With deep gratitude and joyful anticipation, the Pastor Search Committee is excited to share that, after much prayer, discernment, and diligent work, we have called Hunter Wheatcraft to serve as the next Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Athens. He begins his work here in July.
Introducing Hunter Wheatcraft
Hunter Wheatcraft grew up in Crawfordville, Florida, a small fishing town on the Gulf. He came to know the Lord at Wakulla Springs Baptist Church, where after a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, he was baptized at the age of 17. Hunter immediately began organizing service projects and worship nights for the local community. During a gap year after high school, he discerned a call to ministry after having the opportunity to serve with churches in Dallas and East Tennessee.
As a college freshman at Palm Beach Atlantic University, a Baptist University in South Florida, he was called to serve as the Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Hypoluxo, a multilingual community. After completed a B.S. in Biblical and Theological Studies, Hunter left FBC Hypoluxo to pastor young adults and children at Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church in Stuart, Florida during which time he earned his Master of Divinity from Palm Beach Atlantic University. At both Hypoluxo and Covenant, Hunter was shaped as a pastor under godly men who valued their work as a shepherd above all other facets of ministry.
While at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Hunter met Anna Peloubet. Anna was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas and was baptized at the age of 15 at North Richland Hills Baptist Church. Hunter and Anna were married in 2018.
In 2020, after Hunter finished his M.Div., he and Anna moved to North Dallas for Anna to earn a Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. Anna now works remotely for With Ministries, a nonprofit focused on equipping churches to become more accessible to people with disabilities and their families.
Coming to Texas, Hunter began serving the Branch Church. The Branch Church is a 1,500-person multi-site church in North Dallas. Hunter began as youth pastor and then in 2022 assumed the role of campus pastor of the Farmers Branch Campus of 700 plus active members providing pastoral care, directing volunteer ministries, and preaching on a regular basis.
Hunter also serves as adjunct professor at Dallas Christian College where he teaches Discipleship and Ministry courses. He is currently nearing the end of the Doctor of Ministry program at Truett Theological Seminary in Waco. In addition, Hunter and Anna were blessed this year with a baby boy, Noah.
Almost two years ago, Hunter and Anna discerned the Lord calling them to move their family out of the Metroplex. They prayed specifically for a new ministry in a vibrant Baptist Church in East Texas. The Wheatcrafts are confident that the Lord is answering these prayers by inviting them to come in view of a call to serve as senior pastor of First Baptist Church Athens, Texas.
From The Pastor Search Team
This letter is meant to share how we arrived at this decision and to testify to God’s faithful guidance throughout the process. We hope it encourages your heart as much as it has encouraged ours.
The Journey Begins
In March 2024, Pastor Kyle Henderson announced that, after 27 years of faithful service, he would be stepping down as Senior Pastor. He shared how God had been stirring his heart to serve globally with the Baptist World Alliance and the Finishing the Task organization—helping churches around the world live out the Great Commission, especially as we approach the year 2033, which marks 2,000 years since the Resurrection and Pentecost.
Trusting God’s leading, our church moved forward in faith to begin the process of searching for our next Senior Pastor. The Leadership Team invited the congregation to nominate individuals to serve on a Pastor Search Committee (PSC), asking that nominees be regular attenders, consistent givers, and actively involved in ministry. Nearly 90 names were submitted.
The elected committee represented a broad cross-section of our church family in age, background, ministries, and worship preferences.
Building a Foundation
The PSC began meeting regularly to get to know one another and to seek God’s wisdom together through prayer. Our first task was to develop three essential profiles: a church profile, a community profile, and a pastor profile. These documents helped us define who we are as a church and what we sensed God calling us to look for in a new pastor.
A churchwide survey gave valuable insight into the values, priorities, and characteristics that matter most to our congregation. We reviewed every response carefully and worked to reflect those insights in the final profiles. These tools guided us throughout the search and were shared publicly on our church website and job boards connected to seminaries and Baptist conventions.
Discernment and Direction
We received many resumes early in the process. Each one was prayerfully evaluated based on the criteria in our pastor profile. Some were quickly ruled out, while others moved to a deeper stage of review. We listened to sermons, examined resumes, and contacted references.
When a candidate appeared promising, we scheduled Zoom interviews to learn more. While we met many faithful and gifted ministers, we did not yet sense the Holy Spirit confirming any of them as the one to lead our church. Though we might have been discouraged, we chose instead to remain hopeful and united in our trust that God would provide in His perfect time.
Then, a new résumé arrived.
As we reviewed this candidate’s information, a strong and unified sense of direction emerged among the committee. We scheduled a Zoom interview, followed by an in-person visit with the candidate and his wife. Through ongoing conversations, reference checks, and focused times of prayer, it became increasingly clear that God was at work. With joy and full agreement, the committee voted unanimously to invite Hunter Wheatcraft to come in view of a call as our next Senior Pastor.
Moving Forward in Faith
We are deeply thankful for the opportunity to serve in this important season of our church’s life and for the trust you placed in us. We believe God has answered our prayers, and we are excited to take this next step together as a church family.
Please continue to pray for Hunter, for our church, and for all that lies ahead. We look forward to seeing how God will continue to move through First Baptist Athens as we follow Him into the future.
Sincerely,
The Pastor Search Team
Our Process
Step One: Church Community Survey
In Process. The Pastor Search Team is evaluating the results from our survey taken in June 2024.
Step Two: Develop Community, Church, and Pastor Profiles
Complete.
Pastor Search Team Formation Process
Nominations
Feb. 11-25
Complete.
Affirmation
Feb. 26 - March 7
Complete. Contact all nominated individuals and have them affirm, “I am a regular attendee, a regular giver, a regular servant in our church, and will be regularly available to meet with the 4C Pastor Search Team.”
Complete
Opinion Poll
March 10-17 (tentative)
Church members will be asked to give input by selecting 9 names they would love to see on the search team.
Complete
Formulation
March 18-31
The Leadership Team will formulate a 9 member team that is balanced by age, gender, and worship service.
Complete
Presentation
April 3 - Business Meeting 6pm in the Worship Center
The Leadership Team will present the 4C search team to the church for a ballot vote.
Complete
Seek Out Interim Pastor
Seek out candidates to fill the pulpit in the interim.
Complete: The Pastor Search Team presented Dr. Todd Still and Dr. Larry Parsley as co-interim pastors.
Present Candidate and vote
June 8 - 8:30am and 11am services