Leadership

On July 11th, 2021 First Baptist Church Muskogee welcomed Kevin as the Lead Pastor.

At the age of 9, sitting in the back pew of Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Kevin gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. The next 10 years of life were marked by growth in discipleship, and at age 19 God called him into Christian ministry. While attending Oklahoma Baptist University, he focused his studies on business and ministry in order to secure necessary skills in both fields.
Kevin and Christina were high-school sweethearts and were married in 2003. They have five awesome children: Bryce, Cael, Grace, Jude and Kathryn. Their story of faith has welcomed them the privilege of proclaiming Jesus far and wide. From Central Asia to East Asia, Central America to North America, and from South Asia to North Africa, it has been their joy to lead the church in the USA and vast contexts around the world.
North Africa has left an indelible mark on the Chartneys. Close to eight years of their ministry has been based in the cities and sands of North Africa. As Team Leader Kevin was able to implement strategies to reach cities with populations of multiple millions. By God’s grace the work in North Africa has seen Muslims believe in Christ and churches multiply.
Kevin has served in Pastoral positions that have challenged and shaped him significantly. Serving as the Young Adult Pastor at Southern Hills Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, he was shepherd and teacher for ages 18-40 years old. Preaching weekly as well as leading and organizing small groups were priorities among his ministry tasks. Most recently he served as Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church Bartlesville, Oklahoma. As a teaching pastor he taught the Word of God in various settings including Sunday Worship, oversaw the ministries of the church, and supervised ministry staff. Serving the church in contexts near and far has given Kevin a unique perspective into God’s heart for shepherding his church.
Kevin and Christina both received their Master’s degrees from Gateway Seminary (previously Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary). Kevin desires to use the gifts of teaching, leadership, and faith to equip and inspire the church to love God and love others. He believes that now is a critical time in which we must make and mature disciples of Jesus who will change the world.

Paul is an Okie from Muskogee, who has come home after a 30-year pilgrimage of serving Christ.
A graduate of Muskogee High School and Northeastern State University, Paul served as a History Teacher and Coach, (along with some other jobs) before surrendering to the Gospel Ministry. He was licensed and ordained for ministry right here at FBC Muskogee.
He attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX and earned a Master’s Degree in Christian Education. Paul has served on church staffs in Brownsville, TN, Knoxville, TN, Lebanon, MO and Maypearl, TX.  He has served in various pastoral positions from Recreation, Education, Youth, Children, Missions, Sr. Adults, and Families.
He and his lovely wife Margie have been married since 1986. They have been blessed with 4 children: Hannah, Luke, Sarah & Rachel.
Paul loves Sports, History, Reading, movies and acting. If he weren’t in ministry, he would be the head football coach of Oklahoma University (sorry Lincoln) or a History Professor. He loves to travel and is a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan.
He has served on the leadership team for Next Level Kids Camp for 10 years and still loves camp!
Paul’s life verse is Matthew 5:16; “Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  He has a passion for studying and teaching God’s word.  He loves connecting with people of all ages, but especially kids.  Mostly because he is just a big kid himself.

Hayden was born and raised in Guthrie, Oklahoma. He was not raised in a Christian home, but became connected with a local church in high school and came to know Christ through discipleship and mentoring. He attended one year at Oklahoma Baptist University and played baseball there, and realized that baseball was becoming an idol in his life that was taking his focus away from Christ, so he gave it up. He then moved to Alva, Oklahoma and became a paraprofessional teacher and baseball coach for two years. During that time, he met his wife and ministry partner Mary, and they moved to Guthrie after getting married in 2017. Hayden became the youth pastor at his home church in Guthrie, while also coaching football and baseball at his alma mater. Hayden and Mary lived in Guthrie and served in ministry there for over five years before following God’s call to Muskogee in January 2022. He is currently working on finishing his degree at Midwestern Theological Seminary.

Hayden and Mary love to travel, play sports, spend time outside, and do anything that allows them to spend more time together. They love cultivating genuine relationships through discipleship, fellowship, and serving the community.

Jon was raised in a Christian home, the son of a deacon and a Sunday school secretary/choir member. He had a lot of knowledge about God in the Bible and Christ giving his life on the cross for his sins, but missed the most important part, trusting in Jesus to save him. Finally at 20 Jon, a ministry student at Oklahoma Baptist University was sitting in a crusade and God brought about events that allowed him to hear the Holy Spirit’s call and trust Christ as Savior and Lord.

Jon lived in Guthrie, Oklahoma most of his life and met his bride, Stella, in church choir at First Southern Baptist Church in Guthrie. They were married soon after and began a journey of ministry together. Stella was also raised in the church and served in the music ministry of her church since she was a child. They have served in 6 churches around the state over a 35-year span in full-time vocational ministry. Jon and Stella raised two sons, Jacob and Park, and have lived in Muskogee 23 years.

Jon finished his undergraduate in Sacred Music from SWOSU in Weatherford, OK. He also has a Master’s degree in worship studies from the Institute of Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida. Both shaped Jon’s journey as a Worship Pastor. Jon and Stella experienced some intense struggles in their marriage and sought help from the Lord and some wonderful marriage counselors.

God did some amazing things to win a victory in their family, and soon after, God called Jon to marriage and family therapy. He received a Master’s degree in marital and family counseling from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. At the same time, God gave Jon and Stella a heart to develop a retreat center for ministry couples and families who are struggling. It will be a place where God can do a work of healing and restoration through his Holy Spirit and the counseling process.

Karen, born and raised in Oklahoma, joined our full-time staff in 2013.  Prior to that, you would have found her interpreting for deaf students in Muskogee Public Schools and Hilldale Public Schools, serving as assistant to our Associate Pastor, or directing traffic at Kamp Kidville Summer Day Camp program for 10 years.  Karen is passionate about creating activities, programs, and events that allow relationships to form between fellow believers, as well as, those who are seeking what is missing in their lives – Jesus Christ.
While studying and receiving her degree in Interpreting ASL/English from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Karen developed a deep sense of advocacy for those in the Deaf community.  She has interpreted many worship services at First Baptist Muskogee and has interpreted in the surrounding area.
When she is not planning activities, Karen is either scrapbooking, hunting down a great sale on scrapbooking supplies, talking about scrapbooking with fellow scrapbookers, looking for scrapbooking ideas on Pinterest, or planning her next time to scrapbook.
Karen is the mother of two grown daughters and grandmother to two rowdy, delightful boys.