Biography of Gordy Bell, elder

I was raised in River Forest, Illinois, the youngest of four children. Our family attended Madison Street Bible Church in Oak Park which is now known as Calvary Memorial Church. I attended elementary and junior high schools in River Forest and then attended Oak Park-River Forest High School in Oak Park. While I was in 6th grade, my mother confronted me with a sin that she knew I had committed. After acknowledging my sin to her, she explained to me the need to come before God to confess that I was a sinner and that because of the sacrifice of Christ, I could be forgiven. I knew I was a sinner and realized my need for a Savior and God saved me. I can look back and see that this was the beginning of a new life in Christ.

After high school I attended Wheaton College for my first two years before transferring to Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. It was at Wheaton College where I met my wife, Ruth, during our freshman year. Her father was a medical missionary doctor in Ethiopia serving with the Red Cross during the Italian-Ethiopian conflict in 1935 when a bomb killed him. He was only 29 when he died and never had a chance to see his baby daughter. Her father's story is on the RVBC website (Dr. Bob Hockman, Surgeon of the Cross).

While attending NIU, I majored in Industry and Technology in preparation to teach in public school. During my time at NIU, I was involved in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. After graduating from NIU, I enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. Upon completing my time in the army, Ruth and I were married in 1958 and lived in the Wheaton, Illinois area. While there, Ruth and I attended Wheaton Bible Church and were involved in Sunday school, teaching in both elementary and high school levels.

In the early 1980's I became involved in a coach's Bible Study that met Monday mornings each week at 6 a.m. God gave me a great desire for learning and applying His Word through this study. During this time, I heard about a new church that was started in Warrenville, Illinois. Through circumstances directed by God, one of my ex-students invited us to attend this new church, known as Grace Church of DuPage.

After a short time at this church some men began to disciple me. One of these men was the pastor who taught me basic doctrine. During our time at Grace Church of DuPage, we were involved in the ministries of prayer, helping single parents with their children, missions and serving on a leadership team.

In 1993 I retired from public school teaching in Wheaton, Illinois. During that year the pastor of Grace Church of DuPage asked us to be involved in helping him with a church plant in DeKalb, Illinois. This church plant later became known as Kishwaukee Bible Church. Ruth and I attended KBC every Saturday evening in a home for approximately six months to help in the beginning stages. We commuted to DeKalb from Wheaton while still attending Grace Church of DuPage.

In the summer of 2000, Ruth and I moved to Oregon, Illinois. Before the move took place we talked to Steve Brandon, the pastor of Rock Valley Bible Church. We determined to be involved with this new church plant from Kishwaukee Bible Church in DeKalb. Since then we have seen RVBC grow as God has prospered and protected this church. Ruth and I desire to be involved in ministry there for the purpose of serving others and glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations for ever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20, 21)