Rehoboth Baptist Association

Kent Pate - Executive Director

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Kent Pate is the Executive Director of the Rehoboth Baptist Association, an association that includes churhes located in Northeast Texas.  Before coming to Rehoboth on November 1, 2006, Kent pastored two churches in Texas (Nacogdoches and Angleton) for a total of 23 years and served as a vocational evangelist for five years.

Kent graduated from East Texas Baptist University in 1975 and Southwestern Seminary in 1979.  He also received a Ph.D. in Christian Leadership from Louisiana Baptist University in 2011.  Kent and his wife, Belinda, were married in 1976.  Belinda attended ETBU also.  Home for Kent is San Augustine, Texas and for Belinda, it's Logansport, Louisiana.

Kent is a former Captain of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in college and loves spectator sports, especially baseball, football, tennis, and golf.  He still likes to play racquetball, basketball, golf and tennis.  Kent first began preaching while at ETBU as a youth evangelist.  Belinda also is an avid sports fan and loves to root for the Rangers, the Cowboys, and the Mavericks.  She also keeps up quite well with golf.

As an evangelistic speaker, Kent traveled across the United States and also participated in missionary and evangelistic work in India, Romania, and Mexico.  He has served on major crusade evagelistic teams and also been a contributor to written publications and evangelistic radio broadcasts.

Kent and Belinda have three sons: Kevin, Adam, and Aaron.  Kevin is married, and he and his wife Leah have two sons, Andrew and Christian, and one daughter, Eden.  They live in Friendswood, Texas.   Adam and his wife, Heather, live in McKinney, Texas with their son, Daniel.  Aaron and his wife, Randi, live in College Station, Texas. All three sons have graduated from Liberty University.

Eloy Gonzalez - Director of Hispanic Ministries

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Brief Biography of Eloy Gonzalez

Title/Position: Hispanic Director of Missions for Rehoboth Baptist Association, Sulphur Springs, Texas since December of 2008

My name is Eloy Gonzalez.  I am fifty years old.  I am married to Lupita and have four children.  I was born and raised a Roman Catholic.  I am the first generation in my family to be born again, receiving His grace when I was 26 years old, in December, 1982.  At that time, I was working as a police officer.  Since Christ came in to my life, I could not stop sharing what Christ had done.  I soon realized that I love to evangelize.  Not knowing what I was doing, I continued evangelizing for 8 years.  In June 1989 I started helping a church that had no pastor.  In a business meeting I told many of my Hispanic and anglo brethren that I was not called to be a pastor.  Later on that day, in one of the church offices, I felt a tremendous fear that I had never known.  I then fell on my knees and said to My Lord “I will obey”.  On September 16, 1990, I was ordained and licensed to preach the gospel. Before my ordination and until now, I keep serving my Lord Jesus Christ to a dying world, edifying myself, and the Body of Christ with the Word of God.

Education

Extension Night School at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

December 17, 1993  Graduated with a certificate In Christian Ministry

May 12, 1995 Received a diploma in Ministry Training

December 13, 2001 Received a diploma in Pastoral Ministries

(Countless hours studying on my own and other church planting courses)

I have been attending Southwestern Seminary Extension Classes for approximately 11 years, for which I am so thankful to God.  I also have been involved in other Bible studies, including Leaders Edge, a study course for pastors composed of 4 weeks of intensive study and prayer.  It seems the more I study, the more I need to grow. Setting my eyes on Him only, not on anyone else, how I stand before Him is very challenging. I don’t wish to share this with embarrassment, but with true understanding of the Word of God.

Before being called as a pastor, I was in Pharr, Texas for 2 ½  years at Gracia Abundante Baptist Church serving under the leadership of Pastor Grover Blankenship where the Lord started to work in me as a spiritual infant.  After that I was in Cleburne, Texas under the leadership of Pastor Evodio Rios for 4 years.

Pastoral Service:

Primera Iglesia Bautista in Godley, Texas –5 years, 1989-94

Primera Iglesia Bautista in Plainview, Texas—3 ½ years, 1994-98

Harwood Terrace in Bedford, Texas—9 ½ years, 1998-2007

Former President of Tarrant Baptist Association, Hispanic Churches/ Pastors

Evangelistic Service:

I have served for 23 years preaching and teaching locally, as well as guiding people to Christ in several parts of Mexico and other countries.  During this time, I have ministered to pastors and churches in many areas of ministry, including Vacation Bible School, Bible studies, discipling, and construction.

Honduras:  I shared and preached in schools, led open air meetings in villages, and preached in churches in Tegualcialpa and also at San Pedro Azula Penitentiary.

Imperatriz, Brazil: I spent 2 weeks at Indian Tribe and Peniel Bible Institute+, helping to grow the work there.

Mexico:  Mission trips with Red Oaks Baptist Church( groups of 15-25) , and also with Harwood Terrace Baptist (groups of 30-35) from 2004-2006.Mission trip with New Beginnings Baptist Church of Sulphur Springs, Texas (group of 30-40), June, July 2007.                Mission Trip with First Baptist Church, Tyler (group of 25-30), July 2007