Dr. Andrew Edwards III

Born in Macon, Georgia, 1962, to Andrew and Jo Ann Edwards Jr. Andrew’s parents both were saved and baptized in their youth; however, they occasionally would attend Southern Baptist Churches, which were watered down in the preaching of the Gospel.   After Preacher’s father had a transfer in his job with the military moving to Fairfax, Virginia; his family visited an Independent Baptist Church, the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Herndon, Virginia where Dr. John Bonds was the pastor. At ten years of age, Andrew was saved and baptized. The strong preaching changed their home. His family got actively involved in the Church. His father became a Deacon, Sunday School Teacher, and Treasurer of the Church.  Bus calling, Soulwinning with his father, family altar, and a strict upbringing played a major part in the influence of his life.

He felt the call to preach under the preaching of Dr. Bonds when he was eleven years old. Because of the influence of his Pastor, immediately he began preaching on a stump in a pasture behind his house to his first congregation; a gathering of cows. He started a Bible Club in the basement of his house where he preached to neighborhood children. The more he put forth the effort, the more God opened the doors of opportunity. He continued by preaching in Nursing Homes, Orphan Homes, and his father’s Church bus. In his teen years he preached in Junior Church, Street preaching in Detroit, Michigan, preaching with the traveling teen singing group called the Spirit of Truth at Rochester Hills Baptist Church where Dr. Traxler was his pastor. He attended Hyles- Anderson College in 1980 and graduated May 1985.
While in Bible College God opened the doors for him to work in Churches during the summer (First Baptist Church of Pound, Virginia; Forrest Hills Baptist Church of Decatur, Georgia; Rochester Hills Baptist Church of Rochester, Michigan; and Westwood Baptist Church of Toledo, Ohio). He received an honorary doctorate from Providence Baptist College in 2001.

While still in Bible College, he had the honor to begin working under Pastor Rick Schuessler in Toledo, Ohio, October, 1982 (Brother Schuessler was Preacher’s youth pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Fairfax, Virginia the year before his father got a job transfer to Michigan). He worked with the Youth, Bus Ministry, and whatever the pastor needed. It started when Brother Schuessler invited him to preach to the teenagers during the summer of 1982. His family happened to see the Schuesslers while they were on vacation in Florida. He had not seen Brother Schuessler for about three years.

The Lord blessed Andrew with a wonderful wife, Vicki. Vicki was a bus kid who grew up at Rochester Hills Baptist Church. She was the first one to greet him the first time his family walked into Rochester Hills Baptist Church some five years before their marriage in 1983. She was also in the College & Career Class which Andrew’s father taught.

In 1985 God began to strongly work on Andrew’s heart to pastor. He honestly thought he would be leaving Toledo, Ohio. After receiving godly counsel his plan was to visit the west coast, California and the east coast, Connecticut to find out God’s Will for his life. This was to be done during his two-week vacation. After much prayer the plan was to resign the Church and go wherever God would have him go. Little did he know Brother Schuessler was going to resign in two weeks and go start a church in Apopka, Florida. Neither of the two men had any idea the other was going to resign. God had different plans.

In July 1985, at age 23, Andrew Edwards became the Pastor of Westwood Baptist Church (later the name was changed to Northwest Baptist Church). The first Lord’s Day 118 were in attendance. The Church has averaged 500 in attendance each Lord’s Day and has had a high day of 1644. Occasionally, he preaches in Youth Conferences, Mission Conferences, and Bible Conferences.