Brian has been serving with Word of Life for a long time. When I ask about his journey to where we sit today, he shares, “Lynn and I began serving with Word of Life Local Church Ministries (now Youth Ministries) in 1997, one year after we got married, and in 1998, we were assigned to North Carolina. We packed up—not that we had much to pack—and moved to a place where we knew absolutely no one.”
He cracks up at that and tells me Don Lough called him into his office and shared that Roger felt the Lord was leading him and his family in a different direction. He then asked Brian if he would be willing to pray about moving into the Vice President position. “I was totally shocked. We did not see it coming at ALL,” he puts a heavy emphasis on the last word, “and to be honest, it was a very overwhelming thought. I really thought I’d say no.” My interest is piqued. His tone is frank, his face serious, when he says he really wasn’t going to consider it. So, I ask— what made him change his mind? “Well,” he begins, “I told Don we would pray about it for a week. Lynn and I were actually apart for the first three days or so,” he laughs again, “and our alumni might appreciate this—it was right in the middle of Reverb season. Don asked on Tuesday; I left on Wednesday.”
Lynn and Brian while dating in high school
His voice grows nostalgic as he continues, “When we started serving in North Carolina, we worked with just three churches—but over time,
A pause, and then, “I had just one more year to make my faith count in high school; I did my best to really live it out.” A smile crosses his face, “I also began dating Lynn that same summer. Her parents were actually the ones who introduced me to Word of Life. They were from Indiana but came to Illinois and served in my church as the Local Church Missionaries.” With a big smile, he shares that everyone thinks he and Lynn began dating at the Bible Institute. “No way! We were dating for over a year by the time we got here!” A chuckle, and he continues, “Now, we’ve been married for 26 years and have three kids. Courtney is 20, in her second year at WOLBI, and will be getting married this June, which is crazy to think about. Corbin and Allison are twins—although nobody seems to think so, because of how different they are—they’re juniors in high school. We love to spend time together watching movies, traveling, or playing sports.”
God abundantly blessed, and our ministry grew substantially. I was coor- dinator of the Piedmont Region in 2014 when I got a call asking if Lynn and I would consider moving to New York, where I would serve as coordinator of the
“I’m really looking forward to strengthening and cultivating a culture of spiritual growth and strong relationships with students, faculty, and staff."
Northeast Region. After much prayer, we accepted. When we moved, we were partners with 31 churches and had 56 Bible Clubs running. It was absolutely incredible.” “For the last seven years,” he continues, “that’s where I have been serving— in Youth Ministries, as the Northeast Regional Coordinator. I loved it.” He finishes his thought, and I look up— so, how did he get to where he is now, as Vice President of the New York Bible Institute and Camps? It seems to be, well, a bit different than his previous ministry.
Baker family, 2022
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