Church Council Member Bios – Bon Air Baptist Church

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Chip Almarode
Gary Burke (2026)
Leigh Ann Cahill (2026)
Lee Coble
Dennis Collins
Roberts Doyle
Dave Fairchild
Buddy Gardner
Eddie Gibson
Alison Keller
Amanda Krug
Lara Stables (2026)

Chip Almarode | Buford Road Campus | 36-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Deacon
Clothes Closet Team
Multiple SW Virginia Mission Trips
Missions to: Belize, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Canada & Louisiana
Disaster Relief Team in North Carolina
Greeter Team

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

God has blessed me with the gift of servanthood. I feel God is offering me the opportunity to serve our church by giving of my time and energy on the Church Council. I feel blessed as a greeter as it is a very rewarding experience and will continue in this ministry. I faithfully served my families when I was an active deacon, and I look forward to being a representative for all our church families. I am open to the new plan God has waiting for me and our church.

Opportunities for BABC:

Assisting aging members; Assisting in all church ministries; Sunday School facilitators in all age group Bible studies; Helping our high school and college-age youth to become excited to learn and hungry for more of what God has waiting for them; Off-campus retreats for men, women, youth, and couples; Mission opportunities in construction, VBS, and disaster relief assistance.

Gary Burke | Buford Road Campus | 11-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Stewardship Team
Golf Cart Team
Alternate Leader of the Sermon Based Bible Study Class
Safety Team
Welcoming Committee Team
Photographer for Baby Dedications
All-In Class
and several churchwide events.

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

BABC is at a critical juncture and lots of changes are facing our congregation and our current leadership. I believe in our current mission statement and God’s calling for Bon Air Baptist in our community. Our faith and trust in the Lord will be the most important ingredient to bringing Glory to the Lord during this most difficult time. However, strong leadership will be required to fulfill our mission and continue to be a voice for the Lord in our community. Much of the experience at my previous Church (Chester Baptist Church 36 years) will allow me to be a strong member of the Church Council at this critical time. I have a strong desire to see BABC to grow its membership and reach more souls for the Lord.

Opportunities for BABC:

Leigh Ann Cahill | Buford Road Campus | 39-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Welcome Team Greeter
Lead Pastor Search Team
Former Church Council Member
Current Church Council Scribe
Sanctuary Choir Member
Missions team Member
Deacon

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

I love Bon Air Baptist, the church family and staff. They are extended family and the family of God. There is so much talent in this church and so many spiritual gifts. I have served on Church Council before, and I want to see this church continue to grow in Christ and become a real church family across both services.

Opportunities for BABC:

I feel that our church is going through a period of change as we have seen departure of pastors and other staff. Some may look at this as a challenge, but I see it as an opportunity for all of us to let God work through us to continue His work and see our members and staff become who God wants us to be. We all can step up to serve in numerous ways and support our staff. As BABC is going through a change in some staffing positions which could be seen as a challenge, I see this as an opportunity for our church. I feel that God has already chosen the people He wants to do His work here. He will lead them to us. As much as we did not want to say goodbye to those who left, I feel this is an opportunity for us to grow, meet new people that we will come to know and love. This is a time for us to pray for God’s guidance and continued love.

Lee Coble | Buford Road Campus | 29-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Deacon Chair Search Team
Organizer/Director BABC Deacon Golf Committee

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

I am interested in continuing to be a voice for BABC’s mission in all that we do as leaders and members.

Opportunities for BABC:

Being intentionally inclusive at BABC, where all God’s children can belong. Meet people where they are. More diversity, more outreach. We need to step outside our comfort zone. With COVID, we now have a larger presence online - we are reaching people we have not reached before - we need more outreach. Possibly a community or joint revival.

Dennis Collins | Buford Road Campus | 34-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Deacon Chair
Family Needs Ministry Team Leader
Deacon Benevolence Fund Team
Worship Assistance Team
Small Jobs Ministry Team
Meals Ministry Team
Senior Pastor Search Team for Travis Collins & Tom Stocks
Student Ministry Teacher
Ad Interim Team Member
Usher
Drama Team
Prison Ministry Volunteer
Sunday School Outreach Team

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

I have been a member for 34 years and have tremendous respect and love for our church. My life has come full circle, and now I am the one who is responsible to help other families and couples that come to BABC. I am proud to serve God in this way and would be honored to share my experience and history on the council to make BABC the best it can be. To borrow a quote from our pastor, “I am all in at Bon Air Baptist Church” accurately reflects how I feel about my commitment. It would be an honor to serve on Church Council, and I would accept my responsibilities in humility as a God-called servant. I believe there are many qualified candidates for Church Council at BABC, and if I am selected, I will gladly serve to the best of my ability.

Opportunities for BABC:

BABC has been one of the most dynamic churches in the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV). We have identified opportunities and implemented many changes that have allowed us to meet the needs and ever-changing trends in how people worship the true Jesus Christ. These changes have brought many seekers to accept Jesus as their Savior and changed their lives to follow him. BABC has developed mission churches, created nontraditional worship services, created multisite churches, and all the while continued our strong mission giving for the spreading of the love of Christ. In our present world of COVID and civil unrest, people are more than ever looking for something or someone that can give them hope, comfort, and peace in the chaos of our world. I believe BABC once again has a tremendous opportunity to help those who are seeking hope and comfort in a world of fear and unrest that the love of Christ will provide stability during this time of unrest. I will work with our church to find opportunities where we can bring the Light of the World through faith in Jesus Christ.

