Rick's HistoryRick Barton accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in the winter of 1969 while a sophomore in college. Shortly afterward he began a Christian coffee house for college students. The coffee house became a Bible Study which eventually became a church with Rick as the reluctant pastor. Rick served the church for 40 years first as a tri-vocational pastor and then as "minister at large."
Rick has been teaching, skiing, and working in forest fire suppression for over 45 years. He has fought forest fires all over the western United States, including the Yellowstone fires. He has also served after hurricanes, the Space Shuttle disaster, and as a counselor at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks. During the coffee house days, Melva became a Christian and they were married June 6, 1971. Rick and Melva have four children: Joy, Rebekah, Steve and Tim. Rick's ministry has included itinerant evangelistic preaching, helping start churches in nearby communities, campground chapels, college ministry, and sharing gods word internationally. They have been blessed to work with many denominations. Rick has served as a consultant for the Billy Graham Aadvanced School of Evangelism. He Was asked by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to write a handbook for beginning evangelists which he completed in the fall of 1993. He also had the privilege of speaking at the American Conference for Itinerant Evangelists, held in Louisville, Kentucky. Over 300 people from their ministry have gone into Christian service. |
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