To schedule a meeting with John, please contact:
Kathy Bell, Assistant to the Senior Pastor
e-mail or 322.5656
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Dr. John Avant
Senior Pastor
In 1993, John sensed Jesus calling him to missions with the local church which John calls the "hope of the world". Before coming to First West, John was the North American Mission Board's Vice President for Evangelization. In addition to having led growing churches in Texas and Georgia, John has led mission work across North America including the planting of a Japanese church, a Hispanic church, and a multi-cultural church in Manhattan. Internationally, John has helped to plant churches in Belarus, Mexico, Lebanon, and Vietnam. John has also trained pastors in many countries including China, Israel, Canada, and Uganda.
A published author, he has written If God Were Real, Authentic Power, The Passion Promise, and co-authored Revival among other works. John and his wife Donna are proud parents to Matthew & Christi Avant Watson, Joseph & Amy Avant Daniel, and Trey Avant. Donna is a gifted speaker and is an integral part of the P3 Women's Mininstry at First West.
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To schedule a meeting with Toby, please contact:
Executive Pastor Assistant Debbie Robertson
e-mail or 322-2088 |
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Dr. Toby Frost
Executive Pastor
Toby Frost joined the First West team as executive pastor in August 2007. He was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and grew up in various places in Europe and the United States. He has been a pastor, church planter, and denominational executive with the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest non-Catholic denomination in the world. He was educated at Winthrop University, Southeastern Seminary at Wake Forest, and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a published author with over 12 million tracts, manuals, and journal articles in print helping churches to become more relevant and effective in reaching culture. His areas of expertise include pop culture, relevant Christianity, theology's relevance in today's world, evangelism, leadership and corporate ethics. |
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To schedule a meeting with Mark, please contact:
Tanisha Merrell, Global Ministries Assistant
e-mail or 398.9282 | |
Mark Fenn
Global Ministries Pastor
A Morgan City native, Mark Fenn joined the First West team in April of 1992 as youth pastor, serving in that ministry for 10 years. Following a year as young adult pastor, Mark served as senior adult pastor. In 2008, Mark assumed the role of global ministries pastor where he gives leadership to both our community and global transformation strategies. Mark has his masters of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently working on his doctor of ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In the community, Mark is known as a P.A. announcer for West Monroe Rebel football, and he serves on the Board of Commissioners for the West Ouachita Recreation District. Mark enjoys time with his family, riding horses with wife Ann, bowhunting, fishing, watching sports, and reading. Mark and Ann have one son, Caleb, a sophomore at WMHS. Ann is a gifted pianist and a member of the First West Praise Team. |
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To schedule a meeting concerning financial or operational issues, please contact Pattie Diaz, Operations Director, 322-5199 or e-mail
To schedule a meeting concerning Portico, please contact Kim Wilhite, Portico Assistant,
325-6638 or e-mail.
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Randy Impson
Church Financial Officer / Portico Pastor
Randy Impson serves as First West’s Church Financial Officer, overseeing the Finance Department as well as the Operations and Building Services Departments. Randy also serves as Portico Pastor, leading Sunday night services at the AXIS Building and coordinating Portico activities such as community outreach and small-group Bible studies. Before being called into ministry, Randy was a bank vice president and commercial lender. He was ordained here at First West and served as Single Adult Pastor before accepting the position of pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Starkville, Mississippi. Randy returned to First West in May 2006. Randy's favorite activity is hanging out with Denise, his bride of almost 32 years. He also likes training and hunting his bird dogs and scuba diving. Randy and Denise have two children—Aaron and Shelly Impson Williams (husband Ben Williams)—and one grandchild, Evan Williams. |
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To schedule a
meeting with Dwight, contact Amy Gill, Education & Discipleship Assistant
e-mail or 322.5029
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Dwight Munn
Education and Discipleship Pastor
Dwight Munn is our Discipleship Pastor, giving leadership to the Christian Education Team. A native of South Carolina, Dwight came to First West after serving for six years as the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Luling, LA, just outside New Orleans on the Mississippi River. Dwight also served in student ministry for seven years prior to pastoring. Dwight is a graduate of Wingate University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Ministry degree.
Dwight's hobbies include hunting and fishing, hanging out with friends and family. His wife, Lissa, is a 5th grade school teacher. He has two daughters, Marissa who is 15, and Malia who is 12. |
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To schedule a meeting with Gil, please contact Beverly Shoemaker, Pastoral Care Assistant, 398-9101 or
e-mail
To schedule a counseling session with Gil or another Christian counselor, contact the First West Counseling Center at 322.1427.
