Rick Speas
Senior Pastor
Rick was born and grew up here in Winston-Salem. After graduating from North Forsyth High School, he attended Campbell University in the big city of Buies Creek, NC. While working for a communications company in Alexandria, VA, God called Rick into the ministry. He then attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees.
Rick has been in ministry since 1989 and has been at Old Town Baptist since 1998. He met Lesley while living in Virginia and they were married in 1988. They were blessed by God with the birth of their twin children, Christen and Jonathan, in 1991.
Jared Blair
Student & Discipleship Pastor
Jared grew up just south of Winston-Salem in the North Davidson area and graduated from North Davidson High School. He graduated from Liberty University with a B.S. in Biblical Studies in 2010 and remained with Liberty for seminary and pursued a Master of Divinity which he completed in 2013. During his time in seminary God reconnected Jared and his wife Beth who were friends in high school, and they were married in 2012. After spending over five years in ministry in Wilkes County at Millers Creek Baptist Church, God led Jared and his family to Old Town in November 2017 to serve as their Student Pastor. Jared and Beth have also been blessed with two daughters, Abigail and Ella.
Jared’s heart is to see whole families revived by the gospel, and to see students change the world with the message of hope found only in Jesus Christ. His life verse is Galatians 2:20 which says:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Shannon Callahan
Children's Ministries Director
Shannon was born and grew up here in Winston-Salem. She’s actually been a part of Old Town Baptist Church family since she was in the 2nd grade, at age 7. After graduating from North Forsyth High School in 1997, she went to Meredith College in Raleigh, NC where she received a degree in Religion and a certification to teach Kindergarten through 6th grade. She started her teaching career as a 5th grade teacher in Cary, NC, where she taught for 2 years. In June of 2002 she married her high school sweetheart, Austin, and they moved back to Winston-Salem to be close to family. They have lived in Winston-Salem ever since. They have been blessed with two sons, Connor and Ethan. Shannon continued her teaching career here in Winston-Salem, where she taught both 4th and 5th grade for 10 more years. Even during this time Shannon found much joy in working with the children at Old Town, in a variety of ways. From teaching Sunday School, leading children’s worship, coaching basketball, working in AWANA, and much more. After much prompting and direction from the Lord she felt a calling to work in Children’s Ministry. It was her love for Jesus and her enjoyment in teaching children that made this a very exciting move. Shannon joined the Old Town staff in August of 2013. She is looking forward to all that God has in store and seeing how He will work in her life and through her as she ministers to the children, families and community of Old Town Baptist Church.
Cindy Johnson
Contemporary Worship & Women's Ministries Director
Cindy Johnson was born and raised right here in Winston Salem, North Carolina. After graduating from Belmont University in Nashville TN, she moved back to NC and founded “Stage 2 Ministries”. Her husband, Steve, joined the ministry full time in 2007 and together they follow their passion-to lead others straight to the throne of God. In addition to leading worship, Cindy and Steve both have a passion to study God’s word and to share it in a clear and practical way. When people can see how true and flawless God’s word is, they begin to apply it to their everyday lives, and they are revolutionized. Since July of 2014, she has served as the Contemporary Worship Leader and Director of Discipleship at Old Town Baptist Church in Winston–Salem.
Linda Barham
Childrens Center Director
I started out as a preschool teacher at Old Town Baptist Children's Center for eleven years. I felt a calling to return to school for additional Early Childhood and School Age education, as well as Director's Administration education. With my education accomplished, I accepted the opportunity to return to OTBCC as a part-time director of the school-age program. A year later, I accepted the fuil time position of Director for the School-age and Preschool program combined.
Sounds simple, huh? Not so for me. It was with God's great intervention (and sometimes shoving) that I returned to the workforce and let God lead me where HE wanted me, instead of me following my own plan. My family and I have been blessed with the happiness this job has given me and how it has provided for us in many ways.
It is my honor and privilege to be a part of the children's lives as well as their family. My motto is that we're here to minister to the whole family, not just the child. We strive to help our families in whatever way we can to make life better for all!
God is good, God is great!
