MR. PAUL SPENCE grew up in the State of North Carolina. His Father was the Founder and first President of Foundations Bible College located in Dunn, North Carolina. At sixteen years old, on a LORD'S Day evening in the Fall of 1981, Mr. Spence confessed his sins to THE LORD in Prayer and took JESUS CHRIST as his personal SAVIOUR. He thought he had been saved before. However, it was now clear to him that evening that he had not. THE LORD had often moved on his heart in conviction, but this was the first evening that he really came to confession and faith. His change of life was immediate and obvious. At that time, Mr. Spence began the Society of the Biblicists. This was a Society of six to ten young men who met every week for the reading of Scripture and Prayer. They held Street Services, donated Bibles to foreign Countries, wrote and encouraged Ministers, and often held all-night Prayer Meetings that began Friday Evenings at 10:00 p.m. While he was still sixteen years old, Mr. Spence was convinced in his conscience that his life’s calling was to preach the Word. He was moved by that “necessity” spoken of in I Corinthians 9.16. Therefore he began to devote himself to Prayer and the Study of the Word. In the Spring of 1983, Mr. Spence graduated from Foundations Christian Academy. In the Spring of 1984, he was ordained to the Ministry. In those days, he was the youngest man in the Fellowship who had ever been ordained. In the Spring of 1985, he graduated with honors from Foundations Bible College. Immediately after Graduation, Rev. Spence served as the first Chaplain of Foundations Bible College. In 1987, Rev. Spence married. Presently, he and his wife homeschool their two Children. In 1989, Rev. Spence accepted the call of a little Independent Mission located in Clarksville, Pennsylvania. Here, Rev. Spence’s labors consisted of preaching the Sunday and Thursday Evening Sermons, daily distributing Tracts, daily door-to-door Visitations, weekly Children’s Catechism Classes, weekly Home Bible Studies, helping the poor, and conducting many Special Events at the Church. In the Fall of 1996, while still serving as Pastor in Clarksville, Rev. Spence began his services as Chaplain in Care Facilities located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. In those first days, he visited twelve Homes weekly. Rev. Spence's Father continually encouraged him in this work at that time. In the Spring of 2000, Rev. Spence received his Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the International School of Missions (ISOM) located in the Philippines in recognition of his extensive work in the Care Facilities. This is the highest honor that ISOM bestows. In the Spring of 2001, the Mission relocated to Monongahela, which was more centrally located at the heart of its outreach. In 2017, after two Days of Humiliation, Dr. Spence and the Mission's Trustees thought it best to close the Mission's doors so that Dr. Spence might begin devoting his entire ministerial labors serving as Chaplain to Care Facilities in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Acts 6.4; 13.2,3. Today, he lives in Belle Vernon with his Family where he works full time among the Sick and Elderly. Some of the old Divines who have profoundly influenced Dr. Spence’s life are— 1. Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843). With a desire to drink up this man’s spirit, Dr. Spence in his early years read Rev. McCheyne’s Life, Letters, Poems, and Works more than forty times. 2. Rev. Dr. John Calvin (1509-1564). Dr. Spence has been richly blessed by reading Dr. Calvin’s Institutes more than six times. He looks at this set of books as a great, high, and classic statement of Pure Calvinism. 3. The Works of Rev. Dr. John Owen (1616-1683). Dr. Owen is Dr. Spence’s favorite Divine. He has had the pleasure of reading Dr. Owen’s Complete Works two times. Dr. Spence most admires Dr. Owen’s presentation of Historic Independency and his precious blend of Grace and Holiness. It was under the shadow of this Teacher that Dr. Spence acquired his Convictions relating to Historic Independency. Some other Divines Dr. Spence has carefully read are Governor William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, Dr. Cotton Mather’s Great Works Of Christ In America, the Complete Works of Dr. Richard Sibbes, the Selected Works of Dr. John Calvin, the Complete Works of Dr. John Bradford, the Complete Works of Rev. Augustus Toplady, the Complete Works of Dr. Thomas Boston, many of the Works of Dr. John Cotton, and almost all of the Works of Dr. Thomas Shepherd. To GOD be the Glory!
Dr. Spence preaching in the Summer during the lockdowns. All throughout those days, he remained full time in his work as Chaplain.