Union Missionary Baptist Church
Robert Barbour, Pastor
17632 State Rt. 243
Chesapeake, OH 45619
(740) 867-4611

 
engel.rme@juno.com

Meanwhile, Sharon was getting lots of nurturing through the ministries of her high school youth leaders and, later at WV State College, with Campus Crusade for Christ. She even attended a Nav weekend conference in Blacksburg, VA, with us during those years. I remember that Janice Dolin, a brand-new believer and perhaps something of a "city girl", was also on that trip and riding in the same car with us. As we were driving through the countryside, a huge Black Angus cow or bull was grazing to our right, and Janice, clearly never having seen one before this, gasped, "Oh, look at that big ol' pig!"

I graduated from Marshall in Jan. 1970 as an army draftee with a BA in English. God led me back to Nav fellowship that summer while I was at Fort Bliss, El Paso, TX, where I got to minister with Dr. Dave and Pat Simon and Bill and Dottie Grant. After a tour in 'Nam where I was involved from afar in the ministry of Roger Fleming.  I returned to Las Cruces to get some Nav training with Dwight Hill, worked at Denny's Restaurant, went back to school and graduated from NMSU in 1974 with a teaching degree.

Through Dwight and Ruth I got involved in the ministry of First Evangelical Free Church of Las Cruces where Sharon and I still serve the Lord today.  Hal and Karen Jensen also played a very significant part in my life, especially when the Lord brought Sharon and me together. God gave us to each other in July 1976, and Jeremy, Charity, and Sarah to us in 1978, 1980, and 1981, respectively. 

Sharon retired from Mesilla Valley Christian Schools in May of 2011 after 28 years teaching there for a total 33 years teaching.  I retired in December of 2013 after 40 years of teaching, mostly with the Las Cruces Public School. We have three wonderful children-in-law, Kara (Douglas) Gwin, Beau Pihlaja (Charity's husband), and Jason Johnson (Sarah's husband).  God has also given us six precious grandkiddos--four Johnson grandsons, J. D. (Feb 2003), Ryan (Sep 2004), Tate (Apr 2006), and Zachary (Apr 2008) and two Pihlajas, Asher (Sep 2008) and Cressida (Dec 2010).  All six of our children are walking with the Lord, and all five grandchildren are being nurtured in that direction constantly, for all of which we praise Him.

Updated October 2016.

(304) 633-2783

Bob Jackson, who grew up in Princeton, West Virginia, attended Marshall University from 1964 to 1967.  He met Brad Adkins, the Nav’s campus representative, and Bob Barbour in the New Men’s Dorm one evening during the second semester of his freshman year.  Their invitation to a Bible study held in Brad’s home was the beginning of Bob’s relationship with the Navigators. Over the next two and one half years at Marshall and then during his senior year at North Carolina State University, where Bob transferred, he was involved in Navigator team activities. These included two ten-week summer training experiences in Washington DC and Madison, Wisconsin.  He graduated from NC State in 1968 with a BA in Geology.    

Sensing a call to the pastoral ministry, Bob attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky for the 1968-69 academic year, and then moved to nearby Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington. He graduated from LTS in 1972 with a DMin degree.  During seminary days, Bob pastored Morgan Christian Church in Morgan, Kentucky.  There he met Sandra Smith of Moline, Illinois, who was then teaching at the nearby Morgan Elementary School.  They were married in September of 1972.

Shortly after their marriage, the Jackson’s moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where Bob became principal and Sandra taught at Southland Christian School.  In 1973, the Jacksons moved to Atlanta where they became involved in the city’s Navigator community ministry.  During their three years in Atlanta, Bob worked for Safeco Insurance Company in their Stone Mountain offices.  Bob and Sandra also found a strong spiritual fellowship at Ingleside Presbyterian Church, where the Rev. Howard Cameron was pastor. The Jackson’s first child, Joel, was born at Northside Hospital in Atlanta in 1975. 

In 1976, again feeling the leading of God to the pastorate, Bob accepted the call of a small mission congregation in Hedgesville, West Virginia, in the Eastern Panhandle region of the state. For the next seven years, he and Sandra worked to establish Hedgesville Baptist Church and construct the congregation’s first building.  They also led in the founding of South Berkeley Baptist Church in Inwood, West Virginia.  During their years in Hedgesville, son Jeremy and daughter Jennifer were born. 

Toward the end of his tenure in Hedgesville, several leaders in the West Virginia convention of Southern Baptists influenced Bob to begin investigating denomination work.  As a part of this process he attended a conference for potential Directors of Mission held at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC.  He was thus prepared for a call that came from the New River Baptist Association in Galax, Virginia in 1983.  The position that Bob accepted was that of Director of Missions for the association. His responsibility was to provide direction to the missions efforts of thirty local Baptist congregations in Carroll and Grayson Counties. Sandra also accepted a teaching position with the Galax City Public Schools. 

The  Jackson’s fourteen years in Galax were fruitful in a number of ministry areas.  They were involved in beginning the Tri-Area Crisis Pregnancy Center, the New River Baptist Bible Institute, and the Galax Hispanic Center. They were also involved in starting and leading a number of Precept Bible Studies in the area.   In addition the Jackson’s were active at The First Baptist Church of Galax.  Bob was also privileged to serve on the Galax School Board, rising to the position of Chairman of the Board.  Sandra became Director of the Crisis Pregnancy Center. 

