John W. Crowder
Dr. John Crowder (DMin) is the Sr. Pastor of First Baptist Church of West, TX, where he has served for over thirty years. He has degrees from Baylor University, Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary, and George W. Truitt Theological Seminary. John helped his community recover after a massive explosion in 2013. Since then, he has spent a
great deal of time studying disaster recovery. He has led multiple training sessions for pastors and has spoken on the subject many times in churches and civic organizations.
Anchor Point is a culmination of over a decade of experience, study, and working with others going through disaster recovery.
John Crowder earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and went on to earn a Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He later returned to Baylor to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree with a concentration in leadership from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. During his college days he served as a Youth
Pastor at Bellmead First Baptist Church in the Waco area. While at seminary, he was the pastor’s intern at First Baptist Church of Burleson, TX. After graduating from seminary, his first pastorate was at First Baptist Church of Kopperl, TX where he served for three years.
For over thirty years John has served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in West, TX. After he and his family lost their home in the 2013 fertilizer plant explosion, John worked with other local leaders to help his community get through their recovery. After that experience, John continued to study disaster recovery while encouraging and advising other pastors who were leading their people through recovery. He has led multiple training opportunities for pastors and has spoken to many churches and civic organizations about disaster recovery.
While preaching and pastoring are John’s calling and his passion is disaster recovery, the top priority in life is his family. John and his wife Lisa spend as much time as they can with their married daughter, Ashley and her family. Ashley and her husband Bryson have two wonderful children, so Lisa and John are loving their roles as Memaw and Papa John.
New Release
Anchor Point (Paperback)
How to Lead with Faith, Find Strength, and Rebuild with Hope after Crisis
When disaster hits, ministry leaders are thrust into the center of it all. We’re called to be counselors, coordinators, communicators, and visionaries, all while carrying our own grief and uncertainty. The pressure is immense. The path forward isn’t clear. And often, we’re left wondering: How do I lead when I’m hurting too?
Anchor Point: How to Lead with Faith, Find Strength, and Rebuild with Hope After Crisis is a lifeline for pastors and ministry leaders facing the unthinkable. Drawing from firsthand experience during the West Fertilizer Plant explosion and more than a decade of disaster response work, John Crowder offers a deeply practical and spiritually grounded guide to leading well in times of upheaval.
Inside, you’ll discover:
- How to embody the Ministry of Presence in the immediate aftermath of tragedy
- A clear map of the disaster journey—from rescue to relief to recovery
- Tools to care for others while navigating your own emotional and spiritual exhaustion
- Strategies to build long-term resilience in your people and yourself
- Hope-filled insight into how God uses even disaster to draw us closer—to Him and to each other
Whether you’re responding to a crisis now or preparing for whatever may come, Anchor Point will help you lead with wisdom, care, and an unwavering trust in the Lord who holds steady when everything else is shaken.
Anchor Point (eBook)
How to Lead with Faith, Find Strength, and Rebuild with Hope after Crisis
When disaster hits, ministry leaders are thrust into the center of it all. We’re called to be counselors, coordinators, communicators, and visionaries, all while carrying our own grief and uncertainty. The pressure is immense. The path forward isn’t clear. And often, we’re left wondering: How do I lead when I’m hurting too?
Anchor Point: How to Lead with Faith, Find Strength, and Rebuild with Hope After Crisis is a lifeline for pastors and ministry leaders facing the unthinkable. Drawing from firsthand experience during the West Fertilizer Plant explosion and more than a decade of disaster response work, John Crowder offers a deeply practical and spiritually grounded guide to leading well in times of upheaval.
Inside, you’ll discover:
- How to embody the Ministry of Presence in the immediate aftermath of tragedy
- A clear map of the disaster journey—from rescue to relief to recovery
- Tools to care for others while navigating your own emotional and spiritual exhaustion
- Strategies to build long-term resilience in your people and yourself
- Hope-filled insight into how God uses even disaster to draw us closer—to Him and to each other
Whether you’re responding to a crisis now or preparing for whatever may come, Anchor Point will help you lead with wisdom, care, and an unwavering trust in the Lord who holds steady when everything else is shaken.