Son of late FBC Pipe Creek pastor steps in as new pastor, replanter; sees discipleship grow, generous support, first baptisms

Following the passing of his father in 2021, Daniel Johnson got a call from a few church members at First Baptist Church Pipe Creek, where his father had pastored prior to his death, asking if he would consider stepping in as pastor.

“After the passing of my father, [the church faced] difficulty gaining the traction of having different interim [pastors] and seeking different resources. It lost momentum to where they had just a faithful few members who had been there through the thick of it,” explained Johnson. “They had contacted me and asked if I would consider taking the pastorate there, and at that time I didn't feel like I was ready.” 

Johnson was serving as the youth pastor at Alamo Community Church in San Antonio at the time, and decided to continue praying about the opportunity as he continued to serve there. In early 2025, he started to feel a burden for FBC Pipe Creek. 

“My wife had just given birth to our fourth child, and I was sitting at home on paternity leave, and I had been out for a drive with her and connected with some different pastors, friends of mine in the area. We stopped and prayed and just said, ‘Lord, we still love [Pipe Creek]. We still feel a burden for the people who live here. Is there any way you want us to play a part in what you're already doing here?’” said Johnson. 

In May 2025, Johnson attended the San Antonio Church Planting Network with Alamo Community Church Pastor Kevin Flowers. At the conference, Flowers spoke to attendees about the need for church planters. A week later, Johnson shared with Flowers his desire to replant FBC Pipe Creek, after being encouraged by South Texas Church Starting Strategist Daniel DeLeon at a previous Texas Baptists Church Starting Conference. 

“A week later, I mustered up the courage and said, ‘Pastor Kevin, I can't deny that the Lord is leading me in this direction, and I have such an excitement to take what I've learned and to go forth. What do you think?’ And he said, ‘You’ve got to go do it,’” explained Johnson. “I was met with nothing but grace, nothing but encouragement to go forth. [Since], they have communicated to our church [that] when there are things that we need here at Pipe Creek, they're ready to… come alongside and support.”

In October that year, Johnson attended a Church Planting Assessment, per DeLeon’s recommendation and was given a green light to begin the replanting process. He started by focusing on cleaning up and making adjustments to the worship space to ensure it was ready to welcome congregants. He said sister churches in neighboring towns came alongside him to support his efforts in addition to Alamo Community Church. 

“Not only Alamo Community Church, but Lake Hills Baptist Church has supported, they donated some resources to us. First Baptist Church of Hondo has also graciously been supportive. The thing that was such a motivator for me was there are so many churches who are looking for ways to serve the kingdom,” said Johnson. 

Cultivating a lifestyle of discipleship 

FBC Pipe Creek officially relaunched on Feb. 1. After a couple of weeks of service, Johnson began to notice how many families were ready to call FBC Pipe Creek home and connect with one another. 

“Our [outreach] strategy was, ‘Let's host some [events] out on our [8-acre] field… What we did not anticipate is that there were going to be families who arrived before we even had time to host all these events, and our room was almost maxed out. So that really adjusted us to go, ‘Okay, Lord, how are we going to faithfully serve the families who are in your house now?’” explained Johnson. “We're realizing our strategy has to be, ‘How are we sending families out instead of trying to invite everyone to come in, how are we going to equip them out?’” 

Johnson said many older families have stepped in to mentor younger families, equipping them to rise up as volunteers and leaders in the church. He said he has also spent time with a group of leaders considering, ‘What does discipleship look like? What is the endgame of where we're trying to take people?’

“If we're as leaders seeking to give someone a base knowledge of Christianity, but they're not being stirred by the Holy Spirit to bring about change, then we're not going to be satisfied,” said Johnson. “So really trying to identify, ‘Can we explain the gospel when we meet together as a church… and then be ready to communicate what I know is true about the gospel with a neighbor?’”

Johnson said that just four months into the relaunch, he has seen families inviting their neighbors to join them in worship at FBC Pipe Creek. He said he is also seeing men's and women’s discipleship groups gather weekly to discuss scripture and how to live it. 

Johnson said that, because of the discipleship progress he has seen in the congregation, the church has adopted the theme “Grow and Go” and has considered how the church can continue a lifestyle of discipleship together.

“So many churches are going, ‘What's the discipleship strategy?’ I'm finding that that is the most difficult [question] to answer… We're just praying that we take [discipleship] practically. ‘How do we spend time together?’” said Johnson. 

Johnson implemented a monthly luncheon called “Meet and Eat” for families to connect with one another, and is now seeing families stay after Sunday service is over to be in community with one another. He said this has emphasized the congregation’s desire to communicate the love of Jesus well. 

“There have been some individuals who maybe attended the church over a decade ago, maybe two decades ago, and they have communicated, ‘I was so nervous about walking in the doors because I didn't know how I'd be received. I came a long time ago, but I haven't been going to church,’” explained Johnson. “A couple of different individuals who just expressed, ‘I not only realized this is where I want to be, but I've just felt loved by God's people.’ So to watch individuals from the community who have not been attending church for a while be connected once again… that has been the joy.” 

He said this has also stirred congregants to come forward for baptism after a season of seeing none. 

“Just this past Sunday, I had a gentleman come up and say, ‘I know I need to do this and I'm ready to have that discussion.’ I don't know the last time Pipe Creek has had a baptism… So we bought an ice bath tub, and we're just going to heat it and [do baptisms in there],” said Johnson. “Anytime someone says, ‘I want to make that public declaration’... that [shows that] the Lord's at work, not because of something that we've done, but we can walk alongside them in response to what the Holy Spirit has done. He used us to come alongside, but he's the one who's brought the new life, and we just get to see the fruit of the Lord's work.”

Giving time and resources generously 

Johnson said through the replanting process, he is learning ways to reciprocate the generosity that sister churches have shown FBC Pipe Creek. 

“[I’m considering], ‘What does it look like for us to come together [and] lift sister churches up so that way we can all return the favor?’” said Johnson. “For First Baptist Church Pipe Creek, it's allowed our congregation to see the love from other churches, and it's made us want to reciprocate and do the same… It's the beauty of what happens when churches come together for the single focus of wanting people to know Jesus, [to be] so generous with time and with resources.” 

He said the financial support FBC Pipe Creek has received from Texas Baptists has been a burden-lifter, allowing them to be good stewards of what God has blessed them with. 

“Right now, we have two of our members who are currently serving on a mission trip in Vietnam, and as a church, we're able to walk alongside them to support them. We have a missionary coming in next month who is going to speak about where he and his wife are going to be serving… and we're going to support them financially,” explained Johnson. “[Texas Baptists’] kindness to support us is ultimately allowing us to support others.”

Johnson encouraged pastors who may be feeling alone or have questions to find sister churches they trust and that share the same missional focus and to ask for help. He said it is good for pastors to humble themselves and ask for help because it allows the church to be the church.  

“It's hard for me to ask for help. I want to muscle it by myself. And what I found by asking for help is that churches were ready to do so. They were ready to help with prayer, financially and some just with hard work. I am so glad that I was able to express, ‘Hey, here's what our church feels burdened to do. Can you help us?’” explained Johnson. “[When we’ve asked], we've only been met with kindness and an eagerness to come alongside [us].” 

He asked for prayer that his church would show up for their community and give generously. 

“My [prayer] request would be that he would continue to raise up men and women who see the need and are willing to step up and say, ‘God, would you use me within the church and outside of the church to go to these families to find them at the school, at the ball field, at the grocery store,’ that they would continue to be stirred to go… just show up [for others],” said Johnson. “We don't want to be dragons. Dragons get gold, and then they just sit on it… We want to be known as the church that is just generous with their time, with their resources.” 

DeLeon said John’s obedience to step in as pastor at FBC Pipe Creek has fostered a sense of unity that extends far beyond the city limits of Pipe Creek. 

“Because of Daniel Johnson’s obedience to this calling, several partners have joined together in support. This includes not only the sponsoring church, Alamo Community Church, but also the Hill Country Association and FBC Boerne,” said DeLeon. “Seeing this re-plant come to life after the previous congregation closed has been a truly rewarding experience.” 

For more information about Texas Baptists Church Starting, visit txb.org/churchstarting.