It often has been said the Christian life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. Hebrews 12 encourages us to run with endurance the race before us. My mother-in-law was the picture of endurance in her “race” to serve Jesus.
Doris Elliott started her race as a young girl in Naoma, West Virginia, while attending the Naoma Free Will Baptist Church. In 1960, after her family moved and began attending Bradley FWB Church, Doris met Charlie at a youth spaghetti dinner. They started dating shortly thereafter and were married September 15, 1962, while Charlie was on leave from the Navy. During his Navy years, Charlie and Doris lived in New Jersey and Maryland.
Charlie completed his service in the Navy in September 1966, and he and Doris moved back to West Virginia and resumed attendance at the Bradley Church. Shortly after their return, Doris recommitted her life to serving the Lord, and she and Charlie began to run their race in earnest, beginning a 59-year ministry to children.
Throughout those 59 years, Doris and Charlie attended 37 Free Will Baptist National Conventions and took hundreds of young people to compete in the Vertical Three Conference. They spent their years helping kids raise funds for the trip to the convention and practicing with them for many hours to prepare them for competition.
For many years, Charlie drove a bus filled with kids, and Doris sat in the front seat right behind him. Charlie led groups to compete in music and Bible while Doris kept track of all the music and who was competing when and where, so they could watch as many of their kids compete in as many categories as possible. I have also been told Doris loved to teach the girls how much fun it was to jump on the beds in a fancy hotel.
Doris and Charlie directed more than 60 children’s musicals — Christmas, patriotic, and Easter. Charlie directed the music, and Doris helped assign roles, put together costumes, gathered props, and often prompted lines from the front row during the performance.
For 24 summers in West Virginia and ten summers in Tampa, they led Vacation Bible School. Once again, Charlie led the music while Doris helped with arts and crafts, snack time, and teaching Bible lessons. In West Virginia, Charlie oversaw music for both teen and junior camps for 22 years, while Doris helped prepare meals. Charlie continued his ministry at youth camp for 35 years in Tampa and has been on the state camp board for twenty years.
Through all these years of service, they both faithfully taught the Word of God to children in their church. They taught children’s church to various ages and scheduled teachers, so every class had someone to teach them. Doris’ niche was the three- to five-year-olds. She loved to tell funny stories about all their different personalities. Her love for “her kids” was evident.
These 59 years of service were marked by dedication, love, generosity, and personal sacrifice. It was common to hear of Doris slipping money to a single mom who could not afford Christmas gifts for her children. She always kept extra small gifts hidden away for birthday and Christmas presents for any child who might not have as much as others.
One year, after a hurricane damaged their house, and they had to live in a hotel for a few months, Doris learned another family’s house would not be repaired in time for Christmas. She volunteered to delay their own house repairs, so the workers could finish the other house in time for the children to be home for Christmas.
Perhaps one story best illustrates Doris’ love and concern for children. In 2007, Doris and her pastor’s daughter Angie ended up at the Moffat Cancer Center on the same day for a biopsy. Weeks later, Angie learned Doris had prayed that if one of them had cancer, it would be her and not Angie. Angie had young kids at home, and they needed their mom. When the results came in, Doris did indeed have cancer, and Angie did not.
Many people across our denomination, especially those in Florida and those associated with the Vertical Three Conference, know Charlie Elliott well, but not everyone knew Doris well. She was quieter, a behind-the-scenes kind of lady, but she was always by Charlie’s side doing whatever needed to be done to help keep things organized and running smoothly.
I cannot begin to imagine how many trips she took on that seat behind Charlie, how many costumes she put together, how many props she gathered, how many lines she prompted, how many arts and crafts she created, how many snacks and meals she served, how many times she packed her suitcase for another youth group trip with Charlie, how many hours she spent preparing and then teaching children about Jesus.
But I do know countless children and parents will never forget the time and energy she poured into them. Out of Doris and Charlie’s ministry have come pastors, youth pastors, teachers, missionaries, and laymen and women trained by them to teach children. They also have a legacy of children and grandchildren serving the Lord. Their son is a Free Will Baptist church planter, and their daughter and granddaughters are involved in children’s ministry as well.
We will not know this side of Heaven how many children were impacted for the Kingdom because 59 years ago a young couple decided to be all in for Jesus and to share the love they had for Him with the children under their care. On September 28, 2025, Doris heard the words “Well done, good and faithful servant” when she finished her race. Now, she is spending her days worshiping and praising her Savior.
Although Charlie no longer has Doris by his side, he continues to run the race with endurance, entering his sixtieth year of children’s ministry.
About the Writer: After nearly nine years of serving in Quebec, Canada, Dawn and Danny Elliott relocated to the Buffalo, New York, area to join the NorthPoint FWB Church planting team. Currently, they are planting a second NorthPoint location in the West Seneca region.
