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Facts |
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Hobbies
1.
Downhill Skiing
2.
Mountain Biking
3.
Golf
4.
Watching NASCAR (that’s what five and a half
years of living in TN will do to you!)
5.
Listening to Music – Steven Curtis Chapman,
Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, & Casting Crowns
are among my favorites
Favorite
Authors
John
Piper, John MacArthur, J. Oswald Sanders
Favorite
Sports Teams
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New England Patriots
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The #24 Dupont Chevrolet Team of Jeff Gordon
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Phil Mickelson (not a team, but golf is a sport)
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Education:
Proud Graduate of
Calvary Christian School, Class of 1993!
BA in Church Music
from Cedarville University, 1997
Currently pursuing a
Master of Arts in Biblical Studies degree (MABS) from Dallas
Theological Seminary
Ministry Experience:
Many traveling
experiences with singing groups
Worship Minister at
Grace Community Church in Huber Heights, OH, 1996-98
Worship Pastor at
Fellowship Bible Church in Murfreesboro, TN, 2001-04
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Associate Pastor Worship Ministries
Bradford C. Illian
Family
Background:
I am blessed to have grown up in a Christian home with
godly parents as the youngest of four children. I grew up in upstate New York before moving to New Hampshire
for my high school years.
I was saved at a young age and have been in church
regularly ever since I can remember.
I met my wife, Karen, at Cedarville University on a
singing team. We
were married in March of 1997, and she is a wonderful, godly
woman and I thank God for allowing her to be my wife.
She serves as the church secretary here at Calvary as
well as singing with the choir and worship team.
The
call to Ministry and CBC:
Though I am far from being a “virtuoso”
in music in any way, God has given me a love for music and an
ability to play and sing, and I praise Him for that. That’s
why I want to use these gifts He’s given me for His glory,
and I can’t think of a better way to do that than to lead
His people in worship of Him every week. I am overwhelmed by
God’s goodness of allowing me to lead in this way, and
especially that He’s allowed me to do so here at my home
church! Karen and I clearly saw His sovereignty in bringing us
here to Calvary. It was in the midst of some very hard times
in our lives, but once He again He showed Himself faithful and
did for us “beyond all that we could ask or imagine.” It
is a privilege to serve and work with the wonderful people
here!
My
Passion :
In the deepest part of me my passion
is to worship God. I believe it’s what we were created for,
and I believe He is worthy of it! In the midst of the many
definitions of worship that exist today, here at Calvary Bible
Church we offer this one: “To ascribe worth to God for who
He is and what He has done, and to respond to Him in praise,
thanksgiving, adoration, reverence, and obedience.” As I
have the privilege and responsibility of leading this church
body in worship it is my desire that God will use me to help
the people of Calvary Bible Church recognize who He is and
respond to Him in worship not just with our words but by
giving Him our lives (Rom. 12:1). There is nothing more
exciting to me than to think that Almighty God not only allows
us to worship Him, but actually is seeking people to worship
Him (John 4:24)! What a privilege is ours as children of God
to come before Him with both a sense of reverence for who He
is and a sense of joy because of what He has done for us, and
worship Him in spirit and truth!
With the popularity of the
contemporary worship music movement these days and all the “worship
wars” surrounding it, it’s easy to get caught up in what
kind of songs and what style of music a church does. But it is
my prayer that Calvary Bible Church will be a place that is
known not so much for a certain style or even quality of
music, but as a place where the people are passionate about
loving and worshiping God with all we are and have. For
worship is not about music, style, tradition or anything else,
but it’s about Him and Him alone – He alone is worthy of
all we can give Him! “Now to the King eternal, immortal,
invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17, NKJV).
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