Our Pastor, D. David Eyestone, was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His parents, Don & Vicky, served as Missionaries in Southern Mexico where David spent his early years on the mission field, actually speaking Spanish as his first language and learning to pass out Gospel tracts at ages 4-5 with his big sister. Receiving Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at age 8, David found it natural to share Christ with his friends, leading many of them to the Lord as a young boy. David surrendered his life to Christian service at age 12, and preached his first sermon at age 13 in Junior Church on "The Four Spiritual Laws". His primary and secondary education took place in San Jose, California. From High School, he attended San Jose City College, where he studied Music Theory, and Applied Science and Photography at Stanford University. Family circumstances prevented completion of his studies at Stanford. David, at age 15, moved to Weatherford, Texas with his family in 1972.
David's first experience in the ministry began at Harmony Baptist Church, in Weatherford, under Pastor Larry Rednower. At the age of eighteen, he received God’s call into dual ministries of preaching and teaching. His first teaching experience is reminiscent of the 19th century American evangelist, D.L. Moody’s. Like Moody, David was led by his Pastor to an empty room in the education facility, and told to fill it with students. Continuing in the Moody tradition, he filled his Sunday school room with teen aged boys.
While at Harmony, David met and married his first wife, Sandy Lee, who also served as the churches' librarian. They were blessed with two children, Israel and Jesse. They had been married almost four years when Sandy passed away, as a result of complications after surgery.
It was during these years, as a widowed father, that David began his studies for the ministry at Dallas Bible College. While attending DBC, he was elected to and served as Freshman Class President. He was invited to be a member of the DBC Choir that represented the college on tour, but chose instead to accept another position as Music Director at the Family Center for Biblical Studies, under their pastor, Dr. Mal Couch.
In his spare time, David was involved in several other ministries. He participated in the planning and organization of one of Weatherford's first area wide Singles Conferences and was one of the featured speakers. He was a frequent guest speaker on a popular talk radio program on KWJS Christian Radio, reaching out to college aged singles and the widowed community. He also served as a volunteer counselor with the Billy Graham Crusades. David remained active in soul winning and regular street ministry on South Main Street in Weatherford with his dear friends David and Tina Blankenship.
At the close of this phase of studies, and after four years as a widower, he began dating Belinda Segovia, his current wife, and partner in the ministry. At this point, he began accepting Church Staff positions, and varied non-staff positions. As happens with many men in ministry, he became a “bi-vocational” minister, with a growing side business. While holding the position of “Cell Group Leader” at Sagamore Hills Baptist Church, he and Belinda were married. David and Belinda have now been married twenty five years, and have two children, Alicia and Daniel.
David and Belinda partnered together in a “singles ministry” at Bellevue Baptist Church in Hurst, Texas before David accepted an interim position as “Music Director” at Peaster Baptist Church. His ministries at Peaster also included Director of Singles Ministries, Singles Sunday School Class Teacher, as well as Counseling and Cell Group Bible Study leader.
The class membership soon grew to over 80, mostly because of a very spiritually productive week night bible study. At one point, the class had grown such that it had to be divided into sub groups, which included senior singles, single again groups, and college and career groups. Because of the variety of counseling, and problem solving opportunities, David grew into what is generally considered a “Pastoral Ministry.” Under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit, David & Belinda's ministry to singles realized amazing spiritual growth, with dozens of souls saved. Through trials and testing, David grew in ministry experience, leadership ability, and spiritual maturity to become thoroughly furnished for the work that was to come.
During this time period David’s brother, Edward Eyestone, held the position of “Music Director” at Harvest Baptist Church, in Weatherford. The LORD was calling him into a mobile “Youth Evangelism and Music” ministry, and on Edward’s last Sunday there, he invited David to attend his final concert before going on the road full time. As a result, both David and Belinda felt such a strong call of God to leave Peaster Baptist Church and join with Harvest, because of the great need they had for teachers and a music minister, with Edward leaving. Soon after joining Harvest, David was offered the vacated position, and became the Harvest Baptist Music Director, along with a secondary position as Sunday school and Bible Study Teacher.
At the end of two years in these positions, the Pastor at Harvest accepted another church’s call. Before leaving, he recommended David to the Harvest congregation, for the position of Pastor. Brother David was ordained and licensed to preach at Harvest Baptist, and was their Pastor for seven years. During that time, well over a hundred souls came to Christ.
Brother David’s preaching style is “expository”, and “enabling.” His focus is on the Word of God; in making it understandable, relevant, and easy to apply in our daily life. In his role as Pastor, here at Oak Ridge as in past positions, he is constantly engaged in multiple counseling sessions, personal evangelism and soul winning, and doubles as the Men’s Sunday School Teacher.
His teaching style is also “expository”, with exemplary Bible knowledge as his forte. He preaches, and teaches from the KJV, using various modern translations as bible helps. He encourages bible memorization, active participation and personal involvement on the part of every member, in the ongoing ministry of the church.
David is one of the happiest people you will ever meet; and it won't take you long to figure out that the key to his happiness, is his love for the Lord. David has a saying he likes to repeat as the answer to the commonly asked question of "How are you?" His answer is always, "I'M HAPPY!"
His new motto's for the church are, "WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE ARE THE LOVINGEST CHURCH YOU WILL EVER FIND, BUT IT SOUNDS SO MUCH BETTER COMING FROM YOU!" and, "EVERYONE HERE IS AN ANSWER TO PRAYER; WOULDN'T YOU LOVE TO BE SOMEONES ANSWER TO PRAYER?"
