WOW! Debbie Fink

I'm really a pretty boring person. I've had the same husband for 32 years, the same house for 24 years, taught biology at South High school for 20 years, and attended Colonial Heights Baptist  church for 31 years. Then, God shook up my apple cart. Two years ago my daughter,Allyson, went through an unforeseen divorce, and she and her 2 boys are now living with us. 

God has been good. I retired from teaching the year before all that happened, so life has been crazy, but we have seen God go before us in all things, and prove Himself faithful. Other things have happened on the roller coaster ride called life that I will not go into except to say that each one has shown me the grace of God and His faithfulness. 

Through a series of events, He brought me to Indian Springs- not without a fuss on my part, because remember I'm a boring person and don't particularly like change. I was quite content at my church and in my Sunday school class. But, He had other plans and now I am really excited to be at the ISBC Glenwood campus with some really wonderful people who love the Lord. 

Other stuff - We have traveled quite a bit in the west and Europe. My bucket list includes a ride in a hot air balloon. And yes, I do stupid things like para-sailing and realizing that once you are up there you have to come down somehow. 

My husband, Mike, and I like to camp and hike. I also have a son, Matthew, who lives on Knoxville and is an attorney in Sevierville, TN.  They have a 5 month-old, our granddaughter Johanna.

My prayer is that God will use us as He sees fit in these next years of our lives. That's enough about me, except to say my favorite thing to do now is read and teach the word of God, and I hope that God will continue to allow me this blessing. Thanks for asking.

Debbie Fink

WOW! Woman of the Week ~ Linda King

My name is Linda Vinsant King. I grew up in Dalton, GA. I am from a large family. There were 7 of us. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters, whom I love very much. My brothers grew up playing baseball. My dad coached their teams until they reached high school. I spent many summers at ball fields while growing up.

I met my husband Chuck when I had finished 1 year of college. He was a former teacher and coach. We met in December 1974, became engaged in May 1975 and married in August 1975. I have been married most of my life! 

Prior to having children, I obtained my degree as a Registered Nurse. Our daughter Jennifer was born after completing my degree. A job change for Chuck took us to Glen Burnie, MD for a couple of years. We had a chance to move to Bristol, TN, with another job change for Chuck. The best part of coming to Bristol was that it was where Chuck’s family lived.  Greg was born when we had been in Bristol for 2 years.

In 1989 we had a home built in Indian Springs. With that move, we started attending Indian Springs Baptist Church. It was at ISBC that our children made their professions of faith in Christ. Those years were very special for our family, as we all grew in our faith, serving the Lord together. We left ISBC for a few years after moving back to Bristol, attending the church Chuck grew up in. It was there that we were able to share the many things we learned at ISBC.  After being away for a few years, we made the decision to return to ISBC. We love being back “home”.

Our daughter Jennifer is married and has 2 children, Jake who is 5 and Emma who is 2 ½. We love to keep them as often as their parents will allow! Jake and Emma love coming to ISBC with us!

Greg played baseball from the time he was 5 years of age until he was 22, playing the game while in college. We found ourselves at the ball field…again and again. Greg recently married Amber Morrell. He became an instant dad to Amber’s son Jack, so we have another grandchild. We are so excited to see what the Lord has in store for Greg, Amber, and Jack.

I left my position as a nurse in 2001. I currently substitute teach in the Sullivan County school system. This satisfies a longing I’ve always had to be a teacher.

Having been around baseball most of my life I suppose is the reason why I love the sport. There are so many places to witness to the lost and encourage those who are wavering in their walk with the Lord. One of our mission fields has been at the ball park. If you’re faith gets stronger and you encourage others while witnessing to them, then it’s not a bad place to be.

