She’s Extraordinary in every issue
Story by Ferebe Gasque Pearce • Laura McBryde Photography
betsy bird
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EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN
OF FAITH
Her journey towards earning the accolade, Woman of Faith,
began when she was a very young girl. Betsy Banks grew up
in Darlington, South Carolina, where she, her parents, and
her sister attended church regularly. After graduating from
high school, Betsy attended Columbia College. When she
was a junior, she met and married Jim Bird, a handsome
Citadel graduate.
Shortly after their wedding, Jim was
assigned to a post in Germany. Though life was good for the
newlyweds, there was something missing in Betsy’s life. She
had always attended church but struggled with things she
had been taught in college. One day while Jim was at work,
Betsy cried out to God, alone in the quietness of their small
home. It was then that He changed her life. She became
hungry for His Word.
Together, Jim and Betsy decided that the prospects of raising two young children in a military environment (especially with frequent deployments) would not be the best thing
for their family. So, Jim left active duty after eight years to
pursue civilian employment. However, he remained in the
United States Army Reserves and retired after thirty years of
service.
After several years of success in the insurance industry,
Jim and Betsy were presented with the opportunity to
work with Precept Ministries. In the twenty years since her
dramatic conversion, Betsy had been soaking up God’s Word.
It was the right move at the right time. They relocated to
Chattanooga, where they invested their lives for the next
eighteen years. Betsy was Director of Training and Jim was
International Director. They traveled extensively, teaching
others how to study and teach the Word.