of their lives was difficult for me. I related well to the church folks, but I struggled to engage in meaningful relationships with people outside the church." He continued, "What I learned during my time at DBU was a shift in my philosophy of ministry, learning to see people, know people, walk with people, and love on people who may have a different upbringing or worldview."

Tommy recalled how the MAGL program had influenced his approach to ministry, aligning with his evolving beliefs and fostering compassion for those around him. When asked to advise new MAGL Students, he said, "Be challenged! Don't just assume you have the answers, but wrestle with the information you are given and let it penetrate the ways you may already be doing ministry."

He advised future graduates to pray hard and dream big. "Don't forget the opportunities that present themselves in more traditional contexts. Use your knowledge and gifts to help local churches transition to be more gospel-centered, kingdom-focused, and community-oriented churches."

God has many opportunities to use MAGL students and alumni in ministry. Tommy said, "There is kingdom work to be done, and the church as a whole seems to be in a state of transition." Tommy added that many "Texas churches will be going through revitalization, replanting or reimagination to encounter and impact society . . . moving further away from the church. MAGL students will need to help train the church how to be missionaries once again. We need more students willing to say, 'Follow me as I follow Christ' and patiently walk with seasoned believers to encounter the world around them."