Phil Jones
Senior Pastor

The call for Phil to serve as the pastor for First Baptist Church came in July 1986. Since that time the church has grown from 250 in Sunday school and 250 in worship attendance to over 1,000 in Sunday school and 1,500 in worship. The management of that growth involves a firm commitment to the God-given mission of the church. The Lord has certainly worked through Pastor Phil's unique giftedness for the ministry of the preaching and teaching of the Word.

*Bachelor of Science Degree, The University of Tennessee at Knoxville

*Master of Divinity Degree, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Fort Worth, Texas)

*Doctor of Ministry Degree, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, Kentucky).

Phil is blessed with a lovely wife, Kathy, and five children: Clint , Sarah , Aaron , Laura , and Daniel. They also have two grandchildren: Gavin and Caryss.

Mike Powell
Executive Pastor

Mike, Sue, Jason, and Charles were members of First Baptist Church from 1985 until 1989. In the midst of a business management career that led to Houston, Texas, Mike was called into full-time pastoral ministry in 1991. After serving as pastor in east Texas for almost two years, Mike was called to the First Baptist staff in February 1993.

Mike's current responsibilities include church staff development and management, church lay-member training and development, and church administration. His passion for the church is to see that every member becomes a student of the Word, those who are “diligent to present [themselves] approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Jim Waddell
Senior Adults Pastor

Jim has been a member of FBC-Powell since August 19, 1990. Jim came to work on the FBC Staff in May 2000 as Maintenance Coordinator and in 2002 he became Facilities Manager. As of February 2006, Jim has assumed the position of Pastor of Senior Adults and Pastoral Care. Jim has served as a deacon and discipleship teacher for many years. He became the Lay Counseling Director of Exchanged Life Counseling Ministry in 1996, which has led many FBC-P members & non-members to freedom through the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Jim is a graduate of Powell High School and Tennessee Institute of Electronics. His continuing education is in Christian counseling, focusing on the "Exchanged Life". Jim's prior work experience has been 8 years as part owner and full-time participant in a construction business specializing in remodeling and renovations. He also spent 26 years in sales, working in the office equipment field and custom housing.

Jim is married to Brenda Waddell, who is also on the church staff. Jim & Brenda have been married since December 19, 1961. They have two adult children, Lori and Tim. Daughter Lori is married to Gerald Lay and lives in the Halls Community. Son Tim is single and is employed at Park West Medical Center. Jim and Brenda have three grandchildren: Amanda. Matthew, and Christian.

Steve Roach
Median Families Pastor

Since joining First Baptist Church in March 1996, Steve has been used of the Lord to grow and to lead our youth into a vibrant worship, discipleship, fellowship, and world-mission orientation. Each Wednesday evening over 200 youth from Powell, Halls, Karns, and surrounding communities gather for a special time of worship, study, and fellowship. This serves as the springboard for developing youth with a biblical worldview and a desire to reach their community for Christ.

Steve and his wife, Janet, have a vested interest in the church's ministry to children and youth, with three children: Andrew, Katie, and Emily. Steve is a graduate of The University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Following a brief engineering career, Steve was called into youth ministry in Chattanooga and was later called to lead the youth ministry at First Baptist Powell.

Stephen Burnett
Worship Pastor

Stephen joined the First Baptist Church staff in September 1996, following eight years of serving as Minister of Music in Galax, Virginia. Driving Stephen is a deep commitment to developing disciples who lead the congregation in worship. He has been uniquely equipped to teach those within his ministry the importance of continual individual spiritual growth, in order to better use their gifts and talents to bring glory to God through individual and corporate worship.

Stephen is a graduate of Carson Newman College and holds a master's degree in church music from Southwestern Theological Seminary. Stephen is blessed with a wonderful companion for ministry in his wife Lisa. Rounding out the family are two children: Abigail and Aaron.

David Trent
Young Families Pastor

David joined the FBC staff on a part-time basis in 1999 and was brought on full time in 2000. One of the fastest growing ministries within the church has been that of counseling, and over the last several years, the church has stressed that proper counseling is biblically-based and emphasizes the role of the Cross of Christ as well as the reality of the Exchanged Life. David has taken an active role in developing and leading this vital ministry. In January of 2004, David assumed the responsibility of Young Families Pastor through which he provides leadership to the Preschool and Children’s Departments and Young Adult Life Groups. He graduated from Clear Creek Baptist Bible College with a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry Degree in 2004. David is encouraged in ministry by his wife Sherron and their two daughters, Ashleigh and Annissa, and Ashleigh's husband, Jonathan.

Donny Wadley
Single Adult Pastor

Donny became a member of First Baptist Church in 1991. He was a realtor in the area at that time. In 1997 he sensed God had something more for him. Later that year he and his family moved to Pineville, Kentucky and enrolled in Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. During his time in Kentucky God revealed a passion to work with college students through an internship at a local church. After completing his internship he moved back to Powell in late 1999 and began working with the College and Career Ministry at First Baptist Church. He finished his degree from Clear Creek and graduated in 2001. After working part-time in ministry and real-estate for 4 years he began full-time ministry in 2005. His ministry now includes singles as well as College and Career (SALSA).

