Our Bright Side Ministers

Rev. Linda C. Simpkins Dickerson was born in Bryn Mawr, PA.  She joined the body of Christ at nine years of age at a Billy Graham Crusade in Philadelphia. Later that same year she was baptized at her home church, Zion Baptist in Ardmore, PA by Pastor Rev. Dr. Leonard M. Jones. This Minister taught New Member’s Class (Growing in the Likeness of Christ), A Bible Based Parenting Class (with her husband) at Bright Side Baptist Church in Lancaster, PA where Rev. Dr. Louis Butcher, Jr. is the Pastor. In addition, she earned a Basic Certificate in Bible Enrichment from Lancaster Bible College. Linda is enrolled at Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia for her Masters in Divinity. She is a member at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in York, PA; Dr. Larry Walthour is the Senior Pastor. 

Rev. Dickerson was ordained into the ministry at Shiloh Church under the Pastor, Rev. Dr. Jasmin Sculark on March 30, 2014. Her duties at Shiloh include teaching the Wednesday Noon Day Bible Study, and Rev. Dickerson is the Servant Leader for the Senior Ministry Group. But above all else, she is a child of God, and Jesus Christ is Lord over her life!

Min, Lillie Linda Evangelina Farmer was born in Washington, DC. She joined Bright Side Baptist Church when she was fourteen years old. Since joining Bright Side, Lillie has served as a Sunday school teacher, sang on the Young Adult Choir, has served as a Trustee, and has served on various committees within the church. 

Lillie serves as Support Services Ministry Leader, sings in the Bright Side Baptist Church Choir, and has been a member of the Prison Ministry Team for more than 20 years. Lillie says that every time she looks back over her life, she cannot help but feel awestruck when she realizes that nothing but the hand of God has been moving on her behalf.

Rev, Brian E. Fountain was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA. He received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1980 through the outreach ministry of Victory Bible Church in Harrisburg under the powerful leadership of Pastor Gary McCullough. In 1982, while still a young Christian Rev. Fountain became involved at the Shamrock Christian Community Center. There, he met Rev. Lawrence Chiles and a friendship/mentorship emerged. In 1985, Rev. Fountain became the Director of Shamrock Christian Community Center shortly after Rev. Chiles’ departure to Lancaster, Pa.

In 1986, after attending an anointed week of revival services held at his church, Rev. Fountain heeded God’s call to preach. After graduating from Lancaster Bible College in 1992, Rev. Fountain became the Executive Director of Arbor Place. In addition to from Lancaster Bible College & Arbor Place, he aided as an Associate Pastor at South Christian Street Church for ten years.

In 2001, Rev. Fountain became the Pastor of Peace Chapel in Harrisburg. He served as Pastor there for eight years. Rev. Fountain has traveled extensively, preaching the life-transforming gospel of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Fountain joined Bright Side Baptist Church as an official member in 2010. Since then, he has been involved at the church in various ministry and leadership capacities including Education Ministry Center Leader, Prayer Ministry Coordinator, preaching, teaching and providing general ministerial oversight.

Min. Karen C. Horsey, M.Div. is a native of Baltimore, MD, but has made Lancaster, PA her home for the past 33 years. She serves as the Minister of Congregational Care at Bright Side Baptist Church while retiring in 2022 from her position as Church Administrator after serving in that role for 11 years. She is a member of the Education Ministry, and recently founded the Hospitality Ministry at the church.

Outside of Bright Side she serves on the board of directors at the Samaritan Counseling Center and on its advisory board for Clergy and Congregational Care.

Min. Horsey is a graduate of Lancaster Theological Seminary. While in seminary, she was a presidential scholar, and a recipient of the Rev. Thomas W. Rhoads Prize in Biblical Interpretation (Old Testament); and the Spessard Prize in Christology. She also completed Year One and Year Two at Kairos: School of Spiritual Formation and completed training in Leading Contemplative Gatherings at Oasis Ministries. Just before joining the staff of Bright Side she completed chaplaincy training at Lancaster General Hospital in its Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program.

