User:GracePointe Tom

Thomas Arnold “Tom” Holland (born August 17, 1948) is an American evangelical Christian. He is a Southern Baptist Pastor and North American Mission Board Church Planter. As of December 2011, he has been in active ministry for more than forty years.

Early Life

He was born August 17, 1948 to Charles Clifton Holland Sr. (1916-1978) and Jean Elizabeth Stanley (1920-1986) in St. Paul’s Hospital in Dallas, Texas. His two brothers are Charles Clifton Holland Jr. (1941) and David Stanley Holland (1954.) Holland was raised in a Baptist Missionary Association of America church by his parents. The BMAA is an historic part of the Landmark Movement—an ultra-conservative group of churches primarily in the South. In 1956 he took a “step toward God” when he responded to an evangelistic invitation to be converted. He was baptized the same evening. However, while his intentions were pure, he did not fully understand the act of conversion and was not truly born again until years later. Church attendance and involvement in church activities was a vital part of the Holland family experience. Except for illness, he rarely missed Sunday School or worship.

Holland’s early education included enrollment in three Dallas Public Schools; Stevens Park Elementary, Clinton P. Russell Elementary and Mark Twain Elementary. He attended two junior high schools; David Starr Jordan (Burbank, California) and Atkins Junior High (Lubbock, Texas.) After graduating from Monterey High School (Lubbock) in May 1967, he attended Texas Tech University (also Lubbock) for one semester before dropping out due to illness. Throughout all of his elementary and secondary school experience, he played on school baseball teams and sang in school choirs. In May 1960, he competed in the Dallas PTA Talent Show and won first place by singing “Mack the Knife.” He was accompanied by his father, an accomplished guitarist. He competed in a similar contest in Burbank, California, where he also won first place. During his high school days at Monterey HS (Lubbock) he was selected for the All-State Choir his sophomore through senior years. He also played in various singing groups and bands. In 1968, his family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina where he enrolled in Wilmington College (now University of North Carolina at Wilmington.) His family moved to Phoenix, Arizona in June 1968, where he attended Phoenix College and Mesa Community College. He was active in student government and edited the sports page for the Mesa Community College newspaper. It was during this time that he was influenced and inspired by Pastor Richard A. Jackson of North Phoenix Baptist Church. While there, Tom realized that he had never been born again and subsequently “invited Christ to come into his life” in November 1969. Over the next several months, he searched for ways to become involved in Christian service. In the summer of 1970, he sensed the calling from God to vocational ministry and was licensed to the Gospel Ministry in November 1970.

He enrolled in Grand Canyon College in Phoenix where he pursued a degree in Church Music. It wasn’t until 2001 that he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and a Master’s Degree in Ministry (both from The Master’s Seminary.)

Family Life'''

Tom met Mary Ann Gasparich while she was a student at Grand Canyon University in the fall of 1970. She was also an interpreter for the deaf ministry at North Phoenix Baptist Church. Tom asked Mary Ann for a date five times before she consented. When he picked her up from the college dormitory and they got into his car, she said, “Let’s pray before we go.” She then prayed, “Lord, help us not to do anything tonight that would dishonor You.” Tom knew that she was not only a beautiful girl but a spiritual one as well. After 28 dates (28 straight days) Tom asked Mary Ann to marry him and she responded, “When do I get the ring?” One of Tom’s good friends managed the local jewelry store where he met them the next day and together they selected her ring. Tom and Mary Ann were married June 5, 1971, in the First Baptist Church of Gallup, New Mexico. Dr. Richard A. Jackson officiated.

They had two children together: Thomas Arnold Jr. (1974), and Ann Marie (1976.)

Ministry

Arizona

While a student at Grand Canyon University, Tom began ministry at University Baptist Church in Phoenix. He was asked to be the Ministry of Youth in March 1971. The pastor was Hayes Wicker Jr., also a student at Grand Canyon. In January 1972, Tom assumed leadership of the church music ministry. He continued to give leadership to the church until March 1973. Upon finishing college in May of the same year, he and Mary Ann moved to Globe, Arizona where Tom assumed the position of Summer Music and Youth Director. In three months’ time, the youth ministry grew from non-existence to more than fifty students. Mary Ann guided the church to conduct a Vacation Bible School with an enrollment of more than 200 children; largest in the church’s history.

New Mexico

At the close of the summer, the Holland’s moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Tom began serving as the Minister of Music and Youth at the Highland Baptist Church. The pastor was Howard O. Marsh. They served Highland until November 1974, at which time they moved to Alamogordo, New Mexico and became Minister of Music and Youth at First Baptist Church where Jack L. Stricklan was pastor. First Baptist was known for incredible growth over the previous five years. Both the music and youth ministries grew substantially under Holland’s leadership. The Youth Choir had more than 100 singers and often toured the Southwest singing in various churches. In the fall of 1975, the Holland’s moved to First Baptist Church of Carlsbad, New Mexico, but served only a short time before moving to Texas.

