MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT - Terrell O'Brien

Terrell O’Brien
P.O. Box 1070
Lander, WY 82520
obrien@rmisp.com

In the hands of a gifted artist, a lump of clay can become a masterpiece. Sculptor, pastor, and Mission Service Corps (MSC) missionary Terrell O’Brien sees the spiritual parallel in his handiwork. Even as he shapes clay into what will eventually become a bronze monument, he knows that God can take something with seemingly little worth and create a life with meaning and purpose.

As an MSC missionary, Terrell supports his family through his sculpting expertise. Yet, of all the monuments he has created, the most important ones are the lives he has touched and will touch for Christ.

Terrell serves as pastor of Warm Valley Baptist Church in Pavillion, Wyoming. On the backside of Wyoming, Terrell is seeing God at work in the lives among residents, and in his own life as well.

Terrell grew up in West Texas, where farming cotton and attending the Baptist church filled his days. He accepted Christ as a child, and felt God’s call to ministry as a teenager, but it wasn’t until years later that he surrendered to that call.

“When I went to college, I had plans to be a medical illustrator,” said Terrell. But after graduation he returned home to farm, while still nurturing his love for art. He married his wife, Vickie, in 1976. As he and Vickie participated in church-sponsored mission trips, God used mission trips overseas and close to home to affirm Terrell’s call to ministry, yet still he hesitated – not knowing what that would involve.

In the early 1980s, Terrell decided to become a professional sculptor. It was a risk, as he and his wife, Vickie, had four children to raise. There were times of discouragement but God provided. Then some health challenges caused Terrell to re-evaluate his life. “If I was going to live and not die,” said Terrell, “I knew I had to do what God was calling me to do. My principle profession was sculpting, but God wanted me in the ministry.”

That decision led him to consider Wyoming after contacting John Herrington, who was the Director of Evangelism and Missions for Wyoming Southern Baptists. John encouraged Terrell and Vickie to come and explore the work there. “During our visit, we met with the director of missions in this association and some pastors and believed God wanted us there,” remembered Terrrell. “We then applied to become Mission Service Corps missionaries.”

Their first assignment was also the Wind River Indian Reservation. “I had never been on a reservation and wasn’t familiar with the culture,” admitted Terrell. After serving with the church on the reservation for two years, the O’Briens began working with Warm Valley Baptist Church. “I had supply supply-preached several times, but I didn’t consider myself a pastor.” Yet, God was calling me to do that, and I accepted the position of interim. There were only about 5-7 people left attending the church. A year and a half later, the attendance was up to 30 people, and a building program had provided a fellowship hall and a nursery.”

When a new pastor came to the church, Terrell moved on to do an interim at a church in Lander for another year and a half.

When that interim ended, Warm Valley was in need of a pastor again. “We felt God was asking us to return, but I asked not for an interim but for the call to be pastor of the church.” The church agreed, and the O’Briens are hard at work growing the church as God leads. The first summer a building project took place to add an entry and handicap restroom. “We have another building fund going with anticipated building expansion this summer that will give much needed Sunday School space. * We have about 30-50 people attending. On the backside of Wyoming, God is doing an impressive thing.”

Those numbers are significant in rural Wyoming, where isolation and an independent spirit make growing a church difficult. There are only 90 Southern Baptist churches in the entire state of Wyoming. “Many people here don’t want anything to do with church,” said Terrell. “The various backgrounds, the Native American culture, the lifestyles—all make it difficult to reach people for Christ.”

Pray for Vickie and Terrell. “We believe that God is not only moving in our area but across Wyoming,” Terrell said. “We need Southern Baptists to pray for us that we as leaders and pastors will be very sensitive to what God is doing.”

Pray for their son, David, who is in high school. He’s been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

Pray also for God to break down the barriers to the gospel and give the O’Briens the opportunities to minister to the people in the community.

*If you are interested in pursuing a mission trip to help with the construction of the latest building addition to Warm Valley Baptist Church, contact Terrell at the email address above.

MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT ARCHIVE

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