John Powell was a former staff member at Southern Theological Seminary and current pastor and church planter of Emmanuel Baptist Church located in New Caney, Texas. According to Emmanuel Baptist Church’s website, John served on the Executive Board of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, and the Leadership council for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Council.
On Saturday July 18th, KXII reports that a semi-truck struck a man around 11:30 p.m. on U.S. Highway 75. It was reported that two men pulled over to help a man in a car that had caught fire after hitting a truck.
Officers reported that Powell saw the semi-truck headed for the other man who had stopped to help, and Pastor Powell pushed him out of the way to save him. Powell was struck and died at the scene.
There were only minor injuries resulting from the initial crash that resulted in the car fire the men pulled over to assist with.
Dr. Russell Moore posted on Twitter Sunday expressing his shock and sadness for his former student and friend. Dr. Moore said, “John was one of the best men I ever knew, sweet-tempered, humble, absolutely devoted to Jesus and to Katherine (his wife) and their kids.” He recalled that, “John was in my Sunday School class, our men’s Bible study, and my theology, ethics, and preaching classes at Southern…When anyone was in need, he was the first one there.”
Dr. Moore wrote an article for The Gospel Coalition on Sunday with the title “Why Losing a Loved One Doesn’t Feel Real” that relives the phone call he received telling him that his dear brother in Christ had been expectantly killed. He writes, “There’s another reason the loss of our loved ones seems unreal to us, and that’s because, in an important sense, it’s not real.”
Pastor Dean Inserra wrote that John, “Never cared about being known. Faithfully plowed daily as a family man and local church pastor. He did not sweat what many sweat.”
