Where in the world are they now?
BBC Alumni Association Special Feature
Larry D. Lilley
Following graduation, on July 1, Larry married Pat Smith (class of ’61) from Connersville, Indiana. Larry and Pat immediately moved to Amarillo, Texas, where he became a youth and music minister. After three years, Larry became pastor of Central Baptist, Amelia, Ohio. Next, the Lord moved them to El Paso, Texas, where Larry pastored for five years followed by nearly 20 years pastoring Southwest Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, Texas. Larry has now been on the ministry staff of Houston’s First Baptist Church for 20 years, serving as the assistant to the pastor, Dr. John Bisagno, minister of evangelism, and recently became the senior adults minister. Larry says he is “having the time of my life!” Presently, he teaches numerous Bible classes each week and evangelism workshops, both locally and around the country, as a national teacher/trainer with Evangelism Explosion out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The Lilleys have been blessed with four children (three sons and a daughter) and three grandchildren. Their oldest son is a lay music minister in Atlanta, Georgia, and their daughter is the program director, praise team director and soloist at the Clear Creek Community Church in Clear Creek, Texas. Pat is a piano teacher, Houston’s First Baptist Church orchestra pianist, and a freelance performer for various business and social events.
Jerry Burton
Graduating from Baptist Bible Col¬lege in 1960, Jerry has faithfully served four churches. Over these 50 years, he has served at Arlington Baptist Temple in music and youth; Lima Baptist Temple in music and youth; Cherry St. Baptist Church as associate pastor; and for the past 30 years he has served at Calvary Baptist Church, Pittman, Ohio, as senior pastor. Jerry and his faithful wife, Jean, have a daughter, Kristi, and son, Paul. Both children are now grown and married. In July 2005, Jean passed away after a brief battle with cancer.
In July of 2007, Burton married the former Carol Feistel. Carol and her husband, Malcom Feistel, were missionaries in Taiwan for 28 years. They have five children, Amy, Sue, Nancy, Andrew, and Richard. Malcom passed away in June 2006 after a brief battle with cancer. Carol teaches a single ladies class and orchestrates the music ministry at Calvary.
While staying busy serving the Lord, Jerry has served the school as Alumni Association president and currently as vice president.
Branson Howard
Branson Howard accepted Christ as His Lord at an early age under the ministry of his parents and Victor Sears in Goshen, Indiana.
As a young man, after moving to Winter Haven, Florida, where his uncle, Millard Branson, pastored, his dad, Blaine Howard, taught him to lead singing and to be used in the church.
In 1956, as a senior in high school, all of his family moved to Springfield, Missouri, to attend Baptist Bible College. In 1957, Branson entered BBC and while there he met Jorene Mullins. The night of her 1959 graduation, W. E. Dowell performed their midnight wedding ceremony at High Street Baptist Church. Branson graduated in 1960 with a degree in music and these past 50 years they have served the Lord together.
The Howards have two married sons, Kevin and his wife, Wendy, and Eric and his wife, Stacy, and one precious granddaughter, Kylie Howard, age 6.
A highlight in ministry for the How¬ards would be when W. E. Dowell, their pastor and professor from their college days, asked them to work at Baptist Temple in Springfield where they served 12 years.
They have worked with good men and churches in Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi, and Missouri as music and youth ministers directing great choirs and youth departments.
After going through some health issues, God continues to use Branson, now as pastor and choir director of Bible Baptist Church in Republic, Missouri. Having recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, they are proud to say they are still of the old school and never dipped their colors or quit.
They have served as Alumni vice presidents several years and lead their class reunions of ‘59 and ‘60 every 5 years with Branson’s 50th coming up in May.