As one who was saved by grace at an early age, I have had an opportunity to face and understand many of the daily challenges of the Christian life. While I was blessed with believing parents and a strong biblical foundation, I have not been immune to the slings and arrows of the tempter. Further, I have been tested and faced many of the trials common to man. All the while, God’s grace has proven to be sufficient. My experience in walking with God, and often choosing to be apart from Him, has provided the basis for my teaching for 25 years. Our class consists of many like me and many with a widely variant experience. This has allowed us to come together as a community of faith, in support of each other as we attempt to learn how to walk as Jesus told us to walk. Experiencing His grace, mercy, provision, protection, presence, and peace while sharing and encouraging one another in this experience—this is the foundation of our class. Along with Jana, my wife of 29 years, we pray and strive for spiritual maturity, holiness and unity in our own lives, our class, our church, and the church universal until Christ's return.
Ken Groce
9am
Rm 211
50s, 60s
My walk with the Lord began in December 1963 when after hearing the gospel proclaimed in the Air Force chapel, I gave my life to Jesus Christ. My wife Faye and I joined HBC in August 1976 and have remained members since then, except for a 9 year period when we lived in Muskogee, OK. I have been teaching adult SS classes since 2000 and have recently taught the Covenant Class. My desire is for the members of our class to see that the Holy Spirit is in the process of training the Bride of Christ to rule and reign with Christ even as we are already legally seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6). Our present trials and tribulations can open doors to God's blessing and serve the eternal purpose in thwarting the temptation to pride, decentralizing our personalities, and molding us into Christ likeness.
BJ Collins
9am
Rm 210
60s, 70s
I grew up in Southeast Texas farming and raising livestock. I've worked in logging and saw-milling, oil-fielding, heavy road and airfield construction, and tire and oil field equipment manufacturing. Thirty years of my work experience has been in industrial and construction management. My formal education includes short stints, and finally at 42, a bachelor's degree from Baylor University.
My Christian experience began at age 22. I did two years of Bible school studies almost immediately thereafter. I've pastored two churches a total of four years. I've been a Sunday school teacher, deacon, elder, and trustee. I was a "tent maker" in Alaska and Saudi Arabia a total of 17 years. I've been happily married to Kathy for 54 years with three grown children. As a class we aspire to know Christ, to grasp His will and purpose for us singly and corporately, and to worship Him and witness to His love and preeminence to each and all.
Mike Russo
9am
College House
40s, 50s
I was saved at 18, but needed another 27 years to experience the difference between the gospel of salvation and the gospel of the kingdom. The past five years have been like being born again, again. The riches of His grace, the power of His Spirit, the love that overcomes all, the joy that cannot be defeated, and the gifts of healing and prophecy in everyday life—all these and more the Father has been unfolding. Heaven isn’t just for the hereafter—the Lord intends that we broker all aspects of His kingdom here and now as well. That’s my story, and that’s what our class is about.
Doug Hankins
10:30am
Fellowship Hall
20s, 30s
My story begins in Atheism/Agnosticism, follows through the divorce of my parents, and finds its way ultimately to finding salvation in Jesus Christ at the age of 15. I first came to Highland through working on staff in the college ministry during my BA and masters work at Baylor. My wife, Natalie, and I were married by Pastor Barry in 2004, and we lived in Chicago from 2007-2009 while I was working on my doctoral degree in theology. Since returning to Waco, Natalie and I have had the pleasure of leading a Sunday School class of singles and marrieds who are in their 20s and young 30s. My desire for our class during this next ministry year is to see a generation of young Christians become compelled by the Gospel and to engage the surrounding culture with the love of Christ.
Joy Endsley
9am
Rm 206/212
Precept Study
I was born in Chicago, IL during WWII and moved to Texas at age five so my father could work on a family dairy farm. I moved to Waco in junior high, graduated from Baylor with a double major in biology and English. I married my high school sweetheart, Lindy (who played in the NFL). I taught school in Carrollton, TX, and have two sons and 4 1/2 grandchildren.
