MFBC Elders
Benjy Beck
Jeremy Cagle
I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church in northwest Tennessee where the Gospel was taught. As a result, I knew that I was a sinner, that Jesus Christ died for sinners, and that if I did not trust in Him alone for salvation, I would go to Hell. However, I did not believe that message until my teenage years when the Lord brought an overwhelming sense of conviction upon me and I cried out to Him for mercy. At that point, He saved me and called me into ministry whereupon I attended The University of Tennessee at Martin from 1998-2002 and then The Master’s Seminary from 2003-2007 for my education.
Upon graduation, I married my wife, Katie, who was also from Tennessee. She had grown up in church too and was convicted of her sin around the age of 9 while attending a Vacation Bible School. With child-like faith she put her trust in Christ to save her. After we were married, we served for eight years in the Midwest in various churches. We also adopted our two sons Jeremiah (2013) and Jason (2016) during this time and received our certification in Biblical Counselling through ACBC.
In 2017, I was asked to move to Canada in order to plant a church through Grace Advance in a town called Chilliwack, British Columbia where I currently serve. My duties here have included preaching and teaching. I have also had the privilege of helping the church to establish its first elders, deacons, by-laws, members, constitution, and children’s ministry, youth ministry, music ministry, etc. Now the congregation is in a good place to put a transition plan together so they can bring on a local pastor in order to take them into the next phase of development while I look for my next place to serve as well.
My family and I are excited to join Meridian First Baptist Church. We have been so encouraged to see your love for one another, hunger for the Word, and the solid foundation that has been established through your previous pastors. You exemplify the words of Fist Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain.”
Alan Cukurs
Dennis Englin
Rick Holden
Dennis Hutchison
Mike Munger
Diego Ramos
I came to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ when I was 17, after growing up going to church and living a hypocritical life during my adolescence. Soon after my conversion, I developed a desire to serve the church in the area of apologetics. This desire led me to do a bachelors degree in physics at the Federal University of Ceará (Brazil). Right before I moved to college I met, Késia, who became my wife during my senior year. We returned to our home town and we soon got involved as youth leaders at our home church. Through that ministry, the Lord was calling me to pastoral ministry. By His marvelous grace and providence, the Lord opened the doors for us to move to the US so that I could do M.Div at The Master’s Seminary, graduating in 2014. After that, we spent 9 years serving in various capacities in Brazil as a pastor and seminary professor. Again, by His marvelous grace and providence, the Lord opened the doors for us to return to the US in order to pursue a ThM/PhD in Old Testament at The Master’s Seminary and, as the cherry on the cake, to serve as Associate Pastor at MFBC. Késia and I have two daughters, Joana (12) and Olivia (8), and we are grateful for being a part of the wonderful MFBC family.