On April 16, 2023 – the Monterey elders named and entrusted our Preaching Minister Search Committee to participate with the Holy Spirit to find our next preaching minister to succeed Barry Stephens. We want to thank the Search committee for their several months of prayer, deliberation, interviews, and confident heeding of the Spirit’s counsel in bringing to the elders a recommendation late last Fall.

Since receiving the committee’s recommendation, the elders have been engaged in multiple conversations, continuous prayer, and deep discernment over one particular candidate. And likewise, our candidate and his family have been prayerful and discerning about the opportunity at Monterey. Our ministry staff has been a critical part of the process and concur with the elders’ conclusion in this search process.

And so today we are excited to introduce to our church family our new preaching minister:

Doug is currently the Lead Minister at Kaufman Church of Christ. He and his family have served there since August 2011. He has a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies, both from Abilene Christian University. He is also working towards completing his certification to become a spiritual director through the Selah Center for Spiritual Formation. Prior to his time in Kaufman, he served as a Youth Minister/Associate Minister for the Huntsville Church of Christ from 2002 – 2011.

Doug and his wife Lana met in college at ACU and have now been married for 22 years. They love to travel and enjoy movies, music, and long, slow meals with friends. Doug also loves to play basketball, run, and be outdoors. His favorite place is the mountains (and yet he still chooses to move to Lubbock!). Lana enjoys cooking, a little gardening, bargain shopping, and reading, and she currently works as the ESL Coordinator/Testing Coordinator at Norman Junior High in Kaufman. 

Doug believes the two most important things are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Doug believes that these two things are always the foundation upon which a ministry should be built and the lens through which we should see the world around us.

In all Doug does, he desires to communicate to people that God loves them and that God is on their side. He wants to continually learn better ways to pray, practice Sabbath, and listen to God’s voice. Doug loves preaching, loves people, and is grateful for the opportunity to serve in God’s kingdom. He and his family are excited to join the Monterey family this summer and look forward to all that God will do in the coming years