The preacher’s kid chose Christianity on their own

BY BETHANY KILPATRICK

Managing Editor

Growing up in a small, southern community at a big church as the preacher’s kid comes with a lot of pressure. Rumors and expectations could cause an individual to conform or rebel; however, Kyndall Hurt never let a title define who she would be or what she would believe. 

Kyndall’s father, Ryan Hurt, is the pastor at Lingleville Baptist Church (LBC) in Lingleville, Texas. LBC has been experiencing tremendous growth over the last few years, much of it due to attendance from Tarleton State University students. 

Kyndall, a junior at Tarleton, is easily recognized on and off campus as “Ryan’s daughter.” 

With eyes on her from every angle in her community, Kyndall explains the pressure she often feels. 

“Being a preacher’s kid has put me in a glass house,” Kyndall said. “I don’t have anything to hide, but that does come with all of my problems. Everyone knows everything that I struggle with.”

Bailee Kelcy is a sophomore at Tarleton and has been a close friend to Kyndall for more than ten years. She has been by Kyndall’s side as she has faced much social pressure.

“She has to keep in mind what others might think of her decisions,” Kelcy said. “She has done a good job of not letting that control her. I think it would be very easy for her to allow this pressure to control her and the choices she makes, but she stays true to herself and lives her life freely and stands for what she believes.”

Pursuing Christ is obviously a lifestyle and choice of Kyndall’s father; however, she explains that the Christian lifestyle was never forced upon her and is something she chooses on her own.

“It isn’t because my dad is a preacher,” Kyndall said. “My faith has been something that I have created. It’s never been my parents’ faith, basically. I chose this because I feel like that’s what the Lord has called me to.”

Many say that love is a choice rather than an emotion. Kyndall describes the Christian lifestyle as one of choosing to love day in and day out, regardless of one’s circumstances.

“Christianity—it is based around love, the way we love each other and love everyone else,” Kyndall said. “You love as Christ loved us.”

Kyndall strives for her community to recognize her for her love for Christ and others, rather than the position her father holds at LBC.

“I want people to see me differently,” Kyndall said. “I don’t want them to just see me as Kyndall, the preacher’s kid. I want it to be Kyndall, the preacher’s kid, who loves the Lord so much, and she not only loves the Lord, but she loves people and everyone around her.”

Kyndall and Kelcy are not only friends but also co-workers at the Lingleville Country Store in Lingleville, and Kelcy has witnessed her friend live out the lifestyle she describes striving for.

“There have been so many times I have seen customers come into our place of work and share small bits of their life with Kyndall,” Kelcy said. “And as I watch them walk out the door, I see Kyndall become broken for that person for whatever reason. This empathy that Kyndall shows for others reminds me of Galatians 6:2.”

Galatians is a book in the New Testament of the Bible written by the Apostle Paul. 

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way, obey the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

Kelcy explains that her friend takes the instruction found in this scripture seriously.

“This verse says that we should carry each other's burdens and show Christ’s love through that,” Kelcy said. “I see Kyndall do this every day. Kyndall loves people, and she continues daily to put a smile on others’ faces while also sharing her faith with them.”

Staying committed to a Christian lifestyle might seem simple from an outside perspective, however, it comes with many challenges. Kyndall urges her community to be aware of the challenges they might face, but to persevere. 

“I don’t think it was intended to be easy,” Kyndall said. “When you are living out your faith, I think that it’s hard. Don’t sign up for something that is easy. We go through spiritual warfare. We have the enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy us, so it’s not easy.”

Kyndall shares encouraging advice to those who are also striving to live a life devoted to Christ. 

“Stay grounded in your faith,” Kyndall said. “The people you surround yourself with are really, really, really important. If you are hanging out with a whole bunch of drunks, you are going to become a drunk. But, if you are hanging out with people who love the Lord, you are also going to love the Lord.”

To those who are unfamiliar with Christianity or find it odd, Kyndall urges them not to be closed off to it.

“Definitely try it out,” Kyndall said. “Our culture has made Christianity so weird, and we are ‘the weird Jesus people.’ And there are some weird Jesus people, and that is fine. But I think that the Lord loves everyone genuinely. That's not just something that we put on a coffee cup. He loves us so, so much that He sent His son to die for us.” 

Kyndall says she is thankful that she has grown up as the preacher’s kid and overflows with joy as she describes the love she has experienced in her life from her church community and Christ.

“I just think that the Lord loves everyone, and He loves everyone so much,” Kyndall said. “I am so blessed to have this opportunity and be able to be a voice and to be a preacher’s kid. I have been very blessed by our church. I will never be able to say I had a bad rap on the church, because the church has been so good to me, my family and everyone.”