~  Submited by Kathy Neal

    ISBC Women's Ministry

    Communications Coordinator

Embracing Your Husband Part I

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself the question, "What kind of wife am I?'
The vows you took are a covenant between you, your husband, and God. You made the vow to love,honor, and cherish him, but until when; until you can't pick up his socks one more time, or you can't tolerate his need to watch football anymore? No! Until death do you part. Jesus didn't put exclusions on our salvation. You took vows to love him for who he is, to honor the man he is - to lift him up, and cherish him. The definition of cherish is to treat with affection and tenderness. So how are you doing? Are you loving him with strings attached, deep immense feelings, respecting him, and treating him with tenderness and affection? Do you know how to do that? Support - honor- and encourage him! Even if it goes against every nerve in your body, it's a gift you have already committed to give the day you married him. You are supposed to provide a soft place for him to fall when he feels discouraged about his faults and is intimidated by worlds pressures. Sometimes it's difficult. Maybe he's not holding up his end of the deal. But today, make it about who you are to him. Your husband has emotional needs; physical ones as well. Your husband fears feeling inadequate and if  you're trying to control him, it can easily make him feel that way. He wants to be your hero. He wants to see the look of admiration in your eyes. He wants to know you celebrate him, depend on him, and feel privileged to be married to him.

Sometimes our frustration with our man can run high, but often our response is an inappropriate response that's not warranted. Other times, it seems warranted, because things he's done to you feels like his wants and fears can just get in line. Maybe he's given you enough fears and wants for the both of you, or he's proven he's not worthy of your trust because of his carelessness. You can decide today to affirm him, and let him know your trust isn't gone forever. It may need to be reconstructed,or  re-established, but he needs to know that you desire to re-establish your confidence in him.

God created us to be our husband's helper, to help unleash the God-given potential inside him. It's honoring God's purpose for our lives and your relationship. Your man isn't not perfect.  He knows it, too, but guess what? We aren't either!

Your husband is capable, honorable, and worthy of your attention and admiration. He desires to know that you trust him and believe he has the wisdom and talent to succeed. He's fulfilled when he senses it, knowing your cheering for him, assuring him that he has what it takes. When he feels affirmed by you, it makes him want to live up to your trust.

Your husband is divinely wired as a leader and provider. The last thing he wants is a wife who doesn't believe it, or isn't willing to support these qualities in him. You, are his wife not his mother, critic, or corrections officer. Start anew today by being his voice of confidence, support, and encouragement. Will you allow your husband the experience of walking into the day with your love and esteem trailing him?

Proverbs 14:1(NLT) " A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down"

Are you 'building?'

Jeni Morelock

Commit to be Committed

Making a promise or commitment is serious business! In Numbers 30: 2 the Bible says, "If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth."  In Ecclesiastes 5:5, Solomon writes, "It is better not to make a vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it."  I doubt that many of us make a promise or commitment to do something with the intent not to.  Our intentions are good, but we let everyone and everything get in the way of our follow-through on some of our commitments.  Maybe we have over-committed, taken on more than we can accomplish.  Jesus spoke plainly when he said, “But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." Matthew 5: 34-37.  Woah!  That one hits below the belt, doesn't it?  We need to learn to say NO?  In a word, YES!  In our eagerness to serve the Lord, we often say yes when we haven't prayed about it.  Teaching that Bible Study class, or singing in the choir, or leading that missions effort may not be what God wants you to do at all.  He may have another area of service that He is calling you to.  It is clear that we can't and shouldn't try to do it all.  This causes burnout and we become easily discouraged. In that scenario, we are generally operating out of our own abilities, and not God's calling on our life.

Once we have prayed about making a promise or a commitment, then we must do it with our whole heart, mind, and soul.  It is important to be dependable.  When we commit, other people are counting on us.  If we don't show up or otherwise carry out our responsibilities, it creates a burden for someone else.  Someone else may have to step up to take up the slack that you have created.  This may not be what God needs for them to be doing, but they are doing it, because you didn't!


What commitments have you made to serve the Lord?  Have you followed through?  Are you doing what God called you to do, or are you allowing being busy with other things consume your time?  What is keeping you from your commitment?  Does it have eternal value?  Did you make a promise to do something and then didn't follow through?  


Let your yes be yes and your no be no.  Be dependable.  Follow through on your promises and commitments.


