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Local pastor to speak at global church convention
HUNTINGTON -- Since 1977, Ivan Asbury has attended the annual Free Will Baptist Convention. But this year, things are a little different.
Asbury accepted an invitation by the National Association of Free Will Baptists to address the global audience with his sermon during the opening of the three-day convention.
The 72nd annual convention, expected to draw nearly 10,000 attendees throughout the United States and 40 different countries, takes place from Sunday-Wednesday, July 20-23, at the Charleston Civic Center. The theme is "Walking in the Light."
"This is the first time since 1991 that the convention is held in Charleston," Asbury said. "It will probably bring in several million dollars to the Charleston area.
"People come in and stay the entire week, eat in restaurants, do different activities and participate in amusement things."
Besides the monetary value, the convention can encourage, inspire and assist in gaining and strengthening memberships throughout the land. It also brings together men, women and children in all walks of life. In fact, there are three conferences taking place at the same time. In addition to this event, the Free Will Baptist youth and ladies have their own conferences.
This is the first time for the senior pastor at Camp Creek Freewill Baptist Church in Lavalette to speak at the convention. He opens the morning worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday with a sermon based on II Corinthians 5:7.
Asbury expects a big crowd on opening day, and it will grow as the event progresses.
"I'm looking at about 6,000 on Sunday," he said. "It will grow through Wednesday.
"More and more people will be attending as the week goes on."
His sermon, "Walking by Faith," is an in-depth examination of God's desire for Christians to stretch the boundaries of their existence.
"People tend to live their lives by what they see and have already experienced," Asbury explained. "God wants us to step beyond this and do things we've never done -- and this is why the scriptures in Corinthians challenge us to walk by faith and not by sight."
Asbury graduated from Huntington East High School in 1977 and was called to the ministry in 1981, preaching his first sermon at Thomas Memorial Free Will Baptist Church.
After attending Free Will Baptist College in Nashville, he was youth pastor and chairman of the Christian Education Board in West Virginia from 1982-87. He then became a home missionary in Indiana for several years, founded a church in Bloomington and served as senior pastor at Emmanuel Free Will Baptist in Wabash.
In 1994, he began what turned out to be a brief stay at Cedar Grove Free Will Baptist Church in Parkersburg, W.Va., before returning to his Huntington roots and becoming pastor of Central Free Will Baptist from 1994 to 2004.
Following that decade, he left Huntington another time to fulfill an assignment in Martinsburg at Heritage Free Will Baptist Church. In 2006, he became the first full-time pastor in the history of the Camp Creek Freewill Baptist Church in Lavalette.
Asbury shouldn't have any qualms or show signs of nervousness about speaking to a large crowd. Since accepting the pastorate at the Lavalette church, he has seen the congregation's attendance double.
The Free Will Baptist pastor is also honored to be a moderator for the West Virginia Association of Free Will Baptists. He has held this position for approximately 10 years.
In addition to these assignments, the pastor is a certified facilitator for "Drug Proof Your Kids," a national program sponsored by Focus on the Family, often presenting the program to churches throughout the region.
The history of the organization goes back to 1727 and today, it is approximately 300,000 strong in total membership, according to Asbury.
Asbury and his wife, Tracy, live in Huntington with their two children, Sarah and John.
