Since April 2007 we have benefitted from the American Interim Pastor Scheme. Under this scheme, retired Southern Baptist pastors serve for up to six months in a Baptist Union church. We get the benefit of their ministry, they get to see England as it really is away from the tourist trail - and everyone is happy! We have been delighted to meet our new friends from across the Atlantic and are very grateful for the help they have given us and will continue to give us. You can read more about the scheme here, including a rather amusing American take on life in the UK. They seem to be under the strange impression that it rains a lot in England!

Pastor Charles Boyd's period with us at the end of June 2008 and he was succeeded by Dr Harlan Spurgeon whom we are delighted to welcome among us and pray that his time with us will be a blessing both to him and his wife, Joann, and to all of us here at Zion.

Dr. Harlan Spurgeon is a native Missourian who has had a varied career in Baptist ministry.  He and Joann served as missionaries to Taiwan for fifteen years.  They returned to pastor his home church, the First Baptist Church of Bolivar, Missouri.  He later served for four years as President of Southwest Baptist University, for ten years as Vice President for Mission Personnel at the Foreign Mission Board (now called the International Mission Board), and for three years as Associate Coordinator for Global Missions at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  Since retiring he has served as interim pastor of five churches.  His total pastoral experience spans 34 years.  Mrs. Spurgeon is a native of St. Louis.  She and Dr. Spurgeon have served as partners in ministry throughout their varied career for 56 years.  Joann served for ten years as Teacher and then Director of the Learning Center at Second Baptist Church in Richmond, Va.  Harlan and Joann have four grown children and five grandchildren.  They make their home in Springfield, Missouri and are members of University Heights Baptist Church. Dr. Spurgeon is the immediate past President of the Baptist General Convention of Missouri.

Joann is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University.  Harlan is a graduate of William Jewell College, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry Degree.

Harlan and Joann love to serve in the pastoral ministry.  Harlan’s other interests include travel, boating, fishing, computer, fellowship, missions and everything Chinese.  Joann’s interests include travel, missions, cooking, fellowship, reading and everything Chinese.