www.homermassey.com
2009
The Bible Stands
Evangelistic Radio Ministry
With Ernie Tonetti
Ernie Tonetti has been involved in active Christian ministry since his college years in the 1950s. With his wife Jo at his side, he earned the BA (1952) and BD (MDiv, 1954) degrees at Bob Jones University, then began holding evangelistic crusades. In 1956 his college classmate Pete Lopresti began a storefront church in the southside of Richmond VA and invited Ernie to hold a series of evangelistic meetings. Before long Pete had recommended Ernie to be the pastor of the fledgling Faith Memorial Baptist Church.After serving for over 35 years as pastor, Ernie and Jo retired. Ernie, however, has continued the evangelistic radio ministry he began in 1990, The Bible Stands. The broadcast has been on the air continuously since the first broadcast, on stations in Richmond VA, Dayton OH, Martinsburg PA and on two stations in the Caribbean islands and two in the Pacific islands. He is now raising money to expand into eight new markets on the Wilkins Communications Network out of Spartanburg SC.Besides his degrees from BJU, Ernie was honored with the Doctor of Divinity from Maryland Baptist Bible College in 1988. He serves on the boards of the Armed Forces Baptist Missions, Baptist Home Missions, Fundamental Missions, Inc., and is the Virginia Representative for the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International.He has published a popular resource entitled Simple Outlines of the Bible, available through The Bible Stands Evangelistic Ministry, 6202 Strathmore Road, Richmond VA, 23234.
Dr. & Mrs. Tonetti
Call (804) 276-3249 for current prices
Personal Note from Homer Massey -
Ernie Tonetti has been a personal mentor since the early 1960s, when I came as a Summer intern to Faith Memorial Baptist Church while a junior at Bob Jones University. After graduation I returned to the Richmond area to serve as Assistant Pastor at FMBC, and married my wife Mary who was a member of the church. Ernie performed the marriage ceremony on August 1, 1964, and his wife Jo played the piano. Ernie was a tremendous influence on my early ministry, and he and Jo have provided constant friendship and encouragement through the years. His long-time friend Pete Lopresti (who planted FMBC in 1956), by then a pastor in the Northern Neck of Virginia, recommended me for my first pastorate, Cypress Chapel in old Nansemond County, VA. Ernie just celebrated his 85th birthday on June 28, 2009, and told someone recently he was praying for God to allow him to still be active in some sort of ministry when he reached 100 years of age! If you or your church would like to sponsor The Bible Stands radio ministry in some way, write Ernie at 4508 Stanbrook Drive, Richmond VA 23234, or call him at (804) 276-3249 for details. Gifts to the radio fund are tax deductible.