Our Staff


  • Kyle Rhea

    Senior Pastor

    Hello folks! My name is Kyle Rhea and it is my blessing and privilege to serve the Lord as Senior Pastor here at First Baptist Church. I have been serving the Lord now for seventeen years in pastoring and preaching! I have a Bachelor in Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary and currently working on a Masters in Theological Studies.


    I want to take just a moment to share with you a little about myself, my ministry and my precious family! I was born in Osceola, Arkansas and was raised in a small farming community in Cooter, Missouri where I graduated high school. My story begins with meeting Jesus Christ for the first time in the summer after I just graduated from high school. I was raised in a godly home with parents who took me to church, worshipped and made God’s word the foundation of our home. I knew about God with my raising in a Christian home, but I did not know Him personally. It was in that summer I realized that I had a great deal of head knowledge about Christ, but no heart knowledge. In my old bedroom that night I got on my knees before the Lord, admitted that I was lost, I was a sinner, I need Him and asked Jesus to be my Savior and Lord. On that night I went down on my knees a lost man, but came up on my feet a man saved by God’s amazing grace! Later on I was baptized at Kinfolks Ridge Baptist Church in Caruthersville, Missouri. This was the same church that licensed and ordained me into the ministry. God is good!


    I met my beautiful wife, Rebekah in the spring of 2005 and we were married in October of that same year! We have two beautiful children Hannah and Andrew (Drew) that God blessed us with as we were told that we would never have children, but God had other plans! God is good!


    I have been asked by folks on several occasions, “what is your favorite part of being a pastor?” I love the people in my church family and see them as an extended part of my family. It is truly a blessing to walk with people on the journey to celebrate their joys and hug them in their struggles. I love the Word of God and want to pass along that great love to folks around me and it blesses me when I see them growing in their walk! God is good!

  • Mary Yates

    Children's Coordinator

    Hello. My name is Mary Yates and I have served as the Children’s Coordinator at First Baptist Church since July 2006. My family and I have been faithful members of First Baptist since 1998. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior as a child and know how important it is to share the Gospel and nurture children in their faith. I have been married to my husband Tim since 1987 and we have three sons, Kenton (wife Brandi), Aaron, and Jeremy. I am a proud Nonna to my beautiful granddaughter, Izzy Yates. I am also a Registered Nurse. My mission statement that the Lord has given me for the children of First Baptist Church is very simple: that the children will know Him as Savior and Lord and learn how to make Him known to others. One of my favorite Scripture verses is Jeremiah 29:11-13: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” 


  • Terry "Tink" Richardson

    Minister of Worship & Senior Adults

    Hi, my name is Terry Richardson and I am the Minister of Music and Senior Adults here at First Baptist. I began my ministry here at FBC in October of 2013. I am a native of Tupelo, Mississippi. I have four daughters, two of whom still live in Mississippi with their families. Brooke Marlar (married to Brad) is our oldest and has three daughters, and Blake Daniel is our next daughter who has a son and a daughter. Sadie and Ella are still in school and are here with me. I am blessed with a big family! I became a Christian when I was 19 in my home church but did not answer the call God placed in my heart to be a Worship Leader until 2006. Since then, our family has been blown away by the path He has taken us on! We are so blessed to worship our Great God! My favorite verse is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

  • Pam Hazlegrove

    Financial Secretary

    When you hear God telling you to take that step of faith, it doesn't always seem sensible. I spent four years at Union University attaining a degree in Spanish. Upon graduation, I worked for Davidson Title for 5 years as their customer service representative. Then one Sunday night during a "normal" worship service, God told me to apply for the church secretary job. I had been a members of First Baptist all of my life, but being the church secretary had never been my dream. However, God saw my life going a different direction. Starting as church secretary and then moving into the position of financial secretary has allowed me to serve God in ways I never would have thought possible. From the smallest of things to the largest events, I've had a front row seat seeing God at work at FBC. I'm Pam Hazlegrove, and it is my pleasure to serve my church family.

  • Teresa Kirk

    Administrative Assistant

    After 31 years of a career in education that I loved, God told this MiMi it was time for a change. I was always personally invested in my job as a teacher/assistant principal, so I really wanted my next job to be something else for which I was personally invested. God answered that with, "What better than my church?" He was right. I love my church family, and it is my privilege to serve them as part-time administrative assistant. My name is Teresa Kirk. I am a wife, mother of three girls and three son in laws, and MiMi to two awesome boys. It is my prayer that all will "Taste and see that the LORD is good." Psalm 34:8.