New Pastor Became Born-Again Christian At 16-This Day In Norwood History-June 20, 1978

Evangelical Baptist Church Welcomes Dr. Gary Fagan as New Spiritual Leader

During those 23 years, he has preached in 10 states and in 18 foreign countries. Sitting in his church study, the minister looked back to his youth in Jackson, Miss., and talked about his conversion. He said his family was not particularly religious. “A group of Youth for Christ high school students held a prayer meeting to pray for those who seemed least likely to ever get converted,” Dr. Fagan recalled with a smile. “The invite invited him to meetings, which he went to, to find reasons to argue, but instead, he went to an all-night weekend retreat. “It was there, about 2 or 3 in the morning, and I wanted it,” he continued. “I recognized I had an emptiness inside me.”

He started to preach at meetings when he stood to speak on what Christ meant to him—and found that he enjoyed it. He was, in fact, in his element as he stood before a group and let the words pan out as he expressed his faith and shared his beliefs. He was chosen a traveling speaker by Youth for Christ, International in Indiana and won a trip. He was then signed to a youth specialty team to tour Europe. Before remarking, the young man had already preached at huge rallies, including one at the old Madison Square Garden in New York. Immediately following that auspicious introduction to the general public, the young man entered numerous—”doors to general acceptance and recognition opened.” By then it was obvious to Gary, his family and his friends that he was going into the ministry on a full-time basis, and he has spent the intervening years doing a major part of his ministry. “The word gospel means good news,” Dr. Fagan explained, “and it never becomes boring.”

He graduated from Belhaven College in Mississippi College in 1963. He earned his Master of Theology in 1968 at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and his doctorate of ministry there in 1973. For 14 years, starting in 1963, Dr. Fagan worked with Youth for Christ, International, reaching out to high school students who had no church affiliations. As a local executive director in Jackson, he mechanical each instance from one worker to seven full-time staff workers, plus a part-time staff and volunteers. In eight years under his direction, the annual budget grew from $13,000 to $110,000.

Dr. Fagan also served as Gulf-South regional director of Youth for Christ and later joined the national staff to establish a Christian ministry at the college level that centered hundred college students to foreign missions commands service. Two years ago Dr. Fagan left Youth for Christ to join the faculty of Barrington College in Rhode Island as professor of Christian ministries. At the college he developed a major program to train media specialists for churches, a program that has since been emulated by several Christian colleges. Dr. Fagan, himself a youthful man, is particularly pleased that his new church has what he describes as “an excellent youth program.” “We will continue to give it a high priority,” he said.

The Evangelical Baptist Church, which observed its 75th anniversary last year, has a membership of just under 300—with almost all members attending church on Sundays, an unusually high earnest percentage. But even as he praises the involvement of his congregation, Dr. Fagan is eyeing new venues of expansion. “Our goal is to make an impact on the community through the lives of people who are changed by the power of God,” the minister said. “We must be an unchurched people to Christ to help them grow into their faith.”

Dr. Fagan stresses evangelism and discipleship, with strong emphasis on Christian education and Bible study. He notes that the church members view the dance as “excellent” because the term was in vogue to identify themselves as people who believe the Bible and develop a personal relationship with God through Christ—which, he added, could be described as being born again. He sees the church expanding considerably in the next few years. Plans call for the present parsonage to become Sunday school space, basicially for children. There will also be expansion of the Christian education and youth center building. Dr. Fagan said this expansion will lead eventually to twin Sunday morning services to the congregation is requests. The church now holds one service. The interim pastor of the church since November, he assumed full duties June 1 and will be officially installed at a 3 p.m. Sunday. In the meantime, Dr. Fagan, his wife and two young children are looking forward to moving into their new home in Walpole. He doesn’t expect to find much time for tennis and handball, two of his favorite hobbies, but that doesn’t seem important at the moment. Dr. Fagan is thoroughly engrossed in his new church, its people and its future.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger