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Established 1948  Charles E. “Bobby” Holt, a graduate and former trustee of
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as long-time pastor of Vista
Grande Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, died Thursday, February 13,
after battling ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) for more than a year. Holt graduated from Southwestern Seminary with a Master of Divinity in 1978 and later obtained his Doctorate of Ministry in 1989. He began full-time Christian ministry in 1974, attending his first pastoral position at Southmayd Baptist Church in 1978. Staying there for three years, he pastured at First Baptist Church in Honey Grove, Texas until 1994. After preaching in Texas for sixteen years, he was hired as senior pastor of Vista Grande Baptist Church in March 1994. He served on Southwestern’s board of trustees from 2003 to 2013 with Southwestern Seminary President, Dr. Paige Patterson, who has recently said, “Dr. Bobby Holt has suffered long enough, and God has taken him triumphantly home to a great reward in the heaven for which he longed. Pastor, evangelist, preacher, trustee and much more, this precious man was faithful.” During Holt’s tenure, Vista Grande saw new emphases added to international missions, sponsoring trips to Brazil, Zimbabwe, Croatia, Uganda and Mexico in addition to a ministry with a church in the Philippines. On the home front, in 1996, Holt oversaw the purchase of thirteen acres upon which new building facilities now sit. Within three years of Holt arriving at Vista Grande, average attendance had grown to 400, and by 2013, it had grown to 700. Additionally, Vista Grande has been, and continues to be, a strong supporter of the Convention, International Mission Board, North American Mission Board and the six Southern Baptist seminaries, including Southwestern. In October 2012, Hold was diagnosed with ALS. The following April, Vista Grande held a 35th Anniversary in Ministry Celebration to honor and thank him for his years of dedicated service to the Lord. A remembrance service to celebrate Holt's life was held at Vista Grande Baptist Church (5680 Stetson Hills Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado) on Tuesday, February 18th, at 10:00 am. The graveside service was at Cedarlawn Cemetery (5805 Texoma Parkway, Sherman, Texas) on Friday, February 21st, at 2:00 pm. Charles Edward “Bobby” Holt was born March 1, 1951, in Denison, Texas to Bill Henry Holt and Ruby Blanche Rowland Holt. He is survived by his wife, Caryla Shadden Holt. Bobby met Caryla in 1968 in Glorieta, New Mexico, and they married August 19, 1972 in Sherman, Texas. They had three children: Crista Holt Allen and husband, Jeremy, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Cayla Holt and Carley Holt of Edmond, Oklahoma; and one grandchild, Charles “Charlie” Allen. Holt’s two brothers: Garry Holt and wife, Ann, of El Paso, Texas and Billy Wayne Holt (deceased) and wife, Sandra, of Denison. Other family members include: Leslie Holt of El Paso; Terri Holt Laird and husband, Greg, of Sequin, Texas (children Taylor and Landry); Beth Holt of Las Vegas, Nevada; Amy Holt Neidert and husband, Eric, of Denison (children Jake and Kelly); Todd Holt of Lewisville, Texas; Donna Martin Criswell and husband, Corky, of Plano; Courtney Criswell McDonald and husband, Warren, of Prosper, Texas (children Avery and Joshua).  Cedarlawn Cemetery Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |