Deacon Ordination

Sunday, February 20, FBC ordained two new deacons who will serve on the Board of Deacons for a 3-year term. 

Josh Swisher

 Josh Swisher has been a member of First Baptist Church since August 2009.  He has been actively involved in many aspects of our church.  Josh has been a faithful member of the Chancel Choir as well as the Revelators Sunday School class.  He has helped with many children’s and youth activities in the life of First Baptist. 

Josh is currently attending Alderson Broaddus College working toward a nursing degree.  He also works at Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital.  He is married to Annica (Hayhurst) Swisher and is the son of Charles and Alicia Poloka and the grandson of Robert and Mary Ann Swisher.

Josh is excited and thankful for the opportunity to serve God through this capacity.  His contact information is 304 269-4342 (cell 304 203-7811) and is available whenever and wherever there is a need.

Pam Rumbach

I have been attending First Baptist Church since the 1970’s when my best friend, Kim Shamblin, and her mother, Joanne, invited me to attend with them.  As a young teen, I was baptized here and except for a few years absence as a young adult have been fairly active ever since.  In addition to teaching all ages in Sunday School (pre-k through adult), I have also served on the Finance Board and have served several times on the Board of Christian Education.

Although educated as an English teacher, I now work at the Lewis County Senior Citizens Center.  I have been employed there for 14 years and work in the In-Home Care Department scheduling care providers to our elderly or handicapped clients.  I am also part of the team at the Center that works on “publishing” our monthly newsletter.

My husband, Jim, and I have two grown daughters, Natalie Alkire and Darcy Rumbach.  They have grown up here at  the church.  I am also stepmother to Leslie Sprouse and Julie Austin.  Together, my husband and I have 5 grandchildren –Jalen & Marlie Sprouse, Sophia Austin, and James Paul (JP) and Sloanne Alkire.

Over the course of the past 6 months or so, I have been praying for the wisdom and courage to serve God better and to do His will in all aspects of my life.  However, I was very surprised to get a phone call from the nominating committee asking me to serve on the Board of Deacons.  It certainly was not what I had in mind from those months of prayer.  Although my initial inclination was to decline (no time, not “equipped”,etc.), I realized that this was an opportunity provided to me by God and actually an answer to those prayers.  Several years ago I learned from experience not to run from God’s will, but to accept His offers to serve and regard it as the blessing and honor that it truly is.

I look forward to serving God and FBC to the best of my ability in the years to come.  I thank God and the membership for allowing me to serve in this way.  My hope and prayer is that we will continue to work together for good and let our Lord’s love and light shine through us to the community at large.