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Gil Martin
Counseling and Pastoral Care Pastor
A member of the First West staff since August 1999, Gil is responsible for the leadership and direction of the staff at First West Counseling Center and Pastoral Care of First West members. His desire for the First West Counseling Center is to create a premiere Christian counseling ministry for the entire Northeast Louisiana region. Gil is a graduate of LSU with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He has a master’s degree in counseling and a master’s degree in psychology. Gil works as a West Monroe Police Department Chaplain as a part of his community transformation efforts. He also works with the GriefShare and Celebrate Recovery Ministries at First West. Gil includes in his list of spare time activities gardening, reading, and enjoying his two grandchildren, Kasen and Logan. He and his wife Pam have two children, Heather and Tommy (wife Jocelyn). |
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To schedule a meeting with Quinn, please contact:
Dawn Holder, Worship Ministry Assistant
e-mail or 322.5206
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Quinn Stanfill
Music and Worship Pastor
Quinn Stanfill joined the First West team nine years ago, starting out as junior high pastor. Quinn moved to the position of associate worship pastor and now serves as First West’s worship pastor, giving leadership to the overall worship ministry of First Baptist Church. He serves as the primary worship leader for the 9:30 am worship service, which utilizes the Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra. Quinn is originally from the south Louisiana town of Luling, which is just outside of New Orleans. He attended Northeast Louisiana University but completed his bachelor’s and his master’s degrees from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Quinn enjoys spending time with his family. Spare time activities include hunting and sports of all kinds. Quinn has been married to Irene for 18 years and they have two children, Megan and Connor. |
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To schedule a meeting with Will, please contact Michelle Rushing, Worship Ministry Assistant
e-mail or 322.5206
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Will Norvell
Contemporary Worship Pastor
Will Norvell is the newest staff member here at First West. Serving as Contemporary Worship Pastor, Will fronts the band and leads worship during both the 8 am and 10:50 am services on Sundays and also occasionally leads the worship for our Wednesday night Destiny prayer service. Before moving to First West, Will was the Worship & Media Pastor of a young, dynamic church he helped to plant in Temple, TX—The Vista Community Church. Over the past 12 years, Will has also traveled leading worship for various events and ministries around the country. Will's wife Beth is very involved in worship here at First West and is an incredibly talented musician. Will and Beth met and married while attending University of Mary Hardin Baylor, a small Baptist university in Central Texas. Will and Beth have 2 kids—Jessie Rose, who is 4, and Asher Judah, who is 3. When he's not hanging out with Beth and the kids, you can usually find Will hunting, fishing, or playing a guitar. |
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To schedule a meeting with Whit, please contact Beverly Shoemaker, Prayer & College Assistant, 398.9101 or
e-mail
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Whit Bass
First West’s Compassionate Ministries
& Prayer Pastor
Whit Bass serves as First West’s Compassionate Ministries & Prayer Pastor. In addition to these responsibilities, he works closely with Pastor John in coordinating the weekly Destiny services. Whit also coordinates the Collegiate Ministry, and works with others to minister to the Delta region of our state. With guidance from Whit, the church has implemented a new energy / environmental stewardship program which has saved thousands of dollars the past couple of years. Whit attends New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he is working to complete his master of divinity degree. For fun, Whit enjoys deer hunting, college football and sports of all kinds, and he loves spending time with Michelle and their two daughters, Hannah and Aaron Sophia. |
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To schedule a meeting with Susan, please contact the Outreach Office at 322.5730 or
e-mail
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Susan Frost
Outreach Minister
Susan Frost has led Outreach and Evangelism since she moved here with her husband (Toby Frost, our executive pastor) almost three years ago. Susan and Toby have two daughters, Taylor and Perry (who both live in Atlanta) and one son, Roddey, a senior at WMHS. Susan received a B.S. in administrative management from Clemson University and attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She has over 25 years of experience in Bible teaching, evangelism and women’s ministries. She has ministered throughout the U.S. to groups as diverse as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Campus Crusade for Christ, the Ohio and Louisiana Baptist Convention State Women’s Conferences, the North Carolina and Florida Baptist State Evangelism Conferences, and in churches of all denominations, serving with well-known Christian leaders, authors and recording artists including Beth Moore, Kathy Troccoli, Dee Brestin, Babbie Mason, and Dick and Mel Tunney. She wrote Communicating His Heart, a motivational, personal study for women that focuses on sharing Christ with the world, and also co-authored the small-group leaders’ guide for The Amazing Collection series. Susan fills her “spare time” with lots of tennis! Pray for Susan as she leads us in winning our community to faith in Jesus Christ. |
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To schedule a meeting with Woods, please contact Barbara Domingues, Single Adult Assistant,
388.0906.
or
Liz Seals, Senior Adult Assistant, e-mail or 388.0906.
