Pastor Snyder began ministry under the leadership of the late Pastor Guy Roam (church of 500 members); New Life Center, Bridgeton, Missouri at the age of 15, working in the prisons and nursing homes. October 4, 1980 he married Gayle J. Lynch from Paris, Illinois. Together they attended Gateway College of Evangelism, St. Louis, Missouri.  Pastor & Mrs. Snyder worked in several churches in outreach, youth and evangelism for 5 years, while evangelizing part time. They launched into full time ministry by evangelizing full time for 4½ years, ministering and conducting Church Growth Seminars across the Midwest, East coast, and the southern U.S. He was ordained by the United Pentecostal Church International in 1986 in Moline, Illinois. They pastored in rural Pontiac, Illinois for 5 years. Although the church was eleven years old when they took it, the church membership had dwindled down to four members. Within the first year the church had 40 members. Within five years they were running 85 regularly and often had 100 in attendance.
      They felt the Lord urging them to move on with their ministry. So they left the Pontiac church and evangelized an additional 2 ½ years. This time their travels expanded as they ministered in Canada and Mexico. Later they became Associates In Missions to Central America for 3 months; sharing Church Growth concepts and preaching crusades.
      Before they left on their A.I.M. tour, Rev. Snyder was asked to be an Associate Pastor to Christian Life Center, a mega-church in Stockton, California, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Kenneth Haney (now the General Superintendent of the UPCI); his responsibilities included pastoring and discipling New Believers, Small Group Ministry Director, Evangelism Coordinator, Director of Greeters & Hospitality Ministry; Landmark Conference Platform Services Coordinator, and Evangelism Team Captain Coordinator. He was a substitute instructor at Christian Life College in Stockton. He also continued to evangelize outside the local assembly. His wife, Gayle, was Pastor Haney’s personal secretary and the church’s Executive Secretary, as well as a favorite vocalist.
      During Pastor Snyder’s time in Stockton, he was the Evangelism Coordinator for Western District Camp Meeting for 3 years. They were also blessed to preach for Jamaica’s Youth Camp. Also while in Stockton, he was the Outreach Coordinator for San Francisco Invasion, a UPCI organized metro effort in 2000.
      Another new development arose in their lives as they were blessed with two magnificent children. They had been married 18 childless years, enduring two miscarriages and four failed adoptions. Through the county they found a beautiful little baby girl with marvelous blue eyes, and named her Mariah Gayelle. Ten months after she moved in with them, Marcus Edward, their biological son, 200% boy, was born.
      Pastor Snyder was appointed the North American Evangelism Crusade Coordinator for the General Home Missions Division during General Conference of 2000 and in 2001. He preached the Pre-Crusade rallies and acted as a liaison between Home Missions and the crusade committee. He was instrumental in organizing and motivating for the crusades.
      In November of 2000, he left Stockton to begin a new church plant in a prestigious, yet untouched area of West County St. Louis, in Ballwin Missouri. He was the founding pastor of “West County Worship Centre,” which began in February of 2001. He received tremendous support from area United Pentecostal churches and pastors.
      He taught “Theology of Church Growth Principles” at Gateway College of Evangelism, located in Florissant, Missouri to young men and women who aspire to be active in church ministry now and in the future.  Pastor Snyder penned his first book “Help Others Receive the Gift,” an instructional book for Christians on how to help other people receive the initial gift of the Holy Spirit.
      He also served in the General Home Missions Division of the United Pentecostal Church International as their Promotions and Public Relations Coordinator. During this time, he coordinated the One GRAND Vision initiative to start 1,000 churches across North America, succeeding in getting 976 new church plants in motion.
In February of 2005, Pastor Snyder accepted the pastorate to Grace Tabernacle of Danville, Virginia. The rest of the story is yet unfolding, with great dreams and expectations for the future…believing the best is yet to come.  <back to top>