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Travis Avenue Baptist Church pastor resigns on Sunday after arrest on Friday
Baptist News ^ | March 7, 2023 | Mark Wingfield

Posted on 03/13/2023 10:09:37 AM PDT by Morgana

Drew Erickson, lead teaching pastor at Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, resigned suddenly March 5 after he was arrested in Tarrant County two days before on suspicion of carrying an unlawful weapon and driving while intoxicated with a child under age 15 in the car.

“Over the last 12 months and more recently, it has become clear that there are things I need to work on personally, and I believe causes me to need a season of rest from the responsibilities of ministry,” he wrote in a brief resignation letter.

That letter was distributed to church members with an unsigned introduction that said: “It is with great sadness that we inform you that our lead teaching pastor, Drew Erickson, has resigned, effective immediately. We assure you that Drew was not fired and that no improprieties have occurred at TABC. We love him, as you do, and we will miss him terribly.”

Travis Avenue Baptist Church

Erickson was called to the role at the historic Fort Worth church in October 2019. A native of Canton, Texas, he was ordained in 2009 at Travis Avenue, where he previously served as student minister. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Dallas Baptist University and a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he currently is a Ph.D. candidate.

The history between Southwestern Seminary and Travis Avenue is long and deep. The tall-steeple church is located about 2 miles from the seminary campus, and throughout the years many students, faculty and staff have been members there. Until MacGorman Chapel was built on campus, the seminary held its commencement ceremonies at Travis Avenue.

Erickson’s official bio on the church website said he has been an adjunct preaching professor at Southwestern “throughout his ministry,” but a seminary spokesman said Erickson had taught an English class at Southwestern’s undergraduate college as an assistant in 2013 but there was no other record of him being an adjunct preaching professor.

One of the seminary’s beloved former presidents, Robert Naylor, came to that role from the pastorate at Travis Avenue. Later, Joel Gregory was pastor at Travis Avenue before he briefly succeeded W.A. Criswell as pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas. Erickson followed Michael Dean, who served as pastor there from 1991 to 2019, until his retirement.


TOPICS: Evangelical Christian; General Discusssion
KEYWORDS:
DUI and weapons charge.
1 posted on 03/13/2023 10:09:37 AM PDT by Morgana
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No comment on the subject of this article. But the source is a nutjob. Dave Wingfield is a left wing looney tune. Know your sources.


2 posted on 03/13/2023 10:19:41 AM PDT by Dartoid
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To: Dartoid

Most understated resignation letter of the year.


3 posted on 03/13/2023 10:23:09 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Remember Gonzales! Come and Take It!)
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To: Morgana

Drew Erickson
4 posted on 03/13/2023 10:35:11 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Morgana

He needs a season of rest from his 20 hour a week job.


5 posted on 03/13/2023 10:36:50 AM PDT by DariusBane (Liberty and Risk. Flip sides of the same coin. So how much risk will YOU accept? Vive Deo et Vives)
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To: Morgana
I wonder what the "unlawful weapon" was in Texas...
6 posted on 03/13/2023 10:59:58 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: Morgana
It is illegal to carry a weapon while intoxicated in Texas.

Very likely the weapons charge is a pile-on with the DUI.

7 posted on 03/13/2023 11:05:36 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain
Drew Erickson, lead teaching pastor at Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, resigned suddenly March 5 after he was arrested in Tarrant County two days before on suspicion of carrying an unlawful weapon and driving while intoxicated with a child under age 15 in the car.

“Over the last 12 months and more recently, it has become clear that there are things I need to work on personally, and I believe causes me to need a season of rest from the responsibilities of ministry,” he wrote in a brief resignation letter.

Ya think?

I don’t doubt he’s known that for years, just was never caught and confronted with it.

8 posted on 03/13/2023 11:58:38 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith….)
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To: marktwain

Yeah, Bubba shot the jukebox, but he hit what he was aiming at.


9 posted on 03/13/2023 12:03:02 PM PDT by dblshot
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