About us
What Kind of Baptists are we?
If you’re asking that question, you’re aware there are all kinds of Baptists.
It’s difficult to know exactly what a church actually believes and practices by reading the
“Baptist” name on a church’s marquee or website.
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We at First Baptist, Huntsville, are “centrist” Baptists. “Centrist” is not a title or a
denomination; it’s a description of where we fit along the Baptist spectrum. Consider these
examples of beliefs some would consider on the two sides of that spectrum.
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We believe Jesus is the Way to life at its best and life that never ends, and we believe nothing is
more important than pointing people to Jesus.
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We also believe deeply in ministry to human need, and in making sure everyone in society is treated
fairly and with dignity.
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We hold a traditional view of marriage and sexuality. To see our church’s statement click here.
We also believe the Bible affirms the ministry and leadership of both men and women, so we do, too.
We have male and female deacons and ordained men and women on our ministerial staff. All our
ministers who have the gift and calling to preach are occasionally given the opportunity to do so.
For a one-page summary of our understanding of the important biblical passages click here.
We declare that the Bible is completely trustworthy and the authority for what we believe and
practice.
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We also recognize that we all have a limited understanding of the profound truths we read in the
Bible. Therefore, we encourage dialogue and value differing insights.
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One of our national mission partners is Ascent (ascentmovement.org), a diverse network of churches—including, but not limited to, Baptists—committed to spreading the Gospel across North America and around the world.
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You see? It’s hard to pigeonhole First Baptist, Huntsville.
Above all, we are a Jesus-centered community who cares about each other and people around us. We
are church at the heart of the city, with a heart for the region and the world.
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For a more complete look at our beliefs, click here. We hope that what you find sounds inviting to
you, and that you would want to join hearts and hands with us.
Mission and Vision
As a church, we believe that every follower of Jesus should have a regular routine of corporate Worship, Bible Study, Fellowship, and Service. This is​ summarized in our motto: "Knowing, Loving, Serving Christ... Together."
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We are a church with a 5-pointed vision that we hope will help us reach our surrounding community. First Baptist strives to be a "Church at the Heart of the City" known for our Neighborhood Focus, Relational Discipleship, Radical Hospitality, connection with Young Adults, and enthusiasm for Fresh Expressions of Church. To learn more about what that means, we invite you to continue to explore our website and contact us with questions.
Our Beliefs
We believe in the One God Who exists eternally in Three Persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe in Jesus, the perfect incarnation of God the Son, Who died taking upon Himself our sins, rose again on the third day, and will come again.
We believe all humans are created in the image of God and deeply loved by our Creator. Yet, because of our sinful choices, we are in need of a Savior.
We believe Jesus is that Savior—the Savior of all who will turn from their sin and follow Him.
We believe in the power of God’s Holy Spirit to teach, comfort, enable and transform us.
We believe in the Bible as the trustworthy authority for what we believe and practice.
We believe in the Church as the body of Christ in the world.
We believe in our calling to meet human needs and to encourage others to follow Jesus, both in our community and around the world.
We believe our decisions in this life have eternal consequences.
We further believe that our hope for Heaven comes through faith in Jesus, not our own goodness.
We believe we are to be good stewards of our God-given resources, from our talents to our finances to our planet.
We believe in grace as the heart of the Christian faith.
We also affirm the 1963 version of the Baptist Faith & Message. Neither that nor the above is an all-inclusive statement of our beliefs. To view a more comprehensive summary of our beliefs, a copy of the Baptist Faith & Message, and helpful information about what we believe about sexuality, women in ministry, and racial unity follow the link below.
our MiniSters:
Travis Collins
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Senior Pastor
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Travis has been Senior Pastor of FBC, Huntsville since the spring of 2016. He served as a missionary in Nigeria and Venezuela. He and his wife, Keri, have three children and a growing number of grandchildren.
Travis Collins
Senior Pastor
Tim Boone​
Minister of Missions​
Tim came to First Baptist in 2022 after serving in congregational settings in Tennessee and Georgia. He is a graduate of Carson-Newman University and Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology.
He and his wife, Miranda, have been married since 2015 and have two children, Oliver and Madelyn.
Tim defines ‘mission’ as the work of “connecting the people of God to the heart of God in the world.” If you would like to know about the many ways First Baptist is connecting to the mission of God and how to get involved, Tim would like to talk to you.
Tim Boone
Minister of Missions
Esther Kim​
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Associate Minister of Music​
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Esther has been with FBC since August of 2017. She received her D.M.A. in Organ Performance from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Esther and Hans are the proud parents of Diane and Joy.
