Speakers

Terry Booker

Terry Booker is the Dean of Instructional Outreach at Kilgore College. Sinced 1982, he has been part of the History & Government faculty at KC after earning a B.S. Ed. degree from Abilene Christian University and an M.A. degree from Texas A&M University. He was born in Nacogdoches, raised in Jasper, and his father, J.W. Booker was his high school History and Government teacher. J.W. Booker also served as a minister and elder in East Texas Churches of Christ for over forty years.

Terry has been teaching for 38 years – beginning at the junior high school level, continuing in high school, working as a college instructor, a department chairman, and now as a dean. He has served as a deacon or elder in four different Churches of Christ over the last thirty years, and he currently in one of the elders of the Alpine Church of Christ in Longview.

Terry’s wife, Virginia, is Chair of the Early Childhood Education department at Kilgore College, and she has degrees from both Abilene Christian and UT Tyler. They have two grown children who are also graduates of Abilene Christian, and in April, 2010, they became grandparents when Holt Bradley Booker was born.

Since 2005, Terry and Virginia have enjoyed regular visits to the Pecan Grove church and the opportunity to teach and share in it’s warm fellowship. Terry’s brother, Steve, made them aware of the Pecan Grove church through his regular speaking engagements, and both brothers have been blessed by the chance to share from the PG pulpit.

Leroy Garrett

Leroy Garrett was born in Mineral Wells, Texas in 1918, and grew up in Dallas. He graduated from Abilene Christian University, and earned graduate degrees from Southern Methodist University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Harvard University. He was a professor of philosophy at MacMurray College in Illinois, Bethany College in West Virginia, Texas Woman’s University, and Bishop College in Dallas. He was a lecturer, editor, and author among Churches of Christ and Christian Churches for seventy years, having served as editor of Restoration Review for forty years.

In retirement he has been an adjunct professor at Richland College in Dallas, Dallas Christian College, and University of Dallas. He presently serves as caregver to his wife Ouida, and in recent years has published hundreds of email essays. The essays, along with numerous other of his writings, may be accessed at www.leroygarrett.org. He has been a visiting minister to Pecan Grove Church for over two decades.

Barry Graham

Barry has served for 32 years on the faculty of Southwestern Christian College. He has been the band director at Dallas Christian School and has been a member of the Lake Highlands Church for 20 years. He has been speaking at Pecan Grove Church for many years.

Robert Reid

Sharing the gospel with others has been a central part of Robert's life since 1971 in St. Louis. God has turned Robert's confinement to a wheelchair and his limitations due to cerebral palsy into an effective channel for drawing people to Him here in the United States and abroad in Portugal. Over the past 38 years, through chance encounters and meetings of people in restaurants and parks, Robert was able to set up personal Bible studies. These efforts over the years led to about 190 people coming to the Lord.

In 1997, he completed his Masters degree in Missions at Abilene Christian University. He served as a Missions Associate for six years. He was involved in a number of teaching roles,and he also encouraged many young people to give their time to share the gospel both here and around the world. He remained at Abilene Christian until 2003.

In December of 2003, Rosa and Robert returned to Lisbon, Portugal to continue their work as missionaries and for Robert to study Portuguese. Robert started a class of advanced Portuguese at the University of Lisbon and this gave him the opportunity to get involved with the students. The Lord blessed him in this endeavor. They worked at a local congregation for about 15 months, and then started group meetings in houses. Robert and Rosa returned to the States in 2006.

In January of 2007, Rosa and Robert began volunteering at the John Middleton Unit in Abilene where they continue to the present with a very active prison ministry .

Steve Singleton

Steve Singleton has been a Bible teacher for more than 30 years. His instruction in Bible, Greek, and related subjects has included university classrooms, adult education programs, seminars, and churches. He has a BA in Bible, an MA in Religion, and has done post-master graduate studies in theology, church history, and hermeneutics. His writings include several books and numerous business and devotional articles, as well as more in-depth Bible studies. Steve is committed to authentic, biblical New Testament Christianity. His website is www.DeeperStudy.com, and on Twitter he’s “Greekinator.”

Steve Booker

Steve Booker is the Executive Vice-President over Operations and Technology for the American National Bank of Texas in Terrell, Texas. He has been an elder at the Rockwall and Brin Church of Christ for over 12 years and a bible teacher for junior high, high school and adult classes for over 30 years. He has conducted several Financial Management seminars for a number of churches and has been a part-time preacher for the last 20 years. He graduated from Abilene Christian University, where he also met his wife, in 1976. They have three children Tracy, Brandon, and Michelle who all graduated from ACU.

He is also a story teller and has been writing short stories lately with plans to someday publish a book of stories about his day to day struggles with his Christian walk.

John Banister

John and Sharon Banister have been members at Pecan Grove since 1995. During that time John has served Elder, Preacher, and Bible School Teacher.

John and Sharon have lived in Ladonia, Texas since 1991. They moved to Ladonia when John retired for the U.S. Air Force after 20+ years of service. They have two daughters, Bethany Banister Rainsberg and Hannah Kate Banister. Their first grandchild, James Banister Rainsberg, was born in January, 2010.

John grew up in Dallas, Tx, where he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. He attended Abilene Christian College for two years before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated in 1970. He joined the U.S. Air Force later that year and was a pilot until his retirement.

John and Sharon are ranchers. They raise cattle and harvest native pecans. John's interests include aviation, competitive shooting, and astronomy.

Dr. Richard Johnson

Richard is a School Psychologist and a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Greenville Independent School District. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Special Education. He and his wife, Gail, who is also a psychologist, have four grown children and seven grandchildren. Richard and Gail were high school sweethearts who met in a 10^th grade math class. Together, Richard and Gail engage in counseling, play therapy for children, various forms of assessment and spiritual direction through the Whitestone Counseling Center at Pecan Grove. They very much enjoy spending quality time together, boating, playing golf, and enjoying the outdoors.

Richard is a life-long Christian, and before entering the field of psychology was a full-time church pastor for 20 years. He is in the preaching rotation at Pecan Grove and enjoys teaching adult Bible classes. He has a Master of Arts degree in clinical psychology from Sam Houston State University, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

John Shasteen

John is one of the speakers at Pecan Grove. Before his time at Pecan Grove, he was a bi-vocational (working)pastor in the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. His tent-making job is at Paris Junior College. He is happily married to Rebecca and have three children. In his preaching, he loves to help people think about the wonderful, matchless, uncommon grace of God shown to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. His preaching style tends to lean toward that of proclamation and exhortation. In short, he always seeks to move the hearer closer to Jesus and the path he calls us to walk.