Reverend Dr. Michael A. Evans, Sr. is the proud pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas, where he has humbly served for more than 30 years as the “Under Shepherd.” Born the oldest of 6 children and is a native of Houston, Texas. He is married to Mrs. Lisa C. Evans, his high school sweetheart of more than 34 years. To this union, they have two adult children and a beautiful granddaughter.

Pastor Evans received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Pre-Law) from the University of Texas at Arlington. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Texas Christian University’s Brite Divinity School. He participated in doctoral studies at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.

Pastor Evans has served as an administrator with the Tarrant County College District, with coordination and oversight responsibilities for the district’s ESL and Adult Basic Education Centers. He has also served as the City of Arlington’s Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. speaker on three occasions; as a consultant on race relations for church, county, and state officials; as Reserve Chaplain in the United States Navy as a commissioned officer; and as a passionate Mansfield community advocate. As part of this advocacy, he is Founder of the following organizations: 

The BBC Educational Enrichment Corporation, which has helped more than 1,000 young people throughout the Southeast Arlington-Mansfield-Kennedale area with tutoring services, career exploration, and summer job placement;

The Hope House Community Service Network, that assisted indigent individuals in Southeast Tarrant County with addiction recovery, medical services, and transportation needs; and

The Historic West Mansfield Texas Community Development Corporation, which encourages quality economic development of the Historic West Mansfield Community, instrumental in the construction of Bethlehem’s Pioneer Place Senior Adult Independent Living Complex which opened in 2019. Dr. Evans also serves as Director of the Life Touch Cottage Ministries Inc., a Christian education and evangelism organization serving children and youth in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria–West Africa.

Pastor Evans is the former Director of African American Ministries for the Baptist General Convention of Texas that involved service to over 800 churches statewide. In addition, in July 2018, for two consecutive terms Dr. Evans was elected as the President of the Baptist General Convention of Texas serving over 5,300 churches across the state of Texas. He was inducted to the City of Mansfield’s Wall of Honor in 2007, an award reserved for outstanding service for the city, her people, and the surrounding communities. He has served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Mansfield Independent School District and as Adjunct Professor at Dallas Baptist University’s College of Christian Faith. He currently serves on the Advisory Council of Tarrant County Habitat for Humanity, the Methodist Mansfield Medical Center Advisory Board, a member of the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement Advisory Board (Mansfield). He has served as a member of the Tarrant County Commissioner’s Court Citizens Blue Ribbon Council on Healthcare Services, and on the Board of Trustees for the Tarrant County Community College District, and as a Regent for Baylor University of Waco TX.