January 9, 1926 to August 13, 2022
R. C. is the eldest of five sons born to Buddie and Katie Wetzel. He was raised in Wood County and Comanche County, Texas, where he attended local schools, graduating with honor from Mineola High School at Mineola, Texas in May, 1942.
During World War II, he served for 2 years, 2 months and 19 days in the U.S. Navy in various localities, most of which was aboard the USS San Francisco. He received an honorable discharge in June, 1946.
He and Rita Marie Lucas of Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania, were married at Elkton, Maryland on June 24, 1946. Four children were subsequently born
of this union.
R. C. began his relationship with Jesus Christ at the age of 14 years in July, 1940 during a revival meeting at First Baptist Church of Hainesville, Texas, and was baptized in Patton’s Creek by pastor Alton Patton.
He surrendered to preach on June 19, 1950, and preached his first sermon on Wednesday night, July 5, 1950 to the congregation of the Calvary Baptist Church, Grand Prairie, Texas. The text of his first sermon was Ezekiel 18:31-32, “Why will ye die?”
He was ordained by the Calvary Baptist Church on January 7, 1951. Those on the ordaining presbytery were: His pastor, Dr. Earl K. Oldham, Rev. W. J. Bomar, Rev. Richard Ausburn, Rev. J. Arthur Williams, Rev. A. F. Lucky, Rev. Jack York and Rev. B. E. Smith.
R. C. earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rocky Mountain College, Denver, Colorado, a Master of Theology degree from the Bible Baptist Seminary of Fort Worth, Texas (now Arlington Baptist University, Arlington, Texas). He graduated as valedictorian of his 1953 class and pronounced the valedictory oration at commencement exercises in the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas. In 1962, he earned a Doctor of Theology degree from Burton College and Seminary of Manitou Springs, Colorado, and in 1971, received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Eastern Florida. He also did one semester of specialized study at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado. He achieved a Certificate of Proficiency in accounting from Draughon’s Business College in Dallas, Texas, and developed a system of bookkeeping especially designed for churches which has been accepted and is being used by many churches today. R.C. also authored two books and several works of research and studies on Bible-related subjects, including Timetables of History (a result of 20-years labor) which has been published.
During his Seminary years, R. C. worked with the youth of Calvary Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas as Superintendent of the Young People’s Department. During the first half of his senior year, he moved to Fort Worth and served as associate pastor with Clarence Green at the Azle Baptist Temple, Azle, Texas. When Rev. Green resigned to go to the mission field, R. C. was called as pastor, and served the church from 17 Aug. 1952 to 22 Feb. 1953.
R. C. and his family moved to the State of New Mexico where he founded and pastored the Portales Baptist Temple at Portales, NM from 15 Mar. 1953 to 8 Nov. 1953. The Bible Baptist Church of Slaton, Texas extended a call and he accepted the call and served the church from 3 Dec. 1953 to 27 Jan. 1957. During his tenure as pastor there, the auditorium of the main sanctuary was completed and a new educational building was built. On 3 Feb. 1957, R. C. served as the first pastor of the newly organized Calvary Baptist Church of Fort Stockton, Texas. He led the congregation in acquiring property there and gathering materials for a new building. An unfortunate fire resulted in the loss of all their material possessions, but they continued on in rented premises.
R. C. received a call from the Valley Bible Baptist Church of El Cajon, California, so he resigned the church at Fort Stockton and moved his family to California where he began his pastoral duties on 28 June 1959. On 26 June 1960, R. C. was asked to accept the associate pastorship of the Castle Park Baptist Church of Chula Vista, California. Working in conjunction with pastor Bruce E. Powell, they organized a Christian grade
school known as Castle Park Baptist School. R. C. served as Dean of the school and taught the 7th and 8th grade students. An accredited Bible
School was also organized, operating under the charter of Silver State Baptist Schools of Englewood, Colorado. R. C. taught Theology and New Testament to the 18 students enrolled. When Dr. Powell resigned, the church called R. C. as their pastor on 13 Nov. 1960. He served the church to
2 Apr. 1975. From 2 Apr. 1975 to 16 May 1976, he served as associate pastor with Dr. Edgar Wyrick and the First Baptist Church of Lakeside, California. And on 23 May, 1976, R. C. was called as co-pastor of the Bible Baptist Church, Chula Vista, with Rev. George Pool. On 21 Dec. 1977, they both became co-pastors of the Bethel Baptist Church (formerly Castle Park Baptist Church) while at the same time still co-pastoring Bible Baptist Church. At the request of the congregation of Bethel Baptist Church on 13 Aug. 1978, R. C. assumed the full responsibility of pastoring that church. When Rev. Pool left the area to pastor in Texas, the Bible Baptist Church and Bethel Baptist Church merged on 19 Aug. 1979 and R. C. was called as pastor. The Bethel Baptist Church property was sold, the Bible Baptist Church property was paid off and a new educational building was built.
In addition to this work of the ministry, R. C. worked at secular jobs to provide a living for his family and supplement his often meager income.
Among these were experiences in the bookkeeping-accounting field, sales of office supplies and equipment, assistant manager of a Ferguson tractor and farm implement firm, and retired after 25 years service with the County of San Diego as a Superior Court Clerk (1961-1986) to give full-time to his pastoral duties.
~ Compiled from Dr. R.C. Wetzel’s personal notes by Robert Charles (R.C.) Wetzel; 2 September, 2022