Meet Pastor Billy Carpenter
Billy Carpenter was saved at Mountain Ash Baptist Church at a revival held by Reverend Chester Dykes in the fall of 1971.He came to Mountain Ash to date Miss Darlene Petrey and later married her on January 22, 1972. He is the father of three children and two grandchildren. Billy has always been committed to the attendance of the church. He was married on a Saturday evening at five o'clock, and at 10 o'clock the next morning he and Darlene was attending Sunday School. Church attendance has always been the number one priority.
Billy started out teaching the Young Peoples Sunday School class in 1973. It was then, through his studying to teach so many Sunday mornings, that you knew he was a man of God. People left his classroom not only having heard a Sunday School lesson, but they also heard a sermon. Before too long, the church was in need of a youth leader and the position was dropped on Bill's shoulders. The youth of the church came to love Billy, and they wanted to be near him for guidance. The pastor at the time, Jim Ulrich, came to the youth services that were held on Thursday nights. After hearing Billy, Pastor Ulrich asked him to preach during a Sunday night service. Billy was willing and never refused anything he could do for his Lord and Savior. At that time, Billy was teaching a Sunday school class, served as youth director, and was beginning to preach.
Billy felt God leading him to witness for the Lord on his job and led several of his co-workers to Christ. He never came to church without someone else in his car, prompting him to later begin a bus ministry at the church. On September 21, 1977, Billy was set aside as Pastor of the Mountain Ash Baptist Church. He was ordained to preach in 1978. Billy loves people and has a tremendous concern for them. He has always had a heart and a deep concern for the well being of the church. In February 1979, the Lord dealt with him to become a full-time Pastor. The attendance of the church was around 50-60 people, and very little was happening. He was concerned and was willing to make the move when God spoke to his heart. In March of 1979, Billy quit a foreman's job where he was earning about $400 per week, to become the Pastor at Mountain Ash, which paid only $50 per week. This is what Billy had to support his wife and two sons. There were times when exactly to the penny God's man had received enough to meet his and his family's needs. God will always provide, always has and always will.
The Lord blessed Billy and souls began to be saved at Mountain Ash Baptist Church. The church in the old building was added onto three different times and could not expand anymore. In 1984, while Billy was attending Clear Creek Bible College, the church was having some Sunday School classes on church buses because there was no more room in the building. There wasn't enough room for people to sit in the auditorium, nor was there room for cars to be parked in the existing parking lot. Billy had a vision for lost souls and he knew God was blessing the church to the extent that Mountain Ash Baptist Church had a packed house every Sunday. Soon the church members voted to build a 100' by 60', two-story building. Billy quit school knowing God wanted him to be free to help in the building process, which was being done by several men of the church. Within nine months, services were being held in the new building, On May 5th, 1986, Billy and Darlene's third child, Jessica Rachael, was born and in September the move was made to the new building. With God's blessings, the building was paid for in five years. In 1991, a three-story educational wing was added, as well as an extension to the parking lot. God continued to bless the Mountain Ash Baptist Church and the church decided to build a new sanctuary, where current services are being held. Billy Carpenter is the man that God has placed at Mountain Ash Baptist Church for our Pastor.
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of the Lord"
- Matthew 25:21