Personal Info: I was born March 26, 1956 in the mighty
metropolis of Tecumseh, Michigan. My family moved to south Florida
when I was two. I'm married to the most wonderful person God ever
created, Sheri Hall Barrett. We love going to concerts and live theater.
We don't have any kids, however, we do our best to spoil dogs. We
currently have two greyhounds, Clark and Calisto. I have two brothers,
Bob, who is a pastor in Vero Beach, Florida, and Sam, a talented
handyman/painter type in Ft. Worth, Texas.
College/Seminary Attended: Nova University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, LA; Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO
Ministry History: My first ministry position was as Associate Pastor at Westside Baptist Church in Ft. Pierce, Florida in 1983. I then filled a number of supply and interim positions in Florida while I continued my education. My first full-time pastorate was at Claycomo Baptist Church, Claycomo, Missouri in 1990. In 1998 God led me here, to Immanuel Baptist Church.
Favorite scripture: Without a doubt, it's Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'
Favorite hymn: Ooh, that's a tough one. There's so many good ones, I'll have to think on that and get back with you.
How I became a Christian: Church was a regular part of my growing up years, but can't say I got much good out of it. It seemed rather boring and irrelevant. So, when I got into my junior high years, I stopped going. At that time I also began to be aware of a tremendous emptiness in my life. I was a good kid (honestly, I was!) but I also knew that I had sinned. That created a lot of guilt, fear, and anxiety in me. I sensed a huge void in my life - I knew something was missing. I just didn't know what it was. Around that same time my brother began attending a local Baptist church, and soon forced me (he's bigger than me) to go with him. It was through the faithful testimony of the youth Sunday School teachers at that church that I discovered what was missing in my life was Jesus Christ. Later, at a city-wide crusade, I made the decision to accept Christ as my personal savior, and I committed my life to Him. Since that day, I have sought to make knowing and doing His will the top priority of my life. I haven't always done it, I've messed up an awful lot, but through it all I have known of His gracious loving presence, His willingness to forgive, His peace and comfort. The emptiness, the anxiety, the fear are all gone, replaced now with the joy of living in His presence.
What I like best about Immanuel: Two things, the people, definitely. These are some of the most loving, caring folks I've ever known. And secondly, the spirit of mission and ministry in this church. Our motto is: 'Immanuel Baptist Church - Caring for the Heart of Independence,' and this church truly does care.
Favorite Books: Currently reading "The Lessons of St. Francis: How to Bring Simplicity and Sprituality into Your Daily LIfe" by John Michael Talbot. I also highly recommend "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence.
Favorite Quotes: "The biblical fact is that there are no successful churches. There are, instead, communities of sinner, gathered before God week after week in towns and villages all over the world. The Holy Spirit gathers them and does His work in them. In these communities of sinners, one of the sinners is called PASTOR and given a designated responsibility...to keep the community attentive to God." -Eugene H. Peterson
"Believe me, count as lost each day you have not spent in loving God." -Brother Lawrence
"I always think there's a band, kid." -Harold Hill, in The Music Man
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