INDEPENDENT BAPTIST ONLINE COLLEGE - Key Persons
Brian Evans has been preaching for 32 years and is the Pastor of the Oakwood Baptist Church in Flowery Branch Ga which he helped establish in 2001. Oakwood Baptist Church operates a Rescue Mission, a Bus Ministry and until recently a Spanish Ministry which was able to become fully independent last year. The ministry owns in excess of 3 million dollars worth of property and buildings.
Dr. Bruce Miller has been preaching since 1972 and has served the Lord as a youth director, assistant pastor, pastor, church planter and Bible college administrator and instructor.
He also has served, and serves, as an evangelist holding revivals, one-day to two week meetings, mission's conferences and more. Pastors report "revival", many souls saved and lasting results!
God has used Dr. Miller to start, help to start, or "rescue" eleven Bible colleges and institutes around the world and over 1,200 men and when who are graduates of these schools serve God today!
He currently is Founder and President of the Atlantic Coast Baptist College in Laurel, DE.
Dr. Miller is currently part of the administration at IBOC as the Executive Vice President.
David Baker was born in Columbia, TN where he grew up in Santa Fe just outside the town limits. When he was twelve, his family moved to Ft. Madison, IA. From there he went into the Army eventually becoming a paratrooper. Having enough with all the world has to offer, Pastor Baker turned back to God and surrendered to preach. Having attended Hyles-Anderson college, David has pastored for over 18 years. He and his wife Laura have eleven children; David, Sarah, Alyssa, Jonathan, Mark, Darick, Grant, Laurissa, Cameron, Janessa and Carson.
Dr. Don R. Crutcher has been preaching since 1991 and has served the Lord as youth director, assistant pastor, pastor, and college instructor. In 1999 he started and ran Bible Baptist school in Kansas, and has been the principal of two other Christian Academies.
Dr. Crutcher has a Bachelor of Science degree in Pastoral Theology from Hyles Anderson College, a Master of Ministry degree from Bethany Divinity Seminary, and a Doctor of Religious Education degree from Baptist College of America.
Dr. Crutcher pastored two churches spanning a period of sixteen years. Bible Baptist Church of Goodland, Kansas 1998 - 2003, and Trinity Baptist Church of Lititz, Pennsylvania, 2003 - 2014. He wan as also an assistant pastor for four years and the principal of a Christian Academy in Texas where he now resides. Dr. Crutcher celebrates 20 years full-time service for the Lord and 27 years of preaching.
Dr. Jeff Owens was born August 10, 1960 and born again at the ripe "young" age of 16. He felt the call of God on his life to preach that very same year. Before the age of 17, he found himself preaching or teaching the Bible on the average of eight times a week. He started serving in his local New Testament church as an unpaid assistant Pastor at the age of 17; overseeing and running the bus program and the teen program. After graduating from high school, he went off to Bible College. His speaking schedule has remained very full over the last 40 years, tallying a grand total of 37,000+ sermons being delivered for the cause of Christ to well over 600,000 people.
He has received five different degrees and diplomas. He also received the Sword of the Lord's Award of Evangelism from Dr. Curtis Hutson. This award was given to one Christian college student per year in the United States of America for their personal evangelistic accomplishments. At the time of his final college graduation the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana pastored by Dr. Jack Hyles, Jeff was hired as a full-time assistant pastor for this great church. His Alma Mater, that was led by its then President Dr. Wendell Evans, simultaneously hired Bro. Owens as a professor at Hyles-Anderson College. Through the many years that followed Jeff was promoted through the ranks to the office of vice-president. He spent a total of 18 years serving in the great ministries of First Baptist Church of Hammond, alongside and under the leadership of Dr. Jack Hyles.
Dr. Owens resigned his work at HAC and First Baptist Church shortly after the death of Dr. Hyles, desiring to follow the call of God for him to pastor. Dr. Owens felt God had called him to take a struggling church in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The Shenandoah Bible Baptist Church was averaging approximately 100 people in Sunday school when Dr. Owens arrived to become their new pastor in 2002. Many would describe the next 11 years of ministry as a "miracle ministry." The church grew rapidly and strong. Prior to Dr. Owens' arrival to SBBC this church had filed bankruptcy. He and his fine staff brought the church to financial success and overcame the bankruptcy cloud. The 25 acre property was highly developed under Dr. Owens ministry. One building alone that he led them to successfully build was a 25,000 square foot Educational building. This ministry would average approximately 3 million a year in income. Before his resignation the church had exceeded the $2 million mark of funds given to foreign missions. His staff grew from 10 people to 51 full and part-time employees. Having started with nine Sunday school classes in 2002, his last year as leader of this great ministry there were 85 different Sunday school classes that had been organized; 24 of which were adult classes. He hosted and founded three national conferences that were conducted each year throughout the life of his ministry at SBBC. His heart for the bus ministry led him to purchase and run 20 bus routes to the area. They had a total of 24 church buses and vans all of which were paid for in cash and debt free. On the 10th anniversary there we nearly 2,700 people in attendance on the property with over 600 people trusting Christ as Savior in that one church service alone.
Throughout the course of his ministry he has traveled in Evangelism across the nation and around the world conducting revival meetings and conferences. He has Spoken in 48 states and several foreign countries. He is the author of 10 Different books and 44 other products made available to the public through his ongoing ministry, Owens Publications. They can be viewed At www.owenspublications.com.
After his resignation at SBBC Dr. Owens found himself taking another church that was strong doctrinally but struggling financially and numerically. Twin Rivers Baptist Church of New Bern, NC. After nearly three years at this church the attendance has more than quadrupled and the financial intake has multiplied incredibly. Hundreds are being saved and again God's power and blessing is evident. They recently moved into a state of the art building valued at over 2 million dollars.
Dr. Owens and his wife, Schery have been married for 36 years. They have four children, all of which are Bible college graduates and faithfully attending church and serving God with their lives to this day. It is estimated that nearly 250,000 people have been saved thus far during the course of this man's 40 year ministry. Bro. Owens is known to have a unique blend of conviction and compassion. He and his family have undergone many attacks from the devil but have stayed true to their old-time beliefs and have continued to love God and others.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Pastor, the Lewis Avenue Baptist Church
Jeffrey S. Smale, was born April 29, 1959, in Toledo, Ohio, to Bruce and Deanne Smale. He was saved at the age of 9 at a neighborhood backyard Bible club. At age 18, he moved to Columbus, Ohio, to attend Technical college. While there, he was invited to an Independent Baptist Church, where he surrendered to preach under Dr. Curtis Hutson. In 1979 he married his wife Mollie, whom he met at the church, and left for Hyles-Anderson College under Dr. Jack Hyles. The Smales have 12 children, 8 of whom they adopted. They currently live in Mansfield, Ohio.
Education:
Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Theology, Hyles-Anderson College 1986
Master of Theology, Empire Baptist College, 1990
Doctor of Theology, Atlantic Baptist College, 1992
Pastor Evans has been married to his wife Valerie for over 31 years. The Evans have three children, the oldest, Zack Evans, is the Youth Pastor for Oakwood Baptist Church. The Evans also has a daughter, Rebecca and another son, Jake, both of which are very active in their church.