Welcome to our church website! I’ve had the privilege of serving as pastor at Cedar Crest Independent Baptist Church since October 2015. I grew up in church and came from a long line of faithful believers, but it wasn’t until June 28, 1995—after 2½ years of conviction—that I truly repented and put my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Though I avoided many outward sins, God showed me I was still a sinner in need of His grace. That night, I understood Christ died for my sin and on the third day He rose from the grave, proving He is the Son of God. I asked Jesus Christ to forgive me of all my sins and be my Saviour.     

 

In 1996,  the Lord led me to Crown College in Powell, Tennessee.  I took a short-term mission trip to Peru, where I became fluent in the Spanish language.  

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In July of 2000, I married my college sweetheart, Peggy Woodward.  We moved to Texas and served in a Spanish church.  After serving two years in Texas, God led us back to my wife's home church in Warrenton, Virginia.  I served on staff at Trinity Baptist Church for 11.5 years.  During three of those years, I preached in the Spanish ministry that I started. 

 

In the spring of 2015, I got a call from Cedar Crest Independent Baptist Church.  They had received my name from someone on my side of the family in Pennsylvania and someone from my wife's side in Virginia.  I felt led to preach here at Cedar Crest and knew God was leading me here.  The church had been through a difficult couple of years and needed God to bring healing and renewed purpose, found only in Jesus Christ.  My passion is to lead people to Christ and to see them grow in the Lord and do great things for God! 

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If you do not know if you have a reservation in Heaven,  I would be happy to talk with you about what God has done to provide that for you and get that reservation settled.  

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Pastor L. James Barton

Acts 20:21, 24