SOUTHWEST ELDERS

Fred Brown - Current Chairman

Fred was born in Texas in 1965 and has lived in Austin since leaving active duty from the Navy in 1991 and becoming a student at the University of Texas. He retired from the Navy Reserve in 2007.

Fred is currently employed as Server and Desktop support at Apple Inc. Fred married his wife Wendy in 1998, they have three children and six grandchildren. Fred has been a member of Southwest Christian Church since 1997 and is currently serving as the Chairman of our Elders.

Fred's Favorites
Bible Verse: "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." – Romans 6:4
Books of the Bible: Job, Gospel of John
Activities: Reading, singing, and spending time with the family.

Chris Dobbs

Chris was raised in East Texas where he and his family lived until relocating to Buda in 2014. Chris grew up in both the non-instrumental and instrumental Church where he began a relationship with Christ as Lord and Savior through confession and baptism at age 12. Chris has previously served in churches as Youth Director, Worship Leader, and Deacon before coming to SWCC where he now serves as a member of the Worship Ministry team. Chris and Allison have been married since 1996 and have three children.

Chris has worked in various areas of the music and media industry as well as law enforcement and security. He also serves as SWCC's part-time Worship Director.

Chris's Favorites
Bible Verse: "Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." – Psalms 33:3
Books of the Bible: Psalms, James, Romans
Activities: Outdoor activities, music, singing, and reading.

Paul Carnes

Paul was born and raised in Michigan, and spent time living  in California and New York before moving to Buda in 1984.  Paul was married to his wife of 48 years, Betty, until her passing in 2019.  They have one son, Michael, and 3 grand children; Alec, Brinton, and Brinley. Paul has been member of SWCC since 1998 and previously served on the elder board.  Paul’s is retired and spends much of his time with his grandchildren. Prior to retiring, he worked as a Certified Technical Trainer at Tokyo Electron America, Inc.  

Paul's Favorites

Favorite Bible Verses:  I Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Favorite Books of Bible: John, Proverbs & Genesis.  
Activities: Paul enjoys spending time with his family, working around the house, and model railroading.

Dennis dobbs

Born in Oak Grove, Louisiana in 1950, Dennis has been in Austin since 2016.  He has been married to Barbara, since 1970. They have two adult children and eleven grandkids.  He is retired from a career in the music industry. Dennis has been a Christian since he was 12 years old. He has been a member of Southwest Christian Church since 2016.  Dennis can play multiple instruments and is a member of the Praise Team.

Dennis' Favorites
Favorite Bible Verse:
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  – John 8:31-32
Favorite Books of the Bible:  John, Romans
Activities: Music and being with family



Paul Diaz, Sr.

Paul Diaz, Sr. is an Austin native and married his childhood sweetheart ,Sarah, in 1970. Paul and Sarah have three grown children and 6 grand children. They have been members of Southwest since 1978, and were instrumental in establishing Southwest's bilingual congregation. Paul has served as an Elder for several terms and has been a member of our Praise Band from its inception.

Paul works with a global technology advisory company where he advises IT executives on technology strategy and provides leadership coaching. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Dallas Christian College and is a Trustee with Mexican Border Christian Ministries.

Paul's Favorites
Bible Verse: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” – James 1:2-5
Books of the Bible: James, Acts
Activities enjoyed:  UT Football, traveling, UT Football (no accident), music, and the Southwest Christian Praise Band.

Ron Leigh

Born in California, Ron was raised in Michigan and Texas. His home has been in Austin since 1972.  Ron married his high school sweetheart, Lisa, and they have been married since 1977. They have three adult children and four granddaughters.

Professionally, Ron is a Certified Project Manager for HPE in Austin. He has been a member of Southwest Christian Church since 1972. Ron previously served several years as a Deacon.

Ron's Favorites
Bible Verse: “Be on your guard; stand firm in faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Books of the Bible: 1 Peter, 1 John
Activities: Softball, running, and golf.

SOUTHWEST DEACONS

Jose Cerda

Rudy Villarreal

Jose is an Austin native and grew up at Southwest Christian. The Cerda family was a part of the initial group that launched Southwest’s Hispanic ministry in the late 1970s. He and his wife, Karrie have been a couple since high school and have three children; Myriah, JC, and Jacob, and one grandson, Matthew. Jose and Karrie own JC Construction, specializing in custom home construction and remodels. Karrie leads the Women’s Ministry at Southwest.

Greg Jenkins

Greg has been married to his wife, Stacy (Diaz) for 16 years. The Jenkins' have four children, three of which are from Greg's previous marriage; two grown boys, Justin and Kyle, and two daughters, Reagan and Isabella. Greg has been a Christian for 29 years and a member of SWCC for 20 years. Greg has served Southwest as a Youth Sponsor, in the Maintenance Ministry, Worship Support Ministry, as a Bible School Teacher and is currently serving as a Deacon. Greg is employed as a  Commercial Construction Superintendent for a construction company in Austin. Stacy serves on the worship team playing piano for the worship service.

Del Senn

Del was born in California in 1950. Del and Kathy Senn have been at Southwest Christian Church since Sept 2014. They moved from place to place (NC; West Berlin, GE; CA; and VA) with the US Army from 1983 when they were married until Del retired from the Army in 1998. They stayed in Newport News, VA from then until 2013, and attended Olivet Christian Church, where Del served as a deacon until they moved to Kyle, TX to be closer to their youngest daughter and her family. Their lives have been richly blessed by the people and experiences God has given them, and they feel especially blessed to have found this place to serve and to serve with the SWCC family.  
Rudy has been a part of the Southwest family for 34 years. He and Marie have been married for over 39 years, have two children (Emory and Rudy, Jr.), and have five grandchildren. Rudy launched a recovery ministry (CA) at our previous location that became an integral part of Southwest. Marie remains active in leading a Co-Anon group that meets weekly at Southwest. Together they have mentored countless people and continue to help people reclaim their lives from addiction. Rudy is a mechanic by trade and previously owned Rudy’s Automotive. He and Marie currently own and operate a furniture resale store in South Austin.

Ruben Villegas

Ruben is a long time member of Southwest CC, placing membership in 1985.  He and his wife, Mary Ruth, have been married for 37 years.  They have one adult daughter, Rebecca, who lives in Austin.  Ruben retired from the United States Postal Service after over 4 decades of service. He has served as a Deacon at Southwest in the past and you will see him and Mary Ruth greeting you at the front door each Sunday.  Ruben has also served in the areas of Worship Support and AV Ministry in the past.