Staff
Stephen H. Cook, Pastor
Stephen Cook has served as pastor of First Baptist Church since August of 2006 after having served churches in Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina.
A graduate of Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, Stephen holds a Master of Theology in Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Counseling. Stephen has also earned a Master of Divinity from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Wake Forest University. Currently Stephen is pursuing the Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary.
Stephen is married to Amy, a writer and graphic designer, whom he met while they were students at BTSR. They are the proud parents of a son, Benjamin, born in April 2007.
Read this week’s Thursday Thoughts.
Joshua D. Hearne, Associate Pastor for Discipleship Ministries
Joshua (Josh) Hearne has served First Baptist Church as Associate Pastor since June of 2008 after having served churches in Virginia and North Carolina.
A graduate of Duke Divinity School, Josh holds a Master of Divinity with a certificate in Baptist studies. Josh has also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Josh is married to Jessica, a middle school art teacher, whom he met while they were students at Georgetown.
Joseph C. Northen, Minister of Music
Joseph C. Northen (Joe) has served First Baptist Church as Minister of Music since February of 1988 after having served two churches in South Carolina.
Joe is a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY, where he received the Master of Church Music degree. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of Richmond.
He is married to Kathy Sauerwein Northen whom he met while at Southern Seminary. They have ministered together as Minister of Music and Organist in each of the churches they have served. They have one adult son, Philip.
Kathy Northen, Organist
Kathy Northen has served as organist at First Baptist Church since February of 1988. Kathy has been a church organist since the age of 16, having served churches in Illinois, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
Kathy received a Bachelor of Arts from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, IL with an emphasis in Music Education. She has also done graduate work at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, concentrating her studies in Church Music Education.
Kathy is married to Joseph Northen, Minister of Music at First Baptist after meeting
each other while students at SBTS. They are the parents of one adult son,
Philip.
Debra Purvis, Financial Assistant
Tammy Vaughan, Administrative Assistant
Sherman Ransom, Sexton
Dot Walker, Housekeeper
