My full name is Dixie Howell Scott, II, but I go by Howell. A native of Lake Placid, Florida, I graduated from The George Washington University in 1988 with a B.A. in Political Science and from the Florida State University College of Law in 1991 with a Juris Doctorate. I was a practicing attorney for three years in Florida before answering God’s call in my life to the Gospel ministry in 1993.
My wife, Brenda, and I both attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and graduated with Master of Divinity degrees in December 1997. Since then, I have been blessed to serve churches in Kentucky, Florida, Virginia, and New Mexico in full-time Christian ministry. In October 2019, I began serving as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Carlsbad, New Mexico. Brenda and I have been married for over 30 years and, God has blessed us with three sons: Stephen, Jacob, and Andrew.
When people ask me how I transitioned from practicing law to pastoring churches, the short answer is, “Well, God called me from law to grace.” That has always been a good conversation starter. In 2010, it also inspired the name for this blog, “From Law to Grace.” As a former attorney turned pastor, I hope to use this blog to graciously communicate Biblical truth relating to cultural, legal, political, and religious issues affecting our nation. After a four-year break from writing, much has changed in our culture. Speaking THE truth is often dangerous. But, I believe if Christians are to “love God and love people,” we must be willing to speak the truth in love, even when it costs us to do so. As a reader, you may or may not agree with what I write or the conclusions that I arrive at. I welcome your feedback and opinions. I only ask that you respectfully address issues, not personalities.
Before my break from blogging, I was honored to contribute posts for SBCVoices and for sbc tomorrow. Some of my previous posts have been quoted in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, ESPN Magazine, the Huffington Post, and the New York Times. You are welcome and encouraged to contact me with any questions or comments at howell88310@gmail.com.