Steve Baxter

Craig Glickman, a good friend, says that Steve doesn’t talk about it, but "As far as I know, Steve still holds the Richardson High School batting average record of .517 after 45 years!"

Steve was a member of Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes in both his junior and senior years. He was also chosen to the Superintendent’s Council as a senior.

Steve attended Hill Junior College 1970-71 on a baseball scholarship where he was elected President of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was chosen All Tournament in the Texas Regional Tournament.

He graduated from Texas Tech University with a B.S. degree in 1974 with a 3.7 grade point average. He was on the Dean’s List for all semesters and majored in History with minors in Philosophy and Greek. He was President of Friday Night Tape Class.

Steve attended Dallas Theological Seminary from 1974 to 1979. He graduated with a Masters of Theology degree, majoring in Old Testament and Hebrew.

Steve has been in the real estate business in Texas since 1977. He is the owner of Oakwood Property Company.

Steve earned his Texas Real Estate Broker’s License in 1978. He bought his first 4 plex in 1979 for $42,000 with another seminary student. This is where he started to learn how to manage and remodel. He did most of the work himself and began to learn the business over the next year. He sold it 18 months later for $85,000, and that's when he decided he liked this business.

By 1985, he was putting investment partnerships together and buying large apartment complexes with deferred maintenance in need of a turnaround. Steve became known as a “turnaround specialist” because he had the management experience along with the construction knowledge and ability to manage a renovation.

Steve somehow managed to survive the two real estate crashes which drove many people out of the business: the late 80's S & L banking crash and real estate depression, and the 2008 subprime crisis.

He enjoys being in business with partners, because he values the personal relationships he has developed. He believes this is why he gets so much fulfillment in Christian ministry. He simply likes people and they like him!

In 40 years of active high school youth ministry, Steve has been associated with approximately 15,000 students. He has always encouraged them to consider what they would like to be spoken about themselves at their funerals and written on their tombstones.

He has always told them what he would like to be spoken about himself by his kids and students: "I really knew that Cat Daddy (Steve’s nickname) loved me and cared deeply about me."

Steve has been an active leader in youth ministry in the Dallas area for 45 years and led Young Life Clubs at various high schools. He served on the staff of Fellowship Bible Church as the Youth Director and leader of the Men’s Ministry for 13 years.

Steve and his wife, Mireya, attend Country Fellowship Church in Richardson. His two sons, Brennan Baxter and Andrew Baxter, attend Texas Tech University, and are active in the Brothers Under Christ Fraternity.

Richard Black, a close friend, has said this about Steve: "I have known Steve as a good friend for 38 years. I was his area director on staff with Young Life when he led the Richardson High School Young Life club for 13 years from 1979 to 1992. I began investing with him in real estate in 2004. He is one of the most honorable guys I know. He has a nose for finding good deals, and has the ability to make them happen and make money."

Steve is famous for this quote: “I believe in the circle of life. The most important purpose I have in this life is to be the very best father I can be to my two sons, to help train, develop, support, and love on them all the time!”

Watching his son Andrew Baxter play on the Pearce High School basketball team, for example, was a wonderful time in Steve’s life.

He remembers Andrew’s hard work and enthusiasm on the basketball court and looks forward to the future successes that will unfold as Andrew matures in college and beyond.

Andrew Baxter was voted Pearce High School Junior Class Favorite, Member of the Year of the Mustang Stampede C & W Dance team, and Pearce Pacesetter Drill Team Best Escort as a junior.

As a junior on the basketball team, Andrew knew he was not going to play much at all so he decided he wanted to be the best possible teammate on the bench. He did this by encouraging the whole bench to completely support the players and be like cheerleaders for them. He encouraged all the bench to "go crazy" for the guys playing. It made a big difference in the team spirit and likely contributed to the fact that the team reached the playoffs for the first time in many years.

Andrew’s Dad, Steve, was usually videoing the game because Andrew’s older brother Brennan was the senior point guard. Steve noticed how excited the bench was and how much fun they were having, so he started videoing the bench more than the game. He put together a video that can be viewed on his website. Andrew’s number was 23.

He was Captain of the Wranglers of Pearce High School Yell Leaders and voted Pearce High Mr. Spirit as a senior. The Wranglers were a group of ten seniors who ran the pep rallies and were yell leaders at the games.

Andrew Baxter was also very involved in the Christian ministry of Young Life. During his senior year he was Co-President of Pearce Young Life, an evangelistic outreach organization to teenagers in schools. Every week approximately 300 high school students from Pearce High School would gather for an eventful and lively meeting with singing, games, skits, and a message of good news.

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Having fond memories of his own high school days no doubt gives Steve vicarious satisfaction in seeing Andrew succeed.

Andrew Baxter was a 5-foot-9 point guard, and worked very hard during his high school basketball career on Pearce’s team. This hard work and diligence taught him some of the character traits necessary to succeed in life.

Brennan Baxter, Andrew Baxter’s older brother, was also a successful basketball player. Steve cherished Brennan’s success equally well and has had many happy moments enjoying both of his sons’ successes both on and off the Pearce High School basketball court.

But for Andrew Baxter, high school basketball was just the beginning. He looked forward to the challenges of college. He now attends Texas Tech with his brother Brennan.

Andrew embraces the new challenges of college academics. He loves meeting students from all over Texas and other states. But most of all he loves the deep Christian experience of being part of “BUCS” – Brothers Under Christ - a unique organization of Christians at Texas Tech who want to deepen their faith as they progress through college.

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Andrew always enjoyed Young Life in high school. The high school group met once a week, went on summer and winter camps, and encouraged its participants in their Christian faith. But BUCS was like Young Life at the next level, fellowship for college students eager to integrate their university experience with their Christian faith.

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Andrew Baxter had seldom seen so many genuine Christians. While many college students view their college years as time to indulge themselves in more parties than possible in high school, Andrew Baxter experiences the deeper, more lasting satisfaction of learning what it really means to be a Christian, to belong to Christ, and to be accountable in fellowship with other Christians.

Does Andrew Baxter have all the answers? Of course not. He would say he’s just now learning what the real questions are! But Andrew is excited about what the rest of college life will be like. He’s excited about what his life can be like as someone who in the core of who he is belongs to Christ.

Andrew is thankful for the accomplishments of high school, appreciative of his popularity socially and accomplishments athletically. But he would be the first to tell you that those accomplishments are nothing in comparison to the privilege of knowing Christ and living for Him.

Andrew’s perspective is remarkably similar to that of his father, Steve Baxter, and ultimately to that of the Apostle Paul, who wrote, "Everything that was gain to me, I consider to be a loss because of Christ. What I mean is, I consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Philippians 3.7-8)

Nothing compares to that accomplishment.

For the Apostle John wrote that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Furthermore, the Bible makes a challenge that goes something like this: "I call heaven and earth to record this day, that I have set before you life and death: therefore, choose life." (Deuteronomy 30:19)