Steven K. Parker is a pastor, writer, and storyteller with more than thirty years of ministry experience, known for his pastoral voice, narrative preaching, and deep commitment to spiritual formation. Since 2008, he has served as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Weslaco, shepherding a diverse congregation through preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and community engagement.
Steven’s ministry is shaped by a lifelong love for Scripture and a conviction that faith must be lived, not merely professed. He believes the church is healthiest when doctrine and discipleship, belief and behavior, grace and truth are held together in balance. This pastoral vision carries through both his preaching and his writing.
A native Texan, Steven sensed a call to ministry early in life. He earned his undergraduate degree from Hardin-Simmons University and completed graduate theological studies at Logsdon Seminary and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Before coming to Weslaco, he pastored churches in Dublin and Cotulla, Texas, and earlier served as youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Hawley, Texas. Each context deepened his belief that ordinary people, shaped by grace, are the true living witness of the church.
Steven Parker has accomplished a rare feat with his accessible, practical study of Ephesians. Drawing on his decades of experience as a pastor and student of scripture, he combines the best of contemporary biblical scholarship with real-life examples of the pain, joy, trauma, and blessing of the Christian journey. The result is a commentary that pays attention to the context in which the Letter to the Ephesians was written and the context of contemporary readers. The chapter on spiritual warfare, in particular, is one of the most careful and nuanced treatments I have ever read. In an age when the divisions in church and society can seem insurmountable, Parker’s study encourages us to recover what unites us in Christ. Ideal for adult education settings or personal study, this is a book that will serve the church well for many years to come.
—David H. Jensen, Professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology, Austin Seminary
In our post-pandemic world, Dr. Steven Parker offers fresh and powerful insight from Ephesians that meets the reader at the intersection of incorporating biblical truth into daily living during uncertain times. Parker masterfully illustrates many of his themes through personal experiences from his years of ministering and walking alongside the people of God as they navigate their life journeys. This book delivers practical and invaluable ways to begin balancing what we believe as Christ followers, understanding the grace needed to “flesh” it out in the marketplace so others can see the transforming power Jesus makes in our lives.
—Joe Rangel, Ph.D., Director, George W. Truett Seminary, San Antonio
Getting the Church Inside You: Balancing Faith and Action offers a fresh, pastoral journey through Ephesians, blending biblical insight with real-life stories. Steven K. Parker invites readers to move beyond simply “going to church” and instead to let the gospel shape their identity, relationships, and daily rhythms.
Readers will discover how to:
- Live with balance between belief and behavior, doctrine and discipleship.
- Embrace their identity as saints shaped by grace and peace.
- Find hope, inheritance, and power in Christ’s larger story.
- Experience unity across cultural and personal divides.
- Practice spiritual disciplines that sustain healthy lives and churches.
Engaging, practical, and deeply pastoral, this book helps believers embody the church in everyday life.
Biography
Steven K. Parker has served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Weslaco, Texas, since 2008. With over thirty years in ministry, he is known for his pastoral voice, narrative preaching, and commitment to spiritual formation. A graduate of Hardin-Simmons University and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Steven writes to help believers live balanced, grace-filled lives shaped by Scripture and grounded in everyday faith.
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