FARMINGTON, Iowa—Chad Welch celebrated five years of ministry at First Baptist Church. “It’s hard to believe that five years have passed since Pastor Chad, Michal, and their girls moved to Farmington,” the church says. “So many things have happened during that time, and we are so thankful for the ministry we have been able to have together!”
On Jan. 25 the Welch family and First Baptist celebrated this milestone together. Tim Capon, state representative of the Iowa Association of Regular Baptist Churches, brought the message during the morning worship service, reminding the congregation of their true mission. “We cannot afford to just come to church,” he said. “We have been commissioned by the King of Kings to bring the gospel, the good news of Christ, to those who need Him as their Savior.”
Following lunch together, everyone returned to the auditorium for a second service. They began by sharing testimonies of how God has used the Welch family to encourage and minister to First Baptist. Simeon Counterman, pastor of Calvary Baptist, Burlington, Iowa, was in attendance, as was Welch’s dad, Dr. Ted Welch, a retired missionary to Ukraine with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. Drawing from Ephesians 4, Ted spoke during on “5 Ways to Have 5 More Good Years.”
Chad says, “We praise God for the wonderful, loving church family that He has blessed us with. By the grace of God, the leading of the Spirit, and the careful study of God’s word; we trust that we will continue to grow together ‘unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ (Ephesians 4:13).”
