Anchor Point
About this ebook
Anchor Point: How to Lead with Faith, Find Strength, and Rebuild with Hope After Crisis is a lifeline for pastors and ministry leaders facing the unthinkable. Drawing from firsthand experience during the West Fertilizer Plant explosion and more than a decade of disaster response work, John Crowder offers a deeply practical and spiritually grounded guide to leading well in times of upheaval.
Inside, you’ll discover:
How to embody the Ministry of Presence in the immediate aftermath of tragedy
A clear map of the disaster journey—from rescue to relief to recovery
Tools to care for others while navigating your own emotional and spiritual exhaustion
Strategies to build long-term resilience in your people and yourself
Hope-filled insight into how God uses even disaster to draw us closer—to Him and to each other
Whether you’re responding to a crisis now or preparing for whatever may come, Anchor Point will help you lead with wisdom, care, and an unwavering trust in the Lord who holds steady when everything else is shaken.
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About the author
John Crowder earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and went on to earn a Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He later returned to Baylor to earn a Doctor of Ministry degree with a concentration in leadership from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. During his college days he served as a Youth Pastor at Bellmead First Baptist Church in the Waco area. While at seminary, he was the pastor’s intern at First Baptist Church of Burleson, TX. After graduating from seminary, his first pastorate was at First Baptist Church of Kopperl, TX where he served for three years.
For over thirty years John has served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in West, TX. After he and his family lost their home in the 2013 fertilizer plant explosion, John worked with other local leaders to help his community get through their recovery. After that experience, John continued to study disaster recovery while encouraging and advising other pastors who were leading their people through recovery. He has led multiple training opportunities for pastors and has spoken to many churches and civic organizations about disaster recovery.
While preaching and pastoring are John’s calling and his passion is disaster recovery, the top priority in life is his family. John and his wife Lisa spend as much time as they can with their married daughter, Ashley and her family. Ashley and her husband Bryson have two wonderful children, so Lisa and John are loving their roles as Memaw and Papa John.