Bon Air Baptist Church Richmond VA Roberts_Doyle 2022

Roberts Doyle | Buford Road Campus | 10-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Safety Team
Upwards Basketball Volunteer
Mission Trips to Ghana, Romania and many domestic
Assistant Youth SS Teacher
Children's Ministry RA Assistant Lead

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

I have been at Bon Air Baptist for all of my life, and I believe that it is time for me to step up and help lead; Helping to engage people in my age demographic in being more involved with the guidance of the church body.

Opportunities for BABC:

Growing the youth and young adult demographic at BABC; Getting the BABC membership comfortable about coming back to church in person after the pandemic is over.

Dave Fairchild | Buford Road Campus | 19-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Stewardship Team Chair (current)
Greeter - The Gathering
Communion Team
Church Council (past)

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

BABC needs to recalibrate our long-term plan, including rethinking our James River Campus strategy, reallocating resources to our contemporary services as an entry point for new young families and young seekers, and rethinking how we best serve our community and attract young families with a full day preschool.

Opportunities for BABC:

At our Buford Road Campus, our preschool has been an important part of providing caring Christian mentoring for many years in our community. We have the opportunity to leverage our great preschool reputation and fill the growing need of dual-working parent families that require full-day preschool by extending our program to full-day. Additionally, our online presence has been enhanced through the leadership of Randy Lynn and our audiovisual staff and volunteers. As we look forward to growing our voice for the Lord, our online program has the potential to become top-tier.

Buddy Gardner | Buford Road Campus | 63-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Sunday School Teacher
Sunday School Director
Co-Coordinator for discipleship ministry
MCC
Trustee
Pastor Search Team (3 times, chairman 2 times)
Chairman of Transition Team
Discipleship Minister Search Team
Joy of Belonging Facilitator
Chairman of Endowment Team
Preschool Committee Member

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

My experience has allowed me to see almost all areas of church life. COVID has given me time to think and pray about my future. I have been a practicing dentist for over 47 years but have decided to retire at the end of 2021. I think God is preparing me for the next challenge and I believe this opportunity may be that challenge. My time will open up and give me the opportunity to serve Him in a way I have not been able to in the past. Bon Air Baptist has been a big part of my life and I want our church to be the best it can be in reaching people for the Lord.

Opportunities for BABC:

I believe we have done a great job of reaching people for the Lord throughout our history. However, I think church life is changing and we as a church need to recognize as best we can how changes will affect our congregation and how we reach people to bring them into Kingdom life.

Eddie Gibson | Buford Road Campus | 11-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Emerging Leaders
Personnel Team
Church Governance Team
Sanctuary Choir

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

I got interested in the governance of the church through a Bible study that my former Sunday School teacher, Steve Hutcherson, did. I then joined the Governance Study team that helped form the Church Council. Through these activities, I became greatly interested in how the church runs and the inner workings of the church. I feel called to this role to help continue to bridge the gap between the traditions we have at BABC and engaging younger people and families to continue our legacy. I have 4 kids that have been very active in church activities, so I want to be sure our church continues to thrive into the future.

Opportunities for BABC:

Successfully combining in-person and online services for members who are unable to attend in-person; Successfully appealing to the younger demographic; Continuing to increase the diversity of the congregation; Successfully recovering from the effects of the COVID shutdown.

Alison Keller | Buford Road Campus | 26-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Bereavement Team Coordinator
Discovery Class Teacher
Worship Enhancement Team Co-Lead
70th Anniversary co-chair
Bathroom/Parlor Renovation Team (past)

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

I have held positions in other organizations and think my skills may be helpful in charting the path as we fulfill the commission of serving Jesus.

Opportunities for BABC:

The immediate priority is to identify a Lead Pastor and conduct a strategic planning process to create accountability measures for success, followed by defining planning processes & systems that allow for transparency and sustainability. Lastly, is the need to reestablish the value of the BABC community and involvement, or “Belonging and Becoming”, in the post-COVID environment.

Amanda Krug | Buford Road Campus | 5-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

Small Group Leader
Deacon
Communion Cleanup Team
MCC Liaison (past)
Discipleship Layleader (past)
Missionary (past)

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

Our church is currently going through, not only a change in the senior pastor but also a change in how to "do church" in a post-pandemic environment. This is happening in the midst of spoken and unspoken disunity amongst others in and out of the Church (bigger Church) culture, I know God wants BABC not just to continue to survive this time, nor going back to old ways, but to thrive and move forward. I feel called to serve the Lord and BABC in this way so that, perhaps, the Lord could use whatever experiences and wisdom I might have (in my past and present ministry and work roles) to work with a team that seeks the Lord first and asks for direction and wisdom on how to undergird and guide the church forward.

Opportunities for BABC:

I feel BABC has some great opportunities to join the Lord’s work in: engaging those who don’t have a strong connection to our church family anymore, as well as those who are re-examining their faith; continuing the conversations about mental health; continuing to empower servant leadership; supporting the current and exciting new focused ways to share the hope of Christ with those locally and globally.

Lara Stables | Buford Road Campus | 12-Year Member

Positions Past/Present:

- Sunday School Teacher
- Gathering Worship Volunteer
- Deacon
- Discipleship Search Team Member

Calling/Interest to Serve on Church Council:

I have been a church member at Bon Air for 12 years and have felt strongly called to this role as a Young Adult in our church. I have a servant’s heart for our church’s young people, students, and children. It is my hope that through this role I can give a further voice to these groups. Bon Air Baptist is at a critical transition in the life of the church, seeking God’s direction in who is to be our next lead pastor.

Opportunities for BABC:

The top opportunities that I see for Bon Air Baptist Church are continuing to help grow our young adults program through meaningful Bible study, social/community events, and relationships built through connection with other young adults. I also see that through community events started during the BonAirpalooza, the church can make its presence known in the Forest Hill corridor.

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