Dr. Jim Cobban, Pastor

Jim came to First Baptist in 1999. A Missouri native, he holds degrees from Baylor University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he completed the Ph.D. in 1993 in Church and Community Studies.

Family: Jim and Cristi have three sons. Bryan and his wife, Elizabeth, have one daughter. Bennett and his wife, Megan, are expecting their first. Baylor works in construction.

Fun: Jim has traveled frequently to the Holy Land and loves to see Christians connect the Bible and the real world. He wishes his love for maps was more contagious!

Faith: “The call to serve a church is the call to serve the community where the church lives. I’m happiest when I see our church reaching outside our walls to bring hope to the world through extending the kingdom of Christ. The church is happiest when it is reaching out, too.”

He can be contacted at jcobban@fbcmtown.org.

Susan and her family came to First Baptist in 2001. She is a native of Tennessee. She graduated from Carson Newman College with a Bachelor of Science in Religion in 1988. Susan graduated from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1993 with a Master of Arts in Christian Education.

Family: Susan has been married to Larry for 25 years and they have one daughter Abigail who is pursuing a pre-vet degree.

Fun: Susan loves the beach and watching the waves roll in. Walking in the waves with sand between her toes is total relaxation for her.

Faith: Susan has loved sharing the Good News of Jesus with children and families since she was a child herself. One of her favorite Bible verses is, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' Matthew 19:14. Susan understands parents and family members to be the primary teacher of a child’s faith but recognizes the church’s role as both nurturer and supporter to family members and children.

She can be contacted at sbowles@fbcmtown.org.

Rev. Darryl Elster, Minister of Education and Technology

Darryl has served as the church’s volunteer Minister of Education and Technology since 2013. He earned a BA at Mars Hill College and the MRE from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. He has served a number of churches throughout the South in discipleship and Christian education. You don’t have to talk to him long to notice he has an authentic “Georgia drawl.”

Family: Darryl is married to Vicki and they have two adult sons Joshua and Joel. Vicki is also a seminary graduate.

Fun: Darryl likes to play with anything that can even remotely be called a computer. He is our “go-to” guy on all things electronic. Darryl proudly served over a decade as the Scoutmaster of Troop 321 in Middletown. He loves old movies and cartoons. And he loves to plant things in his yard and watch them grow.

Faith: “Faith is a transformed life that is active in transforming the world. It is who you are and the things you do every minute of every day. For me faith is following the Way of Jesus. Therefore, I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God who has joined Jesus in HIS creative work of redemption. I imagine a church that offers everyone a powerful, life-changing, life-forming example of what it means to be the people of GOD on mission in the world.”

He can be contacted at delster@fbcmtown.org.

Gabe has been a part of ministries at First Baptist since 2010, and accepted the position of Minister of Students and Young Adults in 2019. He holds a Bachelor in English from the University of Louisville, a Master in Teaching from Bellarmine University, and a Master of Divinity from the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University.

Family: Gabe is married to Blair and they are expecting their first child in the fall.

Fun: Gabe enjoys playing music, collecting vinyl records, and spending time with family and friends.

Faith: "Our faith is a part of everything we do, not just the time we spend at church. I am excited to see our youth and young adults think critically about their faith and how it can impact each moment of their daily lives." So whether you eat drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

He can be contacted at gclose@fbcmtown.org.

Tammy Gibson, Interim Director of Music

Tammy is the Music Teacher at Lincoln Performing Arts Elementary School in downtown Louisville. She joined the staff in February, 2024. Tammy is a member of Middletown United Methodist Church where her husband, Gary, is the Senior Pastor. She holds Music Education degrees from Western Kentucky University.

She can be contacted at tgibson@fbcmtown.org.

Jay has counseled people at First Baptist and from the community for many years. He is a Louisville native with degrees from University of Louisville and Southern Baptist Seminary. He became Pastoral Counselor in residence in 2018. Jay is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and an Ordained Minister.

Family: Jay has been married to Darlene for over 40 years. And yes, he is the father of Gabe and grandpa to Micah!

Fun: Hanging out with family and friends, watching U of L sports, eating out at new places. Jay has enjoyed leading workshops for deacons, staff, and many other people.

Faith: It seems important to me that our faith is relevant to daily life and doesn’t crumble when hard times come. A favorite scripture is, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:4-8

He can be contacted at jayclose@me.com and at jayclose.org.