Through a half-century of ministry, Hyde Park’s Gardner has been a faithful, steadying presence

Dan Gardner, who has worn several hats during 50 years of ministry, is seen baptizing a young man who made a decision to follow Jesus. SUBMITTED PHOTO

AUSTIN—1975 was a milestone year for Dan and Mary Gardner. On Jan. 1 of that year, Dan answered the call to serve on staff at Hyde Park Baptist Church. A lot has changed in the world since then, but the Gardners are still faithfully serving the church a half-century later.  

Hyde Park honored the Gardners during a Sunday morning worship service on Jan. 5. Dan serves as the church’s senior adult and pastoral care pastor.

John Turner, lead pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church, said the Gardners are the embodiment of the Great Commandment through their example of loving God and others. 

“He helps in secret, like visiting shut-ins, those in the hospital, or just having one-on-one conversations,” Turner said of Gardner. “He is a wealth of knowledge about ministry, life, and the diverse history of Hyde Park.” Turner added that Gardner has been a steadying presence through both good times and seasons of struggle. “Through it all,” Turner said, “Dan and Mary remained faithful.”

“If you look in the dictionary under ‘Christian servant,’ there should be a picture of Dan Gardner,” added Kie Bowman, Hyde Park’s pastor emeritus who led the church for 25 years before retiring in 2023. “He defines the word ‘faithfulness’ in ministry.”

“If you look in the dictionary under ‘Christian servant,’ there should be a picture of Dan Gardner.”

Gardner began at Hyde Park Baptist Church in 1975. He and his wife Mary raised their children, Ginger and Dan, in the church. SUBMITTED PHOTO

‘Never a worry’

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a business degree, Gardner enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in Vietnam, receiving a Bronze Medal, and spent 26 years in the Army Reserve before retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

In 1974, the church’s minister of education, Bob Shotwell, asked Gardner to serve as Hyde Park’s business coordinator. The next year, Gardner answered the call to serve as the church’s minister of business administration.

Gardner remained in that position for the next 30 years, during which his exemplary service was recognized by his induction into the Southern Baptist Church Business Administrators Association Hall of Honor. He also received the Taylor Daniel Award of Merit for outstanding contribution to Baptist business from the Southern Baptist Business Officers Conference. 

Dan and Mary Gardner

“I think it’s so important to know ministry doesn’t stop at 40 hours a week. On Jan. 1, I started my 51st year. I’m not retired till the Lord tells me He’s through with me.” 

Ralph Smith, who died in 2017, pastored Hyde Park for many of the years Gardner served there. Smith’s daughter, Diane Love, remembered fondly the friendship her father had with Gardner. She said her father used to tease Gardner about the condition of his office. 

“Dan’s office used to be a mess,” Love recalled. “My dad would tell him to get it organized, and no matter what was requested, Dan knew exactly where it was in the pile of letters, bills invoices, etc. It was a running joke within the office at the church … [but] there was never a worry in the financial office while Dan [was] in charge.”  

One of ministries dearest to Gardner’s heart at Hyde Park is its food pantry, which he started as a way to minister to a growing number of homeless and hungry people in Austin. The problem? The church did not have much available space to house a food pantry at the time. Undeterred, Gardner—relying on a military background that taught him to use what was available—started the ministry out of an old telephone closet. 

“We outgrew that space,” Gardner said, “so we had to find another place down the street to serve everyone. We never turn people away.”

As for the future? Only God knows, Gardner said.

“I think it’s so important to know ministry doesn’t stop at 40 hours a week,” Gardner said. “On Jan. 1, I started my 51st year. I’m not retired till the Lord tells me He’s through with me.” 

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