†he Burros of Berea
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†he Burros of Berea

Explore The Word With Our Unorthodox Way Of Study
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Rick Welch
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William Kimzey Jr.
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Andy Bishop
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"Big Daddy" Carter
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Ralph Hicks
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Cherrie Lewis
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Sarita Edgerton
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Tiziana Severse
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Podcasts

†he Burros of Berea

Listen to our Side Studies Segment to get a totally different perspective on the Bible. If you’ve ever questioned who wrote it, who put it together or who the people and themes within the context of the Bible are, then this in-depth study is for you.
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Side Studies
with †he Burros of Berea

Listen to our Side Studies Segment to get a totally different perspective on the Bible. If you’ve ever questioned who wrote it, who put it together or who the people and themes within the context of the Bible are, then this in-depth study is for you.
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Notes From
The Underground

The Burros of Berea have added a new host for our, “Notes from the Underground” series. Tiziana Severse hosts the deep dive study into some of the most interesting topics and people of the bible.Tiziana is joined by Andy Bishop and Rick Welch. For those who like to delve into history, archeology and ancient cultures to bring to life the stories of the Bible (with a modern look), you’ll love this!

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Hello Burros! Here is the link to our friend Marcuss Hall's Kingdom Project Podcast. Check it out.

Kingdom Project Podcast

Here is the link to our friend Michael Hessler's miraculous Lupus Project. Don't miss this!

TheLupusProject.org

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†he Burros of Berea© 2025 • All rights reserved.

Rick was born in Trenton, Michigan and has a background in Manufacturing, International Sales and Mold and Tool Design Engineering. In 2016 he started a film company called Tacky Tie Films where he Produced and Directed two full length Christian films in the suspense genre (Still Waters, Witch), one Christmas film (Let it Snow), and a black and white short film based on eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John (The Resurrection and the Life). He began studying the Bible in his early teens and visited numerous churches of different viewpoints throughout the course of his life. Along the way he discovered a passion for all things related to the Bible.

On February 2, 2021, Rick joined Billy Kimzey at Giraffe Studio in Hendersonville, North Carolina owned and operated by Sound Engineer, Andy Bishop to record their first Bible study. The initial idea was to involve one person that studied the Bible, one person who was a Christian that didn’t know much about the Bible and an atheist that knew some but was interested enough to discuss specific topics. Thus began The Burros of Berea. Rick lives in Hoopers Creek, North Carolina with his wife, Holly. 

Billy (or Willie as some intimate friends call him) is a native of Western North Carolina. He is a third generation woodworker for a family owned business started by his Grandfather in the late 1970’s (currently managed by his Father) that specializes in the manufacture of pallets, apple crates and rough hewn lumber for public use as well as a mulching service. He moved six times over the course of his life all within a quarter mile radius.

In 2016, he met Rick on the set of Still Waters where he loaned his small black jon boat called the U.S.S. Bazinga for the lake scenes where they struck up a friendship. In late 2020, Rick approached him about doing a recorded Bible study. On February 2, 2021, he met with Rick at Giraffe Studio with Owner/Operator and Sound Engineer, Andy Bishop to record their first bible study and thus began Bible Babble, or Church Chatter, or Testament Talk.

On the fourth episode Billy laughingly called the group “Burro Bereans” and thus the podcast title The Burros of Berea was born. His decision to join the group was for self education and further study into his faith with friends. Billy currently resides in Mills River, North Carolina with his two daughters, Piper and Isla.

Andy was born in upstate NY and moved to NC at about 19 to escape the beautiful, but economically dystopian Adirondack park. He now owns a recording studio in Hendersonville NC with his wife, plays bass for The Ross Osteen band, and takes far more pictures than he wants to be responsible for editing. 

Rick “Big Daddy” Carter was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and has spent over four decades rooted in the Midlands. A devoted father of one teenage daughter (who keeps him on his knees in prayer), Rick has worked for more than 26 years in the petroleum field—earning his living with grit and perseverance while keeping his heart anchored in truth.

Raised in and around the church, Rick’s early spiritual life was shaped by a blend of Pentecostal fire, Baptist structure, and Non-Denominational flexibility. But like many seeking something deeper than sermons and surface-level theology, he eventually hit a wall. That wall wasn’t disbelief—it was dissatisfaction with inherited answers.

Everything shifted when Rick began studying the Scriptures with a “Berean” mindset—testing everything, questioning traditions, and digging into the historical and covenantal layers of the Bible. For the past three years, he’s pursued the Word with passion, reverence, and a hunger for accuracy. His theology has taken shape around fulfilled prophecy (full preterism), ultimate reconciliation (universalism rooted in Christ’s finished work), and a commitment to audience relevance—understanding the Bible first through the eyes of its original hearers.

