My college buddy and brother in Christ went home to be with the Lord
Sunday, March 8, 2009 while he was preaching in the early morning
service at his church, First Baptist of Maryville, IL. Fred was
approached by a gunman while he was preaching and was shot at close
range in the chest. This is a very tragic loss for those who love
Fred....and there are many! But Fred is home with Jesus now, and I will
see him again one day soon.
I met Fred when we both enrolled as freshmen at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. We became instant friends and conducted revivals together and took our first mission trip together to South Korea in 1985. The picture on here is of us on that mission trip. I could write pages and pages in tribute to Fred and his precious wife Cindy. They started dating when Fred was in college and Cindy was in high school. God definitely put the two of them together. They both have shared the same passion for the ministry and have worked side by side, building up the First Baptist Church of Maryville. Fred went to Maryville as their pastor after we graduated from college. It is the only church he has pastored and he has been there for about 22 years.
Fred led the church from an attendance of 35 on Sunday mornings when he first went there to an average of 1,200 today. He has led so many people to Christ in that area and has led his church to reach out with all kinds of ministries to their neighbors. I have admired Fred and have learned many things from his approach to ministry. Fred has served as the Vice President, and then as President of the Illinois Baptist State Convention in recent years. He has led numerous conferences on church growth all across the nation. The key to Fred's success in ministry was prayer and passion. He was a prayer warrior, and his church family knew that. He had a love and a passion to see people come to know Jesus as he did. Fred grew up in a broken home and he never forgot where God had brought him from. His life was not easy in his younger years, but Fred met Jesus and discovered that God's grace can transform any life. He shared his faith and love with people of all races and religions in his community. He led his church to have a global vision for reaching the lost.
Fred and his wife Cindy have two lovely teenage daughters who are two of the most mature, sweet, and loving kids I have ever met. I can't even begin to imagine what Fred's family and his church are going through right now, but I know that they serve a great God who is the Good Shepherd. Fred instilled a strong faith in his family. My life is so much richer for having known Fred Winters. I am going to miss him, his contagious enthusiasm, his loving personality, and his wise counsel. I encourage everyone to join me in praying for his family and his church as they deal with this tragedy.
I met Fred when we both enrolled as freshmen at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. We became instant friends and conducted revivals together and took our first mission trip together to South Korea in 1985. The picture on here is of us on that mission trip. I could write pages and pages in tribute to Fred and his precious wife Cindy. They started dating when Fred was in college and Cindy was in high school. God definitely put the two of them together. They both have shared the same passion for the ministry and have worked side by side, building up the First Baptist Church of Maryville. Fred went to Maryville as their pastor after we graduated from college. It is the only church he has pastored and he has been there for about 22 years.
Fred led the church from an attendance of 35 on Sunday mornings when he first went there to an average of 1,200 today. He has led so many people to Christ in that area and has led his church to reach out with all kinds of ministries to their neighbors. I have admired Fred and have learned many things from his approach to ministry. Fred has served as the Vice President, and then as President of the Illinois Baptist State Convention in recent years. He has led numerous conferences on church growth all across the nation. The key to Fred's success in ministry was prayer and passion. He was a prayer warrior, and his church family knew that. He had a love and a passion to see people come to know Jesus as he did. Fred grew up in a broken home and he never forgot where God had brought him from. His life was not easy in his younger years, but Fred met Jesus and discovered that God's grace can transform any life. He shared his faith and love with people of all races and religions in his community. He led his church to have a global vision for reaching the lost.
Fred and his wife Cindy have two lovely teenage daughters who are two of the most mature, sweet, and loving kids I have ever met. I can't even begin to imagine what Fred's family and his church are going through right now, but I know that they serve a great God who is the Good Shepherd. Fred instilled a strong faith in his family. My life is so much richer for having known Fred Winters. I am going to miss him, his contagious enthusiasm, his loving personality, and his wise counsel. I encourage everyone to join me in praying for his family and his church as they deal with this tragedy.
