| Saved in 1970, Dr. Al Cremard was called to the ministry while on a mission trip to Haiti in 1974. Al became interim pastor of the Bible Presbyterian Church of Duryea on June 14th, 1975. In 1976 he led the small congregation of eight out of that denomination and reincorporated the church under the name Independent Bible Church of Duryea. The church has gone through two building programs and now averages one hundred eighty in attendance. He was given an honorary Doctorate in 1997 from The International School of Missions, Cebu City, Philippines. Al serves on the board of Gospel Furthering Fellowship, The Committee of The International Testimony to an Infallible Bible (World Congress of Fundamentalists), and is a board member and Church Planting Coordinator for P.L.A.N.T. America. He is married to Darlene Cremard and they have two daughters, Melissa Beckwith and Christine Bair. They have three granddaughters, Morgan, Meagan, and Teaghan Bair. Saved in 1961, Darlene Cremard became a registered nurse graduating from Pittston Hospital School of Nursing. The last position she held was that of a recovery room nurse at Geisinger, Wyoming Valley in Plains Township, PA. She has been a faithful pastor's wife for 30 years, serving as Sunday school teacher, nursery coordinator, a teacher in Christian Character Club, and a ladies' Bible study teacher. She has helped her husband in counseling and has ministered as a speaker for ladies' fellowships. She has also directed the annual Ladies' Seminar at the Independent Bible Church of Duryea for over twenty years. |
| Rev. Joseph LaCava, Associate Pastor, has been serving at Independent Bible Church since 1994. Reared in Northeast Pennsylvania, Pastor LaCava received a degree in Music Education at Wilkes College, where he met his wife Leslie. Shortly after marriage, they both received Christ as Savior. They moved to New England to pursue secular work, but the Lord had other plans. Both Joe and Leslie responded to the call of full time Christian ministry when they began teaching in a Christian school in 1982. God continued to work in the heart of Pastor LaCava, and he received the call to full time pastoral ministry. He graduated from Pilgrim Baptist Bible Institute, Jaffrey, NH, in 1986, serving the Lord as teacher, administrator, and assistant pastor until 1994 before returning to Northeast PA. The LaCavas have three children. Matthew, who is married to Kate Snyder, is pursuing graduate study n Pastoral Theology at Bob Jones University. Jeanna is a junior at BJU studying Women's Ministries, and LeeAnn is in tenth grade and home schooled. Leslie is active in ministry as church pianist, teen girls Sunday school teacher, and faithful helper to her husband. |
