Dr. Jay Lowder became our senior pastor in November 2024. He is an Arkansan raised in Northwest Arkansas before relocating for ministry to Texas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and, most recently, Illinois. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, a Master of Divinity Degree from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to being a pastor, he also taught science at a Christian High School and was the principal of a Christian school. He blogs at Studypracticeteach.org and his first book, Transformative Time Travel: Deepening Discipleship through Meditation on the Future, Past, and Present, will be in print soon.

From our Pastor:

Congratulations! You are reading a pastor's bio from a church website! That means that you are a seeker, wanting to learn more about God and follow Him. Some of us are lost sheep needing a saving relationship with the Good Shepherd, Jesus. Others of us know Jesus personally and still need to learn all the great truths and plans He has for us. You have found a community of learners at First Baptist! We all need more of Jesus!

My life verses, Ezra 7:9-10, appealed to me as a young Christian at 19. I was wondering how I could seek God's blessing in my life. I read that the "good hand of his God" was on Ezra! That was what I needed: God's hand on my life! Then, I read the simple formula that brings extraordinary results. Ezra studied, practiced, and taught God's Word (verse 10). That works for us individually, and it also shows how God blesses us together in a church.

Join us at First Baptist. We have many opportunities to STUDY God's Word together, to learn to PRACTICE it in kindness toward each other and loving ministries in our community, and TEACH each other what we are learning about God. We are all learners seeking to know God and ourselves better for His glory and our good!

In Christ, Dr. Jay Lowder