A Texas pastor's dream cut short: The life and legacy of Rev. Clint Dobson

Rev. Clint Dobson had a simple yet profound vision for his Texas church: to fill it with young families and children, sharing the gospel that had transformed his own life at the age of eight. But that dream was tragically cut short when Dobson was murdered inside Northpointe Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, during a robbery on March 3, 2011. At just 28 years old, he left behind a heartbroken wife and a devastated congregation.

“He was a fine young preacher, but an even better person,” said Dennis Wiles, pastor of First Baptist Arlington Church, who had personally selected Dobson to lead Northpointe Baptist. His words, spoken at a press conference in 2011, encapsulated the grief of a community that had lost a beloved leader.

Now, 14 years later, Texas is preparing to execute Steven Nelson, the man convicted of Dobson’s murder. Nelson has admitted to participating in the robbery but maintains that his accomplices committed the actual killing.

Dobson’s widow, Laura, spoke emotionally during Nelson’s trial, recalling the bright future she and her husband had envisioned. “We always tried to see the good in people,” she told jurors. “I didn’t know this much evil existed in the world.”

Dobson’s commitment to faith began at a young age. Robert Creech, a professor of Christian ministries at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, first met Dobson when he was just four years old. As the pastor of University Baptist Church in Houston, Creech watched Dobson grow into a devoted disciple.

“He invested himself in his church as a child and as a teenager, engaging in ministry and growing as a disciple,” Creech wrote in a tribute to Dobson.

At Baylor University, Dobson’s passion for faith deepened. His close friend and former roommate, Brady Herbert, spoke at his memorial service, describing him as a rare combination of intellect and compassion. “He did not allow his love for Scripture to stay in his mind. It sunk deep into his heart and out into his hands and into his feet,” Herbert said.

Dobson’s father-in-law, Phillip Rozeman, addressed Nelson directly at the sentencing hearing, saying, “You didn’t take Clint’s life; you shortened it… He gave it away to others a long time ago.”

As Nelson’s execution date approaches, it has reignited a debate over capital punishment and Christian principles. First Baptist Arlington, the church that supported Dobson’s ministry, has publicly backed Nelson’s execution, a stance that has drawn criticism from anti-death penalty activists.

“As the Bible teaches us, God has placed the civil authority in our midst so that innocent people can live in freedom without fear and so that guilty offenders can be appropriately punished,” Wiles said in a 2012 statement following Nelson’s sentencing.

However, Rev. Jeff Hood, a death row spiritual adviser and vocal opponent of capital punishment, has condemned the church’s support for the execution. “Would Jesus kill Steven Nelson?” Hood questioned. “The only moment in the Gospels that we have of Jesus’ engagement with execution is in the book of John, where He says, ‘You who are without sin, cast the first stone.’”

Despite the pain of Dobson’s untimely death, his legacy continues. During a 2021 remembrance, Wiles described him as “full of mischief” and “larger than life in so many ways.”

The church that Dobson once led has flourished, fulfilling his dream of a thriving congregation. “This church is providing life and witness to the community, and there’s also a school here,” Wiles said. “This school is filled with children every single day… That means this place is filled with life. That’s what the gospel brings, and Clint’s legacy lives.”

Though Dobson’s time on earth was tragically short, his impact endures, proving that his vision of faith and community remains as powerful as ever.