JAM Newsletter: Jordan Villanueva

I grew up in Fort Worth and graduated from Azle High. I grew up in Primera Iglesia Azle and came to know the Lord at the age of 17 in my mother’s driveway. I had planned to attend HPU after graduation to play college soccer. The summer after my high school graduation, I received my call to ministry at youth camp. Thankfully, the Lord had already lined up for me to go to a university that had a Christian studies program.  

I came to HPU in the Fall of 2008. I was a double major, studying both Youth Ministry and Spanish. While at HPU, I played soccer, and I was involved in the BSM during my first couple of years. I also mentored inmates at the Jackson Juvenile Correctional facility. Additionally, I had the opportunity to serve at Primera Iglesia Brownwood as their Youth Minister from 2011-2013.    

After graduation, I served in the intern program at FBC El Paso. It was there that I met my wife, Jamie. We married in 2015 and moved to DFW so that I could go to seminary at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. We served in student ministry at Grace Temple Baptist Church in Oak Cliff. I was then called to Indian Hills Baptist Church in Grand Prairie to serve as their lead Pastor. I graduated with my Master of Divinity from SWBTS in 2019 and was immediately accepted in the PhD program at SWBTS to study Church History and Historical Theology.  

I have been involved in Texas Baptist life by participating in the Leadership Texas Baptist program. I have also served as an Executive Board member of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and was involved with the Cultural Engagement Committee and the Hispanic Education Council. I also had the opportunity to participate in the planning and implementation process of the establishment of Texas Baptists en Español. I am currently serving as the 2^nd VP of the BGCT.  

Jamie and I came to Brownwood in June of 2021 thanks to the invitation from Dr. Hines to join the faculty. It is a humbling experience to come back to this special place that had such an impact on my spiritual formation. It is an honor to serve alongside many of the professors that I studied under. Never in a million years did I think this would happen. Jamie and I now reside in Brownwood where Jamie is teaching Kindergarten at Northwest Elementary. I have the opportunity to help out with the men’s soccer team at HPU when I am available. I am also working on continuing to build relationships with Hispanic Churches, Convención, and the Hispanic community at large. We have been attending FBC Brownwood since moving to HPU. I have had the opportunity to pulpit supply for a number of churches in the area since moving back. It is such a blessing to be able to back at HPU and call Brownwood home.