Introduction of New Senior Pastor at Highland Park Presbyterian Church
Highland Park Presbyterian Church has announced the election of the Rev. Thomas Daniel as the church’s next senior pastor.
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Daniel succeeds the church’s former senior pastor, Bryan Dunagan, who died suddenly at age 44 in October 2023. Dunagan had led the church for nine years and left behind his wife, Ali, and three young children.
Daniel joins Highland Park Presbyterian from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Austin, where he has served as senior pastor and head of staff since 2014, according to a news release from his new church. He has served in ministry for over 25 years and has degrees from Davidson College and Columbia Theological Seminary.
New Senior Pastor’s Background and Experience
He plans to start at the church in November. Daniel was not available for an interview Monday. A spokesperson for the church said Daniel will share more with the church at an upcoming town hall on Oct. 1.
“Again and again, we felt the Lord at work guiding us to Thomas,” Charles Davis, co-moderator of the church’s Pastor Nominating Committee, said in the release. “I am confident that his dynamic preaching, his compassionate discipleship and his heart for missions will be a blessing to our congregation and to the city of Dallas.”
Daniel’s wife, the Rev. Beth Daniel, is an ordained Presbyterian pastor who serves with the national leadership development organization The Ministry Collaborative. The couple have two daughters, Miriam and Hannah, who are both studying at Baylor University, according to the release.
“It is a profound honor to be called as Senior Pastor of Highland Park Presbyterian Church,” Daniel said in the release. “Beth and I are deeply grateful for the clarity with which God has led us here, and we are excited to join this vibrant congregation in its mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Dallas and around the world.”
Previous Senior Pastor’s Passing and Its Impact
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Dunagan’s unexpected death in 2023 was ruled an accident by the medical examiner’s office and shocked his congregation. He died after ingesting alcohol and “two commonly prescribed medicines, in their regular therapeutic amounts,” according to an anesthesiologist who is an elder at the church. The Dallas Morning News obtained an autopsy report that confirmed he had prescription medications and alcohol in his system when he died.
In a January 2024 email to its congregation giving more information about Dunagan’s passing, the church also shared a letter from Dunagan’s widow, Ali.
“We’ve all been warned about the possible side effects and interactions of medications. Unfortunately, Bryan is in the small statistic of folks for whom these interactions were fatal,” Ali Dunagan wrote.
“The last few weeks, I’ve had to walk through another trauma as I’m again tempted to ask God, ‘Why?’” she wrote. “However, I return to the One who walks with us through the uncertainty. God was with Bryan during his tragic passing, and He is with us as we grieve.”
Memorial and Reflections on the Previous Senior Pastor
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At an October 2024 memorial for Bryan Dunagan, Ali Dunagan again said she’d found hope amid grief in her faith, along with her church community.
“I look out in this room and I just see faces of people that have stood in the gap, who’ve held up my arms when I’ve wanted to lower them in despair,” she said.
“Simply accepting the tremendous loss has taken much of this year because of how sudden and unexpected it was,” she also said in written remarks prepared for the memorial. “And just as true as the hurt, the pain and the despair, I have felt inexplicable comfort, hope and a deeper understanding of God’s love.”
Conclusion
The election of the Rev. Thomas Daniel as the new senior pastor of Highland Park Presbyterian Church marks a new chapter for the church. With his experience and qualifications, the church is looking forward to his leadership and guidance. The church will continue to heal and move forward after the sudden passing of their previous senior pastor, Bryan Dunagan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is the new senior pastor of Highland Park Presbyterian Church?
A: The new senior pastor of Highland Park Presbyterian Church is the Rev. Thomas Daniel.
Q: What happened to the previous senior pastor, Bryan Dunagan?
A: Bryan Dunagan died suddenly in October 2023 due to an accidental overdose of prescription medications and alcohol.
Q: When will the new senior pastor start at the church?
A: The new senior pastor, the Rev. Thomas Daniel, plans to start at the church in November.
Q: How has the church community been coping with the loss of their previous senior pastor?
A: The church community has been finding hope and comfort in their faith and in each other as they grieve the loss of their previous senior pastor, Bryan Dunagan.
