Q&A with Dwana McGowen, Secretary
Dwana McGowen has been a life-long member of Calvary Baptist Church and serves the staff and congregation as secretary. She resides in Grand Prairie, TX and enjoys working in Dave’s Shirt and Trophy, the shop her late husband David started years ago, engraving an award or making a shirt for someone. The shop is actually located in their home and Dwana likes that she can easily work there in the evenings.
Dwana also enjoys short trips out of town with good friends just to get away. She loves spending time with her two sons, their wives and her grand kids! Dwana says her bucket list includes a trip to New York to visit The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir on a Sunday and for their Tuesday night prayer service. She loves teaching & studying God’s word especially developing object lessons to use with the kids.
What role does the church secretary officially play?
I consider myself
extremely blessed to do what I do. I
love Calvary Baptist Church and it has been my life. I love the people, the history, the strong
teaching of the word of God, the staff and the many friends I have here at
Calvary. I only drive about 10 minutes
to work, and don’t even face the sun coming or going. I work with people who love the Lord and care
about me.
My official job
description includes everything from answering phones to assuring accurate
church membership data, ordering church curriculum, to gathering supplies
needed by the ministry staff and Sunday School teachers. I help with church dinners and care for church
linens. I do whatever is needed whenever
to ensure our members and staff have what they need to serve the Lord.
One of the most
important things I do is to make sure Preacher is updated on any illness or
injury a member of our church family is having. Provide him and the Ministry
Staff with addresses, phone numbers, what hospital someone is in and basically
keep them connected with any need I am aware of in our church family.
Now, what role does the church secretary unofficially have?
Anything and Everything
– I jokingly call myself a jack of all trades and master of none. Some of the areas of Ministry I get to work
in are, “Young At Heart”, our ministry to Adults 50 years and “Younger” and the
Refinery Sunday School where I teach the kids the “old songs” and have the
privilege of teaching 3rd-5th Grade Girls in Sunday School. At times I help when there is a need in Kid
City.
It is my joy to do
whatever Preacher and the Staff need that will help them minister to our people.
How do you believe that helps Calvary’s staff and people See-Share-Serve-Stay?
A church is a group of
baptized believers that when it is working correctly is much like a family. Bro. Loveless does an excellent job of
preaching and giving our people the chance to See God and know Him better. We share each other’s lives when we care
about one another and share both trials and victories.
As secretary I get to
serve our people in some of the best and worst times of life. As for serving I believe every member of the
Calvary Baptist Church should be serving somewhere. I think everyone should
have some “skin in the game”. From
setting up and cleaning up church events to teaching and participating in the
music ministry we should all use our talents to serve the Lord somewhere at
Calvary Baptist Church. When we all do
this we show we care about Calvary and we serve the Lord together. I want our people to know that we as a staff
care about them and I want our people to care for each other. When you care about something you stay with
it. When you work in it you take
ownership of it.
What is the No. 1 thing you love most about being our church Secretary?
Calvary Baptist Church –
the whole thing. I grew up at Calvary
Baptist Church and it truly is my life.
My parents joined here before I was born and I have been a member here
all but 5 years of my life. I love telling our younger families about the
faithfulness of those who taught me as a child and it is just as big a joy to
share with our older generation what our younger families are doing to teach
future generations about the Lord. I love being a part and watching God
unfold the future of Calvary Baptist Church.
What is the one question
you are asked most?
There are several…….
- Where is …? Usually I know and can & will happily get it for you. (I’ve been accused of having a kitchen sink in my storage room – lol.) However, and this is one of my pet peeves - Please clean it up and put it back where you got it. It belongs to the Lord and you may just need it again one day soon
- Can I or When will…? Usually for that question I point people to the person on staff in charge of a particular event if I don’t know the answer. By the way, most of the time details were in the bulletin.
- Why are we…? Because that is what God has led the leadership of Calvary to do. It is our job to follow the man God has placed in charge. That is what I was taught as a child here at Calvary and I believe to the very core of my being that God raises up and takes down leaders as He chooses. Our job is to follow the man God has put in charge. For this time that man is Brian Loveless – and I’m not saying that because I’m on staff – it’s biblical. Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
What encourages you?
There
are a several things that encourage me. First, Bro. Loveless - When
I’m in a difficult situation, I talk with him and gain his wisdom and Biblical
view. He is a man of great spiritual
insight. Second, Seeing God work my
life and in the lives of our people. Watching CBC children grow in the Lord. Seeing the look on someone’s face as they
realize through a lesson or experience how great God really is.
What do you want to help people understand?
First - God is Sovereign
! Whatever He does and allows is right!
I have a sign on my desk that says, “It is not mine – It is the LORD’S
and whatever He does with it is right.
Since I grew up here it has been difficult at times as secretary to see
changes come about. However, with every
change, (sometimes after I have worried a bit,) I have prayed, “ Lord, You do
what you want with this.” When I didn’t
think it would work – I watched as it worked.
When it wasn’t a smooth transition – I trusted God and He has brought
about great things through it.
Second – Absolutely NOTHING
touches my life that God doesn’t open his mighty hand and allow it to touch me! He is using it to make me more and better and
stronger for Him. My sweet hubby of 39
years had Multiple Sclerosis and through over 30 years of dealing with that and
his death in April of 2014 I have learned to trust God more and more. Many times the people of Calvary were there to
help as we faced difficulties. This has
given me a special empathy when there is a death or difficult circumstance in
the lives of people here at Calvary. Totaled
together David spent about a year of our marriage in the hospital or physical
rehab and as I stood by him we over and over saw God bless in our physical,
financial and spiritual lives. God is Sovereign
and I can trust Him and He is making me into someone more and stronger and
better for His service.
Third – God will bless
if we honor Him with our money and time!
I learned to tithe as a child and have always honored God in this way.
He has never failed to take care of me.
It is all His anyway – He just allows me to use it as I serve and honor
Him. Come and talk with me and I’ll be
happy to share my tithing experiences.
