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Our church is blessed with a team of pastors and ministry directors who serve as catalysts
to advance Christ's mission by equipping people to serve in the church and in our community.
Greg Mozel v Senior Pastor
Greg has a passion to see people experience a life-changing relationship with Christ that brings spiritual hope, social justice, and cultural beauty. He casts our church vision, preaches at worship celebrations, mentors leadership teams, and encourages us to faithfully follow Christ. Greg is a graduate of Western Evangelical Seminary, George Fox University, and Portland State University. He has served as a pastor for 24 years and taught at the International Leadership Academy in Moscow, Russia and George Fox University in Portland, Oregon. He serves on the pastor mentoring teams for Vision New England, Gordon Conwell Seminary, and Bethel Seminary. Greg and Carolyn have been married for 24 years and have two children. He enjoys escaping to the beach with his family, exploring historical sights of New England, reading thought-provoking books, coaching youth baseball, and drinking too much coffee. Greg's has been our Lead Pastor since 1999.
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Brant Lingle v Worship Pastor
Brant plans our worship celebrations, leads the worship teams, coordinates media technology, and guides our growth group ministry. Brant has served in church ministry for 14 years. He earned a B.A. in Biblical studies from Philadelphia Biblical University and an M.A. in church leadership from Philadelphia Seminary. He also studied at Jerusalem University. Brant is certified in Spiritual Formation through Oasis Ministry. He has led worship at camps, conferences, and retreats, and led mission trips to six countries. Brant and Erin have been married for 14 years and have 3 children. He enjoys spending time with his family, cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles, playing soccer, writing songs, and reading thoughtful books.
David McCahon v Youth Pastor
David brings more than 25 years of ministry experience to guide the HUB student ministry and invest in our "Band of Brothers" men's ministry. He has served as the Lead Pastor at Shutesbury Community Church, Campus Director of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts, Youth Pastor at First Baptist Church of Stoneham, and Youth Director at Park Street Church in Boston. David has guided 24/7 Prayer in the Pioneer Valley for two decades. He graduated with a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts from Bates College. David and Cindy have been married for 31 years and have three daughters who are serving the Lord in ministry. David enjoys dates with his wife, visiting his daughters, playing ultimate frisbee, hanging out with students, and landing real estate deals for Christian ministries. David has been our Pastor of Student Ministries since 2006.
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Carolyn Mozel v Children's Pastor
Carolyn guides our KidsWorld Ministry to help make Sunday morning the best time of the week for kids as they have a lot of fun experiencing a life-changing relationship with Christ. She graduated from Western Evangelical Seminary and George Fox University. Carolyn was an elementary school teacher for eight years. She has served in children's ministry, women's ministry, and as a pastor's wife for 23 years. Carolyn has guided the KidsWorld Ministry into explosive growth as many families are arriving at First Baptist and there are more trained volunteers than there were children five years ago. She enjoys reading, swimming, long walks at the beach, time with her family, and a good cup of tea. Carolyn and Greg (our Senior Pastor) have been married for 23 years and have two children.
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Evie Hopkins v Music Director
Evie blesses our church family by coordinating music for the classic worship service. She guides the choir, orchestra, and soloists to create music that reflects God's beauty and inspires us to express our love to God. Evie has a degree in music composition from Wheaton College. She has been a Music Director at churches in Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts. Evie and her husband Walt established the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts. Evie also directs our ESL classes and serves on the Stephen Ministry care team. One of her favorite activities is traveling to visit her three children and ten grandchildren. Evie has been our Music Minister since 1984.
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Jeanne Parks v Choir Director
Our classic worship service is enriched by the excellent music and heartfelt worship of the choir. Jeanne selects a variety of music, guides rehearsals, and directs the choir for Sunday worship and seasonal concerts throughout the year. Jeanne earned a B.A. in music education from Westchester University, an M.A. in music performance from the University of Massachusetts, and an M.A. in marriage and family therapy from Antioch Graduate School. She teaches music history and directs the chorus at Central High School in Springfield. Jeanne's family is filled with gifted musicians. Her husband, George, is the Band Director at the University of Massachusetts and her son, Mike, plays drums for the worship band. Jeanne began serving as our Choir Director in 2002.
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Ron Loescher v Care Minister
Ron brings deep compassion for people, boundless energy, and more than forty years as a physician to serve as our Care Minister. Ron was a family practice physician in Amherst for thirty years before establishing the Holyoke Health Clinic to provide medical care for people in need. He has traveled on many mission trips with the Christian Medical & Dental Society. Ron leads our Stephen Ministry care team, directs our Medical Ministry Center, coordinates Communion Visit Teams, and offers pastoral care for people in crisis. Ron has run the Boston Marathon several years and was recently inducted into the Wheaton College sports hall of fame for his record-breaking soccer career. Ron and Nancy have shared 48 years of marriage and are blessed with four children and ten grandchildren.
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Cathy Muth v Women's Minister
Cathy directs our women's ministry team by teaching women's growth groups, coordinating the Second Saturday Series, planning women's retreats, and mentoring women. She is a recent transplant to New England taking an early retirement from Alaska Airlines in Seattle and marrying her husband Bob, who is a professor at the University of Massachusetts. Cathy was born and raised in Minnesota, and lived in Alaska for 18 years, where she accepted Jesus Christ into her life. She developed a passion for women's ministries while participating in women's groups here at First Baptist. Cathy is blessed with three sons and five grandchildren. She has been a member of First Baptist since 2006 and our Women's Minister beginning in 2008.
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Achie Nebedum v Missions Director
Archie grew up in Nigeria and brings international experience to our global missions. He teaches about God's call to missional living, mobilizes our church to serve locally and globally, supports our mission partners around the world, and leads our Prayer Warriors ministry. Archie has served as an Executive Pastor in Nigeria and as a Teaching Pastor in California. He teaches at Commerce High School in Springfield and is completing his PhD in international education at UMass. Archie and Uche have been married for six years and are blessed with two children.
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Dawn Murry v Bookstore Manager
Dawn serves as the Manager of the Book Nook. Dawn shares time between managing the church bookstore, working in the Religious Affair Department at Amherst College, and earning her Master's degree in Spiritual Formation at Bethel Seminary. Dawn is a graduate of Western Oregon College with a BA in Music, and Elms College with an MA in Education. She taught in the Sunderland School District for nineteen years. Dawn enjoys reading a good book, creating beautiful quilts, camping in the beauty of God's creation, and playing in the church orchestra. You can consult with Dawn in the Book Nook to find the best resource to take the next step in your faith journey.
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Gail Carpenter v Church Administrator
Gail manages the church office, coordinates use of the campus, and directs church communication. She joined the First Baptist staff team in 2002 after working for fifteen years as an Administrator for the Audubon Society. Gail and Tom have been married for 41 years and are blessed with three sons and five grandchildren. They have been members of First Baptist since 1982. Gail's warm personality and professional excellence are a blessing. Gail stays young by teaching the FaithWeaver Kindergarten class. She has been teaching children's classes since she was a junior in high school!
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