On Tuesday evening during BFC Conference, three men decked out in their finest suits along with the members of the Ministerial Credentials Committee stood on the stage of Pinebrook Bible Conference for their ordination service. Pastor Keith Strunk gave a charge to the candidates and Pastor Wayne Rissmiller led the candidates through the vows of ordination. Then each of the men in turn kneeled on the stage to be prayed over for their lives and their ministry. The families of the men attended the service and joined the men in a receiving line as all the current pastors greeted each one. The service ended with a reception complete with coffee and cake.
Here is a brief background of each one of the newly ordained men:
William A. Burton III
Bill Burton currently serves as the lead pastor of Exeter Bible Fellowship Church in Birdsboro, PA. He has previously served as a church planter, discipleship pastor, family pastor, and youth pastor. He met his wife, Sarah, in high school and they reconnected many years later. They have been married for thirteen years and have three children. Bill resonates well with Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15 when he describes himself as the worst of sinners. His conversion came at the end of a long, self-indulgent, and destructive lifestyle. The Lord saved Bill at a small Christian rehab in upstate New York where He gave Bill a passion for studying and teaching His word.
Adam Crain
Adam Crain trusted Christ as his Savior at a young age. At sixteen years old, he sensed God’s call to full-time ministry. During his freshman year at Philadelphia Biblical University, he volunteered in the youth ministry at Davisville Church in Southampton, PA and eventually became the full-time Youth Pastor and Upwards Sports Director. He served at Davisville Church for eleven years and during that time he met and married his wife, Lauren.
In 2011, he transitioned to Chelten Church as Youth Pastor and eventually Ministry Development Pastor and was ordained in the fall of 2015. While at Chelten, Adam obtained a Master of Science in Christian Counseling from Cairn University. Adam and Lauren also adopted three children, two domestic and one international.
In 2017, Adam came to Cedar Crest BFC to serve as the Shepherding Pastor. He considers it an honor to have his ordination recognized by the Bible Fellowship Church and to continue to serve the Lord for His glory.
Daniel Hoffstetter
Dan Hoffstetter was born in Center Valley, PA and raised in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Limeport. In high school he was invited to the youth group at Calvary BFC in Coopersburg in 2005 where, under the discipleship and mentorship of Mark Evans, he gave his life to the Christ. Dan graduated from Eastern University in St. Davids, PA in 2012 with a degree in Biblical Studies. He graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary with his Masters of Divinity in 2015 and with a ThM in Theology and Culture in 2017. While in Massachusetts, Dan met and married his wife, Heidi. They have two children, Madelyn aged 5 and Calvin aged 3. He pastored in Gloucester, MA. In the middle of the insanity of 2020, Dan was called by Church Extension Ministry to plant Redeemer BFC in Topton, PA. Dan has thoroughly enjoyed being back in the BFC and is grateful to both the unfailing faithfulness of God and the support of the churches in both his life and ministry.
Freddy Chi
Freddy Chi, church planter with Church Extension Ministries in the middle-class community of Villa Magna del Sur, Mexico, was unable to attend conference this year, but has sufficiently completed the tasks to become an ordained minister. There will be an ordination service in Mexico at a later date.
Freddy was saved at the age of 14 after finding an answer in Hebrews 9:27 to the question, “what happens after death?” He started working with young people from his church through Word of Life Ministry. Through this ministry, the Lord prepared him to serve his church full-time. He studied at the Bible Institute of Guadalajara, Jal. He has a Bible League diploma in church planting and a diploma in Explosive Evangelism.
Freddy has been married to his wife, Nury, for 24 years and they have three children: Isai (22), Erika (19), and Andres (17).
