Phil Newberry, Minister of Pastoral Care, began his ministry at Bellevue on March 17, 1985, and after 36 years of faithful service, he will retire at the end of March. Today we reflect on his ministry and the impact he has made on generations of Bellevue members.
“The best part of serving at Bellevue has been fulfilling God’s call on my life to serve Him in a local church,” shared Phil. “My favorite parts of serving have come through fulfilling our Mission Statement, especially Loving People. I’ve always had a calling and passion for ministering to students, and my 25 years serving as Student Pastor here gave me great joy to witness God moving in their lives. I also had a great joy in serving as Campus Pastor of Bellevue Arlington as we watched God move in our community and reach so many unchurched people.”
Over his 36 years at our church, Phil served in numerous roles including Youth Pastor, Youth/College/Singles Pastor, Student Pastor, Campus Pastor of Bellevue Arlington, and finally Minister of Pastoral Care. Prior to coming to Bellevue, Phil served as Youth Pastor in four other Southern Baptist Convention Churches in Arkansas and Texas.
Phil’s passion for ministry has been evident in the ways he served our church and our people. While working at Bellevue, Phil says he learned the value and importance of team and vision, for those things have been so foundational to his time serving with his fellow Bellevue staff members. He also served as the Chaplain of the Arlington Fire Department for the past 12 years. Phil says this has been his favorite way of serving out.
Phil has been married to his high school sweetheart, Jeanne, for nearly 45 years. They have two grown children who met and married their spouses at Bellevue. Phil and Jeanne are the proud grandparents of six wonderful grandchildren.
While reflecting on his years at Bellevue, Phil said, “Jeanne and I are grateful to Bro Steve, David Coombs, and the entire Bellevue staff and family for allowing us to serve at Bellevue. We are also grateful for the role Bellevue played in investing in our children while growing up.” Phil and Jeanne will continue to be involved in ministry as members of Bellevue.
“We have spent over half of our lives serving at Bellevue, and for that, we say ‘to God be the glory great things He has done!'”
In retirement, Phil and Jeanne share that they have many plans they hope to be able to accomplish: “Even though cancer is putting any travel plans on hold, we hope to visit the churches where former Bellevue youth are pastoring and serving. Over our years in student ministry, we witnessed hundreds of students called into full-time Christian service, so dropping in on their service and watching them serve will bring us great joy.”
As we celebrate Phil’s 36 years of ministry at Bellevue, he asks for the continued prayers of the Bellevue family regarding his ongoing battle with Stage 4 renal cell carcinoma and treatment. He also would like to encourage us to “be people of vision and passion,” Phil said. “Make it a part of your everyday life to put into practice our Mission Statement and our measures.”
Join us in thanking Phil for his 36 years of ministry excellence and congratulating him on his coming retirement!