By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
The Freeport Bible Church recently celebrated the 30th pastoral anniversary of Pastor Wilber Outten with a concert honouring him for his years of dedication to the church and his efforts in touching countless lives.
Over the past three decades of his ministry, the church has grown significantly and today has a congregation of more than 500 members.
“It has been quite an exciting journey,” said Pastor Outten.
He said he is extremely grateful to his wife Barbara and their two children for their tremendous support.
“I do not prefer to be in the spotlight and rarely celebrate pastoral anniversaries, however, this year I wanted my family to share in the experience because they really were the ones who made just as much sacrifice or more than I did over the years,” he said.
“There have been some challenges along the way, but at the end of the day when I think about the tangible evidence of the lives that have been touched and hear people tell their stories, it gives you satisfaction.”
Growing up, Pastor Outten said, becoming a pastor was not part of his plans.
“When I was in high school I wanted to be a sports writer, and my mother wanted me to be an oral surgeon or a dentist,” he said.
Rev Edgar Bell, who became a good friend and mentor to a young Wilber Outten, changed the course of his life.
“He was the founding pastor of Freeport Bible Church, and I started working with him. It was through my involvement in the church I became a mentor to other young boys who had no father figures and became a big brother to them, guiding them through their high school years. The church was our point of connection and I was drawn to it and saw an opportunity to encourage and equip others to fulfil their own purpose, dreams and aspirations,” said Pastor Outten.
After receiving his theological training abroad, he returned and accepted the pastorate of Freeport Bible Church.
“I remember the first Sunday I took over, I had 13 (people) in attendance. At that point my mentor had moved back to New Providence so it was quite overwhelming for me because of my lack of experience,” he recalled.
Under his leadership, Freeport Bible Church experienced tremendous growth over the years, and later established a day care, pre-school and primary school, which is now considered one of the best educational institutions in Grand Bahama.
“We started out as a day care and that led to opening a pre-school, and we now have a primary school up to grade six. We had an enrolment of over 300 students at the end of this school year,” said Pastor Outten.
He said serving the church in the capacity of pastor has been very fulfilling.
“I would like to encourage young people to never give up on their aspirations; set goals for yourself and don’t let distractions and impediments deter you; work hard, stay focused, and you will achieve your dreams and aspirations,” he said.
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