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- Approved as a Baptist Bible Fellowship
Missionary in 1982
- Baptist Bible College (Springfield, MO)
B.A. degree 1976
- Perryton (Texas) High School graduate
1972
When I was 9 years old, I accepted the Lord
as my personal Saviour. My Sunday School teacher led me to the Lord after
S.S. class. At the age of 16, I decided to follow the
Lord in baptism in the Fellowship Baptist Church where Bro. Bill Frerking
was pastoring. In the following months I became very faithful to all the
services and felt God dealing with me to prepare for full time service.
After battling His leadership a couple of months I surrendered.
I entered
Baptist
Bible College majoring in missions at the age of 17. I chose missions
so that I would not need to return to study no matter what area of the
ministry I felt led to enter. I did not know God's will for my life other
than I needed to prepare to serve. I stayed the fourth year and got my B.A.
only because no one offered me a job after my third year; being only 20
years old I did not know what else to do. Before I graduated with my B.A. I
was asked to return to my home church to do missionary internship for one
year. (My major was missions) I still had no idea to what field (if any) I
was to go even after I had stayed 6 months more than we agreed. I had no
leading to a specific field. I was offered a permanent position at the
Perryton church, but could not get peace about it. I felt if I was to be a
missionary I needed pastoral experience so I began looking for available
churches. Being only 23 years old, I accepted my first church in Illinois.
I pastored there for almost 5 years.
I had planned to serve a year or two and
then surely God would reveal to me what field I should go to. I had no
plans nor desire to stay long with those Yankees who talked so differently!
Finally, I surrendered to stay there the rest of my life if that is what
God wanted, I really meant it. It was then that God allowed me to visit
Perú as a pastor with the sole intent to learn more about missions and
missionaries in order to be a better supporting pastor.
God used that trip to touch my heart for
the field of Perú. I fought the Lord for one year arguing that I would be
more effective as a pastor in the USA. Finally I let the church know of my
internal struggle and resigned. I stayed until a new pastor was called and
then moved back to Perryton. I then worked in the oil field for a couple of
months until I was officially approved as a BBFI missionary in May of 1982.
After an eleven month deputation we were off to language study in Mexico
for one year.
Experience and
Qualifications
- Associate pastor to W. A. Frerking, 1½
years (Perryton, TX)
- Pastor, First Baptist Church, Geneseo,
IL, 4+ years
- Deputation of only 11 months on the road
with very few open dates
- One year of language study in Queretaro,
Mexico; Georgia Webb, director & founder
- Married July 12, 1974
- Three children: daughter, Dionne
(married);
son, Cade; and daughter, Shay (also married)
and now 3 grandchildren Blake, Adam, and Audrey.
Our youngest daughter Shay Raygada and her husband Jorge, in the winter of
2009, started soliciting monthly support to come work in the “Kids Alive”
orphanage here in Perú. Debbie and I were original founding board members of
that orphanage here in Perú.
Work in Perú since 1984
(click here for map of
details)
- Started church in Paramonga (3 hours
north of Lima)
- Helped start work in Piura (Castilla) North
Perú
- Started work in "Virgen del
Sol" Lima -- September 1994 Iglesia Biblica Bautista de los Alisos
- Pastored churches in Peralvillo, Pro,
Huaraz (co-pastor), and Ingeneria
- Helped in missions of Yungar (near
Huaraz), Matara, Choque (Near Puente Piedra), Santa Rosa, Tupac Amara
de Villa (Delicias)
- Attended as a missionary member of
churches in San Borja, Pro (both in Lima), Huaraz (Andes), and Centro
Biblico Bautista in Villa Salvador (southern Lima)
- Used the BBFI "Missionary Projects Offering"
(MPO) revolving fund for church projects in Perú to:
- Roof the Pro church REPAID
- Buy land in Huaraz REPAID
- Buy land in San Borja who have since sold
the land purchase.
- Build in Paramonga
- Repair in Villa Salvador
- Build in Condor
- Organized works in Santa Velita (near
Pulcalpa) and Cerro de Pasco
- Started and organized a mission in
Gorgor (Cajatambo); closed because of terrorism
- Numerous missions trips and preaching
engagements as well as summer church camps & retreats
- Professor at Seminario Biblico Bautista
(Chillon), Lima, Perú; taught various courses in both day and night
schools.
- Since 1998:
- Helped in rescuing Central Bible Baptist Church in Villa Salvador
from doctrinal problems.
- My wife and I are also founding board members for an orphanage in Lima
& Bible college professors and served there for many years
- We were also Bible college professors in local church institutes.
- My wife, Debbie:
- Was a founding board member of a crisis pregnancy center in Lima.
- English teacher at John the Baptist University in Lima, a secular
liberal arts school.
- Professor at Baptist Bible College of Lima (Seminario Biblico
Bautista)
- Always active in Sunday Schools and supplying teaching materials
to other churches.
- Active in translating materials for churches in Perú.
- Always active in founding and directing ladies groups in local
churches.
Other Items Helpful in My
Christian Growth
- Sword of the Lord Conferences in the USA
- Seminars by Bill Gothard,
Basic-Advanced-Pastors
- My wife's books and love for reading
- Contact with so many supporting churches'
pastors + others
- BBFI (MOM) missions retreats in Colorado
and Arkansas
- Teaching "Through the Bible in One
Year" by Alan Stringfield
- Contact with other missionaries (BBF and
other groups)
- Baptist Bible Fellowship Missionary Retreats
- Goal of reading the entire Bible each
year (I've read it a number of times, cover to cover, in English and
Spanish.)
Since 1998:
Founded a spiritual counseling office on John the Baptist University Campus
(2,000+ students) which functioned for 2 years.
Lima Home Bible Studies with businessmen and political
officials result is new work in La Molina. Click
here for a photo of
our anniversary Sunday with over 100 in attendance.
In 2001 established a Perúvian based interest free revolving loan fund,
“Project Perú”, to buy land and improve church buildings. Over 65 local
churches have benefited many of which have totally repaid their original
loans.
From fall of 2004 to Spring of 2008 we worked in
Amarillo, Texas with the Hispanics
and left a mission functioning on its own with a building and parsonage. We
served there as United States Language Group missionaries with the BBFI.
In May of 2008 we returned to Perú as BBFI missionaries. Since our return
we have relocated the La Molina church, but are still in a rented apartment
facility. We have also purchased a BBFI owned apartment in the area of the
church congregation where we comfortably live now, with no annual rent
increases.
Our Sending Church is and always has been:
Fellowship Baptist Church
Perryton, Texas
current pastor: Wes Stevens
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