PRAY FOR OUR DEACONS
The New Testament calls for two offices within the local church: pastors and deacons. While our church continues to pray and search for our next pastor, the work of our deacons continues unabated as it has throughout the history of our church. I am especially grateful for the sacrifice and servant leadership of our outgoing deacon chair, Dave Westberry, and all that he did to help our congregation through this past year.
This Sunday, January 8, we will ordain four new deacons — Mark Byler, Kenny Harrison, Eric Hoover, and Pete Prato — who will join with dozens of other previously ordained men to form our 60-member deacon body. Deacons within First Baptist Church serve four-year terms as a part of the organized deacon body, though their dedication and service to our church continues well beyond their official tenure.
As you may already know, the title “deacon” is a transliteration of the Greek term for “servant,” and we cannot be the church God has called us to be without the tireless and selfless work of our deacons. As we begin a new year, continue to pray for each of these men as they seek to faithfully serve our Lord through this church, especially our incoming deacon chair, Stuart Pearce, and chair-elect, Jim Barger. As Paul instructs us, “those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves, and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:13).
— Josh
TERM ENDING IN 2017
Terry Baker
Pat Brown
Jim Chorey
James Craig
Al Eppinger
Lee Gonzalez
Denis Harrelle
Charles Lawson
Charles Maynard
Bob Pullen
Howard Rhodes
Charlie Silcox
Ryan Stokes
Bill Tharpe
Dave Westberry
TERM ENDING IN 2018
Gerald Culbreth
Erik Eikeland
Byron Folsom
Bill Gardner
Keith Gaskins
Tolar Griffin
Matthew Jenije
Rigsby Jones
Paul Lambert
Bobby McKown
Eric Palm
Jay Pichard
Lorne Shackelford
Lee Vickery
Steve Williams
TERM ENDING IN 2019
Edem Ablordeppey
Seth Ablordeppey
Jim Barger
Jeff Butts
John Corven
Cecil Davis
Jim English
Kelly Godsey
Dennis Jorgensen
Mark Milner
Funmi Ojetayo
Stuart Pearce
Tom Perrin, Jr.
Roy Story
Zack Summerlin
TERM ENDING IN 2020
Fran Buhler
Bob Butler
Mark Byler
Jim Cooke
Jim Davis
Kenny Harrison
Eric Hoover
Jeff Latimer
Clay Mason
Carl Monson
Jim Pitts
Pete Prato
Stan Sheppard
Darrell Thompson
Eris Wilson