WESTERNPORT, Md.—William (Bill) Carr, who faithfully ministered for 50 years, died on Nov. 25. Carr pastored churches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, including his last senior pastorate at Grace Baptist Church, Cumberland. Prior to his illness and death, he served as associate pastor with his son, Steffan Carr, senior pastor of Bruce Outreach Center, Westernport.
Bill Carr received his Master of Divinity from Central Theological Seminary and his Doctorate of Theology from Andersonville Baptist Seminary.
Western Baptist Association Director of Missions Kenny Heath said, “Bill was a very giving man, although he was not financially wealthy. He also adjured people to sing in worship ‘with gusto.'”
Steffan said of his father, “He loved God’s Word—so much so that through his battles with a brain tumor, brain surgery, multiple strokes, and dementia, he taught himself to read all over again two different times just so he could READ God’s Word. He would be up in the early hours of the AM studying multiple translations, even though he read near a 2nd grade level in the latter days of his life.
“He was passionate about soul-winning, including everything from having a church service for a motorcycle gang each week in his first church in the 1960’s (from which came multiple pastors and deacons) to sharing Christ with his nurse while he was in ICU with multiple life-threatening injuries following a car accident in the 1980’s to leading FAITH visitation teams and leading folks to Christ in the 2000’s to sharing his faith with his Muslim doctor less than a year before he died!!
“He was a prayer warrior; even as late as this past summer, spending hours in his office praying over every request he received…”
Steffan also said his father dearly loved Steffan’s mom, Lola (Bowman) Carr.
“She was everything to him after 59 years of marriage!! He used to buy flowers for her (about two years before he died) and would tell the florist, ‘Make the roses beautiful because my wife is so beautiful.’”
“His life’s theme verse with Mom was Proverbs 3:5-6 and his favorite Bible verse to quote in the last months of his life was 1 John 4:4 – ‘Greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world.’”
In addition to his wife Lola and Steffan and his wife Leslie of Westernport, Bill Carr is survived by Pastor Scott Carr Sr. and wife Wanda of Bridgeton, N.J.; a daughter, Sharon Carr of Westernport; two brothers, Elmer Carr and wife Shirley of Blairston, N.J., and Henry “Chic” Carr and wife Alice of Newton, N.J. Pastor Bill Carr is also survived by his grandchildren, Scott Carr Jr., Joanna Carr, Alisha Carr and Melody Carr.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Bruce Outreach Center.