Our Graduates: The Field Ministers

Mission of the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry:
The Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry takes the gospel of Jesus Christ into the darkest of places in the Texas prison system through our bachelor degree program which educates men and women with long-term prison sentences. Graduates of the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry are allowed to serve their peers as Field Ministers throughout the Texas prison system.

The Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian undergraduate college which accepts no state, federal, or tax-dollars of any kind from any agency or donor.

The Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry actively provides, as a no-cost service provider to TDCJ, the Field Ministers, their ongoing development, integrity, and funding. 

Graduation rate:

Men (Instructional site: Memorial Prison Unit for Men):

Academic YearNumber of Students at OrientationOrientation DateClass ofGraduation DateNumber of GraduatesGraduation RateComments
2021152 
(113 (Transfer and 39 Freshmen)
No graduates in 2021 due to Covid Recovery
2022192 
(113 Transfer students and 79 Freshmen and Sophomores)		No graduates in 2022 due to transfer student population
202338Transfer students, August 20212022December 6, 20233284%The Class of 2022 graduated in 2023 due to the Covid delay. 
202475

(Class of 2023 = 37; 

Class of 2024 = 38)		Transfer students, August 20212023; 2024Class of 2023 graduated July 17, 2024; 

Class of 2024 graduated December 4, 2024		64

(Class of 2023 = 29;

Class of 2025 = 35)		85%

(Class of 2023 = 78%; 

Class of 2025 = 92%)		Two graduations in 2024 as planned for Transfer students
202539August 19, 20212025December 3, 20252667%
As of December 202515212280%TOTAL MEN

Women (Instructional site: Hobby Prison Unit for Women):

Academic YearNumber of Students at OrientationOrientation DateClass ofGraduation DateNumber of GraduatesGraduation RateComments
202534August 20, 20212025December 10, 20252059%Benchmark year
202534August 20, 20252029December 2029––
As of December 2025342059%TOTAL WOMEN

Total graduates with graduation rate:

Academic YearNumber of Students at Orientation Orientation DateClass ofGraduation DateNumber of GraduatesGraduation RateComments
202338Transfer students, August 20212022December 6, 20233284%
202475Transfer stduents, August 20212023, 2024July 17, 2024; December 4, 20246485%
202574August 20, 20212025December 3, 2025 (Men); December 10, 2025 (Women)4662%Benchmark year
As of December 202518614276%TOTAL

Current number of students with rentention rate:

Men (Instructional site: Memorial Prison Unit for Men):

Class of Students at OrientationCurrent StudentsStudent retention rate (%)Comments
2026403078%
2027403383%
2028403075%
2029444295%
As of December 202516413582%TOTAL (Men)

Women (Instructional site: Hobby Prison Unit for Women):

Class of Students at OrientationCurrent StudentsStudent retention rate (%)Comments
2029August 13, 2025
As of December 2025343294%TOTAL (Women)

Total students with retention rate:

Class of Students at OrientationCurrent StudentsStudent retention rate (%)Comments
2026403075%
2027403383%
2028403075%
2029787495%
As of December 202519816784%TOTAL (12/31/25)

The Field Minister Job Description:

What is a Field MinisterDownload

The official Dot Code of a Field Minister:

Field_Minister Job Dot CodeDownload

Field Minister Teams: Where are they now?

Because our graduate has a very long prison sentence, they do not go home. They are allowed to serve as Field Ministers in teams across the state of Texas in every prison in th Texas Department of Criminal Justice. We do not yet have teams in every prison inside of TDCJ, but with every graduation we grow closer to acheiving this goal. The map belwo includes the current locations of more than 55 Field Minister teams in TDCJ’s 100+ prisons.

Field Minister Graduation Photos

The beginning of Field Ministers as graduates from Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry occurred with the men’s Class of 2022.

2010-2021 The work of the Heart of Texas Foundation:

The Heart of Texas Foundation, a non-profit organization orginally chartered to serve the rural poor in the name of Jesus, was quickly exposed to the incarcerated men and women in Texas. The work of the Heart of Texas Foundation became completely dedicated to the creation and development of what would come to be known as the Field Minister. The Heart of Texas Foundation fully funded and provided leadership and support to the Field Ministers from their beginning in a meeting in Houston dating back to February 2010 through our growth into the college—the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry. Our work, prior to 2021 was recognzied by Texas Governor Greg Abbott through a Texas Department of Criminal Justice Service Award on April 22, 2022. The picutres below are of all of the Field Ministers prior to our becoming a college, who we served, funded, and supported from 2010-2021. These men are still Field Ministers today though some have been released and several have gone on to be with the Lord.

