Five Decades of Dedication

Courtesy of Jennifer Gruber

Jacksonville Daily Progress

September 7, 2003 

Elton McCann and Philip Bryan have been in business a long time.

Fifty years after each man – both teachers at the Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville - surrendered to the ministry, they're still actively spreading the word of God. Both men were honored during a chapel service on Sept. 11 at the seminary, which was followed by a reception.

At 14, McCann was just in the seventh grade when he realized he wanted to be a preacher. "Everything back then seems just as real as if it had happened a few days ago," McCann said.

In 1953, the seventh-grader was focused on school. However, after he converted at a tent revival, he knew he'd found his line of work. "Some Gideon gave me a New Testament," McCann said. "The more I read, the more I was interested; the more I felt this is what God had called me to do." 

Because he was young and in school, McCann told his family his feeling, but didn't spread the word too far. He said he knew some people might not think he was old enough to make a career decision.  "I've been surprised that I had that clear of an understanding at 14 years old and could make a decision that determined the course of my life," McCann said.  His school observed a split year— breaking for cotton planting and picking—so McCann waited until the second Sunday in August to express his views to his church members.  "Most of the people that knew me said they weren't surprised," McCann said

After becoming licensed by Little River Baptist Church in Arkansas in October 1953, McCann's first sermon was given at a youth rally. Following that, he preached regularly at Mississippi County Penal Farm.  "It was about 12 or 15 miles from our home," McCann said. "I did that throughout the ninth, tenth and 11^th

Other than the penal colony,  McCann didn't have much of an opportunity to preach. That's why he jumped at the chance to be the pastor of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church and  Fairview Baptist Church.  "My entire senior year, I was at Fairview," McCann said. After graduating from high school in Fairview, he attended Central Baptist College at Conway, Ark., eventually earning masters’ degrees from Ouachita Baptist University, Arkansas State University, the BMA Seminary and a doctor of ministry degree from Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth. Now, he's a teacher at the BMA Seminary, in addition to his duties as pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, Streetman, Texas. 

He's also developed a growing family over the years. He and his wife Linda, have a son and daughter-in-law, Stephen and Teresa of California, Pa.; daughters and son-in-law, Beverly and Michael Potter of San Antonio and Dana of Austin; and five grandchildren.  "I've always pastored a church," McCann said. And he doesn't have plans on stopping anytime soon. "I don't know of anything I could have done that would have been more fulfilling in life than what I do," he said.  Retirement is simply not an option for McCann. "People talk about retirement," he said. "Why stop doing what you love?" 

For Bryan, the calling came when he was 17. "It was the summer between my junior and senior years of high school," he said.  Though his home church was in Oklahoma, he told his family he wanted to be a preacher while they were living in Dallas. "It's one of those things you just know. It was just a sudden realization," Bryan said. 

Remaining true to his calling, he stayed active in Trinity Heights First Baptist Church in Dallas his senior year of school. "Every opportunity I got to preach, I preached," Bryan said.  After his graduation from high school, he enrolled in Jacksonville Baptist College, becoming a member of the mission band.  He recalls one trip with the band to area towns. "I preached on the street in Frankston once. And we used to hold services in the county jail at Rusk," Bryan said.  Though he knew he'd found his passion, Bryan didn't realize the reaches of his job until he was working at Safeway one day his sophomore year at Jacksonville College.  "One day, I was carrying out groceries, and this man asked me 'You don't remember me, do you?'" Bryan said.  Though the man looked familiar, Bryan couldn't remember where from, until the shopper said he'd heard one of Bryan's sermons at the jail.  "You never know what good you're doing," Bryan said.

He went on to get his bachelor's degree from The University of Oklahoma.  He also studied at Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y., received his bachelor's of divinity degree from the BMA Theological Seminary and master's and a doctorate from Baylor University.

Rather than put all that information to use in a bigger setting, Bryan chose to come to the BMA Seminary to teach, where his wife, Janice, was a student in the first class he taught. In addition, he has also taught or preached in Russia Mexico, Eastern Europe, Belarus, Myanmar, and other foreign countries.

Bryan has also served as the dean and president of the BMA Seminary, stepping aside in 1999 to teach again.  He now instructs students in theology, Greek, church history and New Testament. 

Though he doesn't pastor a church anymore, Bryan and his wife have been members of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville for 31 years. The couple's children include sons and daughters-in law, Jeffrey Alan and Jacquelyn Ann of Germany, Joel Arthur and Shannon Carol of Bryan and Jon Foster and Deborah Kimberly of Jacksonville; and eight grandchildren.