Bill Ruth - Deacon
(Benevolence & Offering)

I moved to Greenville from Oklahoma City and worked at the L-3 Communications facility here (formerly E-Systems and Raytheon) for 28 years before taking early retirement in 2007. My wife Deborah and I have five children, all of whom are grown. We have seven grandchildren and are hoping for more. God led us to join with Crosspoint in December 2005. Crosspoint's strong emphases on community and living one's faith "out loud" have challenged me to examine myself, my values, my priorities, my level of commitment to God and the things of God.

My relationship with God began over forty years ago. I am a genuine "Okie from Muskogee", having been born and raised there. My parents took me to church regularly, so I was aware of God, knew about Jesus, and knew something of the Bible. It was not until I was a teenager that someone actually confronted me with the gospel, and I faced the realization that I was a sinner in need of forgiveness that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Because of the influence of my parents and my church upbringing, there was not a radical change in my behavior when I trusted Christ, but I started becoming aware of things about me that were not pleasing to Him. I also learned that taking a stand for Jesus was not always a popular thing to do, but God put people in my life to help me grow in faith. I learned the importance of being part of a local church wherever I went. I'd love to say that my life has been characterized by continuous, uninterrupted spiritual growth, but that has not been the case. I have experienced some hard falls and have fought with God on countless occasions. I am still learning that the Christian life is a life in the present tense - believing, persevering, overcoming, loving, submitting - which is something that is emphasized heavily in the teaching ministry of Crosspoint Fellowship.