 Senior Pastor | Jim Spon - pastor@firstbaptistrichmond.comPastor Jim and his wife Marcia were married in 1975. They have two adult children. Emily, her husband Josh, and their children Austin and Olivia live in Liberty, Missouri. Andrew and his wife Shannon and their daughter Abigail live in Richmond. Pastor Jim feels blessed to be called to preach God’s Word and serve this wonderful congregation. Service: Pastor Jim has served at First Baptist, Richmond since August of 1998.Education: Pastor Jim Spon is a graduate of Bethel College (’74) and Seminary (’80). Before coming to Indiana, he served three churches in Kansas. Update: Pastor Jim retired from full time ministry in December of 2017. He and Marcia look forward to the relaxation and adventures of this next phase in their lives. In the interim, five lay leaders from our congregation are filling the pulpit and assuming various pastoral duties. We praise God for blessing us with the ability and opportunity to continue in God's service this way while FBC waits for God's leading to our new Lead Pastor.  Minister of Music | Rex Bailey - music@firstbaptistrichmond.comRex and wife Caryl were married in 1983. Caryl is also the pianist for FBC. They have two daughters and one son. Ross graduated from Northland College where he received a degree in Biology. Daughter Kevy received a degree in music from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in clarinet performance from Indiana University. Youngest daughter Brennyn attends Franklin college studying Spanish and theater. Rex is an avid golfer and loves working in his yard. Service: Rex has served as Minister of Music at First Baptist since 1995.Education: He received a degree in music education from the University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and earned his Master of Church Music diploma at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.  Secretary | Carol Hawkins - secretary@firstbaptistrichmond.comCarol joined the First Baptist staff in June of 2013. She has one daughter, Kayla, who attends Cincinnati Christian University majoring in Music Education. Carol will continue to share her skills with the Centerville United Methodist Church, where she has served since 1992. Carol also has 11 years of experience working at the Boy Scouts of America Office and Store in Hagerstown, Indiana. When time permits, she enjoys sewing and gardening. One interesting note about Carol is her love of deer hunting with a Muzzleloader! She also loves just watching the deer and other animals in their natural environment. Her passion, however, is helping youth.  Treasurer | Denise Mathews - treasurer@firstbaptistrichmond.comDenise and husband Gayle were married in 1972. They have two daughters, Alea and Stephanie, and three grandchildren. Denise first came to First Baptist in 1985, and after a time working in other firms, came back to FBC to resume her position as Treasurer in 1998. She loves spending time with her family and riding with Gayle on their Harley. A little-known fact is that in times past Denise took great pride in beating all the “men experts” in 4-wheel dirt. Service: since 1985. Organist | Caryl BaileyCaryl joined the First Baptist Church staff as organist and pianist. She graduated from The University of Sioux Falls with degrees in Music Education and Elementary Education. Caryl keeps busy teaching piano, accompanying the music programs at Earlham College, Centerville High School, and First Christian Church. She also teaches at IU East. In her “spare” time, Caryl loves reading and baking, and just playing the piano for relaxation.  Karl joined the First Baptist Staff in November of 2014. Previously, Karl had worked for Beeco Electrical in Indianapolis for 23 years before moving to Wayne County and spending time with a local Computers Business and AMC Theaters. Karl attended IU East and graduated from Ivy Tech with an Associate Degree in Electronics Technology. He and wife Elizabeth were married in 2013. In addition to being an official Storm Spotter for the National Weather Service, Karl enjoys working with computers and electronics. |
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