Rev. Ricky Byrd

Rev. Ricky Byrd was elected to be Friendship Baptist Church's new pastor on September 28, 2008. We look forward to having Rev. Ricky and his wife, Michele, and sons, John Clark, Caleb, and Elijah in our church family as our pastor for a long time.

Rev. Byrd confessed his call to preach in December of 1989 and preached his first sermon on the first Sunday in January of 1990. He was called to Pastor Bethany Baptist Church in the Hightower Association in the summer of 1990. He was then ordained at his home church, Harmony Grove Baptist Church. He pastored Bethany for 9 years.

Rev. Byrd was elected Pastor of Willeo Baptist Church in the Roswell Association in July of 2000. He pastored there for 8 years.

Elijah was baptized at Friendship on July 17, 2011. Rev. Ricky Byrd, Michele, John Clark, and Caleb all joined Friendship Baptist Church when Elijah joined to be baptized. As of September 4, 2011,all members of the Ricky Byrd family are members of our church when their letters were accepted at conference from Harmony Grove Baptist Church for Ricky and Michele and Willeo Baptist Church for John Clark and Caleb.

Not only does Preacher Ricky deliver very inspiring sermons, he also teaches a Bible Study Class throughout the year on Wednesday evenings except during the summer. He is always busy participating in all the church events we hold.

Michele has taught a Children's Sunday School Class for years at Friendship. She also is a member of the Adult Choir and of the WMU.

John Clark has graduated from college now and has his teaching certificate. He has many talents such as singing solos in the Adult Choir, leading congregational songs, and writing skits for Vacation Bible School sessions. He played the preacher in Smoke on the Mountain at the Cumming Playhouse in Fall 2015.

Caleb told his preaching calling during Summer Revival in July 2015. Since then he has been licensed at Friendship as a home preacher and has preached at several churches around our area. Caleb also plays the piano, sings, and writes songs. He is in the Youth Group and Youth Choir. He graduated from high school in 2016

Elijah charms us with his wit. He also plays the piano and is very active in the Youth Group and Youth Choir. He enjoys sports.

In June 2016, Pastor Byrd moved out of our local church and participated in a national mission through World Changers with our youth in Ft. Pierce, FL. This was truly a life changing experience for each one who attended. He is pictured with the Fields girls who had been painting. We heard from many of the youth on experiences they had on this mission.

In August, Pastor Byrd also went on an international mission trip to El Salvador with Dr. Scott Gilbert. This was the first time that Pastor Ricky would preach and teach classes with an interpreter. He found a new family that he will always remember who are 1424 miles from his home. Here are some highlights of this mission trip that was shared with us on by Preacher Ricky on August 21, 2016

Pastor Ricky Byrd and Dr. Scott Gilbert (Concord Baptist Church's Pastor) traveled 1424 miles on August 13, 2016, to teach, preach, and fellowship with pastors in San Salvador. Preacher Ricky said "I will never be the same." The people in El Salvador are very concerned about people hearing the Word. It was very hard for them to leave their new church family when they left El Salvador on Friday, August 19. Dr. Gilbert taught classes 6 hours a day. Pastor Ricky taught Sunday School for 55 minutes on that Sunday and then preached for 45 minutes. They had interpreters who translated each message or lesson that they taught. This was a big change for our preachers to wait after each statement for it to be translated. At this service, two people were saved. When these people come to the altar, the people stand, bow their heads, cross their hands, and pray. Pastor Ricky read to us John 1:4-5. "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." The Gospel in San Salvador is the same as it is here. Amy Bramblett had told Preacher Ricky (they called him Pastor Ricky all the time) to hug a little brown girl. He was led to a little baby girl just like a magnet. He found out on Thursday night that the mother of that little girl he hugged on Sunday had been saved during the morning worship service which Pastor Ricky had preached. During the week, Pastor Ricky led devotions on the days that Pastor Scott taught.

Pastor Ricky said the traffic is bad in El Salvador also. There are many buses and motorcycles and not many laws about driving. It is bumper to bumper traffic all day long. They saw a Coca Cola truck drive up and there was an armed guard sitting on top of the truck. When the Pepsi truck drove up, there was no guard. There were guards at warehouses, restaurants, and businesses who had guns with their fingers on the trigger. Gangs are very prevalent there. They go into schools to recruit members. You can be shot if you go into a community with your head lights on OR if you go into another community without your lights on because of the gang prevalence. However, at this time the gangs don't there is also great darkness here as well. This darkness cannot overcome the life of Jesus. People struggle here. People struggle in El Salvador.

The average salary is $250-$500 per month. There are some people who make $1000 per month. A hair cut is $1.50. It costs 25 cents every time you step on a bus. The people are hungry for God's Word and they hold church services 3 or 4 times during the week in addition to Sunday services. The people wanted to give Pastor Ricky and Pastor Scott a gift. They wanted to lay their hands on the preachers. They wanted their pictures made with our preachers.

We don't have to go to El Salvador to do mission work. There is mission work right here in our backyard and in our neighborhoods. Pastor Ricky said there were iron bars with razor wire on top of fences around the houses there and his bedroom where he stayed. Recently, there has been a civil war in the streets of El Salvador that has lasted for 18 or 19 years. Pastor Ed, who provided rooms for our preachers, had been in prison in the USA for being in a drug gang. He had become convicted of his sins while in prison and asked to see a priest. The priest just told him he was emotional. However, God wasn't finished with him yet as he met a Christian in the jail that led Pastor Ed to Jesus. Pastor Ed could have stayed in the USA and got his US citizenship. However, he told the judge that he needed to go back to his people in El Salvador. The judge agreed to this. Pastor Ed went back to El Salvador but had no place to go. He remembered an address and asked the driver to carry him there. Pastor Ed went up to that door and knocked and the door was opened and slammed in his face. The taxi driver told him to go knock again so he did. This time the woman recognized him. She was the mother of a friend from years past. Later Pastor Ed was able to locate his wife and daughter. They had been saved while he was gone and were workers in their church. His wife had worked and paid for their house. Preacher Ricky talked about what a great cook Pastor Ed's wife, Martha, is. He described some of the tasty food that she prepared for them. Preacher Ricky talked a little about the water supply in the home. The preachers were told not to drink the water there nor wash their toothbrushes in the water. They also were told to keep their mouths closed while taking their shower. Pastor Ricky had asked if it was safe to drink the Sprite with ice in it and it was okay in the restaurants. Restaurants need the business so their ice is made with filtered and safe water.

Preacher Ricky said that he would be telling us stories for months about how this experience has changed his life. Jesus died on the cross for "whosoever will" Don't look down on others. Jesus died for all of us.

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You may reach Rev. Byrd at pastor.rbyrd@icloud.com

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