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A Pillar For 70 Years

ROBERT BURKE / Tampa Tribune.

Dr. Barry Rumsey, pastor of First Baptist Church of Ruskin with member, Doris Buzbee, 78 yrs old, who's family was a charter member of the church celebrating their 70th Anniversary. story Liz Bleau story.

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By LIZ BLEAU, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2007

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RUSKIN - More than 70 years ago, the Conleys, a pioneer Ruskin family, gathered some like-minded friends and neighbors to their home on College Avenue for prayer. The group grew, and two years later, it moved into a new church, First Baptist Church of Ruskin.

That original church was razed in 1968, and new church was built across the street, at 820 College Ave.

The congregation has grown and averages about 400 to 500 on Sunday mornings at three services. The site also houses a companion school, Ruskin Christian School, with 270 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

'We now have grandchildren of some of our older members going to the school,' said Barry Rumsey, the church's senior pastor for six years.

The church has grown in recent years, Rumsey said, in part because the church changes its focus to become a resource to families.

'We are trying to do what others are not doing,' he said, sitting in his office in an outbuilding on spacious grounds across the street from the church. One wall of his office is filled with the wooden plane models he collects, some of them dating back to the early 1800s.

One of the things the church does that others do not, is to have children's ministries, called Awana, that meet each week with about 140 children and 50 adults working with them.

When he came to the church six years ago, Rumsey said, the congregation was strong and attached to the church, but the majority of members were older.

With all the new families moving into south county and the Ruskin area, the church changed its focus to serve the new population.

In addition to the children's ministries, the church is home to American Youth Soccer Organization. The church has the only AYSO league in the country, but Rumsey said the match is a good one.

'The philosophy of the organization fits in well with the church. There are standards of behavior for youth and adults. No adults yell or lose their tempers with the children.'

Rumsey became active while he was pastor at another church and attending school for his doctorate degree. His children started in the AYSO program after he and his wife, Vicki, moved them out of another sports group where he said the parents were behaving badly.

Once he completed his degree, Rumsey went to the AYSO officials and volunteered to work with the children. 'I told them they had been watching over my kids for several years and that I owed them,' he said.

He became a referee, which he continues to do for high school games.

In addition to soccer, the church will be adding an Upward basketball and cheerleading program this winter.

The youth sports are open to anyone, not just for church members, he said.

'There is a need here for these types of programs,' he said. 'And this is important outreach for our church to be doing.'

The church also does other types of outreach, including support of missionaries throughout the world, continuing its long history of helping missions.

Longtime church member Doris Buzbee, 78, recalls gathering with other young housewives who belonged to the church and spending the day making strawberry jam to send to the missionaries.

'We would fiddle all day in the kitchen making jam at the minister's home,' she said. 'I think we probably picked the strawberries, too, but I can't say for sure.'

'I'm really proud of my church,' she said. 'Thank the Lord we have it.'

Lamar and Jan Liles also have been church members for many years, since the couple returned to Ruskin in the early 1970s.

Jan Liles, 62, has worked as church secretary for 37 years.

The daughter of a pastor, Jan Liles used to help her father, and working in the church office seems natural to her.

'This is exactly where the Lord wants me to be,' she said. She sees her work as not just a job, but as a ministry to the people she comes in contact with.

'I try to be the information hub for our church, to bring it all together and to be as thorough as I can,' she said.

For Lamar Liles, 70, the church as been a part of his life since he was a child. He moved away when he was in the military and then returned to Ruskin and First Baptist Church.

'This is the church I got saved in; this is my home,' he said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: First Baptist Church of Ruskin

WHERE: 820 College Ave. W, Ruskin

WHEN: Sunday services at 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. with Sunday school for all ages at 9:45 a.m.; programs for adults, teens, children and parenting workshops are at 7 p.m. Wednesday

INFORMATION: (813) 645-6439 or www.fbc ruskin.org

Reporter Liz Bleau can be reached at (813) 865-1557 or lbleau@tampatrib.com.

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