Embedded Files
Dr. Jim Cobban, Senior Pastor
Jim has served as the Senior Pastor First Baptist since 1999. A Missouri native, Jim holds an undergraduate degree from Baylor University and the MDiv, ThM, and PhD from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, completing the final degree in 1993.
Jim and Cristi have three sons and three daughters-in-law, but most importantly, two granddaughters that light their world!
Jim has led groups to the Holy Land many times since 1990. The next time is March 30, 2027 . . . Want to come along?
"The call to serve a church is the call to serve the community around the church. I'm happiest when I see our church reaching outside the walls to bring hope through the reign of Christ. A healthy church is also happiest when it is reaching out, too."
Email: jcobban@fbcmtown.org.
Rev. Susan Bowles, Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Children
Susan and her family came to First Baptist in 2001. She is a native of Tennessee. She graduated from Carson Newman College with a Bachelor of Science in Religion in 1988. Susan graduated from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1993 with a Master of Arts in Christian Education.
Family: Susan has been married to Larry for 32 years and they have one daughter Abigail.
Fun: Susan loves the beach and watching the waves roll in. Walking in the waves with sand between her toes is total relaxation for her.
Faith: Susan has loved sharing the Good News of Jesus with children and families since she was a child herself. One of her favorite Bible verses is, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' Matthew 19:14. Susan understands parents and family members to be the primary teacher of a child’s faith but recognizes the church’s role as both nurturer and supporter to family members and children.
She can be contacted at sbowles@fbcmtown.org.
Rev. Julie Halitzka, Minister of Music & Worship
Julie joined the staff of First Baptist Church in May of 2024. She holds her MDiv in Worship from Southern Seminary, and her BSS in Music from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. She also holds an MS in Early Childhood Studies from Walden University. Julie has been involved in leading worship in a variety of churches for over 16 years.
Family: Julie and her husband George met on staff at a church in Iowa, and have been happily married since 2007.
Fun: Julie loves hanging out with her husband, and most things techy and/or creative, including singing, songwriting, graphic design, programming Christmas lights, tap dancing, and watching sci-fi.
Faith: God has shown himself over, and over, and over again as the ultimate protector and provider in my life. That doesn't mean that I don't face trouble or experience sorrow. In fact, scripture doesn't say that we might have trouble in this world, it tells us that we WILL have trouble. However, we don't face the trouble alone. We find peace, love, and support from God, and from those within our communities of faith.
She can be contacted at jhalitzka@fbcmtown.org.
Rev. Gabe Close, Minister of Young Adults
Gabe has been a part of ministries at First Baptist since 2010, and accepted the position of Minister of Students and Young Adults in 2019. He holds a Bachelor in English from the University of Louisville, a Master in Teaching from Bellarmine University, and a Master of Divinity from the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University.
Family: Gabe is married to Blair and they have a son, Micah.
Fun: Gabe enjoys playing music, collecting vinyl records, and spending time with family and friends.
Faith: "Our faith is a part of everything we do, not just the time we spend at church. I am excited to see our youth and young adults think critically about their faith and how it can impact each moment of their daily lives." So whether you eat drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
He can be contacted at gclose@fbcmtown.org.
Darryl Elster, Minister of Education and Technology
Darryl has served as the church’s volunteer Minister of Education and Technology since 2013. He earned a BA at Mars Hill College and the MRE from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. He has served a number of churches throughout the South in discipleship and Christian education. You don’t have to talk to him long to notice he has an authentic “Georgia drawl.”
Family: Darryl is married to Vicki and they have two adult sons Joshua and Joel. Vicki is also a seminary graduate.
Fun: Darryl likes to play with anything that can even remotely be called a computer. He is our “go-to” guy on all things electronic. Darryl proudly served over a decade as the Scoutmaster of Troop 321 in Middletown. He loves old movies and cartoons. And he loves to plant things in his yard and watch them grow.
Faith: “Faith is a transformed life that is active in transforming the world. It is who you are and the things you do every minute of every day. For me faith is following the Way of Jesus. Therefore, I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God who has joined Jesus in HIS creative work of redemption. I imagine a church that offers everyone a powerful, life-changing, life-forming example of what it means to be the people of GOD on mission in the world.”
He can be contacted at delster@fbcmtown.org.
Jay Close, Pastoral Counselor
Jay has counseled people at First Baptist and from the community for many years. He is a Louisville native with degrees from University of Louisville and Southern Baptist Seminary. He became Pastoral Counselor in residence in 2018. Jay is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and an Ordained Minister.
Family: Jay has been married to Darlene for over 40 years. And yes, he is the father of Gabe and grandpa to Micah!
Fun: Hanging out with family and friends, watching U of L sports, eating out at new places. Jay has enjoyed leading workshops for deacons, staff, and many other people.
Faith: It seems important to me that our faith is relevant to daily life and doesn’t crumble when hard times come. A favorite scripture is, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:4-8
He can be contacted at jayclose@me.com and at jayclose.org.
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