Dr. Mark Bumpus Dr. Mark Bumpus, pastor of First Baptist Church of Mineral Wells, has accepted the pastorate at First Baptist Church of San Angelo, where he began his tenure Sunday.

The large, historic, downtown church has served the San Angelo area for 125 years, and has an extensive radio and television ministry in West Texas. Its pastor search committee selected the new minister from more than 60 resumes received for the position.

A 1970 Lampasas High School graduate, Bumpus leaves Mineral Wells after 14 years in ministry there. While at the church, he oversaw an extensive sanctuary renovation program, and the congregation expanded its missions emphasis, began a preschool, offered Upward youth sports and was named one of the Top Ten in Cooperative Program Giving in the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Prior to his pastorate in Mineral Wells, Bumpus served as pastor at First Baptist Church in Troy for 13 years and at Pearl Baptist Church for eight years.

He received his bachelor of science in education from Baylor University in 1974, his master of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1978 and his doctor of ministry, also from Southwestern, in 1985.

In accepting the call to his new position at San Angelo, Bumpus said he would seek to have "one foot in the church and one foot in the community. I will seek to be a pastor who cares, leads and proclaims the rich gospel of Jesus Christ."

A brochure introducing Bumpus to congregation members lists personal references from several prominent Baptist pastors, editors of The Baptist Standard, and also Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association.

Before his farewell from the Mineral Wells post, Bumpus said in an interview with the Mineral Wells Index, "What I'll do in San Angelo is what I've done here. Try to help the church do these things: worship God, nurture your soul, evangelize the lost, serve your fellow man in need and enjoy sweet fellowship within the church."

He and his wife, Earl Ann, have two children: Katy, a junior at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and Marshall, who will attend Baylor University in the fall.