San Marcos — Calvary Baptist senior pastor Bro. Dennis Spire takes pride in seeing young people in his church grow and mature in their faith: People like Angie McCoy, whom he’s known since she was 12. A loyal church member since then, McCoy is now the children’s ministry associate at Cavalry.
Stories like Angie’s are the major achievements for Spire.
“The greatest accomplishment is getting people to know the Lord,” Spires said. “If you’re not changing people’s lives, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done.”
The San Marcos preacher celebrated his 20th anniversary as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church on Jan. 31. The church celebrated with a special service and followed with an old fashioned pot luck dinner.
Spire has been married to his wife Brenda for 31 years. He has three children: Matthew, 29; Mar, 28; and Shelby, 26.
Spire came to San Marcos from a small church in Chautauqua, Kan. in 1990. After 10 years as pastor, the church began to outgrow its church on Uhland Road, and he lead a vision of building a new facility for Calvary Baptist. Members began developing a concept for a new facility in the late 90s, and did much of the construction themselves over the years. For years, members have held Tuesday and Saturday work nights, hosted garage sales and sold handmade quilts to raise money. They broke ground in 2002 but didn’t move into the new church on IH-35 until June of 2008.
“We framed the building ourselves. Members did the electrical work and hung a lot of the sheet rock,” Spire said.
Even so, Spire dismisses his leadership in building the new church as his greatest accomplishment. He calls it “a secondary blessing that God allowed to come into my life.” It’s the people — the faithful members he’s known over the years — that really matter.
“(As the pastor), you’ve been there when they were born, now they’re maturing into adults. To me, that’s the gratifying part,” Spire said.
Features
Related Photos
-
Brother Dennis Spire at the front of Calvary Baptist Church in San Marcos. File Photo
Calvary Calling: Local preacher Spire celebrates 20 years of service
- Features
-
-
Veggie Heaven
“Vegetables can be beautiful,” says Suzi Fields, and a case in point is her artfully landscaped curbside garden at 1013 Field Street (names Suzi Fields and Field Street are coincidental), which is Spring Lake Garden Club Yard of the Month.
-
HEB customers the big winners in Souper Bowl project
HEB customers throughout Kyle, Buda and San Marcos unanimously win MVP for this year's Souper Bowl of Caring, says local food bank community relations coordinator Jane Moore.
-
A Culinary Adventure
If the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then true, long-lasting love exists through a pair of adventurous eaters.
-
Plenty of love going into TVM fundraiser
More than 200 volunteers, 30 flats of strawberries, 470 pounds of chocolate and immeasurable amounts of love go into True Vineyards Ministries annual valentine's chocolate-covered strawberry sale.
-
Food for Thought
Several Hays County youth participated in the District 10 4-H Food Challenge held recently at Texas State University.
-
Discover new, great reads with BookLetters website
“I was watching The Today Show and they reviewed Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith."
-
The Heat is On
It should come as no surprise that the next few months will be drier and warmer than normal.
-
Celebrating a Legend
Doug Lawrence was an up-and-coming tenor sax player, having played with Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie and more, when he crossed paths with jazz pioneer — and San Marcos native — Eddie Durham in 1982.
-
‘Happy Birthday’ perfect antidote for winter blues
As the perfect antidote to winter blues, the Wimberley Players will open a rollicking farce, “Happy Birthday” by Marc Camoletti and adapted by Beverley Cross, today at the Wimberley Playhouse.
-
Counting down the many uses of corn
Nothing is more American than corn.
- More Features Headlines
-
Obama's Valentine's Advice: 'Go Big'
San Francisco's Valentine's Gift to Tony Bennett
Iranian Boats Shadow US Aircraft Carrier in Gulf
Hundreds Rally Against Alabama Immigration Law
Whitney Houston Funeral to Be Invitation Only
New Details in Search for Missing Utah Mom
Raw Video: Protesters, Security Clash in Bahrain
Obama: Good US-China Ties Help the Whole World
School Pays Students to Attend Class
Raw Video: Biden Greets Chinese VP for Visit
Raw Video: Heavy Shelling in Homs, Syria
Raw Video: 5 People Injured in Bangkok Blasts
Raw Video: Kim Jong Il Statue Unveiled
Trial Opens for Ala. Man in Bride's Diving Death
Baltimore's 'Crime Stopper' Is a Basketball Star
Raw Video: Hearse Arrives at N.J. Funeral Home
Authorities: Houston Found Underwater in Tub
Arm Wrestler Not Guilty Plea in Wife's Death
Raw Video: Houston Body Flown From L.A. to N.J.
First Person: Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