<< go to Single Adults
<< go to Senior Adults
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Dr. Woods Watson
Single Adult and Senior Adult Pastor
Woods Watson serves as the Senior Adult and Single Adult Pastor. Prior to coming on staff in the spring of 2004, he served for four years as senior church consultant with Cargill Associates, a church capital stewardship company. Woods has served for 30+ years in the local church ministry—15 years as senior pastor. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Woods received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Samford University, the Master of Divinity and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; he also studied at the Torchbearer Bible schools in England (Capernwray) and Sweden (Holsby Brunn). Woods and Anita have six children. In his spare time, Woods likes running, reading, writing, helping Anita (who is principal at Northeast Baptist School), or playing with his boys at home. |
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To schedule a counseling session with Todd, please call the First West Counseling Center at 322.1427.
To schedule a meeting with Todd, please contact Lynne Carter, Young Adult Assistant, 322-4257 or email.
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Todd Sherwin
Young Adult Pastor
and Director of First West Counseling Center
Todd serves as the Young Adult Pastor and the Director of First West Counseling Center. He brought his family to First West in 2007, where he began serving as Assistant Director at First West Counseling Center. Todd is a Marriage and Family Therapist with degrees in both ministry and counseling.
In the past, he has served as an interim pastor and teaching pastor at other churches. His heart is to see people grow in healthy relationships with Jesus and others.
He enjoys being outdoors and spending time with his family. Todd and his wife Becky have two wonderful children, Karissa and Duston. |
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To schedule a meeting with Richard, please contact:
Median Adults Assistant Amy Gill
e-mail or 322.5029
or
Men's Ministry Associate Sharon Fitzsimmons
e-mail or 322.5104
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Richard Gates
Median Adult Pastor & Men's Minister
Richard Gates is our Median Adult Pastor and Men's Minister. A member of First West since 1982, he joined the staff in May, 2009 after a 37-year career in wood product sales. Richard and his wife Paula have four children and five grandchildren. They are committed to community transformation, especially in the lives of children, as seen in their long time involvement in F.A.N. Club and Kids Hope. Richard is a graduate of West Monroe High School and ULM. He enjoys the outdoors, especially if it involves a golf course! Pray for Richard as he leads Median Adults and Men toward a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
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To schedule a meeting with Michael, please contact:
Axis Student Ministry Administrator Jill Watson
e-mail or 398.9174.
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Michael Wood
Student Ministry Pastor
Michael Wood, Student Ministry Pastor, began serving at First West in August 2009. Michael came to First West from Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, where he served on the Student Ministry staff for five years. He is originally from Wichita Falls, Texas, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Oklahoma Baptist University and a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Seminary. Michael’s passion is seeing students become consumed with Christ, living it out among their peers, and sharing their story with those they encounter. He enjoys playing sports of all kinds, hunting, fishing, and pulling for the Texas Rangers. Michael and his wife Abby, a gifted photographer, are proud parents to their son Gavin, born in August 2009. |
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You may also contact Kathy Gwin, Community Transformation Associate, 322-5104 or email
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Mark Parrish
Community Transformation Pastor
Mark Parrish, Community Transformation Pastor, started coordinating First West’s community transformation activities on a volunteer basis in 2008. Since then, he has organized several community project days, started Broaden Horizons (summer and after-school programs for teenage youth from the Riverbend neighborhood), and organized our ministry to hurricane evacuees. He continues to encourage members to find a place in the community where they can serve and help to transform an impoverished 50-block area in the vicinity of First West's buildings. Mark owns the company Ajasent which hosts computer servers for about 800 businesses throughout the United States and Canada. He enjoys hunting, fishing, gourmet cooking, and working with law enforcement (he is a West Monroe Police Department Auxiliary Officer). Mark and his wife Skye have been married 33 years and have three children. |
