Staff

Rev. J. David Tate

David has served as a bi-vocational minister since 2005. He started as a lay-leader in church while working in the IT industry and then was called to non-profit ministry where he gradually worked up to Executive Director. He would eventually also serve as a pastor for several years before being selected to direct the Certificate Program at Truett Seminary.

David was an endowed academic scholar and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Houston Baptist University with a BA in Business and Speech Communications. He also has a Master of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University where he was a CBF Leadership Scholar and received the Robert Jackson Robinson Award.

Aside from his church lay-leader and pastoral experience, he has 8 years of experience in Information Technology, 10 years in non-profit ministry, as well as 16 years experience running his own photography business.

For any questions that Certificate students may have, David is an administrator, advisor, and theological/pastoral resource and may be contacted directly at 254-710-6351 or David_Tate@baylor.edu.

Carlisle Davidhizar

Carlisle joined the Certificate Program in the Fall of 2019. She is pursuing her Master of Divinity with a concentration in Family Ministries and feels that the Lord has called her to youth ministry.

Carlisle was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia and earned a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Middle School Education from Longwood University in 2012.

Carlisle has been a middle school social studies teacher, a church administrator, and a volunteer youth ministry leader. She has always been very involved in Baptist life and most of her ministry experience is centered around leading children and youth and an active participation in local, state, and foreign missions.

Carlisle is married to her high-school sweetheart, Ethan, and they are very excited about welcoming their first baby boy in December 2019.

Emma Stroup

Emma is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Truett Seminary, and in addition to her work in the Certificate Program, she serves as the Student Associate at Vista Community Church in Temple, Texas.

Since 2018, Emma has served in Student Ministry, coordinating student events, mission trips, leading small groups, and preaching and teaching middle and high school students at Vista Community Church.

She grew up in the small Texas town of Graham and attended the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor (UMHB) in Belton, Texas, where she received a Bachelor of Social Work. While attending UMHB, she served in student government, but it was not until after a summer internship at her church that she felt a calling to ministry. Before graduating from UMHB, Emma felt led by the Spirit to pursue her own ministry formation at Truett Seminary, and with her strong heart for ministry, we are glad to have Emma on the Certificate Team.

Amanda Clark

Amanda Clark is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Truett Seminary with a focus area in Spiritual Formation. In addition to her work with the Certificate Program, she also volunteers by serving the youth at Oak Grove Baptist Church in China Spring, Texas.

Amanda has two summers of camp experience through serving as a counselor at Glorieta Camps in Glorieta, New Mexico. She has also served as a Student Ministry Intern at Highland Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas and First Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. Additionally, she has worked as an intern with Christian World Missions, located in Starkville, Mississippi.

Amanda was adopted from China at 10 months old and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. She graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State University in 2019, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in adolescent development. She also served as a member of the marching band and earned a minor in music. While at Mississippi State, she was heavily involved in her Baptist campus ministry where she served on the leadership team and led college Bible studies.

With her varied ministry experience, Amanda is affirmed in her call to work with students in the local church as a student minister and after seminary currently feels called to serve in full-time camp ministry.