Pastor - Russell Jones
Pastor Russell came to First Baptist Church on April 1, 2021. He and his wife Victoria (and Victoria's father Paul Schwanz) moved to Pierre from Belton, Texas.
Russ took a rather unusual path to pastoral ministry, to say the least. The son of a Southern Baptist deacon, Russ practically grew up in the church; unfortunately, like many young people, he drifted away from church as a young adult and stayed away for twenty-five years. At forty-six, Russ had an epiphany and came to his senses, realizing that no matter how far he’d run, God was with him still. His wife Victoria was very supportive and they began searching for a church home the very next day.
Soon work took Russ, Victoria, and their children from southwestern Ohio to College Station, Texas where he started teaching Sunday School and working with leadership committees and other “behind the scenes” work at First Baptist Church of College Station. The drive to learn more and better minister to that Sunday School class were the catalyst that drew him to begin taking seminary classes and eventually (Russ can be a little stubborn) accept his calling to pastoral ministry at the age of 50. (It seems that everyone BUT him had known for some time).
Family and career changes brought about another move that precipitated Russ and Victoria planting Mosaic Fellowship in Belton, Texas with the help of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Bell Baptist Association, and Freedom Road Biker Church as sponsors. Mosaic Fellowship was deliberately planted in the poorest part of Belton in an attempt to reach the poor and the marginalized, which made ministry there…different.
Until recently Russ's full-time job was teaching 6th grade English in Killeen, Texas and Victoria was a church secretary at Heights Baptist Church in Temple, TX (where Russ also spent some time as Interim Youth Pastor). They have three children, all adults: Kayla, a Navy veteran attending nursing school in Ohio; Mandi, who lives and works in the Killeen area; and Taylor, who is living in Los Angeles trying to get into the entertainment industry as a scriptwriter/producer.
Victoria has three cats (they’re definitely hers – they only tolerate Russ because he feeds them half the time) and Russ has an AussieDoodle puppy (Australian Shepherd/Standard Poodle mix) named Buckeye with whom he is quite enamored – he’s an ornery rascal but cute as a bug.
Church Secretary - Larae Schoenfelder
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Deacons
Esther Burket
Moderator
Nick Osterkamp
Property
Lori Hall
Vice-Moderator/Worship
Cindy Kemnitz
Christian Education
Ron Baumgart
Treasurer
Delcie Hall
Christian Education
Lois Sivage
Financial Secretary
Laurie Fieler
Clerk
Pat Weeldreyer
Missions
Maxine Tessier
Evangelism/Shepherding/Membership
Dick Howard
Evangelism/Shepherding/Membership
Renee Osterkamp
Fellowship