Dr. Richard Foster
Serving the Lord and his people at Grace Baptist Church is one of the greatest joys in my life.  I love the people at Grace.  It’s a great honor to work alongside them as we seek to know and obey God.  We realize that our Lord has a vision for our church family and we want to see that vision fulfilled.  

In addition to my church family, the Lord has blessed me with a wonderful wife, Karen, and our son, Andy.  Karen and I met in college.  We were both studying music.  We got married three years later in Western New York State—yes, New York State, but she’s been converted (She even says that she’s fixin’ to do things….).  After 12 years of marriage our son was born—adding great happiness to our home (not quite Abram and Sarai, but we were a little worried).

Following Jesus has not always been a priority in my life.  As a teenager I rebelled against God and his people.  Foolishly, I traded away all my childhood learning about God and his plan.  In return, I opened my life to whatever this world had to offer.  All I really cared about was playing my guitar and making me happy. 

My grades spiraled down so quickly in high school that my dad, out of sheer frustration and desperation, gave me an ultimatum: Either quit playing so much guitar and finish high school, or quit high school and get a job playing guitar.  He was hoping that the right choice would be obvious to me, but it wasn’t.  I left school days later and joined a rock and roll band in West Ft. Worth, Texas. 

After more than ten years of chasing the wind, I was startled to my spiritual senses by a shocking vision from the Lord.  In my dream I was standing on a large patio overlooking a sprawling city.  It was dusk and I was gazing at the dark orange and red remains of that day’s last sunlight.  A warm breeze brushed gently against my face—softly pushing my loose hair back off my shoulders.  I could feel the cold of a drink in my right hand and the warmth of a drug-induced ‘buzz’ slowly taking hold in my head.  A party was humming behind me indoors and I was eagerly anticipating a great evening of partying with friends. 
But suddenly a flash of light brighter than the sun erased the horizon from my sight and forced me to look down—tightly closing my eyes.  I quickly looked up again out of curiosity and was greeted by a sight that made my blood run cold.  A mushroom cloud was rising quickly from behind the distant hills and it was clear that my life would end very soon.  I fell to my face on the ground to pray.  But to my terror, no words came.  In that instant, the vision came to an end.  
That vision showed me how far I had wandered from the path that God marked out for me.  It reminded me that as a 7-year-old boy I had asked Jesus into my life.  That same Jesus was now calling me to come back and honor a commitment I had made almost 20 years before.  My wife Karen and I found a local church and began worshiping and serving God. 

Since that course-correction back in the mid-1980s we have had an exciting journey following Jesus.  I have discovered an undying passion for teaching God’s Word, leading people to experience God’s presence in worship, and talking to all kinds of people about the new life that Jesus offers us. 

My greatest desire is to move others closer to Jesus Christ so they can experience more of God’s love, power, and wisdom.  I have a burning passion for proclaiming the Good News and teaching others to apply the truths of the Gospel in their lives today.  God has honored me with a call to serve his people by leading and equipping them in ministry through the spiritual power of our risen Savior.

Thank you for visiting our web site at Grace Baptist Church.  We exist to help you discover Christ as personal Savior and grow to spiritual maturity.  Please join us for worship and see what God is doing in and among us.

May the Lord lift you up,
Brother Richard Foster