When children connect the dots, zigzagging their markers from point to point, they follow ever-increasing numbers to reveal hidden images. Sometimes the dots connect to make shapes. Sometimes, more intricate masterpieces like a bumblebee or a daisy appear. The dots are always on the page, but someone needs to connect them to expose the beauty. That is Ann McCulloch’s (MABS, 1997) ministry—connecting the dots, namely, people.
Throughout Ann’s life, God has placed plenty of people in her path for her to love. Married to Judge William McCullouch for fifty-six years, Ann and her husband constantly met new people. They built a vast number of relationships during their twenty-five years in public service. Bill and Ann traveled widely too, participating in short-term mission opportunities around the globe. Ann’s network of people truly is a worldwide net. They also enjoyed cultivating deep relationships in their local community, including their church, which Ann continues doing today.
Ann loves people, and she deeply loves the Lord and his Word, so when she and her husband became empty nesters, Ann longed to know God more deeply. She explored different Bible studies like Bible Study Fellowship and Precept, gathering tools to help her soak up the truth of God’s Word. Ann’s empty nest made room for her to sit at the feet of Jesus. In fact, that’s one of Ann’s favorite Bible stories—Mary sitting at Jesus’s feet. Mary savored her Lord’s presence. Despite all the commotion, all the choices, Mary chose what was best. Like Mary, Ann has a taste for what’s best—the sweetness of her Lord and his Word. Craving more, Ann enrolled as a student at Dallas Theological Seminary. She graduated with her MABS in 1997, and her class was the first to graduate from the Houston extension. Ann’s favorite professor, Dr. Charlie Baylis (ThM, 1985; ThD, 1989), exposed her to the thread running throughout the Bible and grew her admiration for the consistency of God’s grand story. She comments that when Dr. David Klingler (ThM, 2004; PhD, 2010) teaches at her church in Brenham, she can hear the influence of Dr. Baylis.
Ann savors her Lord’s sweetness and the sweetness of his Word, and she shares his sweetness with others. She loves people firsthand, and then she continues in love, connecting them with others who can help. She has so many stories. God cares for his people through people, and if you took Ann out for coffee, you would hear about how God constantly works through her worldwide network for the sake of his people and the flourishing of the church. You might hear about the time she met with a young woman for a Bible study. Ann needed someone with a truck to help her transport a table. The young woman had just led a man to Jesus, and he happened to have a truck. As it turned out, the man and his family desperately needed immigration help. Ann prayed, and the Lord reminded her of her friends at Avant Ministries and Mesa Global, who were able to provide guidance and pastoral care. Or you might hear about the time Ann and Bill traveled overseas on a short-term mission trip to the Middle East, where the couple developed a heart for Muslims. Before they returned home, the trip leader encouraged everyone to share a specific prayer request with the team. Ann asked that just one child from a Muslim home might attend Vacation Bible School at their church back in Houston. That summer, when Ann picked her granddaughter up at the YMCA pool, she noticed a Muslim mom with a little girl. Ann pursued a friendship with that mother and daughter, and the little Iranian girl came to VBS. From that friendship, the girl’s father came to know Jesus, and a few years later, the little girl accepted Jesus at a Baptist beach retreat.
Ann continues to sit at Jesus’s feet. She also continues her ministry—connecting people, sometimes from totally different spheres of life, for the sake of the gospel. When people hear the term social butterfly, they sometimes assume it refers to someone who’s surface-level or superficial, jumping from person to person to gain as many contacts as possible. But they don’t understand what butterflies do. Butterflies sip on a flower, deeply enjoying the nectar before they fly to the next flower to pollinate it. Butterflies sip on the blessing and then carry the blessing to the next flower. Ann doesn’t just love meeting or knowing lots of people. She loves people, so she spends time with them and then connects them to others, helping everyone flourish. Ann enjoys the sweetness of Jesus and shares his sweetness, growing the kingdom through connection.
Morgan E. Underwood (ThM, 2023) is an administrative assistant for the Alumni and Career Services Office at Dallas Theological Seminary. She is also a Theological Studies PhD student and writer. She is married to her husband, An, and they, along with their black cat, call Dallas home.
