Steve and Rebekah Boots

For Steve Boots, being born and raised in a Christian home and attending Fairhaven Baptist Church was a special privilege God gave him. Steve was born in 1983 and was saved at the tender age of five in his kindergarten Sunday School class. Although his testimony is simple, Steve is thankful that God was merciful and spared him from the snares of a wicked life.

Upon graduating from Fairhaven Baptist Academy in May of 2001, Steve began attending Fairhaven Baptist College in the fall of the same year, enrolling in the missions program. The decision to attend Fairhaven Baptist College was not a difficult one for him because he had grown up at Fairhaven and knew exactly where the college stood on every issue.

Looking back over his college experience, Steve is grateful that he stayed busy. To help pay for his tuition, he worked part time at night and attended classes during the day. He was also involved in the sports program, playing soccer for the college.

While Steve enjoyed all of his classes at Fairhaven, the one that gave him the greatest enjoyment and the one he appreciates the most now was the Christian Education class, taught by Dr. Roger Voegtlin. While he looks back on and uses the notes he took in many of his classes, he finds that he refers back to his Christian Education class notes more than any other. This was the most practical class he took, and it is the one that is most applicable to the day in and day out responsibilities that Steve faces in the ministry.

During his college years, Steve was involved in various ministries, but primarily he was involved in the bus ministry. Without a doubt, he believes that the years he spent serving on the bus route in Gary helped to prepare him and give him a heart for the ministry.

In the summers following his junior and senior years in college, Steve had the opportunity to travel for the college ensemble and present the college in many churches. Following his senior year, the ensemble travelled to Gill Grove Baptist Church where Steve met Pastor John Brothers, who introduced him to his daughter, Rebekah. Pastor Brothers was simply introducing them out of courtesy; but as they stood there that day, Rebekah caught Steve's eye, and as they say, "the rest is history." Steve and Rebekah were married a year and a half later on December 8, 2006. Steve is thankful for the godly wife God has given him.

After Steve graduated from college in May of 2005, Steve worked in our Academy. During that year, it became clear that God was leading him to move to Virginia to work under Pastor Brothers where he would be able to train further for the ministry. So in August of 2006, Steve moved to Virginia.

Working at Gill Grove Baptist Church has been a real blessing for Steve. As an assistant pastor, he thoroughly enjoys the many and varied ministries that God has given him there. He is excited about the dramatic growth they have seen in their bus ministry this past year, as well as several families who have joined Gill Grove. But the greatest blessing for Steve and Rebekah is that God has allowed them to prepare for their future ministry on the mission field there. They are thankful that Gill Grove is a church that holds to high standards and practices separation from the world and that they can serve in a church that has a love for God and a heart for souls.

As he thinks back over the years that he grew up at Fairhaven, he remembers Dr. Voegtlin stressing the need for revival. Seeing the desire of Dr. Voegtlin's heart for revival has burdened Steve's heart to see revival in his own life, family, ministries, and church.