LEADERSHIP

Tom’s dream job would be to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers or coach the men’s basketball team at his beloved alma mater, Duke University. But for now, he serves as our pastor. He is a native of Valdese, North Carolina, the husband of Lara, and the proud father of twins, Christian and Kaitlyn, who are now in college.

Tom earned his Master of Divinity degree from Duke and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Reformed Theological Seminary. He enjoys reading, running, writing, the world of stock and mutual fund investing and following the Dallas Cowboys, the Dodgers and Duke. His heroes are Martin Luther, Dietrick Bonhoeffer, Jack Bogle, Tom Lasorda and Mike Krzyzewski. His favorite TV shows are Survivor and reruns of LA Law, Gilligan’s Island, and The Andy Griffith Show.

Eddie is no stranger to First Baptist Kannapolis, having served several years in various ministry roles for the people here. He is also no stranger to music ministry, having served in full-time music ministry for 30+ years.  First Baptist is blessed to have Eddie return to the First Baptist ministerial staff to fill the interim music ministry position following the retirement of Mark Hill.  We are grateful for his leadership during the time of transition and look forward to participating in the worship services he works to prepare and hearing the musical ensembles he leads.  Welcome back, Eddie!

Cindy, along with her husband, Daniel, is a long-time member of the First Baptist Church family. She earned the love and trust of the people over many years of faithful service. Part of that service was to the senior adults offering her nursing skills and her seminary training as she worked to earn her Master of Divinity from Hood Theological Seminary. She loves this population and enjoys watching God work in their lives.  

Cindy and Daniel are originally from Maryland and, believe it or not, still like snow! They have two adult children who both love life in Philadelphia.  Cindy officially joined the First Baptist ministerial staff in February 2023 as the Minister of Senior Adults.

Daniel and his wife Ashleigh along with their three daughters, Rilee (7), Ella (5), & Amelia (2) fell in love with the people of First Baptist Kannapolis from the start, and accepted the call join the staff as the new Minister of Youth, College and Career in February 2023. Daniel received his undergrad in Youth ministry and Bible from Lee University in 2008 and has been in full time ministry ever since.  Daniel has been involved in full time ministry to youth and young adults for 15+ years, and is excited to join the team.

Originally from Puerto Rico, Daniel’s is fluent in Spanish and loves spicy foods, playing soccer, and the Hispanic culture in general.  There are several things that Daniel is passionate about-- his faith, his family, and The Ohio State football.  It is not uncommon to find Daniel and the girls all dressed in scarlet red any given Saturday ready and excited to watch the game. One of Daniel’s dreams this year is to take the entire family to the “Shoe” to watch a game in person!

Krista began serving FBC-K in 2014. Krista is a native of China Grove and loves spending her free time with her 3 boys, still at home. She also has a daughter and son-in-law in Wilmington. Krista enjoys trips to Gatlinburg and Wilmington, racing of any kind (as long as it's fast!), Gary's BBQ, pizza, and good home cooking.  Krista enjoys being the go-to person at the church and is always willing to help our members out.

Kay moved to Concord in 1987 from the High Point area. Employed for 10 years with Cabarrus County Schools, Kay joined the First Baptist staff in May 2015 from a CPA office after 14 years. She enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her grandchildren, Jack, and twins Kate and Janie.  She also loves "planting seeds" with children, instilling the love of Christ as she volunteers at Parkwood Baptist where she makes her church home.

Carol is a woman of many talents, not the least of which is being an accomplished pianist.  We're blessed to have her as part of our music ministry at First Baptist Church.

When she's not playing here, she stays busy as a highly-sought-after accompanist. She is also an attorney and the head of the Cabarrus County Board of Elections.

Many years ago, when First Baptist had a preschool, Kara came as an assistant teacher.  In 2010, Kara changed roles to began serving as our church custodian, and has been faithfully serving ever since.

Kara enjoys spending time on her farm out in the country with her family and multitude of animals. She also enjoys camping, hiking, and anything outdoors.

Adael joined the First Baptist staff in January of 2022.  Adael was called to serve on our maintenance team; however, there is much more to Adael!  She is a Kannapolis native and has lived here most of her life. Her formal education includes certificates in welding and fabrication; her experience includes decades of maintenance and custodial work. She enjoys building and repairing things and understands that those skills are needed for the good of the church and its ministries. Adael also has musical interests as a singer and upright bass player.

Our church began a livestream ministry in 2020 and as the livestream ministry grew, so did the need for a dedicated staff person to manage it.  We were blessed to find Caleb to fill this role! Caleb is a graduate of UNC-Charlotte, with a Bachelors of Computer Science, and is currently enrolled in their Master of Computer Science program.  Caleb has been a member of First Baptist Kannapolis since 2014, but recently joined the staff as of August 2021. He enjoys building computers, coding projects, and going to all-you-can-eat restaurants with family and friends. Caleb plans to combine his passion for computers and love of Christ to help bring FBC-K into its next technological step.