Good Shepherd Baptist Missions
A Ministry of East River Baptist Church
New Caney, Texas
Helping to keep soul winners
on the job winning souls
PTS Instructor Team . . .
D.H. Easter has been General Director of Good Shepherd Baptist Missions since he was requested to lead in the forming and organization of the ministry in 1993. He works with the Administrative Team to establish and
direct the ministries of GSBM, oversees all of the ministries, serves as Director and Instructor of both the Missionary Training Schools and the Pastors Training Schools, and responds to the vehicle breakdown calls for Emergency Road Assistance.
The Emergency Road and Housing Assistance should develop into Mexico from the U.S. and Canada. Pastors Training Schools should expand into a second phase and then move into other countries throughout the world as
our Lord opens doors. Good Shepherd Baptist Missions will likely have God-given opportunities to expand its educational aspects into higher learning.
D.H. was saved at six years of age and called into the ministry, but did not surrender until he was 30 in 1974. He had graduated from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, with a B.S. in Business Administration
in 1971. Upon surrender to the ministry, he attended Tennessee Temple Seminary from 1975 through 1977 working on a Masters in Divinity. He holds a Master of Ministry (Pastoral Ministry) (1996) and also a PhD in Religion (Bible) (2008) from Bethany Divinity College and Seminary. D.H. worked as an Ironworker while attending college, served in the U.S.A.F. under the Air Force Security Agency as an electronics technician, and after college worked as part of the management team for
Deering Milliken Textiles. Before seminary D.H. served as a bus worker and Sunday School teacher at Oakside Baptist Church in LaGrange, Georgia, and then as pastor of Port Serena Baptist Church, a Highland Park Baptist
Church chapel in Hixon, Tennessee. After seminary in 1977, he was pastor of churches in Georgia, Indiana and Alabama until 1992. He also served as principal of Oakside Christian Schools in LaGrange, Georgia.
He married Meige in 1965. They have one son, who is a career officer with the U.S.A.F, and two grandchildren.
D. H. Easter
General Director
Good Shepherd Baptist Missions
1657 Magnolia Street
Alexander City, AL 35010
(256) 329-3436
deaster@bellsouth.net
Roger Hain is the pastor and founder of Grace Bible Independent Baptist Church in Shinglehouse, Pennsylvania. GBIBC is a Christ-centered local church in a rural area of northwest Pennsylvania featuring
music of traditional hymns and gospel songs. All areas of the church use only the King James Version of the Bible. The church has conservative youth ministries that impact the lives of children and teenagers.
An effective world-wide outreach is experienced through a Bible-based missionary ministry. Leadership for all areas of the church involves an interactive role by leaders of all ages. In addition to serving as a pastor,
Brother Hain serves with Good Shepherd Baptist Missions as Director of Emergency Housing, Instructor at the Missionary Training School and Pastors Training Schools and as an Administrative Team member.
His vision for GBIBC is to develop a believer's relationship with Christ through a knowledge of Bible truth by a spirit yielded to the Holy Spirit. He believes mature faith then enables discernment by personal and
ecclesiastical separation as the church serves Christ.
He was born in Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Evangelical Congregational School of Theology in Myerstown, Pennsylvania with a diploma of theology. He has pastored
churches in Reading, Harrisburg and Bell Run, Pennsylvania.
He is married to Patricia Hain, and they have four children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Pastor Roger Hain
Grace Bible Independent Baptist Church
392 Coon Crossing
Shinglehouse, PA 16748
(814) 697-7257
haingbibc@frontiernet.net
gracebiblepa.org
Roger Hoots is Pastor of East River Baptist Church located on the Northeast side of Houston, Texas in the town of New Caney. The faithful church family has given sacrificially and graciously to their missions
program in the 12 years God has allowed him to be their Pastor. East River has a Master Club Ministry and Pro-Teen Ministry for the youth. The Power Company is a ministry for their Seniors. A Bible Institute is directed by Associate
Pastor and Missions Director Edgar Thierbach. East River is privileged to be the home of GSBM. Brother Hoots is the presiding pastor over GSBM, serves on the Administrative Team and serves as an instructor at the
Pastors Training School.
East River has the vision of being a church that serves the Lord locally, nationally, and globally -- locally through the ministries above; nationally through the Pastors Training Schools; and globally through the Missionary
Training Schools and the foreign missionaries the church supports. East River is constructing its facilities accordingly.
