The Pleasant Grove High School graduate and former David Crowder Band frontman returns to the church where his worship journey and first major album launch began — October 27, 2026
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 | 7:00 p.m. | First Baptist Church Texarkana
In Texarkana, he is still known simply as David Crowder — the tall Pleasant Grove High School basketball player and journalism photographer who launched his very first studio album and headlined a major concert right here at home before becoming one of the most influential voices in modern worship music.
On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Crowder returns to First Baptist Church Texarkana for a special night of worship as part of his fall tour, joined by the acclaimed Irish collective Rend Collective and special guest Benjamin William Hastings.
This homecoming carries particular meaning. The same church that hosted his first major album pre-sale and a successful David Crowder Band concert in 2002 will once again welcome him back more than two decades later.
From Sleepy Hollow Ave. to Pleasant Grove and a Life Shaped by Faith and Music
David Crowder was born on November 29, 1971, in Texarkana. He grew up on Sleepy Hollow Ave. and attended Pleasant Grove High School, where, as a tall teenager, he played basketball and worked as a photographer in the journalism department.
It was during his senior year at Pleasant Grove that Crowder met the young woman who would become his wife. He first noticed Toni in Mrs. Davis’ food and nutrition class. He later worked up the courage to ask her to a Valentine’s banquet at church, borrowing a friend’s Toyota Celica for the occasion. Their relationship began there and has remained a steady part of his life and ministry ever since.
The Music Started in Texarkana
The church played a central role in Crowder’s upbringing. The family attended First Baptist Church Texarkana, and David’s father served in the bus ministry. But it was in the church’s youth group, under director Dan Carson, that Crowder first began playing keyboard and leading worship.
He has reflected on that time: “I have always loved music, but it was our youth director at FBC, Dan Carson, who gave me an outlet for it. I was horrible but he would let me fail in front of my peers on the weekly.”
Dan Carson later spoke about Crowder’s time in the youth group: “David was a joy to have in our youth group at FBC. He was in the youth band, on keyboard. He was kind to everybody and respected as a Christian. We loved his family. They were huge supporters of our youth ministry. When he graduated from high school, he traveled with me for a couple of summers doing camps. He really began to grow as a musician. He went off to Baylor, and God really blessed his talents. We have been so proud of the success he has had. I am amazed every time he comes out with a new record or every time we get to hear him live. He is our favorite artist for sure. So proud of him and Toni. She deserves a lot of credit for his success.”
At age seven, David had professed faith during a children’s event at the church and was later baptized there.
After high school, Crowder attended Baylor University, where he helped start University Baptist Church. That experience led to the formation of David Crowder Band.
Launching a major label album in Texarkana
In 2002, the band released its debut studio album, Can You Hear Us?, on Sparrow Records and sixsteprecords. A pre-sale was offered locally through John 3:16 Christian Gifts in Central Mall in conjunction with a David Crowder Band concert at First Baptist Church Texarkana. The local Christian bookstore reported sales through Nielsen SoundScan for the national music charts, and hundreds of albums were sold on release day. The concert itself was a significant success and helped give the project strong early support from Crowder’s hometown community.
That album launch and the community support behind it marked the beginning of a journey that would eventually reach 2.1 billion streams worldwide and more than 3 million in album sales.
A Consistent Message of Grace
Throughout his career, Crowder has maintained a clear and consistent message. He has described his approach to songwriting this way: “I feel like I’m redundant in my lyricism. I keep singing, over and over — no one is too far gone, grace is expansive, and the gospel is not about making bad people good, it’s about making dead people alive.”
That same emphasis on grace has remained central to his music and ministry for more than two decades.
A Night of Worship at First Baptist Church
The October 27 concert will feature Crowder alongside Rend Collective and Benjamin William Hastings. The evening is expected to be a time of joyful, participatory worship, with songs that have become meaningful to many, including “Good God Almighty,” “Grave Robber,” and “Somebody Prayed.”
For many in Texarkana, the night will carry added significance as a return to the place where Crowder’s public ministry first took shape — the same sanctuary where he was baptized, where he first led worship as a teenager, and where he performed the concert that helped launch his band's debut studio album in 2002.
Event Information
Crowder LIVE! with Rend Collective and Benjamin William Hastings
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: First Baptist Church Texarkana – 3015 Moores Lane, Texarkana, TX 75503
A special pre-sale is currently available through First Baptist Church Texarkana. Tickets and additional details can be found at www.TPRlive.co using the code CHURCH, or through the church office.
For questions, contact First Baptist Church Texarkana at (903) 831-6000 or info@fbctexarkana.org.
By BJ Jones for Texarkana News
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