Leadership
Grace Baptist Fellowship is led and cared for by our pastors, elders, and deacons.
Although Delaine was born in Chicago, he grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was raised in a Christian home where God's Word was taught and honored. At the age of five, in a family quiet time, he asked Jesus to come into his heart and life. Even in those early years he felt called to a full-time ministry. Delaine met Emily Rathbun in their sophomore year of high school and continued to date until they both graduated from Los Angeles Baptist College in 1975. A few weeks later they were married and in 1980 Delaine graduated with a MDiv from Talbot Seminary. With a new son, Emily and Delaine began their first ministry in Port Angeles, Washington. In 1987, the Baileys felt called to come and minister at Grace Baptist. By then they had added a daughter and a few years later, another son came along. Since then, the Baileys have watched the emergence of another generation which includes seven grandchildren. Delaine is committed to sharing the Word in a clear, practical way.
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Born in Florida and attending his first mission trip at the age of 9 months, Brian was involved in ministry at a young age. At the age of three Brian gave his life to the Lord and has grown up around the church and missions his whole life. After Brian’s family moved to Lynden, WA when he was nine, he eventually met Jessica Verbree in the 8th grade at Lynden Middle School in band class. He had a crush on her from the first time she spoke to him. Brian and Jessica both attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and were married in the summer of 2004. Their first daughter was born one day before Brian officially graduated from Moody Bible Institute, July 28th, 2005. Brian graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry and a minor in Bible. Brian began serving as the intern at Grace Baptist in June of 2005 and in October of the same year the church voted him in as new youth pastor. Brian and Jessica were so delighted because they had always wanted to minister in a church where they grew up and desired to be close to their family. Speaking of family, the Stuarts have five daughters. Brian and Jessica love it at Grace and are excited with what God is doing.
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When in high school, Bill sensed that the Lord was directing him into full-time Christian ministry. After he graduated, he got his Bachelor of Arts in Theology at Multnomah School of the Bible in May of 1987. On June 1, 1987, Bill began his ministry at Grace Baptist Fellowship as a youth intern. That October, having just hired a senior pastor, the church voted to make his position a full-time, permanent position. He served at Grace for over twelve years. In 1992, the chairman of the elder board at the time, contacted Bill and told him about a young lady who was starting a business in one of his rental buildings. At the same time, he contacted her suggesting she meet Bill. Not wanting to let him down, Adria agreed to meet Bill. They were married on July 25, 1992. Bill and Adria’s family began growing the next year with the birth of their first daughter, later followed by another daughter and a son. Starting in 1993, Bill began pursuing his Master of Theological Studies degree and graduated with that degree in 1998. At the turn of the millennium, Bill and Adria accepted a position as the Senior Pastor in Brownsville, Oregon. God graciously answered their request to be near family and allowed them to return to Whatcom County and minister in Bellingham for over four years. In December of 2006, Bill accepted the position of Pastor of Adult Ministries at Grace for "Grace Baptist Fellowship: Round Two". Both Bill and Adria are excited about the possibility of the church making a significant impact in this community and desire to do everything they can to make it happen. Bill loves teaching, leading, discipleship and the opportunity to be a part of the lives of men in the church.
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