Congratulations to Pastor Barbara Farrow who was presented with the Claude A. Ries Pastor of the Year Award from Houghton College. Dr. Wayne Lewis, president of Houghton College, surprised her with this award on Sunday evening, August 9 at the district ordination service. Barbara is the pastor of Grace Community Wesleyan Church in Buffalo. She planted the church along with her late husband Casper Farrow in 2004. When Pastor Cap passed away in 2018, Barbara assumed the lead shepherding role of the church and resumed formal ministerial training for ordination in The Wesleyan Church. She has a huge heart for people and uses her excellent leadership skills and generous spirit to glorify God in all she does. She even stopped on her way to the ordination service to help some people who were involved in an accident. We are so proud of Pastor Barbara! May the Lord continue to bless you as you serve Him in the church.

This award is named for Dr. Claude Ries, who faithfully served as Houghton professor of Bible and theology for nearly 40 years as well as interim pastor of the Houghton Wesleyan Church. Dr. Claude A. Ries was a high school teacher before coming to Houghton College and serving as a pastor in Seneca Falls, N.Y.  At Houghton, he served as professor of English, professor of Hebrew and biblical literature, and eventually chairman of the Division of Theology and Christian Education.