Tom Mosely Awarded Honorary Doctorate During Spring Commencement at Hardin-Simmons University

ABILENE, TX (05/23/2011)(readMedia)-- Tom Mosely, of Dallas, TX, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree during spring commencement ceremonies at Hardin-Simmons University held this month.

Tom Mosley, a native of Pampa, Texas, grew up in Fort Worth. At the age of 12, Tom made a profession of faith at a Billy Graham Crusade in 1949.

His family was active in Sagamore Hill Baptist Church under the pastoral leadership of Dr. Fred Swank, who encouraged Tom to attend Hardin-Simmons University.

As a student at Hardin-Simmons, Tom was active in Student Congress, was a member of the University Quartet and Phi Mu Alpha-Sinfonia, and was president of the Concert Choir. He met his wife, Nona Little, while both were students at HSU, marrying in September 1960. The couple welcomed twins, Marcus and Melinda, in 1961.

Mosley graduated in 1961, earned the Bachelor of Music Education degree. He continued graduate studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Christian University, and later at the Eastman School of Music and Westminster Choir College.

He served as minister of music at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, from 1964 to 1969. Then the young family moved to Houston where Mosley served the Westbury Baptist Church as minister of music until 1971.

From 1971 to 1975, Tom was minister of music at First Baptist Church in Abilene. In 1975, he answered a call to Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston, where he served as minister of music and worship until 1994.

In 1994, Tom became the founding pastor of The Church at Hilton Head in Hilton Head, South Carolina. From 1999 to 2001, Tom served as director of leadership and ministries at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas. Also while at Howard Payne, he was director of the University Singers in the School of Music, taught in the Leadership Forum, and was campus pastor.

From 2001 to 2003, Mosley was director of ministries for Passion Ministries in Roswell, Georgia. He has been a board member of Passion Ministries since 1985 and has served as board chairman from 1994 to the present. Tom served as music and worship pastor at Houston's First Baptist Church from 2003 to 2007 when he resigned his position and moved to San Antonio so that he and Nona could assist their son, Marc and his family as their daughter-in-law, Tammy, faced the final stages of cancer.

Since 2009, he has been serving as interim minister of music and worship at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.

Tom served as president of the HSU Alumni Association from 1972 to 1973. In 1983, he traveled with the 100-voice national men's chorus, The Centurymen, on a 17-day cultural exchange tour of China sponsored by the Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission. During that time, Tom served as president of The Centurymen.

Members of First Baptist Church, Houston, have described Tom in this way: "We have had many ministers here. Some have had the talent and vision for leadership, and some have had the spiritual depth needed [for ministry]. But none have had both as [does] Tom."