First Baptist pastor overcomes dyslexia to earn doctorate, enhance ministry Posted On: Saturday, May. 3 2008 05:15 AM By Laura Kaae
Killeen Daily Herald

Sitting in his third-grade class 30 some years ago, Randy Wallace never dreamed of going to college, let alone getting his doctorate.

Wallace had a hard time just getting through his basic reading classes back then as he struggled to make letters and words shift around on the paper, common for kids with dyslexia.

His future was pretty well set; Wallace would follow in his dad's footsteps and work in his father's repair business after he graduated high school.

"College was the farthest thing from my mind," he recalled.

But all that changed during Wallace's teen years when he felt he should be pursuing ministry.

"I felt called by God," remembered Wallace, now 45.

So the Tyler native set off for his bachelor's degree at Baylor University, where he earned a bachelor of arts in religious studies in 1984 and met the woman who would one day be his wife, Patty Neson.

Following those four years, Wallace decided on Southwestern Theological Seminary, where he finally became the person he had wanted to become for so long – a pastor.

After completing that degree, Wallace said he was sure he was done with his schooling, deciding instead to begin his pastoral career and a family.

Over the next few years, Randy and Patty found themselves at smaller churches in Texas before getting a call to First Baptist Church in Killeen.

But if running the roughly 1,300-member church and tending to his family of six (Patty and Randy have four sons) wasn't enough, in 2001 the couple began pursuing options for Randy to get his doctorate.

"I felt like I wasn't getting sharper," Wallace said. "I had plateaued intellectually."

Wallace thought he would be more of an asset to the church if he pursued additional studies.

"The end product of education is a person who thinks more efficiently," he said.

As a church leader, Wallace said he wanted to make sure his messages were effective and based on biblical scripture, not simply some idea that had popped into his head over the course of the week.

"God deserves our best," he said. "We need to bring our A-game (to Him)."

So, with permission of First Baptist Church members, Wallace began attending seminars at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University.

The one-hour drive, Wallace said, was perfect for him since he could help his wife get all the kids ready in the morning and be back in the evening early enough to help with homework.

Though the deadlines, seminars and papers were a struggle to accomplish, Wallace said he took his time completing the degree so his church wouldn't suffer. In February 2007, Wallace endured another setback when his father passed away.

Still, in the six years he spent at Baylor, Wallace said he never missed a Sunday service and tried his best to stay on top of the needs of the church.

"I feel like the church is proud of me," he said, and that includes his wife and extended family members as well.

"I was really happy for him," Patty said. "I said I would support him all the way."

Patty said he tried very hard to balance all the responsibilities of being an always-on-call pastor with being a husband and father as well as a student.

"He's such a great dad," she said. "He always came home at night when everyone in his classes went to the library together or went out to dinner. He always drove home and went back the next morning."

In December 2007, all of his hard work paid off when Randy was awarded his doctoral degree.

Though the degree is just a piece of paper hanging on the wall of his church office, Wallace admits he's learned a great deal and feels his sermons and preaching have much improved over the course of his advanced education.

And he's not the only one.

Bruce Berry, minister of music and Pat McDonald, the minister of education and administration at First Baptist, both agreed they've noticed a change – for the better– in how Wallace preaches.

Berry said a difference can be seen in his sermons which are now more to the point and organized, which helps church members glean more from message the pastor is trying to convey.

McDonald said when the congregation heard that he wanted to pursue another degree, everyone was supportive.

"We said, 'go for it'" McDonald said. "The more you learn about what you do the better you are going to be at it. That's true if you're selling (something) or preaching God's word."

But a degree on the wall wasn't all he got last December,

His father-in-law John Neson gave him a Browning Silver Edition 12-guage shot gun as well, his wife Patty recalled with a laugh.

Though he's got his doctorate now, Wallace said he's not looking to change much of his daily routines. He's happy to continue to pastor to his church, make time for his wife and children and tend to the needs of his community.

And even though his title has changed, you won't find Wallace trying to get people to refer to him as "doctor."

"The only people who use that are my kids," he said with a laugh. "They call me 'Dr. Dad.'"

As for his future with First Baptist Church, Wallace said he has no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Wallace said he too much enjoys seeing people have breakthroughs in their lives when they turn to the Lord and find their own call of Christ in their lives.

"That is a marvelous blessing," he said. "I've been here eight years and I feel like I'm just getting started."