One Service Member at a Time

Lieutenant Colonel David Young (Ret.) served in the military for 25 years, beginning in the U.S. Army before being commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, where he completed four deployments and 19 moves. Dave has been motivated by a higher purpose in this work: “We have been endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. God gave that to us, and that is worth defending.” His wife, Tammy, grew up in a military town and sensed from a young age that God was calling her to serve alongside veterans. As God brought Dave and Tammy together, they knew early on that their lives would be marked by service—to each other, to our country, and to the Lord.

In 2018, while stationed in Washington, D.C., they visited First Baptist Dallas during a trip to Texas. It happened to be Palm Sunday, when they were ushered to the front row and welcomed warmly by members of the congregation. They sensed God confirming what they already felt: this was their church home. Even though one final military move remained, they never wavered in their decision. When Dave retired from the Pentagon in 2020, they relocated to Dallas.

Last fall during the launch of Mission 1:8 One Desire, we were challenged to identify and take a next step toward making Jesus Christ the one desire of our lives. When Dave and Tammy heard this, they already knew what their next mission would be. “Christ calls us to go, to reach, and to serve. He never called us to be comfortable,” Dave said. Their next step would be to launch a Veterans Ministry at First Baptist Dallas. 

The vision for the ministry is built around three pillars: identifying and connecting veterans and military families, supporting them in practical ways, and helping them grow through discipleship and outreach. They saw the spiritual need. “There are so many veterans sitting in our pews,” Dave says. “They just need a squad to lead and a mission to accomplish.”

There are 320,000 veterans in the DFW area. Through the Veterans Ministry, First Dallas hopes to reach them. Dave sees the struggles and hopelessness faced by veterans as a result of loneliness. “They feel alone. That should never be the case, especially not in the church.” Tammy shared about the toll that military can take on an entire family: “These families have been through trauma, loss, and isolation. We want to come together with our veterans and just link arms and love on one another.” Dave and Tammy want to help veterans find one another, connect, and walk together through both the challenges and victories of life. “Your battle buddy might be sitting next to you in church, and you don’t even know it” says Dave.

As Dave and Tammy have taken this next step, they have found a sense of purpose and affirmation from the Lord along the way. Tammy said, “We’re just being His vessels and just saying, ‘Here I am, Lord. Use me.’” Dave shared his desire to see lives saved and transformed through this work, “If we can help one more veteran come to know the Lord or save one more life, it’s all worth it.”

The Veterans Ministry at First Baptist Dallas will launch with a special luncheon on Sunday, November 2. The luncheon is open to veterans, active-duty military, their families, and anyone interested in learning how to get involved. More opportunities to honor, support, and serve our veterans will follow throughout the year. In the church, no one should feel alone.