20 random facts about our Pastor:

1. Pastor Matthew Ritchey was born on November 9th, 1978 to parents Rick and Debbie. He grew up in a small town named Blue Knob. He has a younger brother and sister, Nathan and Becky.
   
   
2. Matt counts among his most cherished memories parents who were saved and taught him that God, the Bible and church were important. Despite many parents’ apprehension of “forcing” their children to go to church that is a prevalent excuse today, he gladly recalls that there were only a handful of times they didn’t attend the Sunday Morning, Sunday evening, or Wednesday service.
   
   
3. His neighbors were relatives. They spent countless hours outside exploring in the woods, or in the yard, playing baseball. His favorite toys were his GI Joes. His favorite TV show was the A-Team.
   
   
4. He was saved at a young age. He had heard a Sunday school lesson on, in his words, “The Joys of Heaven and the Horror of Hell.” He was at home the next day playing “Dukes of Hazard” with his matchbox cars. When the sheriff chasing the Duke boys fell off the cliff (a.k.a. the couch), Matt realized, if he was in a car accident and died, he would not be going to heaven. He began to cry. His mom was vacuuming and immediately ran to his side to see what caused the tears. It was on that day that Matt placed his faith and trust in the death, burial, and resurrection. He became part of God’s family with the assurance of heaven.
   
   
5. In kindergarten, he was given an assignment to write about what he wanted to be when he grew up. While most of the boys in his class were writing about being a football player or firefighter, Matt stated that he wanted to be a pastor. When he was in fifth grade, so many young men of his church expressed a desire to be a pastor that they started a young preachers’ club.
   
   
6. Despite the early desire to be a pastor, he is ashamed that his teenage years were spent in rebellion to the Lord. He has a passion to let everyone know that the Scriptures are correct in teaching all outside of Christ is meaningless and temporary, and true joy resides in remaining in the Lord’s will.
   
   
7. He was a shy guy around crowds and never was one to “instigate” a relationship. However, one evening after arriving for one of his brother’s basketball games, he looked up in the bleachers and saw a new face. He climbed the bleachers and sat near this young lady and began to “turn on the charm.” Surprisingly, it worked. It was the best chance he ever took as this young lady later became his wife, Jennifer.
   
   
8. Still not living lives pleasing to the Lord, Matt and Jenn’s early years of marriage were filled with turmoil and strife. They continued to attend church, because Jenn is a pastor’s kid. It was the thing to do. One Sunday, as Matt was sitting in the service, something the pastor (his father-in-law) said perked up his ears. It was something he never heard before. He determined to go home, pick up his Bible, and prove the pastor (his father-in-law) wrong.
   
   
9. Matt spent several nights in the Word (usually until three or four in the morning), looking at various passages. One night he got so frustrated because, despite trying to prove the pastor wrong, he found him to be right. He finally broke down and prayed that God would allow him to overcome some of the traditions he was holding on to, so he could see what the Bible actually said.
   
   
10. It was on this date that two things happened. First, he began to understand the Apostle Paul had been given a unique message. This message differed from the Old Testament writers and 12 apostles. The revelation revealed to and through Paul involved a new creation (the Body of Christ), righteousness appropriated immediately by faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a differing commission, and a hope of existing eternal in heaven as opposed to the heavenly kingdom on earth.
    
    
11. Second, it made him humble himself before his Lord and Savior when He truly realized the completeness and the riches bestowed upon Him that day as a young boy he accepted the Lord as his Savior. Now, he loved going to church, reading the Bible, helping in various ministries.
    
    
12. Matt and Jenn celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary on September 26th, 2008. A reality they attribute to refocusing genuinely on the Lord. They have four rambunctious, but dear boys.
    
    
13. Despite having earned a B.S. in Marketing and Management from Penn State-Altoona, Matt finally realized the Lord was impressing upon his heart, the desire to be a pastor. He wrestled with this fact for some time, but eventually moved his family to West Bend, WI where he went to school at the Berean Bible Institute in Slinger, WI.
    
    
14. As a former central Pennsylvania resident, Matt is a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins fan. Although, he has adopted the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers.
    
    
15. During his final semester at the Berean Bible Institute, he was interviewed and accepted as pastor over Grace Bible Church in Beloit, WI. He was considered part-time until he graduated, whereupon he assumed the role as the full-time pastor.
    
    
16. Matt had no idea what to expect in his first pastorate. The people of Grace Bible Church welcomed his family with open arms. They extend graciousness, patience, and care to every person who walks through the church doors.
    
    
17. He has found the people of GBC to be well educated in God’s Word. This has challenged him to get even deeper into the Word. Yet, he also states that the knowledge they have doesn’t “simply get filed away in the head, but it affects their lives.” They serve as an example to him. Matt thinks this is a tribute to the people themselves and also the history of pastors that have served previously at Grace Bible Church.
    
    
18. His summary verse for pastoral duties is 2 Timothy 4:1-2.
    
    
19. His goal as pastor is found in Colossians 1:25-29.
    
    
20. Matt has said that he knew a pastor and congregation should be friendly and work together and be a part of each others lives, but he never expected the God-given love for the people to be so great. It goes beyond even a familial love, and can only be attributed to the bond believers in Christ share through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The hardest thing is to see someone hurting. Yet, the greatest joy comes from communing together.