Staff
Personal testimony of Pastor Ray Haskett
I was born in the mountains of North Carolina in 1962. My dad became a pastor when I was 6 years old. Being the son of a pastor we moved a few times and I have lived in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Growing up in a pastor’s home did not make me saved. I made a profession at the age of 7 and was baptized in the Greenville , South Carolina area. Although I made this profession, Christ was not a reality to me until later in my teenage years.
The Lord began working in my heart and life and I knew He wanted me to work for Him in the ministry. In 1983, two years after marriage, my wife and I moved from Monroe, North Carolina to Greenville, South Carolina to attend Tabernacle Baptist Bible College, from which I graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Theology Degree.
In my final year of college, the Lord began to open doors for me to become the Pastor of Prayer Baptist Church in Central, South Carolina. We ministered there for 6 years. Then the Lord worked in our lives in a most miraculous way and directed us to the small town of Rural Retreat, Virginia. The Lord truly blessed and we remained in that ministry for 11 years.
We thank the Lord for His blessings with the addition of several new families to our church. Through God’s providence and direction, I am the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church here in Colonial Heights, Virginia.
My wife Susan and I have been married for 30 years and we are blessed with two boys. Our oldest son Brandon, his wife Brittney and our first grandson Elliott, is on staff with us here. Our youngest Jeremy was married last June to Rachel Davis and he recently graduated with his masters from Crown Seminary in Powell, TN.
In May of 2011, I had the distinct honor of speaking at the commencement exercises at Tabernacle Baptist College where I received an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree. It truly was a thrill to my soul to be able to stand in the pulpit of Dr. Harold Sightler, a mentor of mine and address the graduates. The Lord alone deserves all the Glory!
Please pray for our family as we continue to seek the Lord’s direction for Calvary Baptist Church . With Him all things are possible. May the Lord bless you.
Personal Testimony of Susan Haskett
I thank the Lord for saving me at the age of 13 at New Testament Baptist Church in Monroe, NC. I am grateful to the Lord for the Christian home I grew up in. I spent much time in my teen years praying for God to give me a Godly husband. He answered my prayer when I married, Ray Haskett on September 26, 1981.
The Lord has blessed us with 2 sons who have surrendered their lives to serve Him. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue their training and education.
My prayer is that I can be a help meet for my husband, grow closer to the Lord and see many people saved. I am so grateful to the Lord for His continual help. Every time there is a need, the Lord has always been there to provide.
Personal Testimony of Brandon Haskett
I was born in Greenville, South Carolina while my dad was in his Junior year of Bible College. My father soon became a pastor, giving me the privilege of growing up in a pastor’s home. In the summer of 1992, The Lord began to work in my heart, I went to my dad and we began to talk. Realizing he had an opportunity to share the gospel with me, he took me to his room and showed me through God’s Word that there was no way I could get to Heaven on my own, because I am a sinner. My dad explained that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the debt for my sins by being crucified, buried, and three days later rising from the dead defeating death once and for all. Realizing that I could have eternal life. Although I do not remember much from that day, I do remember kneeling down by my parents bed and asking Christ to come into my heart and forgive me of all my sins.
About a year later we moved to Rural Retreat Virginia, where we lived the majority of my life. I attended Mercer Christian Academy until the tenth grade, then switched to Rural Retreat High School where I graduated. At fourteen years of age, I had the privilege of going to a week camp, for the first time, in Kentucky. Little did I know that God would change my life while at camp. By the end of the week, the Lord was really working in my heart to preach His Word. I surrendered to God’s call on my life to follow Him wherever He may lead me and preach His Word.
After my Senior year of High School, the Lord led me to Crown College in Powell, Tennessee, where I received much training for the ministry. I became involved in several ministries throughout my college career learning many different aspects of the ministry. Near the end of my senior year at Crown College, I received the opportunity to continue my education in the Crown Seminary. I graduated in May 2008 with a Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies of Pastoral Ministries. In May of 2009, I graduated with a Master of Ministry.
In April of 2009, I was added to the staff of Calvary Baptist Church assisting the Pastor with the ministries. The Lord has done many great things so far, and I am so thankful He has led me here to be apart of them. I am excited and looking forward to what He has in store for Calvary Baptist Church in the future. My prayer is that our church will continue to grow closer to the Lord and many will be reached for the cause of Christ.
