Meet The Pastor
Dr. Ray Woodward
Pastor Ray Woodward sensed the call of God upon his life as a fifteen year-old boy while attending a 10-day camp meeting. Soon after that he enrolled in a course of study offered by his church in preparation for the ministry. The day after he graduated from high school, he was licensed to preach, and soon after that was called to pastor his first church.
After serving several churches in Kentucky, Woodward, who was a bi-vocational pastor was transferred to Florida by a pharmaceutical firm. During his time in Tampa, he became a member of the West Gate Baptist Church, and got involved in the ministry as a bus captain and Sunday School teacher. During a missions conference he realized that the Lord wanted him in FULL-TIME Christian Service and surrendered to that call. The next day he resigned from the pharmaceutical firm, trusting that God would open the way for him.
During the next 7 years God blessed his ministry as he saw a small rural church grow from a membership of 70 to more than 1,000, and the establishment of a Christian School which grew to an enrollment of more than 350. Burdened for a need for an independent Baptist Church in Citrus County Florida, Pastor Woodward moved into that area and established the New Testament Baptist Church of Floral City. Under his leadership property was purchased and three buildings were built, and a Christian school was established.
After ministering in Floral City for some 7 years, Woodward was called to serve as pastor of the Fundamental Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida. Under his leadership the church developed an outstanding youth ministry with more than 500 boys and girls participating in the weekly AWANA meetings. The churches television program “Fundamental Focus” was aired over two television stations and six cable systems which covered the area from Biloxi, Mississippi to Panama City, Florida. During his ministry at Fundamental Baptist the church paid off its debt. In 1991, Woodward resigned from the church, due to failing health.
However, by 1993 he had made a remarkable recovery and accepted the call to serve the Bible Baptist Church of Ocala, Florida. The church had experienced some serious set backs, and there were only eight members and five visitors present on his first Sunday. During the next fourteen years that Pastor Woodward served at Bible Baptist, the church experienced a consistent growth rate of about 35% a year. During this time the main building of the church, several of the Sunday school classrooms and the church kitchen were completely renovated.
On his 14th Anniversary as Pastor of Bible Baptist Church, March 18, 2007, Pastor Woodward retired from the pastoral ministry of Bible Baptist Church. His retirement was short lived as on April 1, 2007 he assumed the responsiblity of being the founding pastor of Anchor Baptist Church of Brooksville, Florida.