Pastor Emeritus
Dr. Terry M. Turner is a native of Guthrie, Oklahoma. He attended Guthrie Public Schools and graduated from Guthrie High School in 1975. He later graduated from Langston University in 1979 with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. In his senior year of college, he accepted his call into the ministry. He served the Mount Zion Baptist Church of Guthrie, OK as pastor from 1982 through 1989. In 1989, he continued his training for ministry at Dallas Theological Seminary earning Master Degrees in Biblical Studies (1991) and Christian Education (1995) and received his Doctor of Ministry in Christian Education at Dallas Theological Seminary (2014).
He served as an executive Board Member of the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention from 2002 -2010. He represented the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention on the Committee of Committees at the Southern Baptists Convention in 2009 and 2011. Dr. Turner was the 2011 President of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Bible Conference. He also served as the first African American President of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and was the inaugural President of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention African American Fellowship. Dr. Turner served ten years as a Trustee of Gateway Theological Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention in Ontario, California, and eight years as a Trustee of Criswell College (Dallas).
In July 2014, he led the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention to establish an annual “Look Like Heaven” month. Churches are encouraged to cross cultural, linguistic and racial barriers in relationships and in worship. He encouraged an open door for African Americans, Hispanics and Asians to serve on the SBTC Executive Board and expressed a desire for the SBTC staff to reflect the same broad representation—not just diversity but inclusive unity around the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dr. Turner, as a pastor, has led in planting nine churches from Texas to Florida. He has been instrumental in leading Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church in supporting international missionaries and ministries in Zambia, Africa; Kenya, Africa; and Zimbabwe, Africa, and assisted in planting a church in Chandigarh, India.
On January 29, 2013 he was invited as a spiritual leader to participate in the blessing and dedication of the Texas Governor’s Mansion by Governor Rick Perry and First Lady Anita Perry. Dr. Turner was also invited by Greg Abbott the 48th Governor of Texas to deliver the Inaugural Benediction Prayer for his second gubernatorial term on January 15, 2019. Turner also provided the message and prayer at the Texas Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, February 21, 2019, for the beginning of the Texas State Legislature in Austin Texas.
After graduating from Seminary in 1991, Dr. Turner organized and planted the Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas with five families as a core group; the church has experienced tremendous growth. He has been married for 39 years to the love of his life Nancy; they have four children, one son-in-law, three daughters-in-law, and twelve grandchildren.
He served as an executive Board Member of the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention from 2002 -2010. He represented the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention on the Committee of Committees at the Southern Baptists Convention in 2009 and 2011. Dr. Turner was the 2011 President of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Bible Conference. He also served as the first African American President of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and was the inaugural President of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention African American Fellowship. Dr. Turner served ten years as a Trustee of Gateway Theological Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention in Ontario, California, and eight years as a Trustee of Criswell College (Dallas).
In July 2014, he led the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention to establish an annual “Look Like Heaven” month. Churches are encouraged to cross cultural, linguistic and racial barriers in relationships and in worship. He encouraged an open door for African Americans, Hispanics and Asians to serve on the SBTC Executive Board and expressed a desire for the SBTC staff to reflect the same broad representation—not just diversity but inclusive unity around the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dr. Turner, as a pastor, has led in planting nine churches from Texas to Florida. He has been instrumental in leading Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church in supporting international missionaries and ministries in Zambia, Africa; Kenya, Africa; and Zimbabwe, Africa, and assisted in planting a church in Chandigarh, India.
On January 29, 2013 he was invited as a spiritual leader to participate in the blessing and dedication of the Texas Governor’s Mansion by Governor Rick Perry and First Lady Anita Perry. Dr. Turner was also invited by Greg Abbott the 48th Governor of Texas to deliver the Inaugural Benediction Prayer for his second gubernatorial term on January 15, 2019. Turner also provided the message and prayer at the Texas Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, February 21, 2019, for the beginning of the Texas State Legislature in Austin Texas.
After graduating from Seminary in 1991, Dr. Turner organized and planted the Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas with five families as a core group; the church has experienced tremendous growth. He has been married for 39 years to the love of his life Nancy; they have four children, one son-in-law, three daughters-in-law, and twelve grandchildren.