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Mike Buffington
Mike Buffington is the founder and sole proprietor of the Dallas-based Buffco, Inc. an engineering firm that produces structural drawings for steel buildings. Buffington grew up in Dallas and attends Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in nearby Carrollton where he leads “Top Gun,” a 33-week course that trains Christians in discipleship and Christian maturity. He also owns and races Thoroughbreds who race chiefly at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie. He has been a member of that track’s council, led by Chaplain Sam Ed Spence, since 2004 and was elected its President in January 2006.
Buffington came to know Christ as Savior at 13, when he and two friends responded to an altar call in a local Baptist Church and credits his grandmother, (name), with being a strong spiritual influence.
While enrolled in the “Top Gun,” program in 2002, the group studied the book “Your Work Matters to God,” by local author Bill Hendricks. The book talked about endeavors that were not pleasing to God and Buffington said it “made fun” of racetrack Chaplains. Buffington and his wife, Cindy wrote a letter to the author and invited him to a trackside Prayer Breakfast before the 2002 Lone Star Jockey Challenge where Hendricks met Chaplain Sam Spence. The author quickly repented and in the book’s next edition removed its negative reference to the racetrack Chaplains. Chaplain Spence later invited him to serve on his Council.
Mike and his wife, Cindy have two grown children, Lari, who is a CPA and lives in Dallas, and son, Dr Jim Buffington, who holds a doctorate in aerospace engineering and works for Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth.
In August of 2000, Mike had a blood clot in his heart and was rushed to the hospital, after walking to the fire station near his office. He passed out on the way and was given CPR and electric shock treatment. While spending the next few days in the hospital, Mike was told by the doctor that he was very lucky because he had no heart damage. Mike had fallen into a pattern of drinking and smoking when he was drinking. The doctor told him the smoking was the cause of the attack.
August 27,2000 was the last day of drinking and smoking for Buffington. His passions are the RTCA, Top Gun ministry, Promise Keepers and racing horses. Mike and Cindy also own a ranch in Denison, Texas of 55 acres. Included in the property is a nine-hole par three golf course, open to the public. The council at Lone Star Park cannot wait for a retreat there.