Hi, nice to meet you! I’m Candyce Saunders, the Missions Associate here at Bon Air Baptist Church.
For seven years, I’ve worked as Discipleship Administrative Assistant. I’ve worked with Bon Books, & Brew, the Library, Adult Sunday Morning and Wednesday Night classes. I’ve organized and managed the Women’s Retreat and assisted with the Women’s Tea.
Before Bon Air, I’ve worked with elementary students, transported musicians, built websites, and sold paintings. I’ve earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and East Asian Studies from the College of William and Mary.
My passion for community led me to switch from Discipleship to Missions. I now have the opportunity to organize Bonairpalooza, help with Community Needs and the Food Pantry, and other new, exciting things to come!
I married my husband, Michael, a year into working at BABC. We have a daughter who brings joy wherever she goes.
I enjoy reading, writing, and gardening. I also have a competitive streak and enjoy sports, especially pickleball, and playing board games.
Feel free to connect with me at candyce.saunders (at) bonairbaptist.org.
19-Year Member
I have prayed on how to become more involved to help our church through this time without a lead pastor. I felt it was time to raise my hand to provide whatever service I can to ensure our decisions are biblically sound and prayerful.
With a son in youth, I am very interested in making sure the church is actively reaching out to the younger generations and providing biblically sound teachings to help them grow in their spiritual journey. I want to see our church as a place with many opportunities for everyone to become involved and give back to the community, as well as a place where you can fill your spiritual tank before stepping back into the world.
16-Year Member
I have been a member of Bon Air Baptist Church for 16 years. I am married to Clay Cutts. We have two children, Baylor age 14 and Madison age 11. Clay's family has been in this church for all of his life. I have been a member since just after we were married. We are heavily involved in the young people of Bon Air Baptist. I believe they are the future of this church. I want to be a part of re-establishing unity in the church and empowering our young people to want to come to church and serve in our church and in the community. I want Bon Air Baptist to continue to be a place where people feel welcome and that they belong here.
Gathering Worship Pastor
Hi I’m Katherine! Bon Air native and 3rd generation member of Bon Air Baptist Church. My grandparents were one of twelve couples who started this church, so leading worship for the Lord, here, is extra special!
Looking back, I’m grateful for the Bible studies, mission work, and choir experiences that led to the plans God had for my life. I was director of the “Kingdom Kids” Children's Ministry program and musicals at a local congregation for 12 years, along with leading on their Worship Team for 15 years.
The Lord led me back to Bon Air Baptist Church in 2012, where I began serving as a vocalist with the Gathering Worship Team, as well as singing with the Sanctuary Choir. In 2016, I was hired as the Gathering Worship Pastor for the 9:30 a.m. contemporary service, where I have loved leading the Praise Band, engaging youth in music & leadership, special events, and outreach services in our community.
Leading others to an intimate relationship with Christ through music & worship is my heartfelt passion! I’m also a deacon and enjoy participating in the Life Matters Bible Study class. I love to spend time with God and journal what He speaks, and often share those writings with friends, as well as in the Gathering service! I am so grateful to God for my husband Todd and 3 amazing adult children, Justus, Jaden, and Sirene. They all serve in the church in incredible ways!
If you're interested in serving on the Gathering Worship Team, connect with me through my email at katherine.phillips (at) bonairbaptist.org
Worship Pastor
Since 2019 I’ve been the Worship Pastor at Bon Air Baptist Church, and in music ministry since 1983. I’m a native of Atlanta, and I hold degrees in music, voice, and conducting from Samford University (BA) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MM). Before coming to Richmond, I served churches in Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina. For 34 years I’ve been a member of the world-renown Grammy and Dove Award nominated recording/touring ensemble, The Centurymen.
My wife is the former Robyn Noland from Gulf Breeze, Florida. We have two daughters: Elizabeth and Emily. A few of my hobbies include hiking, travel, woodworking, history of all kinds, and sports.
I believe that the music ministry, along with the other ministries of the church, should seek to fulfill the biblical threefold purpose of the church: to glorify God, to uplift and edify the body of believers, and to share God’s saving love with the world. I believe church music should be biblically based and theologically sound, committed to faithfully, creatively, and dynamically lifting high our Lord - that all men may be drawn to Him.
Some of my ministry and conducting experiences include:
Connect with me through my email at stuart.condra (at) bonairbaptist.org
28-Year Member
I have served in this capacity before under the previous MCC format from 2010-2013. I feel it is time to get back to being active again. I feel the need to assist the church again.
As previously stated, I was on this committee when it was known as MCC (Ministry Church Council). While serving as Deacon Vice-Chair (3 terms) and Chair (1 term), I served on the MCC where the church saw growth in attendance, budget, hiring and mission goals. The MCC set up many mission statements that are still in force today. I served intimately with various staff during this time, and I also helped in the transition of the Deacons to the Serve a teams approach. I also assisted the MCC draw up policies involving some sensitive subjects such as allowing convicted felons to attend BABC. I also assisted the MCC with vetting new staff and working with all the staff for over three years. I assisted another deacon in running the hospital visitation team and coordinating visits. I assisted the current Deacon Chair to broadening the deacon teams approach to the Ministry Serve Teams. The deacon membership increased from 65 to 80 members before COVID.
9-Year Member
Having been raised in a BGAV church since earliest childhood and participating in the various organizations and camps as well as being on committees in the different churches (finance, personnel, music, VBS director, etc.), I believe my Baptist and bible background are solid. I have also managed a large organization with a substantial budget and been on several boards of directors which I believe could be helpful. Finally, and most importantly, BABC is facing issues that may seriously impact the future of our church. With God’s help, I want to work with others to help the church that I love successfully to move forward in today’s challenging times.
