Meet the People at IBCS

Sam was born and raised in a pastor’s home in Wisconsin. He recited the sinner’s prayer at a very early age, but didn’t make a true profession of faith until 2014. He attended Fairhaven Baptist College in Indiana studying secondary education. After attending and graduating from trade school with a Travel and Tourism Professional Certificate, he began a career in the travel industry that lasted for 20 years. In 2020 God led Sam to leave his career in travel and take a position as the Food Services Director of Tri-City Baptist Church Ministries, where he has been a member since 1998. Sam met his wife Rachel at Tri-City Baptist Church, and they have three children. Sam and Rachel have served in a number of different ministries over the years at TBC.

Dania and her husband Hector joined the staff in the summer of 2025, coming from Antioch, California. Recently married, she and Hector quickly joined various ministries at Tri-City Baptist Church. Her spirit of service is evidenced by her eagerness to serve the young ladies living in the residence hall.

Hector and his wife Dania come from Antioch, California, where they attended Iglesia Biblica Bautista Antioquia. He is pursuing further education at IBCS while serving as the Residence Hall Supervisor. Already busy in ministry, Hector eagerly jumped right into ministry at Tri-City Baptist Church. 

Mrs. Eliza Mayoral started going to church when she was eight years old after attending VBS. Her brothers and she started going to Sunday school and, eventually, her whole family got involved in the church. She had heard the Gospel many times and understood it but never wanted to put her faith in Christ because she didn’t want to give up her sin and would always tell herself that she would do it tomorrow. At a youth event, the speaker was talking about the brevity of life and how we are not guaranteed tomorrow. The Lord used this message to help Mrs. Mayoral realize that she could not keep pushing salvation off till tomorrow, so at 13 years old, she finally put her trust in Jesus. Both her husband Emilio and she graduated from IBCS. She graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Christian Service: Church Music emphasis. Mrs. Mayoral handles all of the financial aid and billing at IBCS. When she’s not working, she enjoys reading, Microsoft Excel, and spending time with her family and her dog, Moose. She and her husband Emilio have a young son and another on the way.

Mrs. Linda Shumate was raised in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in a non-Christian family. She met her husband, David, while in college in Tennessee. Both she and her husband were saved while they were graduate students in Boston, Massachusetts, while Linda was pursuing a graduate degree in science. After David was called to the ministry, she changed her focus to raising a Godly family while David was in seminary and eventually on staff at a church and at a Christian college. Linda has been a pastor’s wife and a missionary and has been involved in music ministry. She has been involved in education through homeschooling her children and teaching math at a Christian school for several years. Currently she serves in the admissions office and as Office Manager at IBCS and is involved in the music ministry at Tri-City Baptist Church. The Shumates have six adult children and nine grandchildren (so far).