Texas

In December 1975, Tom was asked to become the Minister of Music at University Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas where he joined with previous pastor, Jack Stricklan. The large church afforded Holland an opportunity to serve full-time and attend seminary at the same time. The church provided interns to assist him with leadership. He said, “It was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for which I will always be grateful.” Once again, the ministry grew under his leadership. The adult choir and youth choir both numbered more than 100 each. Children’s choirs for grades preschool through sixth grade were added along with an adult and children’s handbell choirs. He served University until November 1977.

Arizona

In December 1977, Arizona called again and the Holland’s returned to join the staff of First Southern Baptist Church of Yuma, where he served as Minister of Music. While serving there, the church was pastored by W. Michael Wilson (1976-79) and B.L. Roberts (1980-1983). As the largest church in the region, First Southern was greatly influential in the community. In addition to a large music ministry, Holland also gave leadership to the church’s television ministry. The church grew numerically and financially. They purchased adjacent property for offices and parking; a new church organ; and new television equipment. Between pastors, he was asked to assume a more pastoral role which prepared him for future ministries. Under his leadership, First Southern became known for the annual Christmas pageants. Each year, the worship centered was transformed with sets and decorations. The choir, orchestra and drama cast would present contemporary musicals 5-7 nights in a row with a total attendance of 3000-5000 people. During the same time, Mary Ann resumed teaching public school in the Yuma School District. She received recognition as a lead teacher to teaching teams.

Years later, Holland said that the happiest days of his ministry were while he was in Yuma.

In October 1982, Tom was approached by a mega-church in Florida to become their Minister of Music. It was with mixed emotions that Tom agreed to pray about the offer. They spent the Christmas holidays with Mary Ann’s mother in Gallup, New Mexico and Mary Ann told her mother about their impending move. Neither Tom nor Mary wanted to leave Arizona, but the opportunity was too great to turn down. When they returned to Yuma, Tom told Mary he would call the church and accept the offer on the first Monday of the New Year. He went to his office on Monday morning with every intention of making the call. But before he could, he received an invitation from the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention office asking if he would consider joining the state convention staff. After a trip to the state office to discuss details, he accepted the position of Program Director with oversight of the music, discipleship and men’s ministries. He joined the state staff on February 15, 1983, and moved the family to Phoenix the following June. Under his leadership, program enrollments increased to unprecedented levels. He was also responsible for the summer youth camping program. Once again, record setting attendances were recorded from 1983-90. Mary Ann was recognized by Southern Baptist leaders as a specialist in both preschool and children's ministries. She was a regular conference leader within the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention. During the same time span, Mary Ann joined the ministry staff of the North Phoenix Baptist Church as Director of Children and Preschool ministries. Both served in those positions until December 1990, when both resigned to move to Tennessee.

Tennessee

In December 1990, Tom accepted the position of Minister of Education for the First Baptist Church of Clarksville, Tennessee. He joined the staff with Dr. Dennis Newkirk, Senior Pastor. Mary Ann accepted a teaching position in the Clarksville Public School system. Admittedly, Tom did not enjoy his years in Tennessee. His love for the desert southwest was severely challenged by the Tennessee landscape. He would often tell his friends in the west, “The only way you can see the sky is to look straight up.” In June 1992, Dr. Newkirk left First Baptist and accepted the pastorate of Henderson Hills Baptist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. Almost a year later, he invited Tom to join him in Oklahoma and the Holland’s made the move westward in June 1993.

Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, Tom accepted the role of Executive Pastor with full staff supervision and overall management of the church’s ministry. After being there just two months, the music director resigned and Tom took on leadership of the music ministry. The church was experiencing incredible growth and undertook a building project. The new worship center was completed in 1994 and was almost immediately outgrown. The church immediately began conducting two services and a year later three services. Upon arrival in Oklahoma, Mary Ann was asked to direct the children’s ministry and stayed in the position for one year. She then accepted a teaching position with Edmond Public Schools. On April 19, 1995, the Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City was the target of the home grown terrorist Timothy McVey. For several weeks following the bomb explosion, the church’s ministry was focused on the needs of people both in the church and the community.

California

In February 1999, Tom accepted the pastorate of Gatetree Baptist Church in Danville, California. The church membership had experienced repeated times of growth and times of decline depending on the economy and job market in the area. On Tom’s first Sunday, there were 29 people in worship. One year later, the worship services were regularly having 80-100 people in attendance. During the 13+ years Holland pastored Gatetree; more than 350 people were baptized.

Arizona

In December 2010, Tom felt the leadership of God to pursue a new ministry focus—baby boomers and builders (senior adults.) It was not long before he was offered a position of church planter in Phoenix, Arizona. In June 2011, he and Mary Ann were appointed Church Planters by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and embarked on planting GracePointe Church in the 55+ gated-community of Pebble Creek in the west valley of Phoenix.

GracePointe Church

Tom is the founding pastor for GracePointe Church. He is passionate about ministry to 55+ adults. Tom says, “Baby boomers—arguably the largest segment of the population—are entering their retirement years at an unprecedented rate. With more discretionary time and increased longevity, this group is searching for a way to make a meaningful impact with their lives. GracePointe Church wants to help them to make it for the Kingdom of God." The first event to meet and get acquainted with the residents of Pebble Creek is a Christmas Eve Service in the Tuscany Falls Ballroom.