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“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach
unless they are sent?”

(Romans 10:14-15, ESV)

If you would like to donate by check:

Follow these steps:

  1. Write a check payable to Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry
  2. On the memo line of the check, indicate any information you would like us to have regarding your donation or simply write “General donation.”
  3. Mail your check to:

Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry
P.O. Box 110
Bellville, TX 77418

Your tax-deductible donation is greatly appreciated!

No ministry can move forward without donors, givers, supporters.  Whatever they may be called, they are the ones who actually do the “sending.”  We pray that is you, or will be you, or will be someone you tell of our work of educating men and women with long prison sentences through our Bachelor of Arts in Applied Ministry who will serve as Field Ministers in the darkest of places, as we are called to do.

Our aim is to see that our graduates, Texas Field Ministers, will be generational in their impact.  That is, our work will continue into the next generation.  

We believe that there is every reason to believe that Texas Christians can make sure that every year, without fail, new teams of our graduates—gospel-trained inmate men and women are sent into our huge prison system.  Texas has more churches.  Texas has more Christians.  Texas has the means.  And we know that many Christ-followers in Texas have the vision to do this. Will you join us?

We don’t want to grow bigger, we want to go deeper.

For every 50,000 inmates who leave Texas prisons each year, another 50,000-plus come into Texas prisons. We have the population. We have the proven plan. We have the partners. We have the permissions.  The doors are open to continue on. We know how to do it.

Will you become one of those who helps us send them?

All we need is your consistent help to go generational.

With great hope, and with thanks for you,

Grove Norwood   

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 and the women who are on their way to becoming Field Ministers. The Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry met monthly with women from the Hobby Unit as well as TDCJ staff to prepare the way for the Texas Field Ministers Program to begin for women. Watch the video below to hear the women describe what the Texas Field Ministers Program means to them.

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.

Faculty

Mark Blanford, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Natural Science and Physical Science
Lorie Keene, Th.M., M.Div.Assistant Professor of Theology
Stephen Keene, D.Min., M.Div.Assistant Professor of Christian Education and Applied Ministry
Ryan Lintelman, Ph.D., D.Min.Assistant Professor of Theology
Brenna Norwood, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Christian Education and Applied Ministry
Grove Norwood, M.Ed.Professor of Social Science and Applied Ministry

Visiting Scholars

Gregg Allison, Ph.D.Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Dee Grimes, Ph.D.Evangelical Seminary of West Africa
Timothy Jones, Ph.D.Professor of Christian Family Ministry, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Stephen Presley, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Church History, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Charles Savelle, Ph.D.Instructor of Biblical Interpretation, Dallas Theological Seminary
John Wilsey, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Church History and Philosophy, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Adjunct Professors

Travis Cardwell, M.Div.Courses: The Gospel: The Person and Work of Christ
Laura Hui, M.Div.Courses: Greek, History of the Bible
Keith Idol, Ph.D.Courses: Greek
Ty Korsmo, M.A.Courses: English
Stephen Laufer, Ph.D.Courses: Hebrew, Old Testament
Jared Lee, M.Div.Courses: History of the Bible, Historical Christianity, Bible Study Methods
Ron Lowery, M.Div.Courses: Biblical Marriage, Family, and Singleness

Administration

Grove Norwood, M.Ed.Chief Executive Officer
Brenna Norwood, Ph.D.Provost
Mary Rokes, M.Ed.Director of Operations, Registrar
Audrau Winkelmann, M.L.S.Librarian and Coordinator of Student Learning Resources

Faculty and Administration of
The Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry

Faculty

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

Professor of Social Science and Applied Ministry

Grove is the teaching elder of
New Covenant Baptist Church in Bellville, Texas.

Grove is a native East Texan, but spent his high school and college years in North Carolina, where he attended East Carolina University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in English. 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, the Silver Star for Valor, and two Distinguished Flying Crosses. After leaving the Air Force, he earned his Master of Science Degree in Education at the University of Southern California. He then worked with children with disabilities in North Carolina before moving back to Texas where the Lord called him into the Texas prisons. He and Brenna live on their Songbird Farm in Bellville. They attend New Covenant Baptist Church (SBC).

Brenna Norwood, Ph.D.
Provost

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.

Mark Blanford, Ph.D., M.Div.

Assistant Professor of
Natural Science and Phhiscial Science

Mark Blanford is the pastor of Thai Baptist Church, Houston.


Mark Blanford grew up as the son of missionaries to the Chinese people in Thailand. He studied at Rice University and pursued an engineering career. In 1991 he was ordained to the gospel ministry by Northdale Baptist Church in Albuquerque, NM where he served as a bi-vocational Minister of Music and Education. From 2005 to 2011, he and his wife, Charlotte, lived in Thailand as self-funded missionaries with the International Missiona Board of the SBC. In Thailand, Dr. Blanford taught in Thai prisons. He has ministered with Houston’s Thai Baptist Church since 2011 and was called to be their Pastor in 2017. He holds the Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Stephen Keene, D.Min.

Assistant Professor of
Christian Education and Applied Ministry

Stephen Keene is the pastor of Southside Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Tennessee.

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). 

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.

Assistant Professor of Theology

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

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.

Staff

Mary Rokes, M.Ed.Ad.
Director of Operations, Registrar

Mary (center) has decades of experience as an educator. She recently retired as an Assistant Prinicipal at Bellville High Scoool. She is married to Larry, and they have a son Caleb and his wife Colleen in College Station and a daughter Beth, who lives in San Diego, California.

Audrau Winkelmann, M.L.S.
Librarian and Coordinator of Student Learning Resources

Audrau (second from left) has decades of experience as an educator. She recently retired as an Librarian at Bellville High Scoool. She is married to Lane, and they have two daughters, Emma, a graduate of Sam Houston State University who lives and works in Austin, Texas, and Ella, who is in college at Texas State University.