Houston’s First Baptist Church has a new pastor.
Russ Stigall recently began duties at the church at Airport Road and Hawthorn Avenue.
He comes to Texas County from New Jamestown Road Baptist Church in the St. Louis area.
A graduate of University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Stigall later finished his seminary education at Midwestern Baptist Seminary, receiving his master of divinity degree in 1987. Since then, he was a church planter/missionary with the North American Mission Board and pastored Baptist Churches in Kansas, Colorado and Missouri.
Stigall is not new to the area. His late parents, Harold and Irene Stigall, lived on the family farm north of Houston following retirement and were members of the church that he now pastors.
Stigall’s wife, Susan, is a certified public accountant. The have two adult children, Joshua and Tricia.
Stigall fills the shoes of Dr. James Butterfield, who served at the First Baptist Church for more than a year as transitional pastor.