Leadership

Services

Sunday WORSHIP - 9:30 AM | Sunday School - 10:45 AM

First Baptist Church Leadership

First Baptist Church is blessed to have a leader who is truly dedicated to Christ and accomplishing His will. Following is a brief bio of our Senior Pastor and his qualifications for ministry.

Gideon Schwarz

Intern--Youth Ministry

Gideon Schwarz joined the FBC team as a Youth Ministry Intern in the spring of 2024. Gideon is a current student at Spurgeon College where he is pursuing his Mdiv. When he is not studying or serving at church, Gideon enjoys traveling with his wife, Charis, playing board games, playing video games, and reading folklore and fairytales.

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Gideon Schwarz joined the FBC team as a Youth Ministry Intern in the spring of 2024. Gideon is a current student at Spurgeon College where he is pursuing his Mdiv. When he is not studying or serving at church, Gideon enjoys traveling with his wife, Charis, playing board games, playing video games, and reading folklore and fairytales.

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Pastor Chris Chambers

Senior Pastor

Chris and his wife Pam came to First Baptist in Decatur in February of 2022.  They had been praying about how the Lord would use their leadership and vast ministry experiences in their next season of life.  The Lord answered their prayers and led them to First Baptist to help grow and revitalize the church.  Before being called to Decatur, Chris had been an Executive Pastor, Youth Pastor, and Worship Pastor at First Baptist Church of Champaign at Savoy.  Pam had been an elementary teacher in Champaign for the last 21 years.  Chris and Pam greatly desire to see people follow Jesus wholeheartedly.  At 16 years of age, Chris went from knowing about Jesus to having a life-changing personal relationship with Him. Chris & Pam met at Judson College and fell in love. They got married a couple of years out of college and answered God’s call to go into full-time ministry. They both have a great love for children, teenagers, missions, small groups, and adult ministry! Chris loves sports, music, playing bass guitar, playing board games, and card games, magic tricks, and being with his family! 

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Chris and his wife Pam came to First Baptist in Decatur in February of 2022.  They had been praying about how the Lord would use their leadership and vast ministry experiences in their next season of life.  The Lord answered their prayers and led them to First Baptist to help grow and revitalize the church.  Before being called to Decatur, Chris had been an Executive Pastor, Youth Pastor, and Worship Pastor at First Baptist Church of Champaign at Savoy.  Pam had been an elementary teacher in Champaign for the last 21 years.  Chris and Pam greatly desire to see people follow Jesus wholeheartedly.  At 16 years of age, Chris went from knowing about Jesus to having a life-changing personal relationship with Him. Chris & Pam met at Judson College and fell in love. They got married a couple of years out of college and answered God’s call to go into full-time ministry. They both have a great love for children, teenagers, missions, small groups, and adult ministry! Chris loves sports, music, playing bass guitar, playing board games, and card games, magic tricks, and being with his family! 

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Isabela Hanisch

Children's Ministry Director

Isabela Hanisch has a BA in Biblical Studies from Southwest Baptist University and a Masters in Theological Studies from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has spent the past several years working in Children's Ministry and writing family and children discipleship curriculum. When she is not ministering to the families of FBC, she writes e-devotionals, devotional books, and academy courses for Coffee and Bible Time and works as a Hebrew Data Specialist for Blue Letter Bible. Isabela lives with her four children, her husband Brenton, and her two dogs. Her greatest passion is equipping people to live in right relationships with themselves, God, and others. She also enjoys reading, art, board games, dance, and evenings playing basketball outside with the family.

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Isabela Hanisch has a BA in Biblical Studies from Southwest Baptist University and a Masters in Theological Studies from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has spent the past several years working in Children's Ministry and writing family and children discipleship curriculum. When she is not ministering to the families of FBC, she writes e-devotionals, devotional books, and academy courses for Coffee and Bible Time and works as a Hebrew Data Specialist for Blue Letter Bible. Isabela lives with her four children, her husband Brenton, and her two dogs. Her greatest passion is equipping people to live in right relationships with themselves, God, and others. She also enjoys reading, art, board games, dance, and evenings playing basketball outside with the family.

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