A New Step Of Ministry For Two Dear Friends

Pictured at left are Randy and Debbie Spurgeon. For nearly ten years, Randy has served as Minister of Music and Youth at Westmoreland Baptist Church in Huntington, WV. Randy has assisted me in many of my pastoral duties. He has been a great associate and above that, a friend and brother. I have worked closely with Randy for over five years, and literally traveled halfway around the world with he and Debbie on a short term mission trip to the Philippines a few years ago.

Debbie has faithfully served our church, by singing in the choir, caring for bed babies during the Sunday School hour, and working with the Sparks in our AWANA ministry. They have become very special friends to Linda and me, and are loved by the congregation of Westmoreland Baptist Church. Their three sons are also active at Westmoreland. Joseph is serving in his first year as a deacon, David sings in the choir and works in AWANA, and Joshua is our church pianist. As you can see, this family is an important part of our congregation, and therefore it is with mixed emotions that we must wish Randy and Debbie a fond farewell.

On Saturday, April 5th, Randy was elected by the Executive Board of the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists to serve the convention as the State Director of Music and Family Ministry. He will be taking on the responsibilities of Tom Young, who retired from that position late last year. Beginning Monday, April 21st, Randy will begin his duties as a State Convention Officer. He will be submitting his resignation to the church this morning at the close of our worship service. It promises to be a very emotional time for all of us.

Randy's last official day as a member of our staff will be Sunday, April 20. However, our State Convention Executive Director, Terry Harper, has told Randy he would be allowed to finish out his obligations at Westmoreland. That means he will still be with us on Wednesday evenings and Sunday evenings through May 18th when he will conduct the Children's Musical and preside over the AWANA Awards night. Even though Randy's new duties with the State Convention will require him to travel about the state on Convention business, he and Debbie will remain members at Westmoreland, and will worship with us when he is not travelling. His family will continue to minister here as well.

All of us at Westmoreland Baptist Church will miss Randy. While we are thrilled for him to have this new opportunity, we realize this closes another chapter in the history of our church and begins a new one. This will be a difficult time of adjustment for us as well as for Randy and Debbie. I know that you will join me in wishing him much success and fulfillment in his new role of ministry. We need to be much in prayer as our church enters this new chapter of our work, and seeks the right person or persons to pick up all of the responsibilities that Randy has handled for us so well.

May God bless Randy and Debbie, and Westmoreland Baptist Church. We're not "losing" them, we'll just be sharing them with the Southern Baptists all around the Mountain State.