We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gary Boyd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gary, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Yes, thankfully. It was only barely possible at first. I earned $500 a week as a youth pastor after graduating from college. My wife has always helped to supplement my income. She has worked in finance, as a nanny, and in private music instruction. When I moved to my second position in ministry, in Fairfax County, VA, I was warned that the income would increase, but so would the cost of living. I had an unaccredited degree, I was very young, and the youth ministry was large and successful, so I was placed on a bit of a probationary test. After a few months, the church offered me a sizeable increase which enabled us to live comfortably for the remainder of our time on staff. In 2018, I transitioned from serving as a youth pastor at a larger ministry to serving as a lead pastor of a struggling one. This required a significant sacrifice for my family. I took a $25,000 pay cut and moved to Collinsville, OK. We’ve been here for almost 8 years now. Consistent growth and financial responsibility have enabled us to maintain a tight yet comfortable budget.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up in the DFW area. My family was a devoutly religious family that regularly attended church services. I became a Christian as a young child and never went through any major time periods where we were not pretty involved in church. That being said, I never considered a life in ministry work until late in my high school years. Our youth group hosted an annual teen service, and I was asked to deliver a sermon. I did so gladly, but shortly thereafter, I felt that a significant amount of pressure was being placed on me to attend a ministry school and become a preacher. As a teenager, I did not respond well to that. Over time, however, I developed a growing desire to be a preacher and to learn more about crafting and delivering sermons. So, I decided to attend a small Bible college in OKC, where I met my wife and grew in my understanding of how to take an ancient text and communicate it to a modern audience.

After graduation, my wife and I moved to Lakeland, Florida, where I served as a youth pastor for two years. It was a wonderful learning experience. We became involved in the local schools, investing in personal relationships. By the time we left, the group had grown from 3 to 30+ in attendance.

From there, we moved to Fairfax Station, VA, where I was once again involved in youth ministry. This time, however, we were responsible for a group of about 100 young people. There was a Christian school affiliated with the church, where I had the opportunity to teach Bible classes and preach in the chapel on a regular basis. This is where our family began to grow, as two of my boys were born there. Due to the large military presence in the DC area, we were privileged to meet many talented and diverse individuals. The pastor that I worked for encouraged me to further my education, so I began my graduate work at this time. We were in Virginia for six years, and we loved the church and the people with whom we were privileged to serve.

Then, in 2018, I accepted the call to Pastor the Collinsville Baptist Tabernacle in Collinsville, OK. The church had been without a pastor for over a year. Attendance had dwindled, but the church was debt-free and situated right off the highway in a growing community. Though I tend to be a pessimistic person, I told my wife after the first Sunday that I visited that I was having a hard time thinking of something negative to say about my first introduction to the Baptist Tabernacle. We went through the interview process and the candidate selection, and then we moved back to Oklahoma in March 2018. The church was in desperate need of revitalization, but the people were gracious and supportive. Together, we started to see signs of health and growth returning to the congregation. We invested time in various ministry opportunities, and through the generosity of our members, we invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the building. Then, in 2022, it became clear that the building would need to be expanded if we were to continue welcoming our growing community to our church. The church voted, and we began the process of expanding our facilities. It was an exciting adventure for all of us to take together. In March 2025, we celebrated the opening of a $3.2 million expansion and addition, which provided us with a redesigned 500-seat auditorium and a completely new 4,500-square-foot lobby. We’ve grown from a group of less than 100 to an average of over 300 in attendance in just over 7 years.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had invested in my continuing education earlier in my career. I now hold a Master’s in Ministry and a Master of Divinity, and I am halfway to my Doctorate of Ministry. Not every class has been life-changing, but the consistent posture of learning has pushed me to continually evolve my craft. I know that some are disciplined enough to push themselves without the need for formal education. For me, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I believe the Bible is the most important book in the world. I also believe that many avoid it because they think that it is inaccessible to people without a Bible degree. I believe it is my mission to leverage the art and science of preaching to show them that the Bible is not a locked box, reserved only for the intellectual or spiritually advanced. Rather, it is a book that speaks to people from all walks of life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cbtchurch.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-boyd-82364797/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Baptist.tabernacle