Videos & Articles

Videos

From the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry to Field Minister

Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry morning gathering

Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry students at Hobby visit the field

The gospel of Jesus Christ and family reconciliation. Barry Hasten, father of Austin, a Field Minister, shares the impact of the Texas Field Ministers Program upon his family.

Gospel transformation and family relationships. Without fail, when someone comes to faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord gives him or her a desire to restore relationships with family. This is especially true for fathers and mothers and their children, but it is also true for siblings. The video below is of Cathy whose brother, David, is serving as a faithful Field Minister.

Articles

Houston Chronicle, “Texas prison program makes ministers out of inmates” by Keri Blakinger

The Heart of Texas Foundation Press

The Heart of Texas Foundation Press exists to publish resources that proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

We consider projects based on their direct assistance to the Field Ministers.

Our Team

Each faculty member exhibits the highest level of scholarship and has years of proven ministry experience.

Appointed Faculty

NameTitleYears with HOTFCOM
Travis Cardwell, M.Div.Assistant Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies2021 – Present
Andy Davis, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Theology and Applied Ministry2023 – Present
Chris Holmes, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Humanities and Applied Ministry2025 – Present
Lorie Keene, Th.M., M.Div.Assistant Professor of Theology2021 – Present
Stephen Keene, D.Min., M.Div.Assistant Professor of Christian Education and Applied Ministry2021 – Present
Ryan Lintelman, Ph.D., D.Min.Associate Professor of Theology2021 – Present
Brenna Norwood, Ph.D.Professor of Christian Education and Applied Ministry2021 – Present
Grove Norwood, M.Ed.Professor of Social Science and Applied Ministry2021 – Present
Matthew Spandler-Davison, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Applied Ministry2023 – Present


Adjunct Professors

NameCourses Years with HOTFCOM
Mark Blanford, M.Div., Ph.D.Courses: Natural Science; Biblical Marriage, Family and Singleness; Crisis, Suffering, and Trauma2021 – Present
Daniel Davis, M.Div.Courses: English 1, English 2, New Testament2026 – Present
Joe Everett, M.Div.Course: The Gospel2025 – Present
Laura Hui, M.Div.Courses: Greek, History of the Bible2021 – Present
Keith Idol, Ph.D.Courses: Greek, Hebrew, Logic2022 – Present
Kenny Johnson, M.Div.Courses: Historical Christianity 2; Introduction to Apologetics and Worldview Analysis2023 – Present
Ty Korsmo, M.A.Courses: English, Great Books2021 – Present
Stephen Laufer, Ph.D.Courses: Old Testament, New Testament2022 – Present
Lee Peoples, D.Min.Courses: Introduction to Christianity and College Life; Introduction to Christian Ministry2023 – Present


Visiting Professors

NameTitle, InstitutionNumber of Courses
taught
with HOTFCOM
2021 – Present
Peter Gentry, Ph.D.Senior Research Fellow at the Text and Canon Institute,
Phoenix Seminary		4
Lainey Greer, Ph.D.Teaching Fellow,
BibleMesh Institute		5 (Hobby)
Randy Hatchett, Ph.D.Professor of Theology,
Houston Christian University		2
Timothy Jones, Ph.D.Professor of Christian Family Ministry,
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary		5
Oren Martin, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Christian Theology,
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary		1
Mez McConnell, M.S.Director, Ragged School of Theology6
John Wilsey, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Church History and Philosophy,
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary		1

Administration

NameTitleYears with HOTFCOM
Grove Norwood, M.Ed.Chief Executive Officer2009 (Founder)
Brenna Norwood, Ph.D.Provost2021 – Present
Elaine Black, B.B.A.Chief Financial Officer2024 – Present
Chris Holmes, Ph.D.Director for Institutional Effectiveness2025 – Present
Kevin McGonagill, M.LS. (pending), B.S.Librarian and Director of Institutional Administration2026 – Present

Faculty and Administration of
Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry

Appointed Faculty

Travis Cardwell, M.Div.

Assistant Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies


Lead Pastor, University Park Baptist Church, Houston, Texas (Sermons)

Andy Davis, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Theology and Applied Ministry

Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Durham, North Carolina (Sermons)

Matthew Spandler-Davison, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Applied Ministry


Preaching Elder, Redeemer Fellowship Church, Bardstown, Kentucky (Introduction)

Chris Holmes, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Humanities and Applied Ministry, Director for Institutional Effectiveness

Owensboro, Kentucky

Chris Holmes, Ph.D.
Director for Institutional Effectiveness, Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry

Assistant Professor of Humanities and Applied Ministry

Owensboro, Kentucky

Lorie Keene, Th.M., M.Div.

