August 14, 2000
Annual conference honors
four bivocational ministers
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___BELTON--The Texas Bivocational Ministers and Spouses Association honored four exemplary ministers and elected officers for 2001 at their 14th annual conference in Belton.
___More than 200 ministers, spouses and family members met on the campus of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The sessions included learning as well as fellowship and worship.
___Bob Ray, pastor of Fairy Baptist Church in Fairy, was re-elected president. His wife, Rosalind, was re-elected secretary. The Rays live in Burleson.
BILLY AND CAROL SCHWARTZ receive an award as exemplary bivocational pastor and wife.
___Other officers are David Keith, pastor of Carlton Baptist Church in Carlton, first vice president; Mike Barrera, pastor of United Baptist Church of Laredo, second vice president; and Tom Echols, associate pastor of Rivercrest Baptist Church of Fort Worth, treasurer.
___The conference honored Billy and Carol Schwarz of La Feria as exemplary bivocational pastor and wife, Paul Reavis of Live Oak as exemplary bivocational minister of music, Tommy Farmer of Fort Worth as exemplary bivocational minister of education and Joshua Ponder of San Augustine as exemplary bivocational youth minister.
___Schwarz is pastor of Iglesia Bautista Santa Maria in La Feria. He has led the church to support a mission in Chiapas, Mexico, and to distribute 60 tons of clothing in one of the poorest counties in the United States.
___Reavis has served six churches as a fully supported minister of music and nine as bivocational. Currently he is choir director at John F. Kennedy High School in Edgewood and serves as minister of music at First Baptist Church of Live Oak.
___Farmer is educational consultant and coordinator for the statewide association. He has served eight churches as bivocational pastor and three as educational director. He recently completed a term as guest professor at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville, Ky. Currently, he serves Stadium Drive Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
___Ponder, 24, has been youth director and associate pastor of First Baptist Church of San Augustine for four years. He also is a student and works for the U.S. Postal Service. Recently, with the resignation of the pastor, Ponder has been serving as interim pastor of the congregation as well.
___Lloyd Elder, professor at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., offered three sessions on sermon preparation at this year's conference.
___Other breakout sessions offered help on the "Ministry Toolbox" software, church conflict, worship planning, work with young people and having a "Heartbeat Weekend" to do long-range planning. Two panel discussions addressed the needs of ministers and their spouses.
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