First Baptist Church Welcomes New Pastor

By Emily Bontrager

The First Baptist Church in Memphis, Missouri welcomed its new senior pastor, Patrick Wilson, in December.

Pastor Wilson and his wife, Donna, recently moved to the area and are excited to become part of the community.

Pastor Wilson, 59, grew up in Emerson, Missouri, and graduated from Marion County R-II in 1984. He joined the Air Force immediately after high school and later attended Hannibal- LaGrange College for two years. It wasn’t until 2018 that he felt the Lord calling him to ministry. He attended Southwest Baptist University, graduating in 2020 with a degree in Christian Ministry.

“I never foresaw myself being a pastor, ever,” Pastor Wilson explained. “But I think God just had a calling on my life. It just came later.”

Although Pastor Wilson was raised in church, he did not fully come to know the Lord until later in life.

“I didn’t really come to know the Lord until I was about 45,” Pastor Wilson said.

Before coming to Memphis, Pastor Wilson served as senior pastor at Durham Baptist Church in Durham, Missouri, for nearly five years.

Pastor Wilson preached his first sermon at First Baptist Church on December 21.

“We felt like God was calling us to another area, so when this position came open, we applied,” Pastor Wilson said. “We really felt a bond right off the bat. We had been looking at other churches and asking, ‘Okay, God, where do you want us to be?’”

“God made it clear this was the church,” he continued. “We like the area and really like the people here. We feel like God wants us here.”

Pastor Wilson hopes to share the Lord with the community and help meet the needs of those around him. He is especially excited about the potential of the church and the impact it can have within the community.

In his spare time, Pastor Wilson enjoys hunting, fishing, and hiking with his wife.

First Baptist Church is located at 910 Weaver Avenue in Memphis. Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Sunday worship service at 10:45 a.m. On Wednesday evenings, the church offers IMPACT Kids from 5:30 to 7:05 p.m. for pre-K through fifth grade, and IMPACT Students from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. for sixth through 12th grade.

You can follow First Baptist Church, Memphis on Facebook or visit their website at firstbaptistmemphis. com.

Pastor Wilson and his wife are also looking forward to developing additional fellowship opportunities within the church.

“We want to do a men’s fellowship and some things for the ladies,” Pastor Wilson said.

Pastor Wilson encourages anyone in the community to stop in and attend a service.

“Please come and join us some Sunday morning,” he said. “We want people to know that we are a welcoming church, and we want them to feel welcome here.”

Pastor Wilson is typically in his office at the church Monday through Thursday for anyone who would like to stop by and say hello.