Welcome Our Newest Staff Member: Eric McAllister, Director of Music and Liturgy

As I mentioned last week, even during a global pandemic, the Lord has poured out his blessings on High Pointe. One of those blessings in 2020 was new staff. In August, we welcomed Dan Lisa as our new Director of Student Ministry. Dan has been doing a great job encouraging our students and families. We rejoice in the Lord for bringing him and his family to High Pointe.

As we continue to prepare High Pointe for the future, the Lord also allowed us to add Eric McAllister to our staff as Director of Music and Liturgy. While some of you may not be familiar with the word liturgy, in the simplest terms, it refers to the shape and order of our worship service. As the Director of Music and Liturgy, Eric will be responsible for identifying and developing musicians and vocalists, preparing them to lead us in corporate worship, and helping the elders shape our order of service.

We thank God for Robert Baldwin who has faithfully filled this role for High Pointe since May of 1999. One of the great blessings of this transition is that Robert will remain on our staff. Robert will continue serving as one of our associate pastors. In that role, he will oversee the areas of pastoral care, hospital visitation, senior adults, and deacons. These are roles Robert has already been fulfilling faithfully at High Pointe, and we are blessed that he will continue serving us in these ways. Robert will continue leading our singing during corporate worship until Sunday, January 31. Then, on Sunday, February 7, Eric will take over those responsibilities.

Who is Eric McAllister?

Eric grew up in a home steeped in the Bible and full of music. But it was during his undergraduate degree at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, with the help of patient parents, faithful friends, and John Piper sermon transcripts that he fell in love with the Savior. He graduated in 2007 with a degree in African-American Music. After serving first as an intern, then later as Associate Director of Music at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland (September 2011 – December 2015), he and his wife Monielle joined the planting team of Risen Christ Fellowship in Philadelphia (March 2016 – December 2020). During that time, Eric grew in his passion for equipping local churches to sing the timeless truths of Scripture in ways that faithfully embrace and transcend their cultural context by crafting songs and training leaders toward that aim. He enjoys spending time with his three children (Ellington, Keziah, and August), finding excuses for trying new tacos, songwriting, and being his wife’s biggest fan.

Eric is already at work settling in and making preparations for his first Sunday leading music. In the coming days, Eric will meet with those presently serving on the worship team to get to know them, sing together, answer questions, and begin casting a vision for congregational singing under his direction. Here are some ways you may be praying for Eric, his family, and High Pointe:

  • That Eric and his family would continue to get acclimated to life here in Texas.

  • That the Lord would bless Eric and the music team with oneness of heart, fruitful ministry, and joyful labor as they lead us each week to delight in our God through song.

  • That High Pointe would be marked by a culture of joy-filled singing to the Lord and to one another, not only when we are gathered on the Lord’s Day, but when we are gathered in Life Groups, in fellowship in our homes, or with family and friends.

  • That the Lord would help Eric pen new songs that spur us to cherish the Word of God in our gatherings and throughout the week.

  • That High Pointe Baptist Church would be where their children know the joy of coming to faith in Jesus.

Join us in welcoming Eric, Monielle, Ellington (E.J.), Keziah, and August McAllister to our family. They too are rejoicing in God’s marvelous providence in this opportunity at just the right time for them. And let us thank our Lord. He is a gracious King and delights in providing for his church! To him be all the glory!

Love,

Pastor Juan

No Comments


Recent

Archive

 2023
 2022

Categories

no categories

Tags

no tags