Faith Baptist Church Welcomes New Pastor

 

By Damon Stone,
Staff Writer

Faith Baptist Church recently welcomed Matt McGuire as their new pastor, after having served as a youth pastor at Martin’s Chapel General Baptist Church in Portland, Tenn.

McGuire, along with his wife Jeron, who have been married since June 2005, along with their four children, Allen, Chloe, Porter and Henry, have been members of the church for several years now.

McGuire had enlisted in the Kentucky Army National Guard, where he served for five years, having come to Fountain Run following the end of his service.

“After leaving the military, I took a youth pastor position at Fountain Run Baptist Church in Fountain Run,” McGuire said. “I served from 2006 to 2019, and I have been ordained as a minister since 2005.”

McGuire had been ordained with the Mountain Union Association, and the General Baptist, later joining Scottsville Baptist where his ordination traveled with him.

“I started filling in at Faith Baptist towards the end of summer, and was elected as the next pastor on the first Sunday of September,” McGuire explained. “It is my desire to see Faith Baptist grow, not only in numbers, but in spirit. I’d love to see us get out into the community some more, and let the community members know that we’re there and we’re willing to serve them, and we’d love to see community members come out and visit with us.”

The congregation typically sees around 15 to 20 people for Sunday School, and around 30 to 40 for their Sunday worship service.

“I first felt my calling into the ministry when I was just 16, attending up at Scottsville First General Baptist where I grew up, and started my ministry then, that led me to serving as a youth pastor, and later a school teacher,” McGuire recalled. “(…) I always felt led towards the ministry, my father is also a minister, he pastors at Rough Creek out in the Adolphus community. Church has always been a vital part of my life, growing up it wasn’t a question of if we were going to church, it was get up, be ready, we’re going to church.”

McGuire added that he serves as an assistant principal dean of students at Moss Middle School in Warren County, with his kids attending school in Allen County, with his oldest son currently being in basic training for the Air Force.

“We definitely want prayers for him,” McGuire added.

After leaving the position at Fountain Run Baptist Church, the family went back to Scottsville Baptist Church, singing in the choir and playing in the brass ensemble.

“We loved our time up there, and then when my father started pastoring at Rough Creek, we’d go out there and support him as much as we could,” McGuire explained. “But we always knew that God was going to put us back in a position where we could serve a church.”

That summer, McGuire had gotten a phone call to come fill in at Faith Baptist following the passing of their pastor, Eddie Ausbrooks.

“I knew that it would be a challenge and big shoes to fill, but I told them I’d come and I’d help out when I could,” McGuire emphasized. “That led to two or three Sundays in a row, I’d be out there, and Brother John Mark Toby would be out there for a Sunday, and I’d come back for a Sunday. They just kept asking me to come back.”

McGuire and his wife, Jeron, had prayed about going back to the church, with her ultimately deciding that God would not lead them there if He didn’t feel like the church could use them there.

“I got approached by the deacons as to whether or not I’d be willing to take the church on, and I told them if that’s what the church wanted, and with God’s help, and their help, and their prayers, then I would give it an attempt,” McGuire said. “Just a few Sundays later, they elected me to be the next pastor. It’s a very loving church, they’ve taken us in, they’ve loved us, they’ve supported us, they’ve done lots of different things to support us along the way, and they have a heart for this community.”

McGuire added that, having grown up in the community, he understands the church’s heart for the community.

“Nothing would have made me happier for Eddie Ausbrooks for him to have served for 30 years there, but God needed him elsewhere, and this is my prayer that I can just be whatever the church needs me to be, and that I can help the church grow and help this community grow as well,” McGuire explained.

Having served as a youth pastor at several different churches, McGuire expressed that as he grows older, he felt like it was time to serve in a senior pastor position to share those experiences, being halfway to a Master’s Degree in arts and having taken several seminary courses.

“I’ve learned a lot in my 40 years of life through studying, through working as a youth pastor under some wonderful pastors that I had the opportunity to serve with, that I can take with me into this position, and hopefully be a help and uplift to others while sharing the truth of the gospel of Jesus,” McGuire explained.

The church has worship service every Sunday at 11, and Sunday School at 10, and are looking to add Wednesday night services sometime in the spring.

“We’d love to see people come out and be with us,” McGuire explained. “It’s a very loving church, we’ve got a few that have been coming that aren’t members, but I tell them every Sunday, once you’re a visitor here twice, you’re not a visitor anymore, you’re one of us.”