How do you replace a guy like Randy Spurgeon?The simple answer is - you don't!
Randy "wore a number of hats" at Westmoreland Baptist Church, and his moving to Scott Depot to become Director of Music and Family Ministries for the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists is a real blow to our church. His departure creates a definite sense of loss for the congregation of Westmoreland Baptist, where he has served faithfully for ten years.
Randy's departure creates a number of challenges, but nothing that our God did not foresee, and prepare us for. While there is only one Randy, and we will miss him, it is comforting to know that our God is "Jehovah-Jireh", The Lord Who Provides! He has graciously provided two of our own members to step forward in our time of need to take on (in an interim role) two of the major duties Randy had performed as well as one other. They will be bivocational staff members, (I highly prefer the term "bivocational" to that of "part time") and Sonia and I look forward to working with them here at WBC.
Pictured on this page are Rick Weber, who will serve as our Interim Director of Student Ministries and Church Outreach; and Carla Bell who is taking on the duties of Interim Director of Music at Westmoreland Baptist. Both Carla and Rick come highly recommended by Randy, himself, and are very qualified to step into these positions. As Pastor, I cannot express how thankful I am that the church has voted to call these two individuals into these important roles of service at this time of transition.
Carla, whose full time job is at Huntington Federal Savings and Loan, brings many years of musical experience to the table. She is actively involved in our music ministry at Westmoreland, singing solos, and in various vocal ensembles, and in our Adult Choir. In fact, in Randy's past absences, Carla has led the choir in practice sessions and she is well respected and accepted by our choir members. Carla's family is also active at Westmoreland. Her husband, Scott, teaches an adult Sunday School class and serves as a deacon. Daughter, Mindi, is active in music ministry and serves on the team which decorates the sanctuary with flowers, etc. Younger daughter, Katie, teaches a children's Sunday School class and also plays guitar and sings from time to time in our services. Scott and Carla's son, Zach, is a student at Spring Valley High School and has already begun to sing in the choir and do part time duty in the sound booth. The Bell Family is an asset to Westmoreland Baptist Church, and we are blessed to have them.
Rick Weber brings years of ministry experience as he takes on these two important duties of Director of Student Ministry and Church Outreach. One of these duties was Randy's and the other is a newly created role. Rick is highly qualified and gifted for both. Rick's ministry experience ranges from the role of Senior Pastor (he has most recently served Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Wayne County), to full time positions in Christian Education and Youth Ministries. Rick basically grew up in Westmoreland Baptist Church, and, for one two year period in the 90's, even served as Interim Pastor here. As Outreach Director, Rick will oversee our G.R.O.W. outreach ministry which has faded a bit in the past year or so; and other outreach endeavors, such as the Men's Outdoor Ministry. One of Rick's great strengths is personal evangelism. He loves telling people about Jesus. This passion for Christ fuels Rick's ministry to the Middle School and High School Students of our community.
In his role as Director of Student Ministries, Rick will help cast the vision of reaching many unchurched young people for Jesus Christ, while seeking to disciple those who are already actively involved in our youth group. Since he is in a bivocational role, he will continue to depend heavily upon the help of our existing volunteers, like Jim and Kathy Bailey, Tara Lockhart, Angie Morris, and others, to accomplish these goals. He plans to attend Centrifuge with the kids at Ridgecrest this summer and get to know them and the volunteers better as they begin to plan for the Student Ministry activities beginning this fall. Rick understands the value of the Team Concept. He has long been an assistant football coach in Wayne County Schools, and is now serving as Chaplain of the Spring Valley High School football team. Rick's full time job is as a teacher at Spring Valley, where he works with teenagers every day. He knows students and is familiar with the challenges and issues they face in life. His affable personality and sense of humor easily wins the confidence of young people and adults alike. I believe Rick will be a huge asset to us in leading this important ministry.
Rick's wife, Connie, will be graduating from Marshall University next month and should be teaching in one of our local school system in the fall. We recently welcomed Rick, Connie, Steve and Trish back into our fellowship, and we believe they will be a blessing to our church family. Their adult daughter, Leeah, is actively involved in outside music ministry and she remains a member at Ebeneezer Baptist.
Well, there you have the basic introductions. Carla and Rick will assume their official duties on April 21st. Both are qualified and gifted for the positions which they have agreed to accept. Their most important attribute, however, is their love for Jesus. Please join me in welcoming Carla and Rick into their new bivocational staff roles - but most of all, please join me in asking God to bless them and use them for His glory and honor!
Let us never forget our three fold focus here at Westmoreland.
Magnify God... Make Disciples... Minister to People.
"The love of Christ compells us..." - 2 Corinthians 5: 14
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