TOLEDO, Ohio—How do you show appreciation to a wonderful interim pastor and his godly wife for stepping into the gap and for shepherding the flock so lovingly? With thunderous applause, with praise, and by fulfilling their lifetime dream of a trip to the Holy Land! The grateful congregation of Emmanuel Baptist Church on Sun., April 26, honored Pastor Bruce and Ellen Snyder for their interim service by presenting them with a trip to the places where Jesus walked, talked, and ministered.
When Pastor Duke Crawford (Calvary Baptist, Mount Pleasant, Iowa) accepted the call to become pastor in Toledo, Pastor Snyder joked that he wanted to yell like a winning athlete, “I’m going to Disneyland!” But the church had different plans, skipping the trip to Disneyland and sending Bruce and Ellen to the Holy Land. They will be traveling with a group from The Master’s College for 14 days, visiting places including Jerusalem, Jericho, and the River Jordan.
Pastor Snyder quipped that he didn’t think he would visit these places until the Millennium.
Pastor Snyder served at Emmanuel Baptist from September 2007 through April 2009. During the Snyders’ 50 years of ministry, they have served at Emmanuel three times as associate pastor and interim pastor—and, after “retirement,” he will serve as associate pastor pastor again.
Pastor Duke Crawford begins his ministry at Emmanuel on Sun., May 3.
