Kitchen’s commitment to pastoral faithfulness leads to doctoral pursuits at Southwestern

For Cody Kitchen, the path to pastoral ministry has seemingly always been guided by a deep desire to serve, though he did not begin his adult life envisioning a future behind a pulpit. Raised in Shoreland, Texas, Kitchen spent his early years drawn toward a different kind of service, one in law enforcement.

Though no one in his family shared that professional background, Kitchen says the call to serve was instilled early.

“I grew up wanting to go into law enforcement,” he explained. “…I always had felt the desire to serve and was impacted at a young age by a police officer. So, I wanted to kind of follow in those footsteps.”

His decision to attend Texas State University was driven by that goal, and he graduated in 2017 with a degree in criminal justice, pursuing a career shaped by this early admiration for those who serve and protect. But during his college years, God began to subtly redirect his heart, marking the beginning of a long-lasting spiritual journey.

“My sophomore year of college is when I felt a call into ministry,” Kitchen said.

At the time, he struggled to completely understand what that call meant. He was active in his college ministry, serving faithfully and growing in leadership, but the exact shape of his calling remained undefined.

“At that time, I don’t know if I could have articulated that it was a call,” Kitchen recollected. “I was saved at this point and knew that I wanted to do something greater in ministry, I just didn’t know what that looked like.”

Following graduation, Kitchen initially continued down the law enforcement path, moving to San Marcos, Texas, joining a police force and working in a jail, though he remained on the lookout for ministry opportunities as his sense of the Lord’s calling persisted.

“Six months into it, I just realized that this is not what I wanted to do, or what I was called to do,” Kitchen said.

It was then that through his father-in-law, Kitchen was introduced to First Baptist Church Pearsall in Pearsall, Texas, where he was given the chance to serve as a student minister, a role which would confirm his desire to serve through pastoral ministry. From there, he would move to Cleburn, Texas, joining the staff at Field Street Baptist Church, where he now serves as an associate pastor.

Shortly after this move in January of 2022, Kitchen began his journey of theological education at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a choice which he believes has proved foundational. In May 2025, Kitchen completed his Master of Divinity, a milestone he described as both formative and affirming.

In April 2025, Kitchen was named the recipient of the Al and Beverly Fasol Preaching Award, which recognized his excellence as an expositor of God’s Word. As a result, he had the opportunity to preach in Southwestern’s chapel during the fall of 2025.

In January 2026, Kitchen began the Doctor of Ministry degree with an emphasis in text-driven preaching, a decision rooted in his desire to pursue faithfulness in the pulpit.

“I want to pastor a church,” Kitchen stated. “And I guess more specifically, and part of the reason I’m choosing text-driven preaching, is I just want to be faithful to where God has called me and be faithful in preaching His word.”

Kitchen credits much of his growth to the professors who have shaped him during his time at Southwestern.

“Overall, my experience at Southwestern was very positive, with the professors in particular,” Kitchen said. “It was very positive and I enjoyed a majority of the classes that I was a part of.”

Kitchen singled out as especially influential was Mathew McKellar, professor of preaching and holder of the George W. Truett Chair of Ministry, who “shaped” him and encouraged his pastoral ministry calling.

“He’s a great man,” Kitchen said, noting he has taken several of McKellar’s preaching classes. “I just also wanted to shape my preaching around how he taught.”

Beyond the classroom, Kitchen says his time at Southwestern has provided something also valuable through the community and his friendships, some of which he expects to be “lifelong.”

At the heart of Kitchen’s calling is a commitment to excellence in proclaiming Scripture, likening the importance of pastoral preparation to the expectations placed on other professions.

“I think the greatest thing that I want to take from the DMin specifically is just to continue to sharpen my skillset, sharpen my knowledge of Scripture, to be the best preacher that I can be, and the best preacher that God has called me to be,” Kitchen explained. “… I was once told that people expect their surgeons to be the best educated so that they can operate properly, and in the same way, there should somewhat be an expectation that preachers also be best equipped.”

While his academic pursuits continue, Kitchen remains grounded in ministry. He serves alongside Pastor John Hall (’94) at Field Street, learning through mentorship and hands-on ministry while preparing for future pastoral leadership. He views this season not as a waiting period, but as a time of intentional growth.

“I’m just enjoying being able to learn from [Hall], being poured into and growing from him, knowing that in the future, I’ll be sent out and able to preach and pastor my own church,” Kitchen said.

Outside of ministry and academics, Kitchen enjoys a full family life with his wife, Allison, whom he met at Texas State, and their two children, Keegan and Haley. Allison also serves alongside him in ministry as the children’s minister at Field Street.

When time allows, Kitchen enjoys woodworking, particularly crafting butcher blocks and cutting boards, a hobby he describes as both creative and restorative. He also loves watching football and baseball, as well as being outdoors hiking, hunting, and reflecting quietly in nature.

“I love to deer hunt because I can sit in a blind and just enjoy the quiet, silent part of nature, and just reflect on what God has created for His people,” Kitchen said.

As he begins his return to the rigors of academic life through his doctoral studies, Kitchen admits the recent six-month hiatus has been refreshing, though he is eager to reenter the discipline of study.

“I’ve enjoyed the time of not stressing about assignments and not being forced to read things, but enjoying reading what I want to read,” Kitchen explained. “But I’m also excited to start and kind of get in the grind of academia again.”

His commitment to preparation, faithfulness, and service has marked every stage of Kitchen’s journey, and as he looks toward the future, he is excited to preach Scripture faithfully, to shepherd God’s people well, and to serve wherever he is sent. His end-goal, he re-emphasized, is not credentials for their own sake, but faithfulness.

“That is my hope, is that I could just continue to be found faithful,” Kitchen said. “In the pursuit of seminary education in particular, but with scriptural background, as to be found faithful in my preaching,”