Prior to attending seminary, Min. Horsey spent 14 years as Associate Director of Career Services at Franklin & Marshall College, and 3 years as Associate Registrar at Western Maryland College, (now McDaniel College). Additional professional background includes print journalism and real estate. Min. Horsey has a B.S. in Journalism from University of Maryland, College Park, and an M.S. degree in Higher Education Administration from Western Maryland College.

Min. Horsey is married to Dwight Horsey, and has two grown children, Dayna (27) and David (23). She seeks to bring people closer to the Lord and enjoys reading, theatre, and spending time with family and friends.

Her favorite Scripture is: Matt 22:37-40 NRSV

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Min. Santa E. Jenkins was saved and baptized at the age of 14. She attended Lancaster Mennonite High School. In 1990, she dedicated her life to the Lord. She attended the Vision for Today Bible Institute of Pentecostal Churches in Lancaster PA. She has taken CEU Credits at Lancaster Bible College and Virginia Union. She has a Liberal Arts degree in Social Sciences from the Harrisburg Area Community College.

In 1994, she began attending Bright Side Baptist Church. She preached her trial sermon in October 1998.

Min. Jenkins currently teaches Sunday School and Christian Education Classes, and ministers at the Youth Intervention Center in Lancaster on the third Friday of the month. She is a member of the Education Minister Ad Hoc committee and works very closely with Min. Rochelle and the women’s fellowship, which meets every Friday night at Bright Side Baptist Church. She is also a member of the International Association of Minister’s Wives and Minister’s Widows, the PA Association of Minister’s Wives and Minister’s Widows, the Bright Side Minister’s Wives, and the Evangelistic team.

Min. Christina (Tina) Ladson was born and reared in Philadelphia, PA. She accepted Jesus Christ and was baptized at the tender age of five. Pastor Calvin L. Jones, Sr. of Mt. Hebron Baptist Church was her spiritual shepherd until the age of eighteen.

    
Tina joined Bright Side Baptist Church in 1984. She has been a member of the missionary board, a primary age Sunday School teacher, and has held the positions of both Chair and Co-Chair of the Women's Day Committee twice. She has attended and assisted in prayer meetings, Bible Study, Women's Fellowship and has been the Bright Side representative for Church Women United.

In 2000, Tina felt an intense tug in her spirit to surrender to the calling of the ministry and received her license in 2010. Tina has served on and recently re-united herself with the B.S.B.C. Health Ministry. She has participated in street evangelism with Rev. Lawrence Houston and Rev. P. Kay. She also assisted with several Women's Day programs and taught a Women's Sunday School classes. She worked with Rev. Sherry Lupton and women in the community to organize and facilitate women's retreats. 

  
Minister Ladson has been a member of the Prison Ministry and has brought the Word of God to numerous nursing facilities. Currently she is a greeter and periodically assists with funerals and repasts.  

Min. Deb, as she is called, was born and raised in Philadelphia where she attended the Philadelphia School System.  She is working toward receiving a certificate from Lancaster Bible College in counseling and has plans to continue her education in bible and world religions.  She currently teaches new members classes and is also part of the Bright Side Baptist Church Health Ministry in addition, she is a member of the Prison Ministry team.

Min. McMichael believes God took her from the streets of Philadelphia in 1996 and set her feet in Lancaster, PA. to save her life from substance abuse.  She says her ministry is to mentor women struggling with living life on life’s term however, her passion is for seniors.  

Min. Valerie Perry-Cross grew up in the close-knit community of Norristown, PA., serving as Youth Sunday School Ambassador and assistant organist, at Ebenezer Baptist Church, under the, late, Bishop Robert F. Walters.  Though she accepted Christ at an early age,  she confirmed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, receiving baptism, and the right hand of fellowship, at Bright Side Baptist Church in 1982, under the spiritual leadership of Rev. Dr. Louis A. Butcher Jr. 

She served in a variety of capacities At Bright Side Baptist Church, including: Newsletter Editor, Senior Choir member, Women’s Day Chair, Secretary for the Board of Trustees, Strategic Planning Committee member, Ad Hoc Task Force for Internal Operations Chair, Pastor’s Retirement Banquet Co-Chair, Pastoral Search Committee, Adult Bible Studies teacher, and Nursing Homes outreach. God prompted her to accept the call to ministry on June 29, 2017.  She preached her trial sermon on March 31, 2019 and was licensed two Sundays later.  

She completed her certificate in Biblical Counseling from Lancaster Bible College and is currently a second-year PhD candidate in Leadership (Theology) at Lancaster Bible College/Capital Seminary and Graduate School. 

Min. Nyeasha Salim was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She recalls at a very young age accepting Christ as her personal Savior and being baptized. While she was not raised in the church, the Lord impressed upon her heart and inscribe in her mind, the day she received Christ and was baptized.

In 2001, she felt a heavy pull on her heart to rededicate her life to Christ. It was at Triumph Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA, under the leadership of Pastor Hall, where she rededicated her life to the Lord and joined the praise and dance and intercessory prayer ministry. From that year on, she continues to praise God for how He alone keeps her. Soon after rededicating her life and worshiping through dance, she heard the call to the preaching ministry. It was not until relocating to Lancaster, PA, under the leadership of Pastor Butcher, did she heed the call that God placed on her life. Since joining Brightside Baptist Church, she has served as a praise and dance ministry leader, youth leader, and a liaison for the Life on Life Young Adult Ministry. She currently teaches as a new member’s teacher and actively shares that word of God a Brightside’s Saturday worship service. 

Min. Nyeasha’s ministry flows beyond the walls of the church into schools where she speaks words of encouragement from the word of God coupled with mentoring young girls as they journey through life. Her deepest desire is to speak truth, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She believes that there is hope that surpasses human understanding in the Lord!

Born June 20, 1975, Susin is a native of Coatesville, PA. She received Jesus as her Savior at the age of nine, at Mount Zion AME Church in Atglen where she attended with her Godmother Sarah Jones. Sarah made sure that she lived up to her title as Godmother and would not let her grow up without knowing the Word.

After moving to Lancaster and hearing Pastor Butcher officiate a marriage ceremony, Susin felt the tugging on her heart to make this church her home. She joined Bright Side Baptist Church in 2002. She immediately got to work for the Lord as a Trustee and by serving on Youth Ministry.  She teaches new members, Sunday school, and serves on the Deaconess Board, Discipleship Ministry and is co-leader of Prayer Ministry. In April 2013, she answered the call into the ministry under the supervision of Rev. Dr. Louis A. Butcher Jr. and preached her initial sermon on March 15,2015.

Min. Thomas can see the hand of God working in her every step of the way!  

Rev.  Frederick Weeks, Jr. was born October 10,1965 in Lancaster, PA. He received Jesus as his Savior at age nine, at Ebenezer Baptist Church. After returning from a four-year stint in the Marine Corps in 1987, he joined Bright Side Baptist Church. At Bright Side, he has served as a trustee, taught Sunday School, and sang in the various choirs.

He answered the call into ministry in the year 2002 and was ordained following election by the congregation in June 2017 by founding pastor Rev. Dr. Louis A. Butcher

Min. Desiree’ Wright is a native of Lancaster, PA. Her personal journey became alive in God through Jesus Christ in 1989. In 1996, she attended the School of Ministry in Harrisburg, PA at McLamb Memorial Church of the Living God under the late Pastor Pauline McLamb. In 1997, she was baptized under the leadership of Pastor Gary Metric at Greater Works Outreach Ministry. 

She attended the School of Ministry at Monteocha New Life Christian Center in Gainesville, FL and was licensed under Pastor Reginal Lewis and served in the Outreach Ministry. In 2012, she joined Family Worship Center in Gainesville, FL. [

In 2013, Desiree’ had the opportunity to sit on the sacred platform under Juanita Bynum while attending her conference in Chicago, Illinois. In 2014, she served at the Lancaster Salvation Army in the Women’s Ministry. In 2016, Min. Wright made Bright Side Baptist Church her home.  The retired Rev. Dr. Lewis A. Butcher, Jr. licensed her in 2017. 

Min. Wright can relate to the scripture “I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work.” (John 9:4) 

And let the church say AMEN!