Brother Hoots was born in Mississippi, and graduated from high school in 1975. After being born again in August of 1976, he surrendered to the call of the ministry in January of
1977 and became the pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Franklin, Louisiana, where he ministered for 14 years. For 9 of those 14 years, Faith operated a Christian school. He also served on the Board of Directors of
Habitat for Humanity in St. Mary Parish. In 1995 the Lord led him to New Caney.
He has a Bachelor of Religious Education from Bethany Divinity College and Seminary in Dothan, Alabama, and is currently enrolled in the Masters Program at Bethany.
He married his high school sweetheart, Cindy in 1977. They have six children (one deceased) and two grandchildren of whom all are in church..
Pastor Roger Hoots
East River Baptist Church
P. O. Box 983
New Caney, TX 77357
Church (281) 399-3030
ryhoots@juno.com
erbctexas.org
S. T. Janney served as the pastor of Sunnyside Baptist Church for 6 years, and then as the assistant pastor of Oakside Baptist Church working with Pastor Ralph Taylor for almost 7 years.
Then God led Brother Janney to the Faith Baptist Church in Roanoke, Alabama where he ministered for 19 years. Our Lord blessed the work tremendously in souls saved
and in several young men surrendering to the ministry. Then God called him to the Hilyer Baptist Church in LaGrange, Georgia. Since 1997 he has been the Exhorter (song leader) for GSBM's Missionary
Training School and Pastors Training School, and teaches a class on music at the PTS. He also serves as a member of the Administrative Team.
Educated in the rural school of the Big Springs community through the 10th grade, S. T. graduated from Handley High School in Roanoke, Alabama in 1951. He began working for the
Callaway Mills Company in July, 1952 and worked in the textile industry for 17 years with the exception of two years with the Navy from 1956 to 1958. His last secular employment was with the Calumet Plant of
LaGrange, Georgia, as Assistant Superintendent.
S. T. was saved at age 25, called to preach at age 29 and then began pastoring at 33. He married Runelle in 1958, and they moved to LaGrange, Georgia. They have two children. Their son works as an air traffice controller and is active
in Calvary Baptist Church with his wife, daughter and son. Third daughter is married and has two daughters. She is the organist at the Living Waters Baptist Church.
Pastor S. T. Janney
Hilyer Baptist Church
346 Costley Road
LaGrange, GA 30241
Church (706) 884-1117
stj@hilyerbaptist.com
Alan Jenkins has been pastor of Columbia Road Baptist Church in North Olmsted, Ohio for 23 years. The current ministries of the church include Harvest Baptist Missions, Columbia Road Baptist Bible Institute,
Bus Ministry, Youth Ministry, Senior Adult Ministry (Rainbow Fellowship), Bookstore, and Faith Promise Missions. His vision for the church is to build a work for God that honors Jesus and brings glory to His name.
His desire is that the fellowship at CRBC would be the one that has a passion for God, a passion for people, and a passion to serve. Brother Jenkins serves on the Administrative Team and as an instructor at
Pastors Training School.
Brother Jenkins was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in Parma, Ohio. He attended Boyce Bible School which is an extension of Southern Seminary and did correspondence work
with Faith Baptist Seminary in Anderson, South Carolina.
He is married to Kathy Jenkins and they have three children in their 20s.
Pastor Alan Jenkins
Columbia Road Baptist Church
4116 Columbia Road
North Olmsted, OH 44070
Church (440) 777-7539
pastorjenkins@crbc-online.org
crbc-online.org
Gordon LeGrow became pastor of Forest City Baptist Church in London, Ontario, Canada in January 2000. The church had been founded by Dr. Fred Howard at age 78 just a few years earlier.
Gordon began working as church planter at that time to see the church established. Brother LeGrow also heads up Independent Baptist Canada, which is a ministry of helps to Canadian Pastors
as well as Missionaries to Canada. He works with GSBM in producing some of the audio/video presentations for the ministry, hosting the Pastors Training School here in Canada, and directing the
Canadian Emergency Helps. His vision for ministry is to see Forest City Baptist Church well established in London to meet the needs of the community with evangelistic outreaches as well as help
ministries etc. His desire for IBCanada, is to see an interdependence among Independent Baptists in Canada, including a quarterly news letter/magazine and devotional book. His vision for GSBM
is to continue to host the Pastors Training School every second year as well as establish the Emergency Road and Housing Ministry here in Canada.