Steve Alford
Mission Coordinator

Steve Alford serves as the Mission Coordinator at First Baptist Church . In 1999, Steve was asked to serve on the Great Commission Task Force at First Baptist Church of Powell and while attending a mission conference Steve surrendered to a call into the ministry. Steve served as the Youth Pastor in a local Baptist church before joining the staff at First Baptist Church of Powell. Steve has always had a passion for working with young people and encourages them and others to live their life as a mission trip.

Steve works with the Great Commission Leadership Team at First Baptist in planning, equipping, leading and coordinating mission trips. Steve reminds us that The Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples in Matthew 28:19 literally says, “As you go make disciples of all the nations ” and that means that our mission is an everyday call that Jesus Christ has placed in every believer's life to share the Gospel. That call means your mission field starts right where God has placed you and goes to the ends of the earth.

Kathy Patton
Prayer Coordinator

In 1978, Kathy was called to FBC to be Youth and Education Director and served in that position for 1 ½ years. Later Kathy began coordinating the prayer ministry on a volunteer basis. Since then, the workload has increased dramatically, and Kathy agreed to take the part-time position of Prayer Coordinator. Kathy's primary goal is to get people excited about participating in life-changing prayer ministries. She wants people to discover that prayer is not a last resort, but the first option. Her job is to equip, teach, train, motivate, and encourage people in and for individual and corporate prayer. One of her most exciting teaching opportunities is prayer walking, which has become a very important part of FBC's global missions thrust. 
Kathy and her husband, David, were married in May of 1979 and have two married children: Becca and Ben.

Paula Davis
Preschool Director

Until 1997, Paula served as the church's financial and administrative secretary, while taking an active role in leading the preschool ministries. With the increased responsibilities of Director of Preschool Ministries, Paula now devotes about 85 percent of her time with our rapidly expanding group of preschoolers and their families. These ministries include: Parents' Day Out, church childcare, preschool Lifegroups, cradle roll, and a number of other related activities. Paula has a passion to see preschoolers come to an understanding of the love of Jesus, building into them an awareness that will bear the fruit of salvation at an early age. She recognizes the awesome opportunities that preschool workers have to influence young lives and mold character at a very impressionable age.
Paula's husband, JW, has ministered in Tech Services since 1988.  The Davis' have two grown children, Ken and Kristin and one grandchild, Kenleigh. 

Timothy McGhee
Missions and Evangelism

Chris Christian
Operations Manager

Chris has been on staff since August 2000.  His current position at FBC is that of Operations Manager.  His responsibilities are, but not limited to, the day to day operations of the church in the following areas:

Technical Audio/Video:  From children’s church, Youth Worship, to the Sunday morning worship and special events off campus. 

Building Maintenance:  Air conditioning, electrical, and plumbing as well as all other general maintenance fall under his responsibility.

Custodial:  Responsible for seeing that the church is kept clean for Sunday services and  upcoming events.

Chris’s first interest in the technical side of work came from working in the family catering business when Audio/Video was incorporated in the catering packages offered to customers.  Prior to coming to FBC, Chris worked in the production department at Kingsport Press and the polymer division of Tennessee Eastman as well as retail management.

Chris graduated from Volunteer High School (1982) in Church Hill, Tennessee.  He studied electronics and computers at DeVry University as well as Political Science/Business at the University of Tennessee.

Pete Linkous
Children's Director

Pete has served in various children’s ministries at First Baptist-Powell since the fall of 1992.  Two years as a Royal Ambassadors leader were followed by 6 years as head coach of the TeamKID program, and then 5 years leading in the AWANA program.  During this time, Pete has also taught children’s Sunday School for 7 years.  While serving in these various positions, Pete felt a growing desire to put in greater and more focused efforts so that more children might come to better know, love, and worship God as the awesome creator and redeemer that He is.  Pete came on board as full-time Director of Children’s Ministries in 2005.  Pete sees one focus of his ministry as being the development of parents and children’s ministry leaders so that they can better evangelize and meet the needs of children.  A second focus for Pete is to provide background organizational support so that volunteer leaders can be more effective in their front-line ministries to children. 

Pete is blessed by the support of his wife Amy, a recent nursing graduate working at Children’s Hospital.  They have three sons:  Matthew , Ryan , and Christopher.

Sue Powell
Office Manager

Sue has been a member of First Baptist since April 1985, excluding four years spent in the wilderness (Texas).  Sue became Administrative Manager in January 2003.  Married to Executive Pastor Mike Powell, Sue now serves as his assistant and general office manager. 

Sue’s purpose in re-entering the workforce full-time (after staying at home with children Jason and Charles) was to assume responsibility for the day-to-day efforts of the support staff providing Mike more time for his duties as Executive Pastor.  The FBC Administrative Staff exists to further the work of the church by providing our elders and ministry leaders with administrative support in all areas of their ministries.

Sue holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Georgetown College.  Her areas of ministry in the church have included preschool and women’s ministry, worship ministry, and more recently the technical services ministry of FBC.  Sue also serves as a member of the Great Commission Leadership Team and her passport is always ready to travel!

Chad joined our staff here in April 2008 after being the Director of Student Ministries at FBC Greeneville Tn.  Chad was raised in this church but after he graduated from College (Tennessee Wesleyan with a degree in Religion) in 2002, he got a job with Sams Club and moved out of the area.  He and his wife Amber were married in 2003 and now have 2 children, Brayden and RyleighGrace.  Chad felt God calling him into full time ministry in Greeneville.  After starting the college ministry there in 2005, God opened the door for him to come on staff full time.