Howdy!!

The Freestone County A & M Club invites you and your family to join us for Aggie Muster, Friday, April 21, 2023, at 5:00pm. Muster includes Mexican dinner and a program honoring all Aggies that have lost their lives since our 2022 Muster.

Freestone County A&M Club Aggie Muster 2023 will be held at the Circle O Ranch, 839 Hwy 84 Fairfield, (10 miles east of I-45) at 5:00PM and will be hosted by Jane and Mark Phillips ’78. Bring your favorite beverage (BYOB). Water, tea and coffee will be provided. Mexican dinner is $15.00, kids under 5 are free.

Please RSVP by April 19, 2023 to Jane Phillips, 979-415-4423, freestoneaggies@yahoo.com

Aggie Muster is one of Texas A&M’s most honored traditions and is celebrated in more than 300 locations worldwide. Muster is a wonderful event to connect with fellow Aggies as well as those that enjoy the spirit of Aggieland.

Speaker for the Freestone County Aggie Muster will be Rev. Michael McVey ’12. Mike will be telling stories of Aggieland from when he attended Texas A&M, plus news from Aggieland today.

Rev. Michael R. McVey (pictured with his family) has been serving in ministry as a Methodist Pastor for nearly 10 years.  Mike is originally from Friendswood Texas and attended Texas A&M from 2007 to 2012.  He began his Aggie journey as a member of the Texas Maritime Academy at A&M Galveston from 2007 to 2008.  While at TAMUG he became one of the inaugural members of the Hearne Honor Guard.  He transferred to Texas A&M College Station in the fall of 2008 and joined the Corps of Cadets as a freshman in Squadron 2 (aka Gator 2).  During Michael’s time in the Cadet Corps he served as Squad Leader, Unit Chaplain, Methodist Representative to the Corps, and as a Senior Cadet served as Chaplain of the Corps of Cadets.  He was a member of the Ross Volunteer Honor Guard (Squat Platoon) and as a senior served as Banner Bearer.  He also was a member of the Ross Volunteer Silver Taps Squad.
Michael met his wife Andrea through the Methodist Student group at A&M (The Wesley Foundation).  They both enjoyed going out dancing together on Saturday night and then attending church the following morning.

Mike graduated from A&M in 2012 with a Bachelors in History and Minor in Religious Studies.  He received the call to ministry in 2008 and pursued that call following graduation.  At age 23 he became the youngest appointed Methodist pastor in the Texas Conference.  His first congregation was Zion United Methodist Church in Iola Texas, while also serving as an intern at the Texas A&M Wesley Foundation.
Michael and Andrea were married in the summer of 2013.  They moved to North Carolina where Mike attended Seminary at Duke University, while also serving as a Local Pastor at Broadway United Methodist Church in Broadway NC. He graduated from Duke University with a Master of Divinity in 2017.

They returned to Texas in 2017 where Mike became the Associate Pastor at Cross Roads UMC, a cross-cultural congregation of both English and Spanish speaking members.  In 2019 he was ordained as an Elder in the United Methodist Church and became the Senior Pastor at Sunset UMC in Pasadena TX.  There, with significant prayer and support, he helped to establish a Spanish speaking service and ministry within the local congregation and led the church during the COVID 19 Pandemic.  From 2018 to 2022, while serving as a pastor, he volunteered as the Chaplain of the Southeast Houston Fire Department.  And since 2021 he has served as an ACS Chaplain for the United States Coast Guard, stationed at Base Galveston Texas.

Michael and Andrea welcomed their daughter Shiloh into the world on May 29th 2021; she is the love of both their lives and a constant joy.  Andrea graduated from A&M in 2013 with a degree in Education.  She served 7 years as a public school teacher as well as two years in the Children’s Ministry.

In the summer of 2022 Michael was appointed as the Pastor at First United Methodist Church Fairfield while retaining his appointment as an ACS Chaplain at USCG Base Galveston.  He also now serves at the Chaplain for the Game Warden Service in Freestone and Limestone Counties.

Mike or “Pastor Mike” as he is referred to at church, loves spending time with his family, fishing, military and nautical history, Lionel model trains, and numerous other hobbies that drive Andrea crazy.  Both Michael, Andrea and Shiloh love living in Fairfield and feel so blessed to be a part of this community and Fairfield Methodist Church.  He expresses his thanks and is humbled and honored to be our 2023 Muster Speaker.

The Muster Tradition:

Aggies gathered together on June 26, 1883, to live over again their college days, the victories and defeats won and lost upon the drill field and in the classroom. By April 21, 1903, this annual gathering evolved into a celebration of Texas Independence on San Jacinto Day. These early meetings included field games and banquets for Aggies to reflect and celebrate their memories of Aggieland. “Let every alumni answer a roll call,” wrote the Former Students. It was not until 1922, however, that April 21 became the official day of events for all Aggies; thus, the annual tradition of Muster was born. The March 1923 Texas Aggie urged, “If there is an A&M man in one hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.”

Please pass this information to any Aggie supporter that might be interested in attending.