Leadership
Our church community is led by a passionate, caring, and talented pastoral and administrative staff. Additionally, our church elects a slate of deacons every year to serve alongside our ministry teams.
Pastoral & Ministry Staff
The ministry team at First Baptist Church of Decatur is ordained to serve in our Baptist church and carries with them numerous decades of combined ministry experience.
David Jordan, Senior Pastor
I have the great honor to be the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Decatur. I am thrilled to be one small part of this congregation’s rich history; I’m also grateful to be connected to such terrific people in this church and to work with such a talented, devoted staff. I am married to a remarkable woman who is also a minister. Beth serves as the Director of Spiritual Care and Head Chaplain of Emory Decatur Hospital. We share the joy of having three adult children. They are living, working, and studying from one end of the country to another (Los Angeles, California, Salt Lake City, Utah, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and soon, Boston, Massachusetts). I enjoy several hobbies including but not limited to: gardening, tennis, hiking, and travel. I do quite a bit of writing, often contributing articles to Baptist News Global (https://baptistnews.com/article/author/davidjordan) I love being with people and I find my most fulfilling moments are when I am privileged to witness God’s good work in them, and perhaps, to be a small part of their developing faith, hope, and love. Thank you for exploring our website. I would be honored to meet you someday soon and join together on this exciting journey God has called us to here at First Baptist Decatur.
Sarah Lewis, Pastor of Community Engagement and Connections
Sarah Lewis grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is a proud alumna of Temple University, where she studied English Language and Literature. She holds a Master of Theology from the University of Glasgow in Scotland and a Master of Divinity from Mercer University, where she was honored with the John Claypool Award for Excellence in Preaching. In her free time, Sarah enjoys exploring Atlanta’s vibrant coffee shop scene, playing Dungeons & Dragons with her coworkers at Columbia Theological Seminary, and binge-watching Masterpiece Mysteries including Grantchester and Father Brown. She recently launched a YouTube podcast titled Just Homilies, where she offers brief sermonic reflections based on the Lectionary. Sarah currently lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her husband, Gibrilla.
Shelley Woodruff, Pastor for Children and Families
I’ve had the privilege of serving on FBCD’s staff since 2019 as the Pastor for Community Engagement. I have the opportunity each day to build bridges between the church that I love and the quirky, progressive little city that I call home. Josh and I both grew up together in Tifton, GA (we met in third grade) and settled in Decatur for the second time in 2015. Out of all the places we’ve lived and adventures we’ve had, we knew Decatur was the place we wanted to raise our children. We have two - Lottie is a sixth-grader at Midtown International School who loves reading and Animal Crossing. Jonah is in second grade at Glennwood Elementary School who loves trying to defy gravity and jokes. My education journey/adventure led me through Furman, Oxford, McAfee School of Theology, and Columbia Theological Seminary to prepare for a life oriented to serving the local church, a desire to develop preaching voices, and a love of all things Old Testament. Josh’s journey led him through UGA, London, Emory Medical School, and Residency to become an Emergency Medicine physician at Piedmont Hospital. We enjoy travel, lake life, and experiencing the festivals, events, and restaurants Decatur has to offer. I’m a fan of REM, grateful for audiobooks as a mom, and drawn to craft projects.
Terri Byrd, Pastor for Senior Adults
Terri Byrd is delighted to spend time with some of the wisest people in our congregation, our senior adults. Before moving to the Atlanta area and joining the FBC Decatur team, Terri served as the Executive Coordinator of the Alabama Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, working with individuals and congregations to live out their God-given call to be the hands and feet of Christ in their communities and around the world. Terri has also served on the pastoral staff of churches in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Terri holds a B.A. from Mercer University, and a Master of Theological Studies from the Beeson Divinity School of Samford University. She was ordained at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church, in Birmingham. Terri is also pursuing her certification in Spiritual Direction. She is passionate about creating experiences that nurture meaningful connection and leading retreats.
Terri loves her family which includes her husband, Paul, who is a pediatric chaplain, and her adult children: Turner, who lives in Boston, and Evann, who lives in Birmingham with her husband, Jordan. Terri loves the beach, reading great books, and spending time with friends.
Zach Mason, Pastor for Youth and Young Adults
Sana Rohail, Children’s Ministry Intern
Kathryn Hartgrove, Director of Worship Arts
I am Kathryn Hartgrove, the Worship Arts Leader here at First Baptist Church of Decatur. I am also an Associate Professor of Voice at Georgia State University and the Artistic Director of FIO Italia. I have had a professional career as a singer and performed concerts and Opera throughout the United States, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany and Turkey. I have stage directed opera and opera scenes programs in the United States, Italy, and throughout Brazil. I am a masterclass clinician and have held masterclasses throughout Europe, South America, and the United States. My love of music comes from my Moravian upbringing which led to my desire to major in music. I have led choirs in North Carolina, Illinois, and now, here in Decatur. I play the piano, flute, and recorder. My students are an extension of my love of music and I bring them to perform here at FBCD whenever possible. I am thrilled to work with the amazing singers in the FBCD choir who will make all the services very special through their gifts. I am always looking for people who want to share their artistic gifts.
