What a great God we have! Boundless in his mercies, and suffering long with his still-selfish people. I am willing to be led where he guides and will serve how he wishes. At present, that will be as member and deacon of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Coconut Creek, Florida. What a blessing and privilege it has been to sit under the ministry of Robert Fisher, Robert Diekema, William Hughes, and Jeffery Smith during the past 32+ years. God has given me the perfect mate, Tawnda, and we have 4 grown children that are all walking with the Lord. Our 2 girls, one works as a nurse in a Level 1 trauma ER, and the other is married and works full-time in the ER and is in nursing school. The boys are in school, one an electrical engineering major at the University of Florida, and the other a high school senior looking to attend the US Coast Guard Academy. Tawnda teaches at Boca Raton Christian School, and I work in the land development/construction field here in South Florida.

RBS has provided a fantastic opportunity for me to learn so much more about our Faith, the Word, and the Triune God. The curriculum and faculty of this program are unrivaled in their commitment to truth, doctrinal purity, kingdom advancement, and spiritual living. It has been a privilege to advance through this program with the help of my brothers at Emmanuel who are also seeking to finish their degrees. I already miss our Tuesday evening lecture sessions. At present, the Lord has led me to continue my education by attending Law School at Syracuse University in their distance-learning program, which somewhat mirrors the educational format of RBS. I should complete this degree at the end of 2023, and I am looking forward to seeing how God will put it to use. When or if any of us are called before kings to speak on any great matter, may it be said of us as was said about Daniel (2:14), “Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered . . .” I expect that he has a plan that he will have perfectly prepared me for: Let me decrease and Christ increase.

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Praise his holy name.” Ephesians 1:22–23

Jeffrey Barker