
Meet Our Pastor
Daniel Ledford
Education:
High School – Graduated from Grace Christian School in Alpine, TN.
Bachelor Biblical Studies – Graduated from Southern Bible College in Lenoir City, TN.
Master of Ministry Degree – Crown Southwest – Norris Seminary in Fort Worth, TX (Crown Southwest and Norris Seminary are an extension of Crown College in Powell, TN.)
Salvation & Call to Ministry:
I was born in Livingston, Tennessee November ninth 1966, to Bruce and Janis Ledford. Our home was a God fearing, God honoring Independent Baptist home. Mom and Dad were members of Grace Baptist Church in Alpine, Tennessee. We went to every service the church had. At the age of five I made a profession of faith and was baptized. At the age of eleven, I realized I was not saved and trusted Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour. I was then baptized again in obedience to our Lord’s command. A peace took place in my life that I have never experienced before.
At the age of fourteen, on a Wednesday night, God called me to preach. I did not try to fight this calling, I just surrendered to it. After graduating high school from Grace Christian School, I went to Tennessee Temple University for one semester. Along with a few other issues, I was not comfortable with the stand the school was taking on the King James Bible. Around that time Grace Baptist had just acquired a new pastor. Pastor Gary Neal began a School of Scriptures in the church. This was for young men as myself who were not finding what they needed in a college setting. I attended this school for five years and was taught how to pastor in my local church. I was also active in weekly visitation, jail ministry, a monthly nursing home ministry and also filled pulpits for different churches.
During this time I met the love of my life, Sharon Michelle (Choate) Ledford. After dating for 10 months Michelle and I were married June 29th 1990. We celebrated our first anniversary in the hospital delivering our first child, Amanda Danielle who graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Education from Virginia Baptist College in May of 2013 and was married to Andrew Neff in June of the same year. On March 9th of 1993 God gave us Amelia Dawn, who is doing distance learning with Baptist College of America. She should complete her Bachelor Degree in Education in 2015. On September 12th of 1994 God gave us our son, Timothy Haden, who is also educating by distance learning through Baptist College of America. He is working in his sophomore year of college seeking a degree in Pastoral Studies. On March 16th of 1996 Ashley DeAnna was born into our family. She will be completing her high school work in May of 2014. She is praying for direction from God about what she is to do about her college education.
While the children were being born God allowed us to work in a missions help ministry called Wings Bearing Precious Seed for two and a half years. I learned much about deputation and the situation of a missionary raising support. I also had the opportunity to go on two missions trips in the process of that time. God moved me from that ministry to help a church in Sparta, Tn. At Calvary Baptist I became the Assistant to the Pastor as well as the song director. During the 10 months there we saw God bless His work tremendously. In the process of that move I informed my pastor in Sparta that I was still seeking God’s perfect will for my life in the pastorate. After ten months God called us to Mount Vernon, Texas. where He revealed His power in many ways. While in Mount Vernon I felt the need to get more education so I began distance learning with Southern Bible College in Lenoir City, Tennessee. After some years of work on my Bachelor Degree I graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Biblical Studies.
After ten years in Mount Vernon, God led us to Crossroads Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Just prior to leaving Mount Vernon I felt compelled to continue my studies again so I began a distance study with Crown Southwest, Norris Seminary. In 2010 upon completing those studies I was able to receive a Master of Ministry Degree while serving here in Virginia. God has blessed and allowed us to see His hand in this place as we watched God restore this church back on solid ground. In this ministry the church developed a thriving Christian school. We completed the job God had for us there and felt God leading us to another chapter in His Will.
In June of 2014, God brought us to Royse City, Texas to begin a new work. Our church is called Calvary Baptist Church. God is raising up a solid group of people who love the LORD and desire to please Him. We look forward to seeing what He has in store for our family in the years to come.