MWD Award
Congratulations to Dr. Dan Curry, the 2022 recipient of the Maples, Williamson, and Daehnert Award. Since 2016, Dan has served as the Greater Fort Worth Area Rep (AR) for the BGCT. Prior ministries include 41 years of pastoring, with his last pastorate being a twenty-four-year tenure at South Oaks Baptist Church in Arlington.
While serving as an AR, Dan has also served several churches as IIM and traditional pastor, like Cedar Cross Country Church, where he is serving now. In his first experience, at FBC Winters, Dan did what few have done. He finished IIM field education, AND he earned the designation of a certified IIM pastor.
Dan shared practical ideas about how he’s helped churches. For instance, while serving at FBCW, he “did the next guy a favor.” The church raised the money to, and completed the project of, fixing up the parsonage. Dan reflected on how this need brought him back to an early pastorate where no one did that for him. He found his new home, the parsonage, in disrepair. Interim ministry is about helping the church see what they need to do before the next pastor arrives!
He also talked about enlightening search committees that their offer of two weeks of vacation after one year isn’t going to make a pastor burst for joy. Dan suggested that as one small improvement, churches could recognize that normally people get at least two weeks of vacation PLUS five long weekends, when they can take a trip, see and care for older parents, and/or see their kids and grandkids. Pastors can’t do that with just two Sundays off per year, so Dan is “doing the next pastor a favor” to challenge search teams with such concepts.
In addition, at FBCW, Dan took concepts from Will Mancini’s Church Unique and turned them into a fun—but purposeful— game. Instead of taking a year to complete the mission-discovery task, Dan’s game helps a church move towards a mission in one interactive event. Dan’s technique continues to be shared in IIM training.
Congratulations, Dan. We are proud to call you our friend and colleague and blessed to have you serve with us!