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Esther Kim
Associate Minister of Music and Organist
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Shelley Mills​
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Associate Minister to Kids & Families​
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Shelley joined FBC in August of 2020. She has degrees in Christian Leadership and Christian Education, and has served as a children’s minister, second grade teacher, and weekday education program director. Shelley is originally from East Tennessee and when she isn’t chasing children around she loves to be exploring the outdoors with her pups.
Shelley Allison
Associate Minister to Kids & Families
Jud Reasons
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Executive Pastor
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Jud has been at FBC since 2006. Working with our staff and many committees at FBC, Jud finds himself in many meetings which he loves! Jud holds degrees from Mississippi College and Southern Seminary. His wife Anne is an elementary music educator. They have two children, Blake (married to Sarah), Kyle (married to Kendall) and a growing number of grandchildren.
Jud Reasons
Executive Pastor
Holly Canup​
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Minister to Median Adults​
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An active member of FBC for 20 years, Holly came on staff in November 2016. She has a Social Work degree from Ole Miss and a Masters from Alabama. She and her husband, Dow have 3 teenage sons.
Holly Canup
Minister to Median Adults (Age 40-59)
John Lemons​
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Minister to Young Adults​
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John came to FBC in September of 2016 to serve as Minister to Young Adults. Prior to Huntsville, John lived and served in Chattanooga for 11 years and Birmingham for 4 years. He and his wife, Emily, have been married since 2002 and they are the proud parents of 2 wonderful daughters.
John Lemons
Minister to Young Adults (18-39)
Kristin Prasad​
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Minister to Kids & Families​
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Kristin joined our staff in January 2019 and brings years of experience and expertise to our Children's Ministry. Kristin and her husband Raj came to us from Richmond, VA. They have three adult children.
Kristin Prasad
Minister to Kids & Families
Aaron Jackson
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Minister of Music and Worship
Aaron joined the staff in January of 2023. He is a North Carolina native and served churches and universities in the Raleigh-Durham region for 16 years before moving to Huntsville. He holds degrees from Campbell University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the D.M.A. degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
He and his wife Laura were married in 2010 and have two children, Julia and Barnabas.
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Aaron Jackson
Minister of Music and Worship
Allan Greer​
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Minister to Experienced Adults​
Allan joined our staff in October of 2021. He is an Arkansas native and served over 30 years in churches in East and Central Arkansas as senior pastor prior to joining the FBC staff. He holds degrees from Hendrix College and two masters from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Nancy, are parents of two adult children, Hunter and Megan. In addition to the joy he finds in ministry, he also loves working with his hands, landscape photography, and anything that involves being in the mountains.
Allan Greer
Minister to Experienced Adults (60+)
Jamie Mackey​
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Minister to Students​
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Effective student ministry rooted in the church should help students to grasp and understand faith as both something they own for themselves and something to be shared with others. Jamie loves that his calling is to minister to and journey with students and their families through adolescence.
Jamie Mackey
Minister to Students (7th-12th Grade)
Micah Walley​
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Minister of Contemporary Worship​
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Micah joined the staff at FBC in April 2022. He has been leading worship for the last 20 years, but outside of that is always tinkering around on an instrument or writing a song. When he's not playing music he loves video games and anything outdoors. He's been married to his wife Sarah (a trauma nurse) since 2013 and they have one daughter, Emma Claire.
Micah Walley
Minister of Contemporary Worship
Ministerial Leadership Support:
Debbie Bell​
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Business Administrator​
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Our business administrator since 1991, Debbie oversees the maintenance and use of the building. She works together with our trustees to provide a safe and well maintained facility for worship and fellowship. She also oversees the financial, food services, and network administration involved in church life. Debbie is a Huntsville native and graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a degree in Business Administration.
Debbie Bell
Business Administrator
Our Ministry Resident:
Amanda McKay​
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Ministry Resident to Students
Amanda joined our staff in August 2023. Amanda is originally from Indiana and came to Alabama in 2013 to attend Samford University. After undergrad, she attended the Beeson Divinity School at Samford and earned her M.Div degree.
Amanda McKay
Ministry Resident to Students studentresident@fbchsv.org
Ministerial Support Staff:
Kay Bugg
Asst. to Pastor/Exec. Pastor
and Experienced. Adults
Facilities Scheduling
Michael Kearney
Media Director
Sarah Mansfield
Music & Worship
Hallie McDavid
Communications & Engagement
Cindy Thompson
Family Ministries
Angie Yarbrough
Music & Worship
Program Support Staff:
Judy Lassiter
Computer Administrator
Asst. to Young/Median Ministries