As I have had extensive experiences in management, finance and leadership, I believe I can help the Church Council face the challenges and move forward. I look forward to meeting challenges and making these challenges opportunities for growth and improvement.
42-Year Member
I feel that God has given me a passion to revere and respect His Truth as found in His Holy Word – the Bible. I would be honored to serve our church in the capacity of implementing and guarding the integrity of our mission, values, and our vision. I humbly desire to follow God’s leading in helping our church to make decisions that are pleasing to Him.
After growing up in the church and accepting Jesus as my Savior, I only came to know Him as “Lord of my life” here, in the Young Adult Sunday School class, where I also met my husband Lee, and where we raised our 4 grown children. Because of my many years of teaching the Bible here and also through another Bible Study organization, I would bring to the Council a desire to fully line up our decisions with Biblical scripture and to cover everything in serious prayer.
20-Year Member
After serving on the Personnel Team a few years ago, I have been interested in serving my church in other capacities. I knew about Church Council, but I did not know how to express an interest in serving. I considered nominating myself, but I didn’t know if there was any support. I know there is support and I am ready and willing to serve.
Through my career in law enforcement, retired Police Major in the Richmond Police Department and now District Commander of the 11th District of the American Legion with 14 American Legion Posts under my command, I feel that I bring leadership and management skills to the table. My dedication to serve my church through service on the Personnel Team to include chairing the team and assisting in teaching Sunday School to high school students has given me opportunities to use my spiritual gifts of discernment and leadership. If I am elected to serve on the Church Council, this will provide an additional opportunity for using my gifts to serve both the Lord and the members of my church.
39-Year Member
I have been a member of BABC for 39 years and hold a deep respect and love for our church family. It would be a true honor to serve once again on the Church Council—should God confirm that calling through the church’s vote. I believe the Lord has blessed BABC with many gifted individuals who would serve faithfully in this role. If selected, I will gladly serve God and our congregation with dedication, humility, and to the very best of my ability.
I am retired but worked 36 years in the utility industry and was responsible for developing new business models for the expansion of our industry. This position gave me many opportunities for the development of teams and new business models to expand beyond our traditional boundaries. Essentially out of the box opportunities that provided new growth opportunities. Post retirement, I find that my career has provided me with a skill set that I utilize in other leadership positions both at BABC and in opportunities outside my professional career and community. Including team development, responsibility delegation, open communication and vision planning and directive. God has allowed me to use my faith, discernment and spiritual gifts through many opportunities for personal and church growth, discernment of the Holy Spirit and faith to follow when I cannot see the end.
Having been a member of BABC since 1986, I have witnessed our church grow from a small congregation of a few hundred to a membership of more than 2,000—and now, once again, we find ourselves with a membership size similar to when I first joined. Throughout these seasons of growth and change, I have seen the unmistakable hand of God at work time and again.
Like many in my generation, I recognize how dramatically the world has changed and how those shifts have impacted both our personal lives and our places of worship. Yet one constant has remained at BABC: our collective faith and willingness to follow wherever the Holy Spirit leads. Over the years, God has opened and closed doors, guiding us through seasons of expansion, renewal, and transformation. Some of these journeys have resulted in remarkable opportunities to share God’s Word, touch lives, and bring others to Christ. None of these blessings would have been possible without the courage of our congregation to trust God’s leading.
I believe we are once again in a pivotal moment of our church’s history—a time when, looking back, we will clearly see how our faithfulness and trust in God’s direction allowed BABC to continue being a powerful vessel for His work. May we continue to trust and obey, confident that He will lead us forward in His perfect plan.
40 Year Member
Bon Air Baptist Church has been a wonderful church for my family and I over the past 40 years. I pray we continue to be a beacon of light for Jesus Christ in our greater community for many years to come. There are two thoughts as to why I am interested in returning to Church Council at this time in the life of our church. 1. To develop creative and exciting programs that will bring a new generation of members to BABC. 2. As we bring in younger generations, we need to develop programs for youth that will create an exciting and fun style of worship environment that brings a reputation that BABC has something going on, that younger generations will want to bring their families and children to be a part of this community of Christ.
When I come to the 11 am service on Sunday morning, it is apparent to me that we are an aging church. I know we have programs to serve our aging members and feel these should continue to be important and even expanded where we find the need to do so. My concern is that we need to know that as our church membership ages, we lose membership, and we lose revenue. While we are a church, part of the church is “business,” and we need revenue to run the business properly. It takes money to do all that we do and offer all that we offer. As stated above, there are two opportunities to entice younger generations of members with youth and children to BABC. I am sure we have plans for this, but I feel we should put real focus and study into how best to attract the Gen-X and Millennial age groups who are seeking Jesus and help them make BABC their church home. We have as much talent and potential as any church in America. Why shouldn’t we do whatever it takes to study and investigate other outstanding programs and implement them right here in Richmond, VA?
44 year Member
I have been a Southern Baptist all of my life and a member of Bon Air Baptist for over 44 years. I am now retired after 45 years of practicing business and commercial real estate law. During my years of membership, I have served in a number of capacities including Stewardship (Chair, during which I coordinated work on the Bon Air giving plan). Personnel, Sunday School teacher (4th grade), Trustee, Search Teams for Finance Director and Children’s Minister, and the special committee for sale of the Village Campus property. Several Church members have encouraged me to consider being a candidate for Church Council and I have given that a lot of thought.
I believe that my background as an attorney and my active participation in church affairs over the years puts me in a good position to contribute to resolution of the many challenges confronting the church. I remember when Bon Air was at the top of its game and would like to see us get back to that level. We are still good, but we can be better and I think I can help.