At age 10 God captured my heart in a little white church in the East Texas piney woods. I started personally studying God's word as a young mother when my father died suddenly. I was one of the first BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) leaders in Waco during the first six years it came to Waco, and then brought Precept Bible Studies to Central Texas. I taught Precept Bible studies in the first Bible Training Institute in the former USSR after Communism fell. I served as a Precept state trainer helping classes get started all over Texas until becoming Children's Minister at HBC in 1988. I still lead the inductive study today.
Tommy Kidd
9am
R.
30s, 40s
Growing up in both Virginia and South Carolina, Tommy was saved through the Navigators campus ministry. After studying at Clemson and Notre Dame, Tommy married Ruby and moved to Waco, TX to teach history at Baylor University. When he is not taking his wife on dates, spending time with his sons, or teaching a Sunday School class, he divides his disposable time writing books on history and religion and writing for outlets such as USA Today and Patheos.com.
Dan Pleitz
9am
C1 (Chapel)
30s, 40s
My name is Dan Pleitz, and I teach a class called “Understanding Scripture.” I grew up in a godly home. My dad was a Baptist minister for 60 years, and my mother loved being a pastor’s wife. I made a formal profession of faith when I was a child and have been active in the church my entire life. But I still have some maturing to do!
My life has been largely one huge blessing. I have a wonderful wife and three fine sons. I have practiced law in Waco for 35 years primarily in the area of public finance. I love all kind of sports, particularly everything having to do with any Baylor team or with Duke basketball. I am an enthusiastic golfer but not very good at it.
I love to study the Bible and believe that there are many layers to it that we barely reach. After a recent trip to Israel, I became convinced that one of the areas we don’t study enough is the positive impact of Judaism on our faith. There are many references in the Old Testament that bring new meaning and richness to Jesus, even beyond traditional prophetic references. The more I study, the more I realize that the Bible itself is a miracle. I hope our class can see the Bible in this same way, but more importantly grow in relationship to our Lord Jesus.
Randall Jean
10:30am
Rm 200
50s, 60s
Randall is an elder at Highland and is married to Jean Jean (yes, you read that correctly). He has been, at one point or another, a professor at Texas A&M, an inventor, a business owner, and currently a professor of engineering at Baylor University. Randall's goal is for his class to become contagious lovers of Jesus Christ.
Larry Anderson
10:30am
Rm 206/212
Precept Study
I was saved many years ago at the age of 13, but could not be baptized immediately because the river was too cold. We had to wait until summer when the water was warmer. Yes, I was actually baptized in a river, not the Jordan, but the Embarrass in Illinois.
Norma and I have been married 46 years, and lived from Illinois to North Dakota to Missouri to Alabama back to Missouri and now in Texas. There is a bumper sticker that says I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could. That is pretty much how Norma and I feel about Texas.
We lead a open discussion group on Precept topics, and really feel the Precept concept is right for us. The are in depth Bible studies that concentrate on scripture, and not commentaries.
I have found that the more you study the Bible in detail, the more you can see how it all comes together with the purpose of placing Jesus Christ at the center of everything, and there is nothing in the word that should not be there. Everything from Genesis 1: 1 through Revelation 22: 21 is relevant and there for a purpose. It is our duty as Christians to find out and know as much about God’s word as we can.
We welcome anyone who wants a more in depth study of God’s word.
Marie Tipton
10:30am
Rm B24
50s +
During my childhood, my parents faithfully took me to Sunday School where dedicated children's teachers taught me about Jesus. Also, during that time period, one day my parents took me to Austin to hear Billy Graham preach on the capitol grounds. When the invitation was given, I went forward and accepted Jesus as my personal savior. Frank and I married when I graduated from high school, and we have been blessed with four children. I was called to be a Bible teacher when I was a young adult. I graduated from Bayor University with a major in Sociology and a minor in Religion. Presently, I am an instructor at McLennan Community College in the Health Science Division. I am so grateful to be the teacher of the Outreach Friendship Class here at Highland. My goal is to lift up the Lord Jesus Christ and give praise and glory to Him in each lesson that I teach.
