Pastor Henry J. Barry, Jr.

Call to Ministry
My conversion and call to ministry was in 1982 while attending Fitchville Baptist Church. Struggling with the addictions of this life was taking its toll and I often felt like an aimless vagabond. Through this sense of emptiness I appealed to the Lord Jesus to save me from my hopelessness. I committed my life to the Lord was baptized and started growing in the faith.
Theologically, I was justified and began the process of sanctification being made holy, by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Through teaching a third grade Sunday school class I started to grow in the word. Eleven years later in 1993 I entered Seminary of East in the Master of Divinity program finishing in July 1998. I received a call to pastor Faith Community Church in October 1998.
Theology of Ministry is according to the mandate in the Great Commission.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20 KJV).

I believe the Bible gives direction for obeying and fulfilling the Great Commission through reaching out to the culture through preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ what a believer needs to know and believe 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, Matthew 4:23, 9:35, Acts 15:35, 28:31.

Apostolic Church
I believe the church is a community of faith and should follow in the apostolic doctrine traditions Acts 2:42-47.

Apostolic Succession
I believe apostolic succession is through teaching faithful disciples who teach others as they mature in the faith, 2 Timothy 2:2, Ephesians 4:11-16. In this context the church should create environment and the capacity for those within to discover and develop spiritual gifts for ministry.

Purpose Statement
I believe the Scriptures reveal the primary purpose is to love, know and serve God, Deuteronomy 6:5, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Matthew 22:37-40 and to continue in the apostolic mission to evangelize those within the culture through preaching and teaching the gospel in order to extend and expand the Kingdom of God.

Education:
Three Rivers Community College A.S., 1982
Charter Oak State College, B.S., 1991
Seminary of the East, M.Div., 1998
Bethel Seminary, D.Min., 2011