About Dr. Joshua Nichols

Pastor, Theologian, and Founder of Faithful to the Word

 

I am Dr. Joshua Nichols, a pastor, theologian, author, and the founder of Faithful to the Word. My life and ministry are devoted to one primary calling: to faithfully proclaim the Word of God, exalt Jesus Christ, and equip the church to stand firmly upon the truth of Scripture.

 

I currently serve as the pastor of Fairlie Baptist Church, a rural congregation in northeast Texas where Christ is loved, the Scriptures are preached, and the gospel is cherished. Whether through preaching, teaching, writing, or personal discipleship, my desire is that God’s people would grow in theological depth, spiritual maturity, and joyful obedience to Christ.

 

Conversion, Christian Growth, and Early Formation

The most decisive moment of my life occurred on April 3, 1990, when the Lord graciously saved me through faith in Jesus Christ alone. On that day, I came to see the depth of my sin and the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning work, and I trusted fully in Him for salvation (Ephesians 2:8–9, NASB).

 

On April 22, 1990, I publicly professed that faith through believer’s baptism at Fellowship Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, under the pastoral leadership of Wayne Goodman, alongside Youth Pastor Randy Young. That local church played a vital role in grounding me in the authority of Scripture and the ordinary means of grace.

 

In the years following my conversion, I did not experience an immediate call to preach or vocational ministry. Rather, I grew as many young Christians do: attending church faithfully, participating in summer camps, learning the Scriptures, and maturing both physically and spiritually. Those years were formative, though often quiet, marked by steady growth rather than dramatic direction. In hindsight, I now see the Lord patiently shaping foundations that would bear fruit later.

 

A Turning Point: Wrestling with Truth and Theology

Around 2005, a significant shift occurred, not in what I believed, but in my desire to understand why I believed it. That turning point came through a statement made by Dale Tackett in Focus on the Family’s teaching series, The Truth Project:

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“Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?”

 

That question lodged deeply in my soul. It compelled me to examine the foundations of my faith, not skeptically, but reverently. I began to pursue theology in earnest, seeking to understand the coherence, beauty, and truthfulness of the Christian worldview as revealed in Scripture.

 

This pursuit was not driven by aspirations toward ministry, credentials, or the pulpit. Rather, it was driven by conviction: truth matters because God is true (Romans 3:4). Theology became an act of worship: loving God with my mind (Matthew 22:37).

 

From Theology to Calling

Only after completing my Master of Theology did I begin to sense a call to ministry, not initially to preach, but to teach others and make disciples, in obedience to Christ’s command:

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“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”
— Matthew 28:19

 

This calling emerged gradually and humbly, confirmed through prayer, counsel, and the affirmation of the local church. In 2011, I was licensed to the gospel ministry following the completion of my master’s degree by Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Greenville, Texas under interim pastor Dr. Jim Gatliff, Mission Director of the Hunt Baptist Association.

 

In 2013, after earning my PhD, I was formally ordained at Kingston Baptist Church in Kingston, Texas under Dr. Gatliff and ordaining deacons Ken Money and Bradly Fletcher. My academic studies did not create my calling; rather, they clarified it. Theology sharpened my understanding of Scripture, and Scripture clarified my responsibility to teach others faithfully.

 

Faithful to the Word: Teaching and Writing Ministry

Faithful to the Word exists to serve the church through biblical clarity, theological depth, and pastoral faithfulness. Much of my writing seeks to bridge the gap between the academy and the pew, because theology belongs to the church, not just the classroom.

 

I write and teach so that believers might:

• Better understand the storyline of Scripture

• Grow in confidence in God’s Word

• Be rooted in sound doctrine

• See Christ more clearly in all of Scripture

My goal is never to impress, but to edify; never to elevate self, but to exalt Christ.

 

Family and Personal Life

I have been joyfully married since 1996 to my wife, who has been a steadfast source of encouragement and faithfulness throughout our life together. The Lord has graciously blessed us with five children and one grandchild, each one a living testimony to His goodness and grace in our lives. Family and ministry are deeply intertwined for me, and I am convinced that a pastor’s life must adorn the doctrine he proclaims (Titus 2:10). By God’s grace, I seek to shepherd both my household and Christ’s church with integrity, always mindful that the first and primary ministry entrusted to me by God is my family.

 

My Heart for the Church

At the heart of everything I do is a love for the local church. Christ died for His church, and He continues to sanctify her by His Word (Ephesians 5:25–26). My prayer is that through preaching, teaching, and writing, God would be pleased to strengthen His people and glorify His Son. As the apostle Paul declared:

 

“For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:5

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