Changes

'''John Henry Ballard''' (born June 21, 1931)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/john-ballard/e21484711038036|title=John Ballard|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=July 12, 2018}}</ref> is a [[Southern Baptist]] retired [[clergy]]man with sixty years in the ministry,  thirty-eight  with the First Baptist Church of [[Lubbock]], [[Texas]], at which he taught the Downtown Bible class. During his ministry in Lubbock, Ballard was an associate pastor under the long-term former pastor, David Lawrence "D. L." Lowrie (born May 18, 1935) .<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/david-lowrie/e491223732348|title=David Lowrie|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=July 12, 2018}}</ref> Ballard conducted literally thousands of funerals during his career and made many visits to [[hospital]]s and nursing homes. He has since retired to [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] with his wife, the former Mary Elizabeth Herring (born June 19, 1929).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/mary-ballard/e33316590012|title=Mary Ballard|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=July 12, 2018}}</ref>

'''John Henry Ballard''' (born June 21, 1931)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/john-ballard/e21484711038036|title=John Ballard|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=July 12, 2018}}</ref> is a [[Southern Baptist]] retired [[clergy]]man with sixty years in the ministry,  thirty-eight  with the First Baptist Church of [[Lubbock]], [[Texas]], at which he taught the Downtown Bible class. During his ministry in Lubbock, Ballard was an associate pastor under the long-term former pastor, David Lawrence "D. L." Lowrie (born May 18, 1935) .<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/david-lowrie/e491223732348|title=David Lowrie|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=July 12, 2018}}</ref> Ballard conducted literally thousands of funerals during his career and made many visits to [[hospital]]s and nursing homes. He has since retired to [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] with his wife, the former Mary Elizabeth Herring (born June 19, 1929).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/mary-ballard/e33316590012|title=Mary Ballard|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=July 12, 2018}}</ref>

Ballard was one of ten children reared in the [[slum]]s of East St. Louis, [[Illinois]], an urban extension across the [[Mississippi River]] from [[St Louis]], [[Missouri]]. His father was also a minister who said that [[God]] could not trust him with money; so He gave children instead.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20180711/moving-ministry-ballards-leaving-lubbock-after-decades-sharing-gospel|title=A moving ministry: Ballards leaving Lubbock after decades sharing gospel|publisher=''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal''|author=Ray Westbrook|date=July 11, 2018|accessdate=July 12, 2018}}</ref>

Ballard was one of ten children reared in a poor neighborhood of East St. Louis, [[Illinois]], an urban extension across the [[Mississippi River]] from [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]. His father was also a minister who said that [[God]] could not trust him with money; so He gave children instead.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20180711/moving-ministry-ballards-leaving-lubbock-after-decades-sharing-gospel|title=A moving ministry: Ballards leaving Lubbock after decades sharing gospel|publisher=''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal''|author=Ray Westbrook|date=July 11, 2018|accessdate=July 12, 2018}}</ref>

Prior to his time in Lubbock, Ballard  was at the North Fort Worth Baptist Church in [[Fort Worth]], Texas, for twenty-two years, when D. L. Lowrie arrived in Lubbock and tapped Ballard as his associate pastor. When he came to Lubbock, Ballard said that he "[[Prayer|prayed]] every day not to betray that trust [placed in him]. I keep that trust solid and firm, in the confidence that God put me here.”<ref name=bio/>

Prior to his time in Lubbock, Ballard  was at the North Fort Worth Baptist Church in [[Fort Worth]], Texas, for twenty-two years, when D. L. Lowrie arrived in Lubbock and tapped Ballard as his associate pastor. When he came to Lubbock, Ballard said that he "[[Prayer|prayed]] every day not to betray that trust [placed in him]. I keep that trust solid and firm, in the confidence that God put me here.”<ref name=bio/>