Cedar Rock First Baptist ChurchMeet Jack & Ann Carter
Cedar Rock First Baptist Church
Meet Jack & Ann Carter
Pastor Jack was born and raised in Binghamton, NY and grew up on those city streets. Ann Marie was born and raised on a dairy farm between Fort Plain and St. Johnsville, NY. Sometimes opposites do attract, and they found each other through the social life at the junior college they attended.
Jack not only fell in love with this amazing Christian country girl, he also fell in love with the country and with the pastoral life that is the farm, away from the noisy and frenetic city life. Ann not only fell in love with this Christian city boy, she fell in love with her ticket off of the farm as she dreamt of a life that was forever free of 4:30AM milkings and shoveling that smelly brown stuff. This move to Cedar Rock follows 34 years of life and ministry experiences that caused them to call a variety of places home: Washington DC, Trippstadt Germany, Fort Plain NY, Stillwater OK, Memphis TN, Clinton NY, Concord NC, and now Castalia NC. The only Holsteins that have been a part of this family is that large herd you will find grazing in their home as stuffed animals, knick-knacks, and other mooing objects.
Jack and Ann have two adult children, Jennifer and Andy. Jennifer is a graduate of Appalachian State University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is married to Brian Bohannon, now studying for his PhD at Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville. They are the parents of William David Bohannon. Andy is a graduate of Western Carolina University, is married to Eden Hunter Carter, and runs a steel fabrication shop in Hayesville NC (www.ironman4x4fab.com). They are the parents of Noah Jackson Carter. Of course, we cannot leave out Maggie!, our faithful, thoroughbred, and thoroughly goofy Black Labrador Retriever.
Prior to coming to Cedar Rock, Jack spent 27 years as a full-time university professor (computer and electrical engineering technology) and bi-vocational minister/associate pastor with duties in music, education, and pastoral ministries. Ann is a registered nurse with both a bachelor's degree in nursing and a seminary master's degree in Biblical Counseling. However, her full time job is keeping Jack focused and out of trouble. She also puts in many hours as a Hospice care giver and working as a nurse at the local free clinic. Jack is currently finishing up a Doctorate in Religious Studies from Trinity Theological Seminary in Indiana. Check out his academic website at www.biblicaltheology.com. Jack is now writing his dissertation. You can find the boring and geeky abstract at http://www.biblicaltheology.com/Research/CarterJ04.html. Jack really is a repentant geek.
When asked for his plan for ministry at Cedar Rock First Baptist Church, Jack stated, "The key to the life and growth at Cedar Rock is found in a solid foundation of agape love in the lives of its members. When we truly love the LORD, we will truly love one another. When we truly love the LORD, we will truly love His word. When we truly love the LORD it will show in our relationship with God in our worship and in our relationship with people through our unconditional acceptance of others. When we truly love the LORD there will be nothing standing in the way of both spiritual and numeric growth. The plan is to build on that foundation of unconditional agape love that is already here." (Romans 12:9.)
If you come to hear Jack preach, bring your Bible and notebook, and plan on spending some time there. Three decades in the university classroom has formed Pastor Jack into a teaching pastor who teaches the Bible through the exegesis of biblical passages that are shared from the pulpit. Be prepared to learn the historical setting of the scripture passages and the meaning that the ancients understood within the context of their own language and culture as we also apply those scriptural truths to our daily lives.
"I welcome each and every one of you to make Cedar Rock your home. Come and be loved. Come and learn. Come and find an opportunity for a closer walk with the LORD. Oh, we fix a lot of really strong coffee, and a lot of fried chicken too!"
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