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JOEL MARSHSpanish Pastor
jmarsh@westgate.org
Joel Marsh has been the pastor of the West Gate Baptist Church Spanish department for the past two years. Pastor Marsh was born and raised on the mission field of Guatemala, where he acquired a love for ministry and the Spanish language. He and his wife Felecia have diligently built the Spanish department into a growing and thriving ministry.
A native of Tampa, Florida, Adam Riveiro attended West Gate Christian School for seven years. He was saved in the tenth grade, as a direct result of the school’s ministry. After graduation in 2001, he majored in Pastoral Studies at Heartland Baptist Bible College in Oklahoma City. Adam not only earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies at Heartland Baptist Bible College but also met his wife Dianne. They were married December 20, 2003, and now have two beautiful daughters, Bethany and Kaylee. Bro. Riveiro joined the West Gate staff in 2005 and became the youth director during that year. Bro. Riveiro also teaches at West Gate Christian School and Florida Baptist College. The Riveiro's have been privileged to work with the West Gate teen department and to see several young people from the youth group desire to go into full-time Christian service. You can follow Bro. Riveiro's progress in the youth department from his blog, Direct from the Director, which is updated daily.
KEITH SHUMATE
Assistant to the Pastor, FBC Academic Dean
kshumate@westgate.org
"Doc" Shumate was born in Ohio on July 3, 1932. Shortly after graduating from high school he met and soon married his wife, now of 58 years, Barbara. When the Korean War started he joined the U.S. Air Force and was sent to Alaska where he was saved during a revival service at 1st Baptist Church of Anchorage in November 1952. Soon after that God called him into ministry, but with no church background he didn't know what to do, so he just began preaching anywhere he could: on the streets, in hospital wards, in nursing homes and children's homes, in missions, etc. However, with direction from a new pastor, he went to Bible Baptist College in Springfield, Missouri, where he graduated in 1965 with a Graduate in Theology degree. Later while serving on the staff of Temple Heights Baptist Church of Tampa, Florida, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baptist Christian College. Calvary Baptist College of Melbourne, Florida awarded him an honorary degree of Doctor of Theology in May of 1996. He has pastored churches in Springfield, Missouri; Decatur, Illinois; Stuarts Draft, Virginia; and Red Oak, Texas, where he served for 25 years. He has served on the staff of two churches: Temple Heights Baptist Church, Tampa, Florida and Ridgeview Baptist Church, Stuarts Draft, Virginia.
Assistant to the Pastor, FBC Academic Dean
kshumate@westgate.org
"Doc" Shumate was born in Ohio on July 3, 1932. Shortly after graduating from high school he met and soon married his wife, now of 58 years, Barbara. When the Korean War started he joined the U.S. Air Force and was sent to Alaska where he was saved during a revival service at 1st Baptist Church of Anchorage in November 1952. Soon after that God called him into ministry, but with no church background he didn't know what to do, so he just began preaching anywhere he could: on the streets, in hospital wards, in nursing homes and children's homes, in missions, etc. However, with direction from a new pastor, he went to Bible Baptist College in Springfield, Missouri, where he graduated in 1965 with a Graduate in Theology degree. Later while serving on the staff of Temple Heights Baptist Church of Tampa, Florida, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baptist Christian College. Calvary Baptist College of Melbourne, Florida awarded him an honorary degree of Doctor of Theology in May of 1996. He has pastored churches in Springfield, Missouri; Decatur, Illinois; Stuarts Draft, Virginia; and Red Oak, Texas, where he served for 25 years. He has served on the staff of two churches: Temple Heights Baptist Church, Tampa, Florida and Ridgeview Baptist Church, Stuarts Draft, Virginia.
STEVE SMITHA native of Tampa, he was born on October 8, 1963. He started attending West Gate Baptist Church in 1981 where he met and married his wife Becky. They have two sons Shawn and Corey, who both have attended WGCS since K-3. Shawn has graduated from WGCS (2005) and Corey graduated this year. He was called into the ministry in July of 1999 and attended Heartland Baptist Bible College from '99 to '02. He pastored in Holden Missouri at Holden Baptist Temple for two years. Now, he has come back to West Gate and has been on staff since 2005.
