Pastor James M. Ruddy
Senior Pastor
Pastor James M. Ruddy was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1956. He and his oldest sister, Anne, were raised by their parents in the town of Dunmore, Pennsylvania. The Ruddy household was Roman Catholic.
Pastor Ruddy graduated from Dunmore High School in 1974 and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard where he served as a sonar technician aboard the Cutter Gallatin. During his fourth year in the military, Pastor Ruddy came to personally know Christ. Following many years of extensive drug and alcohol abuse, he was gloriously saved, delivered, and baptized in the Holy Ghost in the fall of 1978. He was honorably discharged from active duty in March of 1979.
After returning to the Scranton area, he was received into membership at the Peckville Assembly of God Church, where he was baptized in water in July of 1979, by his pastor, Reverend Ernest Drost. It was here that Pastor Ruddy came to know Mari-Lee Drost (yes….the pastor's daughter), began dating, and were married on July 19, 1980. While they were dating, Pastor Ruddy enrolled in the Pennsylvania State University where he attended the Scranton Worthington Campus and graduated with highest distinction with an Associates Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology in May of 1981. Following graduation, Pastor and Mari-Lee sensed God's call to full-time ministry, yet were not released in this direction.
In June of 1981 Pastor Ruddy accepted a position on a technical team specializing in fiber optic research at Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey. Pastor and Mari-Lee lived in Highlands, New Jersey and began attending Shrewsbury (NJ) Assembly of God Church where they served in youth ministry, choir, and Mari-Lee taught grades 1 through 3 at Shore Christian Academy.
In January of 1982, God renewed the call to ministry and Pastor and Mari-Lee began setting things in order to respond. After Mari-Lee completed the school year in June, Pastor resigned from Bell Laboratories in July and they moved to Lakeland, Florida to begin attending Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God.
After one year of foundational Bible training, Pastor and Mari-Lee returned to Peckville Assembly of God in April of 1983 to begin their ministry as Youth Pastors. Pastor Ruddy was Licensed to Preach by the Penn-Del District of the Assemblies of God on March 15, 1984 and on September 7, 1984 their first son, Justin, was born. During this season, Pastor Ruddy attended United Wesleyan College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and graduated Summa Cum Laude in May of 1986 with a Bachelor's Degree in Bible and Theology. That same month Pastor Ruddy was Ordained by the Assemblies of God and assumed the Pastorate at the Assembly of God Church in Windsor, Pennsylvania.
Following a brief season of ministry in Windsor, Pennsylvania, the Ruddy's returned to the Peckville Assembly of God in March of 1988 to serve as Associate Pastors. It was during this time that their sons, Jared (September 16, 1988), and Joel (October 2, 1990) were born. Pastor Ruddy was elected to the Penn-Del District Presbytery in May of 1994.
The Ruddys began their ministry as Senior Pastor at Bethel Assembly of God, Littlestown, Pennsylvania, on October 25, 1994. Pastor Ruddy is passionate about the Kingdom mandate that has been placed upon the Church, believing that the Church is to be fervent in her relationship with Christ and faithful in bringing the Gospel to the world.
Pastor and Mari-Lee have traveled and ministered in several nations of the world, conducting pastor's schools and crusades. He has served the Pennsylvania-Delaware District as a District Presbyter and as Chairman of the Resolutions Committee and Parliamentarian at past District Councils and a member of the District Credentials Screening Committee. He currently serves as a District Catalyst Leader, facilitating a development network for regional pastors. He is also a member of the Apostolic Council for Good News to the Nations International’s “Kingdom Alliance," a member of the Apostolic Oversight Committee for the Tabernacle, Orchard Park, NY with Bishop Tommy Reid and a member of the President's Council of the “Global Pastors Network,” a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.
