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, Stuart Pearce, and all that he did to help our congregation through this past year.
This Sunday, January 7, we will ordain four new deacons — Jeffrey Crane, Lyle Ragans, Daniel Sheets, and Larry White — 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, Jim Barger, and chair-elect, Darrell Thompson. 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 Hall
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
- Funmi Ojetayo
- Stuart Pearce
- Tom Perrin, Jr.
- Tom Perrin, Sr.
- 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
Term ending in 2021
- Tim Barry
- Harold Brock
- Steve Burgess
- Phillip Cooper
- Jeffrey Crane
- Alan Langston
- Brent Pichard
- Lyle Ragans
- John Schanbacher
- Daniel Sheets
- Bob Snyder
- Wayne Tedder
- Richard Tudor
- Larry White
- Larry Williams