Joe was born and raised in Church and went to only one little small town Church in Mansfield Missouri all his life. He was born again at age 7 and filled with the Holy Spirit at age 9 in the little camp chapel at kids camp, on top of a big bluff overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks. Joe heard the call to ministry at the age of 16 and began to preach. He meet his beautiful wife LuWella at Bible college. They have been married over 35 years and have four wonderful children. Kimberly, Joey, Joshua and Lydia. Joe pastored several churches over 15 years. He woke up one Sunday morning and the Holy Spirit said to go to FNT church. He had to google it to find it. Now he is convinced and will let you know in no uncertain terms this is the best church in the world!
Shannon has been an active member of First New Testament since 1996. Her desire is to serve the Body of Christ in any way possible. In 2010, Shannon took over the organization of the cooking ministry and the Lord has used her to make it a great asset to the help and support of His body. Her heart is that the church can show the love of Christ to one another and be a blessing and an encouragement to those who may be going through a difficult time. Shannon married Brian in November 1997 and have two wonderful children who serve the Lord, Brady and Haley.
Jordan Shipp, Ethan Shipp, Carla Shipp
Rachel has been a part of First New Testament Church since she was a small child. She surrendered her heart to Christ at 8 yrs. of age during Vacation Bible School. Growing up, her Sunday School teachers and classes instilled within her a love for reading and studying the scriptures. She also experienced the close relationships that can be developed in these classes. She now serves as Sunday School Director leading and working along-side other teachers, dedicated to building relationships in the Body of Christ and bringing a meaningful Bible study to all ages each Sunday. Rachel has also been an active member, supporting, serving and helping the Body of FNT in other areas, including mission trips where, among other things, she served as a Spanish interpreter. She loves the Lord and wants to glorify Him in all she does, whether that be singing in worship services, praying for others in the altar, traveling, tithing, encouraging or teaching the Body of Christ. She was recently married to Patrick Carter and they are blessed to serve the Lord together at FNT.
Baton Rouge has been Kayla Murphy’s home since birth! She was born again at a very young age and was baptized in the Holy Spirit when she was 16 years old. Kayla has been a member of FNT for over 21 years now and could not feel more blessed to be a part of the work the Lord is doing in this church. It’s truly become her family!
After graduating from LSU in 2012 the Lord began to birth a specific desire in Kayla to serve and love the body of Christ in a more intentional way. Shortly after graduating the Lord blessed her with a wonderful opportunity to step in and help lead the College and Young Adults ministry. It has truly become one of the richest blessings of her life and Kayla counts it an honor and a privilege to be able to serve some of her closest friends as she has been served by the Lord.
Jacob Welch is head of our Security Team at First New Testament. He served as an usher until he felt the call to lead the security for the church. Jacob has been a member of First New Testament for 10 years. His heart in this ministry that the Lord has called him to is to bring security to the congregation in a way that would keep distractions outside of the Church from being a hindrance as they worship the Lord, uninhibited, with their whole focus on the One that they came to be with, Jesus. Jacob’s testimony is lengthy and very involved, with many dangers, toils, and snares, but through the Lord’s amazing grace, he was saved in 2006. Jacob was born and raised in Baker, Louisiana. He married his wife Jamie in 1995. Together they lead First New Testament’s 40’s and 50’s fellowship. They have four wonderful children, Jackie, Chase, Caleb and Alli, all of whom serve in some capacity at First New Testament.
Felix & Beka Burch were born & raised in Baton Rouge, LA. They have both been faithful members for many years. At the age of 6, Felix surrendered his life to Christ. In his senior year of high school, Felix was invited to FNT by Beka and remembers feeling the Lord’s presence more strongly than ever before. At the age of 16, Beka went on her first mission trip to the Dominican Republic where God began to speak to her concerning His call on her life. Together, Felix and Beka lead FNT’s Youth Ministry. They have a great love and burden for the young people to know the love Jesus and to serve Him wholeheartedly. Through fellowships, Bible studies, and Youth Sunday School classes, the young people are encouraged, discipled, and loved to spur them on to a relationship with Jesus.
Evan Pyle was born in New York city and was raised in San Mateo, a suburb south of San Francisco. He was raised in an atheist home by atheist parents and later by an atheist grandfather. He was swept into the kingdom in 1970 during the Jesus people movement of the time. It was a complicated and messy revival full of God’s power and many grievous errors. Through his long, humbling journey he has come to a love and appreciation for Christ’s body, the Church.
He married Nancy in 1981 and together they led a house church for some 27 years. They stepped away in 2016 to join First New Testament at a time of crisis and found a sheltering fold full of the love of God and freedom in the Holy Spirit. Nancy passed away in 2018 after 37 years of marriage.
A new chapter in his life began after he met and married his beautiful wife Wendy. God truly restored his joy and he desires to impart that joy to others.
Brian Cannon ministers as the head usher at First New Testament Church. Brian has been serving as an usher for over 20 years and it is his desire is to serve the Lord and the body of Christ.
Born and raised in Baton Rouge, he was invited to First New Testament Church in 1986 by his best friend and was saved that year at a family retreat. Brian served 5 years in the United States Air Force and returned home in March of 1995. He was married to his wife Shannon in November 1997 and now has two wonderful children Brady and Haley.
Andrew Wilkes was raised in church his entire childhood, but it took the death of two grandparents and moving to Baton Rouge to attend college in 2005 for God to get his attention. After coming to faith in Jesus at the age of 18, his life was transformed from a lost, purposeless existence to one of excitement and direction. He was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 2007 and began to attend First New Testament Church that same year.
Andrew leads the prison ministry at FNT and also teaches the Grounded Sunday school class. His desire is to build up the Body of Christ through the teaching of God’s word and to encourage them to a life of faith and action in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Andrew is married to his best friend and companion in ministry Leah Wilkes and is the father of two young boys Ezra and Leland. Leah is a native of Peterhead, Scotland. Her parents were full time ministers and she heard the gospel from an early age. As a teenager she fully surrendered her life to Christ and was baptized at 15 years old. Leah attended the School of Christ in 2008 where she was baptized in the Holy Ghost. She also met some life-long friends there, including her future husband! Leah spent the next 4 years in Northern Ireland involved in a church she loved. She then moved to the USA in 2013 to marry the love of her life, Andrew Wilkes! She and Andrew have two handsome little boys. Leah has always had a heart to be a source of health and encouragement to the body of Christ. She loves to teach or speak for the Lord and minister to the women in church. Leah is a stay at home mum and Andrew’s companion and support in ministry.