Dr. Larry Baker - Pastor

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Larry Baker was reared in south Texas and was graduated from high school in San Antonio, Texas. During his days at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, he met and married his wife now of over 35 years, Kathleen, and has two sons, Joshua and Peter.  He was graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in physics, from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Forth Worth, Texas, with a Master of Divinity, and from The American Christian College and Seminary, Oklahoma City, with a Doctor of Ministry.   He taught Bible and Biblical languages at The American Christian College and Seminary, Oklahoma City.  He presently teaches Biblical Greek adjunct at Mid-American Christian University, Oklahoma City.   He has been a seminar speaker with the Our Bible Seminars since 2005.

Larry Smith - Associate Pastor-Discipleship

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     My name is Larry L. Smith.  I would like to take this opportunity to share a portion of my life and my salvation experience with you. 
     I was raised in a home where Christian values were not only believed but practiced.  My mother made certain that while I was young and living at home, I was in church each time the opportunity presented itself.  I believe it was during this time in my life, that God instilled in me thru the preaching and teaching of His Word, what Christ had done for me.  I also believe that these truths were what God used later in my life to draw me back to Him.
      As I grew into my teenage years, I began to misplace the priorities of my life.  I began to think that money and the things of this world were the only possessions that really mattered.  So as soon as I was old enough I found myself a job where I could work as much and as often as I wanted too, this included Sundays and Wednesdays.  So from the time that I was about sixteen years of age until I turned twenty four years old, God and the things of God took a back seat in my life to my own wants and desires.  I sought after the things of this world and unrealized to me God's watch care over me made me a very successful man.
     It was in late 1975 that some one invited me to their church.  I told them that I would come, without ever having the slightest intention of going.  I soon forgot the invitation but God nor the individual had.  I was invited again and again.  It was through these invitations that God's Spirit began to work on my heart.  I finally visited Midway Southern Baptist Church, the church I had been invited to which was not far from where I lived.  It was during this time that God began to flood my heart and soul with memories, songs and scriptures that I had learned when I was young and at home.  I remember only a few things about the service that Sunday morning when God's Spirit began His work on me, but I do remember the profound desire to leave that service.  I felt that I had other things to do which were far more important in my life.  The truth that I found was that I could leave the services, but that I could not leave the Spirit of God out of my life any longer.  I began to have new desire in my life, some of those desires being to read the Word of God, to listen to gospel music and to discuss scripture with who ever would listen.
     This process went on for several months.  I had begun to attend the church on a regular basis, I had even become good friends with the pastor there.  Then one evening while driving home from work, listening to gospel music and thinking about what God had revealed to me, it seemed as though the Lord was impressing on me the need, to make my decision concerning Him.  I knew what and how to do what was necessary.  There on highway 76, in early January of 1976, I said the prayer that God has heard so many times, I repented of my sins and received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.  Then in April of 1976 I surrendered to preach the Gospel, and was licensed by the church.
     Since then I have tried to serve the Lord in any way I can.  God has allowed me to serve Him as bus captain, Sunday School teacher thru multiple ages and groups, junior church pastor, youth and music director, associate pastor in several different churches and as pastor in two different churches.
     My wife's name is Vickie, we have been married since March of 1982.  She was saved in April of 1980 at home while watching Dr Jack Van Impe.  She stands with me faithfully, and has been an encouragement to me every step of the way.  She also plays the piano, teaches Sunday School, works  in Junior church, and has worked beside me on numerous bus routes, accompanying me on visitation as well as serving in the church office.  She has organized and spoken in women's meeting and banquets.