Pastor Bill's Bio
I was born February 3, 1960 in Northampton, MA to an Irish-Catholic family. My father was in the Air Force and we moved around every few years. Most of what could be called my spiritual life during that time was spent at the various base chapels on Sunday mornings. I was baptized as an infant, received my first communion and was confirmed at the appropriate times. At age eleven I became an Altar Boy. At age 14, I fell away from the church.
While in high school, most of my best friends were Christians and they witnessed to me every opportunity they got. I heard what they said, but I was Catholic (sort of) and I knew that all Catholics go to heaven. I went back to the Catholic Church for a time during Coast Guard boot camp; however, it was more out of a desire for a break than for any spiritual longing.
In November of 1979 I had an argument with my girlfriend and wound up at a co-worker's house. He listened to my predicament and then began telling me about Jesus. Some of the things he told me I remembered from what my high school friends said. This time there was a difference in what I was hearing. That evening I knelt on the floor and asked Jesus into my life. Even though I received forgiveness and salvation from Jesus, my life did not change much. I was married in 1981 (to a different girl), my wife and I attended a United Church of Christ church. We stopped going after we were transferred to Alameda, CA.
It was not a happy marriage. I had some real control and anger issues, and both of us were very immature. In March of 1989, after my first wife left, leaving me to raise our three daughters alone, I really started to seek the Lord with my heart. I began to attend a Foursquare Church in San Mateo, CA, and was baptized in April. It was in San Mateo where I met my current wife, Beverly (Brown). We were married in July, 1990.
In May of 1991 I sensed God calling me into the ministry. I was attending a Men's Retreat and my best friend Rich and I were just sitting alone during some free time. He told me that he had been praying for me and felt that I should consider going into the ministry. In fact, God had been urging me to do that already, but I did not feel qualified. I came back from camp and shared the idea with my wife. She told me that years before someone shared with her that she was going to be a pastor's wife. As it was, several of her best friends were pastor's wives. Shortly after I started to work with my pastor (Ron Rezendes) toward obtaining a Ministerial License, the Coast Guard transferred me to Long Beach, CA. We found a church home in Garden Grove (The Lighthouse), and almost immediately I began working with my new pastor (Jerry Stott). I received a Staff License in April 1992 and my District License in August 1995. My primary duties at Lighthouse were in the youth department and assisting the senior pastor. While in Southern California I took several Bible College classes.
After five years, I was again transferred by the Coast Guard back to the San Francisco Bay Area. We were looking forward to working again with Pastor Ron and Debbie Rezendes in San Mateo. However, because of our housing assignment (thirty miles away in Alameda), we felt we would not be able to participate as we should. We then found the Hayward Foursquare Church (Pastor Harry Galloway), and God provided me a volunteer position on staff. Again my primary duties were as the youth pastor and assisting minister. In both Garden Grove and Hayward the churches consisted mostly of older members and the "youth groups" were only a few people. Most of my duties were in assisting with preaching, leading worship, weddings, baptisms, funerals, counseling, and men's groups.
In June of 1999 I retired from 20 years in the Coast Guard, and Bev and I moved to Elko, NV. Three years prior to our arrival, the Western District of the Foursquare Church had closed the doors to the Elko Foursquare Church. We moved to Elko with the intention of (re)planting the church. We served the Elko area for five years. The church never really showed any numerical growth. We had about four families that met with us, but it never grew beyond that. It was a VERY frustrating time in my life. I was absolutely convinced that the Lord had directed us to Elko, but apparently He did it to work on me.
While in Elko, I became involved in the local ministerial association. I became good friends with the American Baptist pastor, John Senn. In 2002, John was diagnosed with a brain tumor. As he began chemotherapy, he was concerned about his ability to carry out his duties, especially preaching Sunday mornings. Our church was meeting on Saturday nights and so I offered to start attending First Baptist Church on Sunday mornings. If John felt up to it, he would preach - if he did not, I would have a sermon in my back pocket and I would preach. He only missed a few Sundays until the tumor started spreading. John died September 17, 2003. The following summer my wife and Rita Senn (John's widow) were attending a class together (they both worked for the local school district). I dropped by to pick Bev up for lunch and Rita joined us. As we sat down to eat, Rita suggested that I should put my name in for consideration for pastor of First Baptist. Bev and I talked and prayed, and figured this was too weird not to be God. We asked that if it was part of His will for our lives, that He would arrange it. I was asked to join the congregation as pastor in November of 2004. It truly was a move of God in our lives and that of the church!
Married to Bev, we have three grown daughters: Shannon, Meighan, and Haleigh. At home, we are kept company by our two dogs, Sparky (dalmatian) and Jake (white boxer).
