Leadership at Heartland Church
We would like to introduce you to Pastor’s Jason and Jodie Studdard of Brownwood Tx, who have been the Resident Pastor’s of Heartland Church since 2013. Their journey at Heartland began over 23 years ago in 1998, when by divine leading from The Spirit of God, Pastor Jason was prompted to introduce himself to a man he had never met in the middle of a crowded restaurant one Sunday afternoon. This man was Pastor Ken Smith. He and his wife, Pastor Dawn Smith, are the founders of Heartland Church, and are now the Senior Directors of Heartland Ministries. This encounter seemed awkward and strange to say the least, however, it would change the lives of Jason and Jodie forever. This one appointment would impact their personal lives so deeply and reinforce their walk with the Lord so dramatically, that God would later begin to use them both on a larger scale. By the Grace of God and by the Spirit of God, they began to mold and change countless others with their love, revelation and the fruit of their own lives that had been grown and carefully tended to by studying and mentoring under Pastor's Ken and Dawn. Their story begins not unlike many others that God
has called to be leaders in The Body of Christ. Pastor Jason did not start his adult life in the Ministry. He went into the United States Marine Corps right out of highschool, which was during the time of Desert Storm, and felt he had found where he belonged. This idea changed drastically when he came back home after graduation and met the love of his life, Jodie Callaway. In a short time they were married and began life together raising their children, Caleb and Mollee Jo. After the Marine’s, Jason had several jobs but all were to support his dream of a music career, which consisted mostly of playing the bars and upscale parties. This lifestyle came to an abrupt halt when the Spirit of God interrupted his plans in the middle of a public laundry room one day over 25 years ago in 1996. This “Meeting with The Lord” was not by chance, as his now wife, Jodie, had been raised with an understanding of the power of prayer, and had been secretly anointing him, his guitar and his truck and calling him into The Kingdom of God and to the plan of God for his life. This event was a "no turning back" kind of moment. The very next day he had 9 Bibles around him, hungry for The Word, and hasn’t stopped since. In 1998 God called them to Heartland Church. This started with a pure heart of serving the Pastor and desiring to glean everything they could from this God appointed yoking. Pastor Jason began by leading Praise and Worship during the services, and doing everything from making copies of tapes to mowing and painting during the week. Whatever needed to be done for the Ministry. He was ordained in 1999 by Pastor Ken as the Associate Pastor of Heartland Church. Pastor Jodie was ordained in 2011 and by 2013 they were the Resident Pastor’s of Heartland Church. During this time Pastor Jodie has served in every area of the Church, and taking what she had learned from Pastor Dawn through many years of understudy, and by the leading of The Holy Spirit, began a group specifically for women called Woman2Woman (W2W). This group rapidly grew into a community and a world wide women's ministry through social media. Since then, there have been numerous lives changed and added to the Kingdom of God through her transparency, deep counseling in ministry settings, and her understanding and teaching of the Bible.This was and continues to be driven by The Word of God, The Spirit of God and motivated by The Love of God. They continue today to seek God for personal transformation and growth, and allow the overflow of their own lives to minister to the people.They do this with the purpose of encouraging, edifying, building up and equipping the Children of God and creating not just another Church, but a Family, with their lifelong endeavour to; Stay With The Word and Stay With The Spirit!
Pastors Ken and Dawn both come from a rich lineage of church ministers. In 1978, sensing the leading of God to go to Bible School in preparation for ministry, a journey had begun. After bible school that pathway included teaching at Missionary Evangelistic Training Institute, leading numerous crusades in other countries, pastoring, and itinerant ministry. While living in Florida they received a phone call with an invitation to come minister in Brownwood. With a Word from God to go, their obedience started the pathway for Heartland Church. In 1992 Pastor Ken and Dawn Smith started Heartland Church Brownwood, TX. Pastor Dawn said, ”The minute I walked on the property I knew that God had bigger plans than what I was seeing... A Destiny.” What started with a handful of Believers grew to be a thriving church in the years to follow. Heartland Church was birthed with a “big church mentality” and a heart for the community, hosting July 4 th events that grew to feed over 5,000 with large firework shows that drew people from all surrounding counties each year. Community oriented events hosted and being provided for the city such as Fall Festivals, Valentine Banquets, concerts, and other events that drew hundreds each year. One of Pastor Ken’s anointings is for Fathering ‘Timothy Ministries’ into the Body of Christ. One of those blessed ministries is Pastor Jason and Jodie Studdard, now serving as Resident Pastors at Heartland Church, whom God supernaturally brought to Heartland in 1998. Pastors Ken and Dawn also pioneered a ‘sister church’, The Feedstore in Santa Anna, TX. They are currently serving as Executive Pastors in both congregations.