Dennis Michael Toby

Dennis Michael Toby February 18, 1947 - December 29, 2012 Pastor Dennis Michael Toby of Waco passed away Saturday, December 29, 2012, at his home with his family. Services will be 1:00 p.m., Friday, January 4, 2013, at First Baptist Church of Woodway with Rev. Terry Graham officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Dr. Toby will lie in state Sunday through Thursday, and the family will receive visitors 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., Thursday, January 3, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Chapel. One of God's brightest lights has gone home to his Source. Like the stars in the sky that have burned out long ago, the illumination that he provided will shine on for a long time to come. His radiant energy, passion, and love chased away the darkness and unveiled God's truth and hope in the world around him. He was God's lighthouse to this lost world. He was a distinctive voice for God calling out to all those in need and responding to all of those that cried back. For thirty-five years he built up the church of First Woodway with its staff and members. He lived, loved, laughed, strived, struggled, and rejoiced with his church that he kept in his heart and mind. His gift to us is his legacy of strength, leadership, loyalty, stewardship, honor, and action that he modeled for us all so diligently his entire life. He never ceased striving for Christ; he never stopped growing the Church out of love for Christ's congregation; he never quit working on missions out of Christ's love for a world that would be eternally lost without those efforts. Just as he exercised his body regularly, more so did he exercise his mind to learn about the Lord so that he could strengthen his relationship and ministry with and for the Lord. In doing so, his heart continually strengthened, growing with love. When we think of Mike and what he would do, we know he would tell each of us to stand tall and strong as houses of light for Jesus just as he did. Mike started life on February 18, 1947, in Ada, Oklahoma, but his ministry began early at Pasadena High School, where he read a devotional and gave the prayer each morning over the intercom system to the school. In 1966, he met his future wife, Jackie Kay Compton of Odessa, Texas, at Houston Baptist College. They began their lives together on August 19, 1967. He was a Club Director for Youth for Christ in college which gave him a future vision of becoming a youth pastor. From 1967 to 1969 he served as Youth Pastor at First Baptist Huntsville and filled the same position at Memorial Baptist Church in New Orleans from 1969 to 1970 while he earned his degree in Graduate Studies from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1970, Mike went into evangelism by starting the Mike Toby Evangelistic Foundation, which led him to serve as the Minister of Evangelism at Wayside Baptist Church from 1971 to 1972. During this time the pastor felt called to another church and Mike took on the interim position in his absence. This opportunity became the catalyst for the vision of beginning his ministry as a pastor. Mike briefly served, in 1972, as Associate Pastor at Second Baptist Church Little Rock before moving on to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned his M. Div. in Religion in 1974. While studying at Southwestern, Mike started serving as the Senior Pastor at Bowie Baptist church in Texarkana in 1973. His first son, Joshua David Toby, was born shortly after his move to Texarkana on June 3, 1974. During the time he was in Texarkana he led the church to relocate and rename to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. He guided them through two building programs and more than doubled membership and average Sunday school attendance. Finally, in 1977, Mike was called to First Baptist Woodway. Shortly thereafter, his second son, Scott Michael Toby, was born on October 11, 1977. There, he would go to lead a membership growth from 1, 050 to over 4, 600; increase the average Sunday school attendance from 292 to over 1, 500; do over 1, 700 baptisms; lead nine building programs, including a total relocation in 1990 and sponsored ten mission points in Waco. He led numerous mission trips including trips to Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Morocco, Turkey, Russia, Belize, Philippines and New Zealand. Mike is preceded by his mother, Pauline Johnson Toby, and his father, Clifton Pat Monroe Toby. He is survived by his wife of forty-five years, Jackie; his son, Josh and daughter-in-law, Olya Nikole Toby, and their precious sons Mike's grandsons, Evan Lucian Toby and Conrad Alexander Toby; his son, Scott and daughter-in-law, Monica Lake Toby, and their much loved daughters Mike's granddaughters, Marlena Maria Toby and Gisele Elise Toby. He is also survived by his sister, Linda Burchfield. Mike leaves us all with the commission, "to be the lighthouse." The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WilkirsonHatchBailey.com.