by Randy Harp
On Sunday, August 24, 2025, Temple Baptist Church in Springdale, Arkansas, paused to celebrate 75 years of ministry. Like any anniversary, this milestone provided an opportunity to look back with gratitude, to rejoice in God’s blessings, and to look forward with renewed commitment.
Temple Baptist is not a “mega church” by contemporary definitions, but its legacy proves that impact is not necessarily measured by seating capacity or budgets. Instead, true kingdom influence is often measured by the people a church sends, the ministries it supports, and the faithfulness it displays in serving Christ.
From its founding in 1950 to today, Temple Baptist has lived out that reality. For three-quarters of a century, it has faithfully discipled, trained, and commissioned men and women who have gone on to serve across the globe. The story of Temple Baptist is a testimony that a local church fully committed to Christ can have a global reach.
Shepherds Through the Generations
Every lasting church story begins with faithful pastors who serve as shepherds, guiding the congregation through seasons of growth, challenge, and change. Temple Baptist has been blessed with a remarkable line of leaders.
- Duane Pringle, the founding pastor, planted the seeds of what God would grow into a vibrant congregation.
- Walter Miller and U.G. Robertson carried the church through the early years of development.
- Bob Hughes, who would later go on to serve as a missionary in the Philippines, provided vision and missionary zeal that shaped the DNA of the church.
- Pastors like Galen Bare, Holmes Moore, Bill Dowell Jr., Dwain Hardin, Bob Counts, and Lee Payne each left their mark through faithful preaching and pastoral care.
- Don and Lona Elmore, the longest-serving pastoral couple, shepherded Temple through decades of ministry. Their steady hand ensured that missions and evangelism remained central to the church’s heartbeat.
- Today, Keith and Jennifer Buttram lead Temple Baptist, building on this legacy while guiding the church into its future.
Seventy-five years, a dozen pastors, and one consistent theme: a commitment to God’s Word and to the Great Commission.
Missions: A First-Day Priority
Temple Baptist’s first service included a missionary guest, a symbolic beginning for a church that would always keep global missions close to its heart. From the beginning, supporting missionaries was not an optional program but a defining value.
This focus has produced a remarkable legacy. Over the decades, Temple has sent and supported missionaries on nearly every continent. The church’s “family tree” includes ministries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Their stories illustrate how a single congregation can multiply its influence far beyond its city limits.
Missionaries From the Temple Family
- Bob and Dee Dodson (Tanzania) – The Dodsons invested their lives in Africa, planting churches and launching a thriving camp ministry known as The Highlands. Year after year, hundreds of young people came to Christ through this ministry. Though Bob is now with the Lord, Dee continues ministering in Tanzania, still bearing fruit decades later.
- Richard and Sandy Lewis (Kenya, Cross-Cultural Training) – After years in Kenya, Richard founded Lewis Cross-Cultural Ministries, equipping believers to share the gospel effectively across cultural lines. Their work has multiplied the impact of missionaries worldwide.
- Jeff and Andrea Williams (Russia, Canada) – Former interns at Temple Baptist, Jeff and Andrea served in Russia until political conditions forced them to relocate to Canada. Though Jeff recently went home to the Lord, their legacy remains one of faithfulness and resilience in difficult fields.
- Steve and Janell Bender (Korea, BBFI Missions Office) – After missionary service in Korea, the Benders returned to Temple, where the church’s missions house still bears their name. They later joined the BBFI Missions Office to support and encourage other missionaries.
- Jerry and Ruthmary Abbott (Hungary, MANNA Worldwide) – The Abbotts planted Liberty Baptist Church in Siloam Springs, a direct church plant from Temple. Later, they served in Hungary before transitioning to work with MANNA Worldwide, helping feed children and plant churches around the world.
- Jared and Haley Paiz (Costa Rica) – Continuing the legacy into a new generation, the Paiz family arrived this summer to begin serving in Costa Rica, representing Temple’s continued commitment to sending families to the nations.
Ministers Across the United States
The influence of Temple Baptist not only extends to the international mission field. Many of its sons and daughters have remained stateside, pastoring churches, leading ministries, and serving faithfully in their communities.
- Jim and Debbie Goodman invested forty years at Stillwell Bible Baptist Church in Clarksville, Arkansas.
- Claud and Shirley Williams served at Temple before pastoring in Ponca, Arkansas, and beyond.
- Shane and Tonya Peters now lead Heatherridge Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- Randy and Stacy Harp planted a church in Michigan, pastored in Texas, and now serve through the BBFI Central Office.
- Steve and Marcia Swann pastor Community Baptist Church in Ulysses, Kansas.
- Gretchen and Travis Friesen minister in early childhood ministry at Fellowship Bible Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
- Bobby and Alex Sharp planted CrossPointe Baptist Church in McFarland, California.
- Chad and Aubry Hutton are serving as youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Fordyce, Arkansas.
- AJ and Brooke York are in the process of planting a church in Michigan.
- Scott and Jessica Lockhart serve at Stillwell in Clarksville, Arkansas.
- Ben and Tori Lee lead the youth ministry at Crossbridge Baptist in Marshfield, Missouri.
- Aaron and Macey Oliger are 2025 graduates of Mission University, serving in youth ministry at Harvest Baptist Church in Claremore, Oklahoma.
Every one of these families represents a church, a community, and countless lives touched by the gospel, all tracing their roots back to Temple Baptist Church in Springdale.
The Ripple Effect of Faithful Service
When you place all these stories together, the result is pretty amazing. Temple Baptist is not a church of thousands gathering each Sunday, but it is a church that has multiplied itself hundreds of times over through the lives it has sent out.
Think of the ripple effect: a camp in Tanzania, churches planted in Arkansas, Michigan, and California, missionaries trained to cross cultures, youth pastors discipling the next generation in Oklahoma and Missouri, and children around the world receiving food and the gospel through MANNA Worldwide.
All of it flows from one congregation that decided, from its very beginning, to be a Great Commission church.
A Lesson for Every Church
The story of Temple Baptist offers an important reminder for every congregation. Churches often measure success by numbers, attendance charts, giving reports, and building size. But eternity measures success differently.
Temple Baptist proves that a church doesn’t have to be “mega” to have a mega impact. What matters is faithfulness to Christ, a heart for evangelism, and a willingness to invest in people.
Some of the most influential churches in history were never the largest. They were simply faithful. They discipled well. They sent well. And as a result, the gospel spread to the nations.
Looking Ahead
As Temple Baptist enters its 76th year, the challenge remains the same as it was in 1950: stay faithful to Christ and keep sending laborers into the harvest. The names may change, the pastors may come and go, but the mission never ends.
May this church, and every church, remember that the measure of ministry is not how many people sit in the pews on Sunday but how many people are equipped and sent out to make disciples of all nations.Seventy-five years in, Temple Baptist Church stands as a shining example. Not a mega church. But a church with a mega impact.