Our Leadership
Paul D. Rebert
Senior Pastor
Paul D. Rebert is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church. Paul grew up in Winchester, Virginia, and met his wife, Beth, while teaching in Indiana. He and Beth have three children: Breleigh, Remington, and Kylie.
Pastor Rebert is firmly committed to the expository method of preaching, believes God’s glory is the purpose for our existence, and recognizes discipleship as God’s plan for the church.
It is my privilege to serve my Savior as the pastor of First Baptist Church in Danville. It is my desire to shepherd people to God-glorifying relationships with their Creator which is made possible only through the transforming power of the gospel of Christ. I want people to see from my life that a relationship with Christ is a treasure that brings a joy far greater than the treasures of this world. It is my desire that each member of First Baptist Church and those in the city of Danville would exist to exalt Christ by loving the Lord with everything within them and loving others as themselves. Through God’s grace, it is these dear people and this mission I am given to.
—Paul
Noe Menez
Spanish Pastor
Noe Menez is the Spanish pastor at First Baptist. He is from Lafayette, Indiana, and he and his wife, Jana, have one girl, Selah.
It is an honor to serve alongside the great leadership God has placed here at First Baptist Church. Years ago, God placed a burden in my heart to serve Him in reaching the Hispanic community. It’s not a surprise the Hispanic population is growing, and I believe that God has placed us here to minister and reach them. While it has been a blessing to see what God has done here in the Spanish ministry these past years, I’m excited to see the Lord continue working in our church and its community.
Es un honor poder servir junto este gran liderazgo que Dios ha puesto aquí en la Primera Iglesia Bautista. Años atrás, Dios puso en mi corazón una carga para servirle a Él en alcanzando la comunidad hispana. No es una sorpresa que la comunidad hispana esta creciendo, y creo que Dios nos ha puesto aquí para servir y alcanzarlos. Ha sido una bendición ver lo que Dios ha hecho aquí en el ministerio hispano estos últimos años, pero aun estoy mas emocionado de ver lo que Dios hará estos próximos años.
—Noe
Phil Neumann
Seniors’ Pastor
Pastor Phil Neumann began his ministry at First Baptist on June 1, 2014. He retired from being a senior pastor in April of 2013 after 37 years of ministry. His first pastorate was at Grape Creek Baptist Church in Danville, where he served for 11 years from 1976 to 1987. He then moved to Taylorville, IL where he served as the senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church for nearly 26 years, from 1987 to 2013.
God blessed Pastor Neumann and his wife, Betty, with three children. Their two daughters, Lisa and Laura, were ushered into the the presence of the Lord in 1990. Their son, Daniel, and his wife, Jenny, along with their grandson, Jason, live in Georgia. Pastor Neumann’s areas of ministry include overseeing First Baptist’s Legacy Builders group, counseling, visitation, and pulpit supply.
Mike VerWay
Student Pastor
Mike VerWay is the student pastor at First Baptist Church. He is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and enjoys fishing, basketball and tennis, and playing the oboe. He and his wife Lauren were married in 2015 and have 2 boys, MJ and Bryant.
As the student pastor at First Baptist Church, I am blessed to work with the youth group and children’s ministries. I desire to point children and teens towards Jesus by teaching the Bible and providing a living example for them to follow. Although reaching children and teens through Wednesday night youth group, gym nights, and other special activities is a very important part of our youth ministry, I am most excited about sharing God’s Word them. I firmly believe that the Bible works in the lives of teens and children, and I am looking forward to seeing growth and change in lives here at First Baptist.
—Mike
Ken Seest
School Administrator
Ken Seest is the administrator of First Baptist Christian School. He has 30 years of experience in education and ministry. His desire is to see students not only excel academically but spiritually. He and his wife Amber, who also teaches in the school, have six children: Hannah, Ruth, Philip, Hope, Faith, and Stephen. Their daughter Ruth is married to Ryan Davis and has their granddaughter, Adeline. Pastor Ken enjoys family, the outdoors and sports.
It has been a joy to come and serve at First Baptist Christian School. It is exciting to see the Lord work in the lives of young people and we are looking forward to what the Lord has for the future of FBCS. My desire is to see the name of Christ be glorified and the Bible used as the foundation of our teaching.
—Ken
1211 N. Vermilion Street, Danville, Illinois 61832