G ary Ingersoll grew up in a diviaea nome. ms father was an alcoholic. His mother took him to a church that taught good works was the way to heaven. While attending General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) in Flint, Michigan. He was invited to attend Riverdale Baptist Church by one of his professors who was a Christian. It was through the ministry of that church that Gary realized his need for a Savior and accepted Christ at the age of 19. Gary continued his education at G.M.I and received his Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering while working at the Fisher Body Division of General Motors. He then took an “educational leave of absence” to attend Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary where he earned a Master of Divinity Degree. He continued to intern on weekends at the Riverdale Baptist Church in Flint, Michigan, where he met his future wife, Fran Dexter, a student nurse. Upon completing his seminary training, he became the Associate Pastor of Youth and Outreach at Riverdale Baptist in 1977. Gary and Fran were married that same year and while at Riverdale, God also blessed them with their first child, Jennifer. After four years at Riverdale, a recession forced the church to downsize its pastoral staff from four to two pastors. At that time, Rev. Ingersoll returned to Grand Rapids with his wife and daughter to attend seminary to earn his Master^ of Religious Education Degree. In 1981 he left the engineering field to accept a position as Associate Pastor of Youth at Bethany Baptist Church of Seattle, Washington. While using Word of Life Local Church Ministries materials, he helped the church's youth group of the church grow in number and in discipleship. While they were at Bethany, their son, Andy, was born. Then, in 1985, Rev. Ingersoll became full time with Word of Life Local Church Ministries and became the Local Church Missionary to Washington State for 12 years. When the Word of Life Bible Institute extension campus openecHn Hudson, Florida in the fall of 1997, ^ /
Rev. Ingersoll was asked to become one of the resident professors there. For the last 13 years, Professor Ingersoll has taught Bible Survey to the students at the Bible Institute. The students have learned his heartbeat for young people and his desire to see them grow in the knowledge of our Lord.
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