Our PastorTaylor Callen has been the pastor of Horicon Baptist Church since 2021. He grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana and became a Christian in 2007 at East Bayou Baptist Church.
He studied Biblical Studies at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and later earned his Master of Divinity from Midwestern Seminary. Taylor married his wife, Catherine (Caiti), on August 31, 2019, and was ordained for gospel ministry the very next day by Emmaus Church in Kansas City, Missouri. |
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As for hobbies, Taylor is an all-out Bible nerd. Lately, his favorite obscure topic to bring up in conversation is the theological significance of trees in the Bible. But for more normal things, he also enjoys going to the beach with his family, working in the yard, rewatching movies and shows he loves, and listening to good audiobooks. A couple of his favorite books this year have been:
- The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield
- Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green
Interns:
At Horicon Baptist Church, we want to equip young men and women to see God glorified and disciples multiplied through the power of the Gospel. We do this by providing opportunities for our interns to serve and lead our church in meaningful ways. Not only does this help prepare the individuals for future ministry, but it greatly blesses our church in the process. If you're interested in interning at HBC, click the "Internships" button for more information.
More about our pastor:
My testimony
I was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. My family was not religious and mainly attended church on Christmas and Easter. I went to a Catholic school for most of my life, which was the most consistent religious influence I had. The school stressed the importance of the ten commandments, and it was there that I learned I was a sinner in need of a savior. When I was around ten, I turned to the only savior I knew, the Roman Catholic Church. I tried to go to confession, but the priest would not forgive my sins (because I was not a member of the church). I was terrified because I knew that I deserved to go to hell, but I had no idea what to do. Around this time, my dad became a Christian and we became a church-going family. I hated going to church, but he made us go every Sunday and even forced me to go to church camp. It was at that camp that I heard about the Gospel of grace. I heard the message that Jesus paid it all on the cross and that salvation was a free gift. It was at that camp that I repented of my sin and trusted in the sacrifice of Jesus alone for my salvation.
I was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. My family was not religious and mainly attended church on Christmas and Easter. I went to a Catholic school for most of my life, which was the most consistent religious influence I had. The school stressed the importance of the ten commandments, and it was there that I learned I was a sinner in need of a savior. When I was around ten, I turned to the only savior I knew, the Roman Catholic Church. I tried to go to confession, but the priest would not forgive my sins (because I was not a member of the church). I was terrified because I knew that I deserved to go to hell, but I had no idea what to do. Around this time, my dad became a Christian and we became a church-going family. I hated going to church, but he made us go every Sunday and even forced me to go to church camp. It was at that camp that I heard about the Gospel of grace. I heard the message that Jesus paid it all on the cross and that salvation was a free gift. It was at that camp that I repented of my sin and trusted in the sacrifice of Jesus alone for my salvation.
My Call to Ministry
As a new believer I was active in my church but had never considered ministry. Growing up going to Catholic school, I remember one mass where the priest asked for young men to join the priesthood. This was the least attractive occupation imaginable. Until my conversion, organized religion was repulsive to me and there was no way I was going to engage in full time ministry. I grew up poor, was good at math, and wanted to make a lot of money, so I decided that I would pursue engineering.
As a new believer I was active in my church but had never considered ministry. Growing up going to Catholic school, I remember one mass where the priest asked for young men to join the priesthood. This was the least attractive occupation imaginable. Until my conversion, organized religion was repulsive to me and there was no way I was going to engage in full time ministry. I grew up poor, was good at math, and wanted to make a lot of money, so I decided that I would pursue engineering.
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My school had a “career day” event where I was supposed to follow around someone in my desired future profession. I learned a lot, but there was engineer who sat me down and gave me his perspective. He had entered the profession because he grew up poor, was good at math, and wanted to make a lot of money. He regretted the decision and did not enjoy his life. He told me that many individuals loved the line of work he was in, but I needed to carefully consider if this is something I would enjoy doing.
I was still very young, so I put off searching seriously for a career. Then one day I was at a friend’s house and I was asked what I wanted to be. I responded that I wanted to be a pastor, which was strange because it was something that I have never considered. God gave me this allconsuming desire to serve in the ministry. God made 1 Timothy 3:1 true in my life: I desired the office of overseer. Every local church I have been a part of has affirmed this calling, including Emmaus Church where I was ordained on September 1, 2019. |