Assistant Professor of Theology


Lorie, is a Registered Nurse and homeschools their two children. She a contributing writer for many LifeWay publications, as well as the author of Pull Up a Chair: You, Me and the Gospel of John (NewHope). She holds degrees from Auburn University (BSN) and from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M). 

Lorie is married to Stephen, and they have two children, Elijah and Emma.

Stephen Keene, D.Min.

Assistant Professor of
Christian Education and Applied Ministry

Stephen Keene is the pastor of Gravelly Baptist Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. (Sermons)

Stephen holds degrees from Mid-Continent University (BS, Theological Studies), The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.A.C.E, D.Ed.Min.), and fully affirms and holds to the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message of The Southern Baptist Convention.

Ryan Lintelman, Ph.D., D.Min., M.Div.

Associate Professor of Theology

Ryan Lintelman (standing center) is the pastor of First Baptist Church of West Columbia, Texas. (Sermons)

Dr. Lintelman received the Ph.D. in Preaching from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Doctor of Ministry in Missions from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Lintelman is beloved by our students.

Brenna Norwood, Ph.D.
Provost, Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry

Associate Professor of
Christian Education and Applied Ministry

Brenna is a native Texan, grew up in East Bernard, and earned the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Master of Science in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University in 1998 and 1999 respectively. She taught in the public school system for six years and became the Department Head for Special Education at Taylor High School in Katy, Texas. During that time, the Lord called her to go to seminary. She applied to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) and moved to Louisville, Kentucky in August 2005. She completed courses for the Doctor of Philosophy degree while working full time as Executive Assistant to the Provost and Dean of the School of Theology. In December 2009, she earned the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from SBTS. Brenna is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. Her emphasis on the unity of the Bible found in the person and work of Jesus Christ centers all aspects of her life, calling, and daily work as a wife, scholar, teacher, leader, and administrator. She and Grove were Christian friends years before they married in 2012. They enjoy a life of loving and serving the Lord side-by-side with one heart in the same direction. She and Grove live on their Songbird Farm in Bellville.

Grove Norwood, M.S. Ed.
CEO, Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry

Professor of Social Science and Applied Ministry

Grove was born in Jacksonville, Texas. He graduated from Black Mountain High School in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Black Mountain’s nearby Montreat was home to many Christian missionaries who returned from the foreign mission field including his maternal grandparents who raised his mother on the mission field in Africa has Presbyterian Missionaries. Grove graduated from East Carolina State University with the Bachelor Arts in English and a distinguished leader in the ROTC program there. From college, he joined the United States Air Force as a Second Lieutenant. He served in the United States Air Force for seven years where he flew the jet fighter, the F-102, in Germany as an interceptor pilot over the Iron Curtain. He then flew many combat missions in Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller. From his service in Vietnam, Grove received the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the Silver Star for Valor. After leaving the Air Force, he earned his Master of Science Degree in Education at the University of Southern California. He was a principal for a school for children with disabilities in North Carolina before entering the business world. While in business, Grove moved to Texas where he eventually established the nonprofit, the Heart of Texas Foundation to serve the rural poor. The work of the Heart of Texas Foundation exposed Grove to men and women incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. In 2010, Grove began to work full time in the work as a catalyst and visionary for the development, funding, education, and deployment of Field Ministers in Texas. Under his leadership as CEO, the Heart of Texas Foundation became the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry in 2021. The college equips men and women with extremely long prison sentences with the gospel through the Bachelor of Arts in Applied Ministry. Grove’s heart is for every man and woman who become our students to become Field Ministers who know their Creator through the Lord Jesus Christ so that they can live a blessed and faithful life of service to others. He and Brenna married in 2012 and live on their Songbird Farm in Bellville. They are blessed to serve and worship the Lord as active members of Mill Creek Church in Bellville.

Administration

Elaine Black,
Chief Financial Officer

Elaine Black joined our team in 2024. She has decades of experience in accounting, taxes, budgeting, and financial processes and procedures in the corporate and nonprofit sector. Elaine strengthens our team through her careful attention to detail in service toward our mission. Elaine and her husband raised their now grown chidren in Bellville. She is a native to Oklahoma.

Kevin McGonagill, B.S.
Librarian and Director of Institutional Administration

Kevin joined the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry team in January of 2026. He is pursuing the Master of Library Science from Sam Houston State University. Kevin retired with the United States Air Force as a Master Sergeant. Most recently, he served as an educator at a local private Christian, K-12 school for 14 years as the High School Bible Teacher and Assistant Dean of Students. Kevin and Becky live in Bellville, Texas.