General Worship Services

Missions Pastor, Worth Baptist Church, and Missionary to Ghana West Africa

Pastor Stephen Volante was born just outside Boston, but was raised in both Rhode Island and Western Massachusetts. He married his high school sweetheart Laurel Towne from Northampton, and trained to be an engineer at Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, Massachusetts. After working ten years in many types of building construction, Steve felt God’s call to the ministry. He received his training at Heritage Baptist Institute of the Bible, in New England.

During a mission’s conference in his home church pastored at that time by his father, John Volante, he surrendered to serve the Lord as a missionary wherever God would call him. On a mission’s trip to Ghana to visit John Hayes, God spoke clearly to Steve’s heart. He and Laurel left to serve the Lord in Ghana in August of 1995. God was mightily blessing the work, and many were receiving Christ as Savior. However, in March of 1997, God called Laurel home to glory. Steve returned to the USA broken wondering how God would help him raise their three dear children alone. Like only God can do, he brought Missionary Michelle Tilson into Steve’s life to help him live and dream again. They were married on August 29, 1998, and returned to Ghana a year later to continue the work God had entrusted to Steve’s care.

Steve is currently serving as the mission’s pastor here at Worth Baptist Church, while serving as the General Director and African Director for Mount Abarim Baptist Missions. Steve still serves as the senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, in Techiman dividing his time between the USA and Africa.

Dr. Bill and Marcy Patterson's main focus has been Bible translation and church planting, but they have also worked in training Bible translators, establishing Bible institutes, developing ministries for youth and children, and speaking in conferences. Dr. Patterson is the President of Mount Abarim Baptist Mission International and the Director of the Bethesda Children’s Homes in Tlapa, Mexico. They are member missionaries of Worth Baptist Church.

Dr. Jim Schettler, West Coast Baptist College of Lancaster, CA

Dr. Mike Patterson was a Missionary to Mexico and the President Emeritus of Mount Abarim Baptist International (mountabarim.org). Dr. Mike preached for over fifty years, serving the Lord as a missionary, church planter, and director of the Bethesda Children’s Homes in Tlapa, Gro. Mexico. Dr. Mike and Mrs. Becky Patterson are members of Worth Baptist Church.

Pastor Emeritus of Worth Baptist Church

Dr. Raymond Barber has been in the Gospel ministry for more than sixty years. He pastored Worth Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas for thirty-five years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus. Additionally, Dr. Barber has taught Bible college classes, founded the Independent Baptist Fellowship International and the Norris Bible Baptist Institute. He served as President of the Independent Baptist Fellowship International and the Norris Bible Baptist Institute for twelve years.

Currently is President Emeritus of the IBFI, serves on the Executive Board of the IBFI, and is chancellor of Crown Southwest Norris Seminary. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Sword of the Lord Foundation and the Mt. Abarim Baptist Evangelistic Association.

He is the author of several books, booklets, and pamphlets, among which are: What the Bible Teaches, A Dozen Diamonds from Daniel, Family Portraits, Family Success, Profile of a Preacher, Golden Moments with God, Heaven's Hymnbook.

Barber continues to travel extensively throughout the nation preaching in revival meetings, Bible conferences, mission conferences, Bible colleges, fellowship meetings, and gatherings such as the national Sword of the Lord conference and the national meeting of the Independent Baptist Fellowship International.

Dr. R. Terry Riggsby, Senior Citizen's Minister of Worth Baptist Church

Dr. R. T. Riggsby served as Associate Pastor of Worth Baptist Church from 1999 to 2014. He and his wife, Peggy, have been members of Worth Baptist since 1984 when Bro. Riggsby came to Fort Worth, Texas, to begin the Norris Bible Baptist Institute, a ministry of the Independent Baptist Fellowship International.

Dr. Riggsby is currently serving as administrator/teacher of the Norris Bible Baptist Seminary. He served in that post from its inception in 1984 until 1999. During this time, he also served as Managing Editor of the "Searchlight" publication, and office manager of the IBFI. He became administrator again in 2014.

Prior to coming to Fort Worth, Bro. Riggsby, served as administrator and teacher of Calvary Baptist School in Holland, Michigan, which he began in 1978, and served on staff at Calvary Baptist Church for six years.

His first full-time ministry was at his home church, Dayton Baptist Temple, Dayton, Ohio, where he served as administrator and teacher as Temple Christian School, which he helped establish in 1967 and later served as administrator from 1974-1978.

Dr. Riggsby served in the public school system for ten years in his home town of Vandalia, Ohio, where he was teacher, assistant principal at the Morton Junior High for six years, and then became principal of the Vandalia Elementary School for four years.

He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Ohio University and Master's Degree from Wright State University. He was awarded an honorary Doctor's Degree from Louisiana Baptist University in 1997.

Bro. and Mrs. Riggsby were both saved in 1965 and have served the Lord in many capacities over the years. They have been in Sunday school work for thirty-eight years and currently teach the Liberty Sunday School class. They have four children, Mark, Amy, Rebekah, and Joshua and ten grand children, all of whom live in the Fort Worth area.

United States Marine and Evangelist

To escape the world around him, he joined the Marine Corps in 1969. After his training, he received orders to serve in southeast Asia. In March of 1971, he was apprehended by the hand of God along an abandoned grassy trail in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. In that moment, engulfed in smoke, fire and holy vengeance, a land mine explosion severed two lower limbs, and placed in a wheelchair for life a young man who was to carry, without legs, a message from God to a nation.

After his call to preach in 1973, and following a year of itinerant evangelistic preaching, Tim Lee pastored for five years in southern Illinois before surrendering to the full-time ministry of evangelism in 1979. The results in the lives of people was almost immediate as the former Marine began to stir and challenge God’s people across the country. People of all ages listened; among them teenagers, the professional person, United States Congressmen and Senators, Governors, Mayors and elected officials. They heard a clear, uncompromising message grounded deep in old fashioned patriotism, righteous living and biblical revival.

Pastor of Worth Baptist Church

Dr. Willie W. Weaver was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but spent his formative years in Louisiana. He resides in Burleson with Carolyn, his wife of fifty years. God has blessed Dr. and Mrs. Weaver with two children and five grandchildren.

With a keen heart for missions, Dr. Weaver has always led strong, missions-minded churches known for innovative leadership of missions conferences. His desire is to continue pastoring, to win precious souls, and to take the Gospel to every creature.

Answering God's call thirty-five years ago, Dr. Weaver first pastored People's Baptist in Harrisburg, Virginia for seven years; then Calvary Baptist in Connersville, Indiana for twenty years, and beginning in 1997 through the present, Worth Baptist in Fort Worth, Texas. His local church background includes time as a youth director, and twenty and twenty-seven years in television and radio ministries respectively.

Dr. Weaver has served as Secretary, Vice-President and a three year term as President of the Independent Baptist Fellowship International (IBFI). He was also the President of the Norris Bible Baptist Institute (NBBI) for three years and has served as editor of the "Searchlight", the official publication for the IBFI. Dr. Weaver is presently an instructor at the Crown Southwest Norris Seminary, teaching various courses. He holds a B.D. degree from the Bible Baptist Seminary and an honorary D.D. from Louisiana Baptist University.

Dr. Weaver faithfully served as pastor of Worth Baptist Church from 1997 to 2015.

Evangelist Andrew Johnson launched into full-time music evangelism in December 2019 after serving 11 years on staff as the Music Minister for Worth Baptist Church. Since that time, the Gospel ministry has taken him and his family all over the country preaching, teaching, and training others with their unique blend of church music.