Rick doesn’t just read Scripture; he wrestles with it. He sees Jesus not as a distant figure, but as the Hidden King—revealing his reign through humility, confrontation, and fulfillment, not force or politics. Rick challenges the modern church to move past sensationalism and tradition, and instead return to the historical Jesus, the covenantal gospel, and the prophetic truth that “it is finished” means exactly what it says.

His entry into The Burros of Berea podcast began with a Facebook conversation, where a lighthearted DM to OG Welch sparked a friendship built on theological fire and big laughs. After sending in a heartfelt message that the cast thought had to be fake, Rick was invited to a taping as part of a hilarious prank—and the rest is podcast history. Since then, he’s become a core member of the team, bringing a voice that’s both grounded and grace-filled, with just the right amount of stubborn donkey wisdom.

Whether he’s behind the mic, in Bible study, or quietly pouring over Josephus and the Gospel of Nicodemus late at night, Big Daddy Carter is the kind of thinker who walks slowly, asks deeply, and believes fiercely. He’s not here for empty religion—he’s here for truth, even if it overturns every table in the temple.

Ralph was born in San Pedro, California. During his youth he attended Catholic schools in grade school and high school. While in college, he left the Catholic faith and joined a Non-Denominational church where he remained for many years. In 2009, he relocated to North Carolina where he converted to the Baptist faith and served his church as Technical Director for ten years.

An amateur filmmaker and owner of Beach Films, he has worked on several short film projects, music videos and special occasion videos. In 2016, his film company worked in association with Tacky Tie Films to produce the full length feature films, Still Waters, and again in 2018 on Witch. In April 2021, he became the fourth cast member of the Burros with the intent to help influence others to seek God as a part of his ministry in the great commission.

A devout Christian from an early age, he is dedicated to helping others find their way to the Lord, Jesus Christ. He does not claim to have the answers, just an opinion, and a plea to others to seek Christ for themselves. Ralph currently resides in Fletcher, North Carolina with his wife, Jennifer and daughter, Lexi.

Cherrie was born and raised in Hendersonville, North Carolina where she currently works as a nurse at an outpatient endoscopy center. She met Rick ten years ago during a pivotal time in her life where several people were telling her about the hope of salvation.

Shortly thereafter, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Throughout the years she has attended a Baptist church as well as studied for two years at a bible college in Marion, North Carolina and has an intense desire to learn more about the Bible, Christianity and the history of the Church.

In July of 2021 she joined the Burros and is the only female cast member. She currently lives in Hoopers Creek, North Carolina with her husband Rodney and has eight children and nine grandchildren.

Sarita was born and raised in South Carolina but spent several years living in the mountains of Western North Carolina. She answered a public announcement seeking guests for the Testimony series and was a guest of the podcast on May 5th, 2022.

During the recording of her testimony she immediately clicked with the cast. When the Esther Summer series kicked off, The Burros of Berea invited her to be a special guest of the series. During the recordings it became apparent that her background as a public speaker, Sunday school teacher, and her humor was the missing component to the cast. On June 16th, 2022 she became a full time cast member.

A homeschool teacher of 18 years, pro-life advocate, Sunday school teacher, public speaker, and Realtor, Sarita brings a wealth of knowledge to the cast’s unorthodox approach to biblical studies. She enjoys reading, writing, singing, swimming and college basketball. Go Heels!

She has been a Christian for two decades and yearns to know more about her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Sarita lives in South Carolina with her husband, Michael, and is a mother of 5 children (4 living and 1 in Heaven).

Tiziana encountered Jesus Christ at 6 years old at a vacation bible school run by a retired nun in Sequim, Washington, where she was born and raised. She was instantly catapulted into a lifelong love affair with Jesus that caused her to tolerate a lot of intolerable things in the name of Christianity.
 
At 23, she shaved her head and chucked a toxic, fundamentalist belief system in favor of  crafting a spiritual life that was more in line with the Jesus she had met way back then – one that was inclusive, socially just, radically forgiving, and above all, loving. She is half way through a Masters of Divinity program at Iliff School of Theology in Denver Colorado, with hopes of moving into some sort of helping profession post graduation as a spiritual care provider.
 
Tiziana comes to the Burros of Berea podcast via Andy Bishop, whom she met nearly 20 years ago when she first moved to North Carolina. She currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband Dylan, and their two daughters, Aurora and Jubilee.