BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Dr. William E. Rice

William (Willy) Rice is the pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, Fla., having returned in 2004 to lead the church he considered his home church.

In 2006, Rice was unanimously elected to serve a one-year term as President of the Florida Baptist State Convention, representing the one million member denomination in state and national meetings. As President, he planned the 2007 Florida Baptist State Convention meeting in Daytona Beach and set the tone of the convention’s direction for the next year. During the 2007 meeting, he is eligible for re-election to a second one-year term.

Rice became known to the media as the pastor who asked as Judge George Greer—whose rulings set the March 18 removal of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube—to withdraw Greer’s membership from the church. http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/4059.article

He has articulated the congregation’s pro-life commitment: http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/4004.article

Rice spent his high school years at Calvary, responded to God’s call to ministry there, and met and married his wife Cheryl at Calvary. He was called, licensed and ordained to preach at Calvary all under the leadership of Dr. William (Bill) Anderson who pastored there for 27 years. In 2004 the church called Rice to come back home and pastor the church.

Rice previously served as pastor of the Hillcrest Baptist Church in Pensacola for seven years. During that time the church experienced great growth and more than doubled in size. The church built a new 2000 seat worship center in 2002.

He also served as pastor of the Gladeview Baptist Church in Anniston, Ala. (1992-1997), the Cypress Lake Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla. (1987-1992) and the Bethel Baptist Church in Dora, Ala. (1984-1987).

Rice is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. with a B.A. degree (1985) and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a master of divinity degree (1990) and doctor of ministry degree (1996).