I recall meeting Henry Loftin for the first time at Pacesetters Camp in High School. Some family friends invited me to come to camp, and I found myself with a close family of college students in a ministry called Glowing Heart. It was not by chance that God led me to Pacesetters Camp at Dallas Baptist University my Junior Summer in High School. I had many thoughts about my life in Christ, but for some reason Pacesetters was like the fertilizer to the seeds of passion God had been placing in my heart. I found a camp experience that challenged me and stretched me to not only talk about Jesus, but take action for Jesus. That first night, I remember Henry speaking to our group and challenging us to get our relationship right with Jesus at the front end of camp, so that Jesus could work in us for the rest of the week. I remember that God impressed on me His compassion for the lost and the lowly so much, that I was literally WRECKED for Him. What God had been planting in me had risen up as a Passion to follow Christ. From that point forward, that Passion turned to many steps of action at my church. I saw the vision for my life. I began to understand that God could use me to help the lost and the broken where I lived. He had begun framing me to become a Servant Leader.

Little did I know that the Lord had a plan for me to join Glowing Heart Ministries in 1998. Henry became more than a camp director or speaker to me. He invited me and everyone on the team to be his family. That family is one that has experienced many days of traveling from church to church, leading to serve as Christ served, love with all our hearts, and experience the life-changing power of the Name of Jesus across the ends of the Earth.

Not only that, but Laura and I met at DBU and spent many days learning the same ministry through Glowing Heart Ministries. Henry counseled Laura during our “famous break up.” We worked hard to not let our “love life” interfere with the ministry we were doing. Henry taught us to be above reproach and serve others in all that we did. HOWEVER, when the stuff dropped and Laura and I had that time of separation, Henry said something to the sort of, “Next time, give me a heads up when you are about to do something like this.” Henry was someone safe that Laura could run to in a time of trouble. That is why, when we did realize we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together, we had no doubt that Henry would be the one to officiate our marriage. That was right here in New Braunfels, Tx, by the way! We brought the whole Glowing Heart team to do the music, many were bridesmaids and groomsmen, and we knew Henry would be the right person to share the Gospel to our friends and family attending our Holy Matrimony happening at First Baptist Church that hot day of August 3, 2002.

I have personally been thankful to the Lord that my place as the Middle School Pastor at Oakwood has given me the ability to continue to share that same legacy Henry shared with me. The blessing is the legacy of Christ passed down from generation to generation. As we remember Henry’s life, we cannot move far from the Good News of Jesus Christ. That is because he was a remarkable example of what Jesus looks like in today’s time. Here are some clips we had from Middle School Pacesetters Camp this past Summer. #henryloftinlegacy