Leadership

Bruce Bumgardner has served as the pastor of Pine Valley Bible Church since its inception in the fall of 1994. Bruce is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) and in addition to ministering at Pine Valley has spoken at pastors' conferences and seminaries in many countries around the world including Brazil, Pakistan, India, Zimbabwe, Poland, Nigeria, the Philippines, Ukraine and England, as well as the United States. He and his wife Cyndy were married in 1984 and have three adult children, Marcia, Bruce Jr, and David.  They have one grandchild, Brett.

“I had the tremendous advantage of growing up in a Christian home with two wonderful parents who loved me and taught me the Word of God from a very young age. I placed my faith in Jesus Christ in a Sunday School class at Grace Bible Church in Dallas Texas when I was seven years old. I do not know the dear lady’s name who presented me the gospel on that flannel board that day, but I am extremely grateful for her faithfulness in doing what she was called to do. Since that time I have always had an intense appreciation for those who work with our kids. They play such an important role in the Body of Christ.

In September 1994 I had dinner with a long time friend, Don Tippit, and he suggested that we consider planting a church in Deer Park, a suburb of Houston. Neither of us knew much about church planting but we both felt led to follow through with the idea, so we held our first service a couple of months later with two other families in a small office space which was donated to us by a man I did not know and to this day have never met. From the beginning, the grace of God was at work in this ministry.

Over the years I have developed a pretty simple philosophy of ministry. I deeply desire to see people trust Christ as their savior and then grow to maturity in their Christian faith. I believe that this is accomplished by providing consistent, accurate Biblical teaching while at the same time encouraging the application of what is taught to our lives. Paul said that the end goal of all he taught was love. At Pine Valley we strive to know God better and as a result love Him and one another more deeply. Like I said, it’s a pretty simple philosophy.”

The statistics are alarming concerning the number of young, evangelical Christians who enter college and start to abandon core principles of their faith beginning their freshman year. Dan’s passion and devotion at Pine Valley are directed at addressing this trend, with the goal of keeping our high school/college students committed to the truths of the Christian faith, as they grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Dan grew up in a religious home, but without a saving connection to the Lord Jesus. That changed in 1990, when a friend introduced him to the Christ of the Gospels, and his life has never been the same. Shortly thereafter, Dan relocated to Texas from the midwest through a clear work of providence. He married his wife, Jennie, in 1996 and both have kept a minimum of two dogs in their lives ever since.

At the encouragement of a friend, Dan enrolled in the College of Biblical Studies in 2005 and will be completing his Bachelor’s of Science in Christian Leadership in December 2011. He plans on attending Dallas Theological Seminary for his graduate studies with the goal of earning his Th.M. in Old Testament studies.

In addition to working with Pine Valley’s high school and college students, Dan is the acting Director of Student Ministries and oversees the Sunday school program at the church. On occasion, he will also deliver the sermon on any given Sunday morning, at the request of Pastor Bruce.

Dan sees evangelism and discipleship-making as God’s calling for the Church. Within this dynamic, Dan is committed to investing himself in others, in the name of Jesus, for the glory of God.

And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man 
and teaching every man with all wisdom,
that we may present every man complete in Christ. 
And for this purpose also I labor,
striving according to His power, which mightily works in me.

~ Colossians 1:28, 29

Chairman

John Anderson has been the Chairman of the Board of Deacons at Pine Valley Bible Church since 2003. He is married to Colleen his wife of 35 years and has two daughters, Michelle and Shannon. John has worked for Albemarle Corporation since 1986. He was a cabinetmaker by trade and then trained as an instrument technician in the chemical industry. He was in the United States Naval Air Reserve and also served in the 36th Texas Airborne Brigade before it was disbanded. He attended Houston Baptist University concentrating on Greek and History studies. He started attending Pine Valley Bible Church in 1998 and was immediately hooked on the teaching of the Word of God as taught by Pastor Bruce.

John comments on his salvation and Christian life stating: "Through the persistence of a friend of mine, who kept giving me the Gospel, I believed in Jesus Christ for Salvation in my hometown of Castro Valley, California in 1970. Through God's Grace I have been blessed with the opportunity of studying God's Word and being exposed to good Orthodox Bible teachers throughout my life. It is my hope that Pine Valley Bible Church be used by God to touch the lives of unbelievers with the Gospel and for believers to grow in the Grace of our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Vice-Chairman

Married to Joy Lawson Cobena for 55 years, Henry and his wife were high school sweethearts. They were married in 1956 in Crowley, Louisana. They have three children,  Sharon, Kenneth, and Carl Allen, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Henry moved his family to Houston from southern Louisiana in 1975.

Henry is a residential building inspector for new home construction in Houston.  Joy and Henry have attended Pine Valley Bible Church since 1996.  Before being elected to the vice-chairmanship, Henry previously served as treasurer, and is also the head of the Usher Committee.

Treasurer

Born in Seattle, Tim was raised in a small town, and graduated from Washington State University with a B.S. in Psychology in 1968.  During his sophomore year, Tim became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Tim is a Viet Nam vet, having served in the Army for two years, and he later served in the Texas Airborne National Guard for seven years.  He is married to Mary Lynne, a native Houstonian, and they have two children and, so far, seven grandchildren.  Tim graduated from the University of Houston Law Center in 1978.  He then served 16 years as a prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and 14½ years as an appellate judge on the First Court of Appeals in Houston.

Secretary

Mike was born in West Saint Paul, Minnesota, March 19, 1942. Texas has been his home since 1953. A loving Mother and Father led Mike to Jesus Christ at a very early age. The second most important event in his life was his marriage to Jennifer, which has been blessed by God for 42 years. Jennifer and Mike share a love for the outdoors and enjoy camping, hiking, and travel. They have two children, Sean 47, and Katherine 40. They have two grandsons and two granddaughters, all believers in the Lord. Praise God.