Pastoral Staff

Al Workman
Executive Pastor of Adult Ministries & Counseling
E-mail: al@CrossRoadsodessa.com

On June 21, 1950, Albert and Dorothy Workman had a 4 lb 8oz boy in a suburban hospital of St. Louis, Missouri. Having no choice in the matter, they called him Albert Russell Workman. The early years of my life were lived at 2918 St. Vincent Ave. This was truly a neighborhood of friends.

The Workman family were not church goers. We were hunters and fishermen that went to "the lake" every weekend However, on our block lived a family named Sweeney, a Christian couple who were gifted evangelists and Mrs. Sweeney made her rounds sharing the gospel with her neighbors. As a result of her love and care, 6 families on that block came to Christ. All of my playmates and friends were part of those 6 families. But I had an excuse, we go to the lake every weekend and I can't go to church. At age 13, my resistance finally broke down and I attended a work night with some teens at Victory Baptist Church. I noticed several foxy girls that I felt would make church a much more interesting activity . So I started attending regularly with my friends and in November of 1965, I trusted Christ as my personal Savior. My life, desires, and future was altered and I found purpose in life.

The church I attended was small, around 300. I was taught the Bible well and was loved. The late Rev. Darwin Cummins asked me as a 17 year old if I would teach a junior boys Sunday School class. I asked, "How many boys?" He said "1." "Where at?" "In the church bus." I responded by saying, "Yes." In 6 months time, we had seen 16 boys saved and 23 attending the class. During that time in my life, God began to speak to me about full-time service. I surrendered to His call and began to plan for my education.

In September of 1968, I headed to Tennessee Temple Bible College in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I attended one year in Pastoral Ministries and then transferred to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri in the fall of 1969. I graduated in 1973 from Pastoral Studies. While in Springfield, I attended Seminole Baptist Temple and worked as custodian and associate college minister. During this time I met my wife, Alice, who had already graduated from BBC and was working in the Baptist Bible Fellowship International Missions office. We knew each other a year and a half before we started dating. She sang in music groups and was the church pianist in a talent rich church. Dating, led to falling in love, which led to marriage on July 31, 1971.

Prior to graduation, Rev. Gary Grey of Park Hill Baptist Church, Pueblo, Colorado interviewed us for ministry in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. They wanted us and we wanted them. So, off to Colorado we went. We ministered there for 7 years in varying capacities: college director, youth director, janitor, printer, Sunday School director, football coach, adjunct school teacher, and interim music director. Alice was the church pianist, taught chorale music, directed teen music programs, had an award winning youth ensemble, and became the mother of our three children, Ginger, Ryan , and Derric.

In 1980, we loaded up our truck and moved to Heritage Baptist Temple, in Little Rock, Arkansas to work with Pastor Doug Cannady as youth pastor and Sunday School administrator. Alice served as church pianist and worked in youth music. In the process of our first year at Heritage, CrossRoads in Odessa called and asked if we would be interested in their young adult ministry .We came for a visit in the spring of 1981 and accepted the call. We moved to Odessa in June of 1981.

Our experiences with the College-Career class, in counseling, the HomeBuilders (parents of teens), advertising, graphic design, and leadership responsibilities here at CrossRoads has been an oasis for us in ministry. Working with Pastor Emeritus, Jerry Thorpe and present Senior Pastor, Griffin Jones is a great privilege. To be part of a ministry team whose mission is to become "fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ" and lead a great church in becoming "fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ" is a great opportunity. Alice is involved in the music program as church pianist, director of Majesty Adoration Trio, and accompanist for various musical performances. We are thankful that God has brought us here to partner with a great people in glorifying a great God.