Linda
Mark Harrison
Missions Pastor
Mark grew up in Mobile, Alabama, where his parents still live. He graduated from the University of South Alabama in 1986 with a BS in Business Administration. After enduring two tax seasons working with a Public Accounting firm, he was hired by the FBI as a Special Agent. However, God had other plans; He called Mark to serve in Christian Ministry. So, he enrolled in Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. Mark graduated with a Master of Divinity in May, 1993. During that last year of Seminary, he met the young lady who would become his wonderful wife—Julie Yates. Julie is a native Texan and a graduate of Southwestern Seminary. She served for several years in student ministry with Texas Baptist Student Union. Mark and Julie married on September 4, 1993 in Fort Worth. By the end of the month, the couple moved into a 450 square foot apartment in Milan, Michigan. Mark served Fellowship Baptist Church in nearby Saline as Pastor for three years; Julie served by his side as the church’s music minister.
In 1996, the couple moved south to Flintstone, Georgia where Mark served Flintstone Baptist as pastor for six years. During that time, the couple became parents through adoption. Jacob was born on January 10, 1998 in Vyborg, Russia. He received his family on March 21, 2000. Alyssa was born on June 25, 2001 in Azov, Russia. She received her family on June 11, 2002. Shortly after Alyssa arrived home, the family moved to Cumming, Georgia (north of Atlanta) where Mark served as Senior Pastor for six years. During this time, the entire family became much more involved in missions locally, nationally and globally. God began working in Mark and Julie’s hearts, calling them to serve Him in ministry with a focus on missions.
Through a series of divinely arranged circumstances, God provided the opportunity for Mark to serve as Missions Pastor for Old Town Baptist. He began this ministry on July 1, 2008. Mark and Julie have 'done missions' nationally in the southeast, southwest, Midwest, and western US; and, internationally in Mexico, Moldova, Romania, Russia, and Thailand. Mark enjoys hiking, camping, biking, reading, traveling, and spending time with his family—to name a few things. 'I and my family really enjoy Winston-Salem. The city is not too big and not too small; that makes it ‘just right’. We are thrilled to serve the Lord with a church ‘on mission with God’ locally to globally—across the street and around the world,' says Mark. 'God has begun a great work among His people here; I look forward to being part of His exciting activity that will be accomplished in the future.'
Terry Smith
Worship & Discipleship Pastor
Terry grew up in upstate South Carolina. During his freshman year at Anderson College he felt the call of God to enter music ministry. Not only did he learn how to be a music minister through his studies at Anderson College, Gardner-Webb College and Southwestern Baptist Seminary, he also learned "on the job," as God opened doors of ministry in part time positions in churches during his days in college and seminary.
Terry met his wife Bonnie during their time at Anderson College and they were married in 1977. They have three children, Aaron (soon to marry Sarah Farthing), Bethany (married to Bobby Robbins), Cathryn (married to Andy Willadsen), and five wonderful grandchildren.
To know God through Jesus Christ is to worship Him! While music is not the only way we worship, it is a great way! "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16.
For Terry, music has been a tool and platform for ministry rather than the ministry being a tool and platform for music. While striving for excellence in offering the Lord the best we can musically, it has always been more about people than performances and programs.
The mandate of the great commission is to make disciples. While Old Town is his first church to carry the word discipleship in his title, discipleship has always been a part of his life. He believes that discipleship is the imparting of the life we have in Christ to those with whom we do life! While it can happen through events and dates on a calendar, it is more caught than taught! The best translation of the Great Commission does not command going. It assumes going. As you go, be making disciples, be baptizing, be teaching...
"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;" -- Ephesians 5:18-20
Maxine Brown
Administrative Assistant
Born and raised in Augusta, GA, our family moved to Winston Salem, NC in 1995. On February 12, 1996, I joined the staff at Old Town Baptist Church as the Administrative Assistant. It truly is a blessing and honor to serve on staff and to be a part of such a loving church family.
Family is very important to me and I love them more than words can describe. I have a beautiful daughter (Chrissey) and 3 handsome sons (John, Andy, and Timmy). God also blessed me by adding to our family a wonderful son-in-love in 2009 (Chuck), a daughter-in-love in 2015 (Kirby), and to top it all off He blessed me with sweet Grandchildren (Landon (2010), Chloe (2013), and Corbin (2016).
Our family Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11-12:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” God is good and has blessed our family over and above what we could have ever imagined."