Leadership Team
Senior Pastor - Jim Wheeler
Pastor Wheeler began his time in ministry, believe it or not, being called to pastor a small country church at the age of 16 years old. The calling on his life was confirmed by God during this process as the Holy Spirit added to the number daily those who were being saved, as this church was transformed from a body of 12 to well over 120 in a short period of time.
Pastor Jim then went from Bethel to Henderson, Kentucky, then to Ferguson. He spent some years at Harvester (which is where you may have recognized his name from), then to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and then some time spent studying churches while working in the secular field. After a brief interim time in Warrenton, he is home. And our church is thankful to God for choosing him to be our senior pastor.
Associate Pastor of Worship & Evangelism
Rich Cowan serves as the Associate Pastor of Worship and Evangelism at FBC. His main tasks include equipping the church family in the theology and practice of congregational worship, developing a worship arts ministry that connects artistic people to ministry opportunities, and equipping and encouraging the FBC family in the message and methods of God-centered witnessing and evangelism.
Rich grew up in small town Chester, Illinois. When he was nine years old, his mother shared the Gospel with him, and for the first time, he realized that the death of Jesus on the cross paid for ALL his sins. He turned from his sin and put his complete trust in Jesus Christ.
He entered Southwest Baptist University with a passion for music education. His ministry calling came his junior year in college while serving on weekend revival teams in Southwest Missouri. Since receiving a Church Music degree from Southwest Baptist University in 1995 and Master’s of Church Music from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2002, he has served churches as lead worshipper in Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri.
Associate Pastor to Students and Children's Ministry
David Martin is a product of the Wentzville School system, a 1990 graduate. He then went to Southwest Baptist University, in Bolivar MO. In 1993 David Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministries. In 1998 David graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a double Master’s Degree, Master of Arts in Religious Education and Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling.
He and his wife Penni are excited about serving at First Baptist Church as Minister of Students and Children. He has served as Student Minister in Missouri and Texas for the past seventeen years with additional experience in Children and Family Ministry. David and Penni have four children, Meghan, Mallory, Seth, and Sophia.
Director of Preschool
More information on Susan Claiborne coming soon!
Minister of Traditional Music - Bob Woods
More information on Bob coming soon!
