Woods New Hope Baptist Church

Our pastor, Rodney L. Puryear and his family came to WNHBC in the Fall of 1998 after serving as Minister of Activities, Education, Youth and Associate Pastor for some 27 years in churches in Alabama and Texas.

Brother Rodney was born and reared in Beaumont, Texas. He received his BS degree in Christianity, Speech and Church Recreation from Houston Baptist University and a C.P.E. certificate from the Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. He serves as certified Victim Chaplain and as the Chaplain for the Woods Fire Department. Brother Rodney has served on the board of the Panola County Chamber of Commerce and is serving as a board member for the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. Our pastor has served on the Executive Committee of the Rusk-Panola Association and the East Texas Baptist Area Committee since 1999 to present.

He and his wife Mary have two grown children. Rebekah "Lynn" born in 1982, who serves as a Minister of Children in Carthage, Texas and a D.Min. student in Children's Ministry at NOBTS. John Ellis born in 1987, and is a doctoral student at the School of Pharmacy at Union University in Jackson, TN. The Pastor's wife Mary, is employed by Austin Bank in Timpson, Texas.

Monday, June 15, 2009