Randall Hampton, Fresh Start Coordinator
I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and moved to Georgia in 2007. I started attending FBCD in 2010 and currently serve as the Fresh Start Coordinator, a member of the sanctuary AV team, and bus driver. I also do Church campus security checks and I am a member of the Apostle’s Men’s Bible Study. I enjoy “techie” stuff, (learning and becoming proficient with new software programs), and helping others improve their computer skills. I enjoy watching good movies and reading good books. I must confess that lately, I have been doing more “reading” using Kindle and/or audio books. I also spend quite a bit of time programming and running my internet radio station, which I have been doing since 2000. This is just a little bit about me, but it would be a pleasure to meet, chat, and share our stories. So, if you are ever at FBCD, feel free to look me up. The coffee is on me.
Daniel Solberg, Organist
Daniel Solberg is a staple in the professional music scene in Atlanta and has earned widespread respect as pianist, organist, arranger, and videographer. At Georgia State University Daniel was a collaborative pianist and coach for seven years and served as music director for the opera program. From show choirs to symphonic ensembles, Daniel’s orchestrations have been heard across the United States. Daniel regularly writes music to the biggest churches in Atlanta, and most recently his orchestration can be heard on a CD release by the Atlanta Boy Choir. Daniel produced “Christmas on Clairemont” - An annual Atlanta community Christmas concert that benefits a charitable organization while featuring world-class, Grammy award-winning talent. In 2019 Daniel produced the recording of the first opera written about the immigration controversy and the building of the wall at the Mexican/American border, entitled “The Wall and the Rose.” Daniel’s music sensitivity as an accompanist has led him to play for many distinguished performers including two-time Grammy award-winning singer, Sylvia McNair. For several years he accompanied La Musica Lirica, a summer opera program in Italy, and works for a similar program in Brazil, FIO Americas. After graduating summa cum laude from Millikin University, Daniel earned the title of “youngest director on the high seas” and played for many of the biggest cruise ship entertainers, including Mark Preston from the Letterman Trio. He has also played multiple times under the direction of world-renowned conductor Don Neuen as well as under the direction of several members of The New York Voices. When Daniel is not playing the piano, he enjoys serving as organist at First Baptist Church Decatur. He has also had the privilege of performing on two of Atlanta’s famous organs at Spivey Hall and the Schwartz Center at Emory University. Through DSol Productions, a registered trademark encompassing his freelance video productions, Daniel has produced hundreds of hours of virtual content including promotional messages, virtual choirs, music videos, church services and concerts.
Cheryl Hunter, Pianist
Cheryl joined FBCD staff January 1, 2022. She was born and raised in Burlington, NC. Since moving to Atlanta in 1997, Cheryl has been accompanist and assistant director for several choral groups, to include OurSong, since 2022. Although Cheryl enjoys playing a wide variety of music, church music has always been the music she feels most connected with. When not playing the piano, Cheryl is an IT professional at Georgia Tech. She also enjoys reading, running, and snuggling with her pup, Buck. Cheryl is very grateful to be on the staff of FBCD and to be part of such a wonderful church family.
Administrative Staff
Our administrative staff is essentially an extension of our ministry team. They bring a high level of professionalism and care to their work and help our community move forward with excellence!
Dilshad Premji, Director of Administration & Finance
Jeremy Clark, Facilities Manager
Milton Brown, Facilities Director
Kelly Locklear, Finance Manager
Steven Hall, Director of Food Services
Jotholyn Mason, First Camp Director
Marie Shepley, Librarian
Irena Seferovic, First School Director
Philip Eugene Roger Jr., Facilities Associate
Cameron King, Administrative Assistant
Deacons
The diaconate at First Baptist Decatur is elected by our church community and represents all the individuals found in our congregation. Deacons are ordained to serve our church alongside our ministry staff for three years.
Deacon Class of 2021/22
Lorin Boren
Sylvia Chandler
Carol Hadley
Scott Morris
Quentin Pirkle
Deacon Class of 2022/23
Dottie Aiken
Ronnie Jowers
Joel Lehrer
Roger Ozaki
Norma Rushing
Kathy Scharer
Deacon Class of 2024
Kristen Pierce
Wilson Holland
Theron Clark-Stuart
Kathy Kinlaw