At the age of 17, Buddy enlisted in the U.S. Navy and spent 4 years in active duty in the Naval Air. He spent three months in boot camp at Bainbridge, Maryland. From boot camp he went to the Naval Air Station in Annapolis, Maryland and from there was stationed at Barbers Point, Hawaii, with V.P. 22.

Buddy states, "After my discharge I met a pretty young lady named Donna L. Peregoy." In 1962 Buddy and Donna were married. Approximately one year after their marriage they moved to El Paso, Texas where Buddy learned to drive eighteen-wheelers. He drove these trucks from coast to coast. This became his career.

After visiting with some doctors, Donna and Buddy learned that they wouldn't be able to have any children of their own. "This was at a time in my life when I was far from being a Christian, but God had a plan." In their eight year of marriage, God blessed them with their daughter, Roxanne. Later they lost their second child, however, 11 years after their daughters' birth, their son Raymond was born.

"Though God's blessings bring joy and fill empty spots in our lives, there are times when God is revealed as more thatn just a theology," says Rev. Nutting. Not long after their son was born another new life was birthed...Jesus had become real to Buddy. "I confessed Jesus as Lord, opened my life to Him, and this led my wife and I to be baptized at the same time." Shortly after their baptism, Buddy felt the Lord's call to the ministry. "What made the call so real was everything I lacked, the Lord provided. I was not raised in a church, and I never owned a bible until I was baptized."

Although his level of education only reached the 5TH grade, Buddy found that he could read from his new Bible and not only understood the teachings within it but applied this new knowledge to his everyday life.

His first call to the ministry was to Pine Orchard Church of the Brethren from 1987-1997 where he was a part-time minister, during which he was able to attend classes, at night, in order to earn his G.E.D. He also completed a 3-1/2 year reading program and study course; a requirement needed to be a licensed minister.

He was then called to Reisterstown Church of the Brethren as Associate Pastor from 2001-March 2002 and from there was called to Sharpsburg Church of the Brethren as an interim Pastor in April 2002.