Gordon was born in Ontario, Canada and grew up in Toronto. He attended Bible college at the age of 28. He earned Graduate of
Theology degree from Baptist Bible College Canada in 1983 and a Bachelor of Theology degree from the same school in 1984.
From 1983 - 1998 he ministered in Brantford, Ontario, Canada as Assistant Pastor and then Church Planter. Because of his wife's long battle with leukemia, he had to take a two-year sabbatical from
the ministry in 1998. At that time the Lord opened the door in London for him to come and continue building on the foundation that Dr. Howard had started.
In 1971 Gordon married Shelley Lynn LeGrow and they have three daughters and six grandchildren.
Pastor Gordon LeGrow
PTS Alternate Instructor
Forest City Baptist Church
6 Weymouth Drive
London, ON N5V4E7
Canada
Church (519) 455-8677
glegrowis@rogers.com
forestcitybaptist.org
ibcanada.org
Mark E. Thrift has been the pastor of the Parkwood Baptist Church for 22 years. Parkwood is an Independent Baptist Church that exists for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in fulfillment of the
great commission of Matthew 28:19-20. Parkwood has a graded Sunday School for all ages, a youth ministry, a ministry to our Senior Saints, a jail ministry, a rest home ministry, a correspondence school
that serves those that are incarcerated, a Wednesday night program designed to minister to urban children, and a bus ministry. Most importantly Parkwood has a world-wide outreach through partnering
with more than 90 foreign missionaries and missionary outlets. Our vision is to extend these ministries and seek out further wisdom for what the Lord would have for us in the days to come.
Brother Thrift served as the pastor of 3 churches in his 27 years of pastoring: Cherokee Baptist Church of Rusk, Texas; Open Door Baptist Church of Carthage, Texas; and the Parkwood Baptist Church of
Houston, Texas, and served under his father for a total of three years as his associate before his death. His father pastored five churches in his ministry until the Lord took him home in November of 1985.
The church he now pastors is the same one that his father pastored for the last 22 years of his ministry. Mark also
is an instructor in GSBM's Pastors Training School.
Mark was born in 1955. He attended Lynchburg Baptist College in Lynchburg, Virginia and Hyles-Anderson College in Crown Point, Indiana. In January of 1977 he moved
back to Houston, Texas to work with his father in the church. He finished up a B.A. degree in Bible at the Baptist Christian College in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Mark and Joni were married in 1976. The Lord has given them four precious children and six precious grandchildren.
Pastor Mark E. Thrift
PTS Instructor
Parkwood Baptist Church
P.O. Box 60142
Houston, TX 77205-0143
Church (281) 442-5359
mthrift@parkwoodbaptist.org
parkwoodbaptist.org
Joe Williams is the pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Lodi, Ohio. He was born in West Virginia. When he was still an infant his parents moved to Cleveland Ohio.
The Lord planted the family in an apartment above some Christian people who were good witnesses for Christ. Both his parents were saved when he was four years old, and a few years later Joe's father was
called to pastor Cleveland Baptist Temple where he pastored for 17 years until he retired due to his health. Joe was born again at the age of 9 years. He worked for Nestle Company in Cleveland for 19 years.
God moved the Williams family from Cleveland to Lodi in 1996. Victory Baptist Church was just beginning at a High School near their house. Over several years the Lord led him to direct music, be a deacon, teach Sunday
school, begin a senior saints group, and have a local jail ministry. Sometime around 2000 the Lord changed his heart towards being a pastor. In September 2003, Brother Williams was called to pastor Victory Baptist Church.
He serves as a substitute instructor for GSBM's Pastors Training School.
Brother Williams' pastoral training consists of local church Bible institutes, PTS and "on the job training." His prayer is that God will make him the pastor He wants Him to be. His ministry vision is to reach Lodi for Christ.
He is looking to the day when the church members become natural witnesses for Christ. The Lord is leading the church to help missionaries that need a place to stay while in the area, and during their stay the church wants to
be a blessing to them how ever possible. The Lord has also dealt with him about training Victory Baptist Church members to fulfill the ministries God calls them to. He has a long-range vision of a youth camp not only for the
church kids, but also for the unsaved kids – a camp that is very affordable so many more can attend.
Joe married Lisa in 1985. They have two wonderful children who faithfully serve at Victory Baptist Church with their parents.
Pastor Joe Williams
PTS Alternate Instructor
Victory Baptist Church
8345 Harris Road
Lodi, OH 44254
Church (330) 948-8851
joe@experiencevictory.com
experiencevictory.com