The staff and board members of Good Samaritan Ministries would like to announce that their Executive Director of 22 years, Angelia Bostick, will be following the Lord’s leading and moving on to new opportunities at the end of April.
Bostick met with the press on Thursday afternoon and explained her departure from Good Samaritan as being God led, not any type of negative, all positive, in an effort to follow God’s calling in her life.
She explained that she had volunteered to serve on the Christian Social Ministry Task of the Brown Baptist Association in the fall of 1991 after returning from a mission trip to northeast Brazil. In 1992, the task force was charged with developing a formalized Christian social ministry of Christian helping super-center, one-stop service for Brown County. This would be a centralized location where churches would pool their benevolence and charity resources to do the most good. This would include money, volunteers and a commitment to support the work with prayer and budgeted giving.
In 1993, a board of directors was formed to oversee a new ministry to be called Heart of Texas Good Samaritan Ministries. By September, the board asked Angelia to serve as director to get the ministry off the ground while they sought a permanent director. In October 1993, Heart of Texas Good Samaritan Ministries began operations at Sunset Mission, a mission of First Baptist Church. The ministry operated a food pantry which was housed in two Sunday School classrooms and a clothing ministry housed in a World War II Camp Bowie barracks building.Now, 22 years later, she joked, “It is probably time the board got that permanent director.”
Bostick is not planning on leaving the community. She and her husband Larry have lived in Brownwood for years and this is where they have raised their children. She is looking forward to having more time to spend with their grandchildren.
“I just believe in my heart now is the time to move on to something different,” Bostick said. “I believe the Lord is calling me to a new adventure.”
Bostick stated that GSM is doing well and that she is leaving the ministry in very capable hands.
“The ministry is strong, we have a strong and dedicated team of employees, a strong and effective board of directors and we are financially stable,” said Bostick.
Bostick stated that after the 22 years as executive director and 2 years as a volunteer with a task force to lay the groundwork for what was then a new ministry, leaving will be bittersweet, but she knows that God is faithful to lead.
“I know the Lord opened the door to this ministry 24 years ago and I believe He is now calling me elsewhere,” Bostick explained. “I know that if God is leading me to step down, He is calling someone else to step up.”
The Search Committee and Personnel Committee of the GSM Board have been working on finalizing a job description and should be ready to begin taking applications by the end of April.
“We cannot replace Angelia,” said Ed Cosgrove, GSM Board President. “We can only continue building on the ground work that has already been laid through someone else who has a heart and a passion for this ministry and the people served by it.”
Cosgrove said that until they find a new director, Heather Thomas, HR and Finance Director at GSM, will serve as the Interim Director. Thomas has been an integral part of Good Samaritan for the past two years working directly under Bostick and taking on more and more leadership roles. Throughout this month she will work closely with Bostick as she begins to take on more of the director’s responsibilities.
“I was very surprised and humbled by the invitation to serve as interim director,” said Thomas. “We are all sad to see Angelia leave but we have a really great team and family in place that is ready to continue the work of this mission, to continue to provide for the needs of those less fortunate in our community, and, of course, we are all excited to see what the future holds not only for Good Samaritan Ministries, but for Angelia as well.”
There will be a come and go reception for Bostick from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m Wednesday, April 27 at Good Samaritan Ministries, located at 305 Clark Street. The community is invited to stop by and share their positive thoughts, prayers and well wishes to Bostick at that time and any time throughout the month.
Pictured above is Bostick as she addressed the media on Thursday. Below she is pictured with Heather Thomas.
