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Chaplain Finds Joy In Job

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By DEREK MAUL

Tribune correspondent

Published: May 10, 2008

PLANT CITY - The Rev. H. Richard Bills first arrived in Plant City to pastor First Baptist Church in 1957. He was 41 years old and at the peak of his career.

Today "Brother Bills" works five days a week as chaplain at South Florida Baptist Hospital. He's still at his peak in ministry; the 91-year-old said God uses him every day.

Q. When did you first move to Plant City?

A. 1957. I was called as pastor of First Baptist Church. The church had 600 members. I stayed here 11 years and then moved to the east coast where I served for 13 years.

Q. When did you return?

A. That would be in 1982. We still had two children here, Becky and Chipper Rebecca and Chuck.

Q. Did you really retire?

A. The word "retire" is not in my vocabulary! I did some supply work, I taught Sunday school at First Baptist until last year, and I have this job at the hospital.

Q. Do you enjoy chaplaincy?

A. I can hardly wait to get in to work every day! It's always something new, and I meet with so many interesting people. This ministry gives me such joy.

Q. How much do you work?

A. I work from four to six hours a day, five days a week.

Q. How do you stay in touch with God?

A. Every morning, right after breakfast, I read from the "Daily Bread," and I spend time with God. On the back of my business card, it says this:

"Every morning lean your arms awhile upon the window-sill of heaven and gaze upon your Lord. Then, with the vision in your heart, turn strong to meet your day."

Q. What Scripture guides you?

A. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

Q. Who is your Bible hero?

A. Moses. God used Moses in spite of himself.

Q. What's the key to a fulfilling life?

A. Knowing Jesus; service in his name.

Q. When did God call you?

A. I came to know Jesus when I was 9 years old - I was born on June the sixth back in 1916, you know. I was baptized that same year. Then I was ordained to the ministry in the First Baptist Church of Sarasota in 1939. So God called me somewhere in between.

Q. Were you born in Florida?

A. No. I was born in New York. I was in New York at the time because I wanted to be close to my mother! But we moved to Florida, and I was raised in Sarasota.

Q. Where were you educated?

A. I graduated from Stetson University, over in DeLand, in 1942. Later I attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville Ky.. One of my great joys was serving two five-year terms on the board of trustees.

Q. Is that where you met your wife?

A. I met Rhoda Weimert at Stetson. She was a wonderful musician. We were married in 1942. She passed away seven years ago.

Q. How many children do you have?

A. Four. Chipper and Becky still live around Plant City. Rick isn't too far away, and Jackson lives in Tennessee.

Q. Was ministry ever hard?

A. We were always blessed with good people, in every church. But when I was a young man, pastoring in Crescent City, the church there paid the pastor a fixed percentage of the weekly offering.

You know that didn't work so well; there were times we could hardly afford to eat.

Q. After 70 years of ministry, what is still important?

A. The most important thing is a relationship with Jesus. Do you know Jesus? He died on the cross for your sins, and he rose again.

The most important thing is to know Jesus.

Q. What do you do for fun?

A. I love to work, I used to be interested in photography, and I like to fish.

Q. Are you optimistic about the future?

A. This world is in pretty bad shape. But I know Jesus; God is in control, and he's coming back.

Q. What's your final word?

A. Do you know Jesus? Sometimes people think they don't want to know God, or they don't want to know God's answer in their life. But God says, "Child, wait a little while ..."

This is an occasional series spotlighting faith leaders. The Rev. H. Richard Bills is chaplain at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul@gmail.com.

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