Pam Archer, Director
Women's Ministry

ISBC Woman of the Week ~ Susie Toomey

I was born and raised in Big Orange Country (Knoxville).  I was a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where I was actively involved in GAs, youth group, choir, Sunday School, Training Union (old term!) and anything else going on!  I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life during VBS when I was eleven years old.  I graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BS degree in physical education and recreation.  While at UT, I played on the UT volleyball team,  the UT badminton team,  and was actively involved in the Baptist Student Union (BSU), through which I served as a student summer missionary.  Following graduation, I was hired as the head volleyball coach at ETSU, where I coached for three years while working on my MA Degree.

Over the next eight or ten years, we moved a number of times, finally landing back in the Tri-Cities.  We joined ISBC around 1985. Since that time, it has been my joy to be a part of a number of ministries, including teaching Sunday School in the youth department and college department for over eighteen years, directing the youth mime, drama, and clown troupe, singing in the choir, serving on the women’s ministry team, serving on the building committee, and going on fifteen mission tours  and numerous youth conferences.

I have taught and coached at King College in Bristol since 1985, and was inducted into the King College Hall of Fame in 2012.  Besides coaching and teaching at King, I also had the opportunity to serve as the Director of Mission Outreach, the Interim Dean of Students, the Senior Woman Administrator, and the Interim Athletic Director. One of my most rewarding opportunities at King, however, has been taking King students on twenty two spring break and May term mission trips.  I think my early involvement in GAs as a child gave me a real desire to be involved in mission outreach.

Besides teaching and coaching for over thirty years, I also served as the Director of Christian Activities in two churches, was a BSU Director, was an activities director at a nursing home, have had three books on clowning and mime ministry published, and have led over twenty-five clowning  and mime seminars through the years.

The real joys of my life are my daughter Kelly, who teaches and coaches at Union University;  my son Chris who teaches and coaches at King College;  my two grand children, Isaac (almost 14) and Anna (11); and my son-in-law Michael who is the Minister to Families and Children at Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, TN.

One of my favorite scripture verses is Ephesians 3:20, “Now glory be to God  who by His mighty power within us is able to do far more than we ever dare to ask or dream of- infinitely beyond our highest thoughts, desires, hopes, or prayers.”

~ Submitted by Kathy Neal

   ISBC Women's Ministry

   Communications Coordinator

Holiday Dinner 2009

Planning for the annual Ladies Holiday Dinner is in full swing. The dinner is the kick-off for the holidays, and is a highlight of the season for those who have attended in the past. For a look at last year's dinner, view the slideshow below.

Holiday Dinner 2009, will be on Friday night, November 13th, at 6:00.
The speaker for this year is Kay Dekalb Smith. She is a comedian and comes highly recommended.

As we plan and prepare, we need more volunteers to be table hostesses. Now, don't let that terminology scare you, because if you volunteer, you will have lots of help if you need it. Contact Martha Rhoton to let her know you will host a table. rhotonm@hotmail.com.

If you have already volunteered, thank you! We invite all hostesses (and potential) hostesses to a planning session on Tuesday, September 22, at 6:30 in the Student Assembly Center. Bring any dishes (a sample) that you are using or aren't using, table cloths, flatware, anything that you think another hostess might be able to use. Among us, we have a lot of resources.

Lots of volunteers are needed to decorate the hallways and platform areas. Donna Whittaker and Donna Walker are heading up that committee, but they need about 15-20 volunteers, and could use your suggestions and ideas. If you can help with decorating, come to the meeting on Sept. 22nd, at 6:30.

We will need door prizes. Can you supply something, or do you know a business who will donate, and that you will contact to pick that up? We need several of you.

Tickets will go on sale in October. Will you sale tickets a Sunday or two for us?
The price of tickets will be $20.00 per person. One hostess per table receives a free ticket.

Begin inviting your friends, family, and neighbors to this awesome event. Last year, one lady prayed to receive Christ into her heart, and many others said that the speaker was just who they needed at that appointed time. God really does use us, if we surrender ourselves to him. He will equip us for the task he has for us to do.

See you on September 22nd, at 6:30.