Rev. Philip Parker – Interim Minister

Rev. Philip Parker serves as our interim pastor. Growing up in Tidewater, Virginia, he attended the University of Richmond and then went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. During two years of his seminary education, he served as the youth assistant pastor at Milner Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, N. C. After graduating from seminary, he served as a chaplain intern for fifteen months at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem N. C. Upon the completion of this internship, he pastored two churches in North Carolina before returning to Tidewater, Virginia. In 1980 he was called to be the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church and served in that capacity for 30 years. In 2007 he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Liberty University. After his retirement in 2010 he has served as the interim pastor on two separate occasions before accepting the call to guide Bedford Presbyterian Church through its time of transition following the retirement of Rev. John Salley who faithfully served our church for 16 years. Pastor Parker and his wife, Sherry, enjoy the Bedford community and count it a real privilege to serve this outstanding church family.

Rev. Bill Rutledge – Minister of Music

Reverend Bill Rutledge is a native of Tennessee. He attended Union University, a Southern Baptist liberal arts college in Jackson, TN. There he received a bachelor’s degree in music. He did his graduate work at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary School of Church Music where he earned a Masters of Church Music Degree with emphasis in piano performance. In 1979 Bill and his wife, Deanna moved to Kona, Hawaii where he served as worship leader alongside Integrity Hosanna! Worship Leader, Bob Fitts at University of the Nations. While on the Big Island he also served as minister of music at Kona Baptist Church. After 9 years in Kona, the Rutledges moved to Honolulu where they ministered for another 18 years at Kalihi Union Church.

The Rutledges moved to Bedford in 2014 when Bill was brought on staff as minister of music at Bedford Presbyterian. Besides his ministry to the church, he, along with his wife, Deanna, direct the Bedford Singing School, a ministry to elementary and high school children, mostly homeschoolers, in the Bedford area. For 5 years, Bill has been singing with the Roanoke Symphony Chorus and for the last 2 years has been their principal accompanist. Bill and Deanna have one son who lives in Crozet, VA with his wife and two children.