In 1997, Bob was asked by Dr. Reginald McDonald, Executive Director of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board in Richmond, Virginia, to take the position of Mission Resource Consultant for the Southwest area of Virginia, a region stretching from Jonesville, near the Kentucky border, to Christiansburg. This new assignment required a relocation to Abingdon, Virginia. 

In his new role, Bob worked with 270 local Baptist congregations.  He was also involved in planting five new churches in the communities of Bristol, Bluefield, Wytheville, Hillsville and Christiansburg.  While living in Abingdon, Bob and Sandra were also active in the ministry of Northstar Baptist Church in the nearby community of Bristol.  The Rev. Bill Houck was pastor.

The Jackson’s tenure in Abingdon, and with the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, concluded when Bob decided to follow God’s leadership to Blacksburg, Virginia, home of Virginia Tech.  His calling was to begin a new contemporary styled congregation in the university community, and the result was Northstar Church.  The name of course was borrowed from the Jackson’s home church in Bristol. 

Northstar Church grew over the six years of Bob’s pastorate, but in 2008 at age 62, Bob felt it was time for a change.  He thus submitted his resignation that summer, and the congregation began the search for a new pastor.  At the same time, he and Sandra applied to International Students, Inc. of Colorado Springs, Colorado to become campus staff at Virginia Tech, working with international students.  The Jackson’s now hold regular Bible studies, do retreats and host a variety of activities for students from around the globe who come to Tech primarily for graduate studies.  In addition, Bob does interim pastoral ministry.  At present he is interim at his home congregation of First Christian Church in Princeton, West Virginia, about an hour from Blacksburg.

As to the Jackson family, Joel is now a lawyer in Blacksburg.  Jeremy is the assistant director of Caraway Camp and Conference Center in Asheboro, NC, and Jennifer is a Special Education teacher in Portsmouth Virginia.  The Jacksons have two grandchildren, Violet and Lilly. 

Bob looks back to that day when he was first contacted by the Navigators at Marshall University as the pivotal event in his spiritual pilgrimage.  It was that event which gave him a passion for Bible study, evangelism and discipleship.  Following the example of Brad Adkins and others during those college days, he and Sandra now work to see students in Blacksburg come to know Christ and grow to become His devoted followers. 

Updated July 2010

Bob attended the MARSHALL NAVS REUNION in June 2015--see photo below.

614-771-6758

David W. Meadows?
12 Mohawk Trl
Huntington, WV 25705-4112 
(304) 697-4275 

Emmanuel Bapt. Ch.
1401 W. Washington St.
Charleston, WV 25312
304-342-4988
Ron Stoner, Sr. Pastor 

Ron was born in Huntington, WV. His father was a carpenter, and his mother taught English and literature at Huntington East High School after raising six children. He grew up in a coal mining town called Holden and graduated from Logan High School in 1966.

After high school Jan returned to West Virginia where she attended Marshall University. She became involved with the Navigators, received Christ as her Lord and began to grow in her faith. She attended the Maranatha Bible Camp Summer Training Program as one of her early growth opportunities.

Ron received Christ as Savior and Lord through the ministry of the 20th Street Baptist Church during his freshman year at Marshall University. In his junior year he committed himself to follow God's call to ministry. On the day of that public commitment he met Jan, an early childhood major, who was committing her life to ministry. In June after graduation in 1970 they spoke sacred vows of marriage before God, family, and friends.

In August they began the great adventure of moving to Fort Worth, TX, where Ron attended seminary. Upon departure from West Virginia they had very little money, no job and no place to live in Texas. When they arrived, God provided every need including a job teaching kindergarten for Jan. She was the first white teacher in a black inner city school.

In the 3rd year of seminary Ron was pastor of the Tigertown Community Church in Northeast Texas.

Upon completion of the Master of Divinity Degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1973, Jan and Ron returned to West Virginia in search of a church to serve. God led to the First Baptist Church of Ravenswood where they served for almost eleven years.

In 1977 they adopted Rhonda (age 6) and Shane (age 5). They are brother and sister both biologically and in their adopted family. What a step of faith to go from no children to two over a Thanksgiving weekend. The adventure of life continues. Today they have three grandsons, Shane, Jr. (9), Samuel (5), and Jacob (3).

Jan attended the MARSHALL NAVS REUNION in June 2015--see photo below.

I am managing the gift shop at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts here in Montgomery, and Danny is working as a designer at the newspaper as well as teaching Graphic Design on-line for Westwood College in Denver. Briana is married to Scott Hancock, a Montgomery native, and lives about five miles from us. Chris just came from San Francisco where he has been living for the past three or so years and is staying with us until he makes all the arrangements to go to Full Sail Film School in Orlando.

Briana & Scott blessed us with our first grandchild--­Julia Hart Hancock--on Oct. 14th. She is a joy.

We still haven't gotten over being homesick for the West Coast as we loved San Francisco (2 years) and Seattle (2 years). Don't know how long we will be here. Probably will leave when Danny's mother passes away. We are thinking about Fort Lauderdale again. We love the beach and the energy of such a diversified city.

Keep in touch; ­it is so good to hear from you. Address: 6656 Chaprice Lane, Montgomery, AL 36117. Phone: 334-414-0191 (cell--we did away with land line).

Love to all and God bless,

Dan: Graphic Arts, Museum Director

2 kids: Brianna and Chris

Gwin in Jackson's BS, ___ Hall (old brick dorm)