Dr. Howie Batson
Pastor of First Baptist Church Amarillo
Howard K. Batson has served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Amarillo since 1995. A native of South Carolina, Dr. Batson holds a business administration degree from Lander University, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Baylor University. He is the author of numerous articles and publications including the books Common Sense Church Growth, Jesus Is Lord, and Sacred Spaces. As a denominational leader, Dr. Batson has served as chairman of the board of regents of Baylor University. He also served as associated faculty for Denver Seminary-West Texas Campus and currently serves as adjunct faculty at George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Previously, he had been a guest lecturer/speaker at Uganda Baptist Theological Seminary, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, Baylor College of Nursing, and West Texas A&M University. He and his wife Lisa have three adult daughters, Ryan, Jordan and Chandler, and six grandchildren.