Staff
Dr. David Crosby
Senior Pastor
Nine juvenile offenders listened intently recently as I told them that they could “see the kingdom” if they were born again.
They had lots of guesses about what “see the kingdom” meant—heaven, going to church, Jesus, etc. Most of the guesses had to do with religious activities or the afterlife.
I believe that we can see the kingdom of God in the here and now only through being born again. I believe that when we see the kingdom of God in our own time and place we are seeing the world as it truly is. God is at work all around us, and we can see that divine work once we have been born again through his Spirit.
We participate in the kingdom by proclaiming the good news of God’s love and forgiveness and by expressing God’s love through good works. Words and deeds go together to present the truth of Christ. Jesus was mighty in word and deed, and we want to be mighty in both as well.
Our church is oriented toward the needy and the lost. We reach out to them in every way we can. We deploy almost daily into our community in a variety of ways: feeding the hungry, tutoring at-risk students, visiting the juvenile detention center, preaching in the open air, teaching English to immigrants, and providing food in back-packs for school children at risk of hunger over the weekends.
Everyone is invited to help with this good work. The work God does within us as we give is part of what we call the Care Effect—the shaping of our soul into the image of God’s Son.
Robert Comeaux
Associate Pastor of Worship & Music
A native of New Orleans, I've discovered the incredible blessing of returning home to serve God in my home church. I met my wife, Juliet, at Palm Beach Atlantic University and we have two incredible sons, Nathan and Joshua, who bless our lives amazingly. We’re expecting baby #3 in January of 2010. We started our married life in Phoenix, Arizona where we were blessed to serve in ministry for seven years. There I received a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. God surprised us in 2007 with the opportunity to move to New Orleans in a time of great need in the city. The ministry opportunities have been unbelievable and the rewards are too many to write.
I grew up going to Saints games with my dad, and I'm looking forward to celebrating another Superbowl win this year. For the record, the previous line was here in July of 2009 (minus “another”). I'm also a die-hard LSU fan. In our spare time Juliet and I enjoy watching sports (I've been blessed to marry a woman who loves sports as much as me) and TV dramas like CSI and Without a Trace. I'm having a blast rediscovering New Orleans - especially as a musician. My hobbies include golf and finding local spots for music and incredible food. I love listening to jazz at local joints like “The Blue Nile,” “Ervin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse,” and “Snug Harbor.” Lately, I've been listening to Matt Maher, Tenth Avenue North, Dave Matthews Band (you've got to hear their latest album recorded at Piety Street Studio in New Orleans), and tons of random worship albums and singles.
Bob Moore
Associate Pastor of Administration & Senior Adults
Like never before, First Baptist New Orleans has new opportunities to share the love of Christ. My prayer is that as our city continues to rebuild, more individuals will realize their need for Jesus as Savior and Lord. These are exciting days in the life of our church. Our goal is to meet the spiritual needs of our church family and the people of metro New Orleans through meaningful worship, effective Bible study and unique mission opportunities.
Born in Decatur, Alabama, I grew up in Montgomery and moved to Independence, MS in 1980, where I met my wife, Janice. She is an accomplished pianist and enjoys cooking and reading. I enjoy Civil War history, riding my Yamaha Roadstar motorcycle and New Orleans Saints football.
I earned an Associate of Divinity degree from Mid-America Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee, a Bachelor degree from Leavell College and a MDiv with specialization in Psychology and Counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Bob Brian
Executive Director, Baptist Crossroads Foundation
I am privileged to serve as the Executive Director of Baptist Crossroads, an independent nonprofit organization that operates as an avenue for community action ministry at First Baptist New Orleans. Concentrating our efforts in a 180-block area of the Upper Ninth Ward between the Florida Canal and North Robertson street, Crossroads seeks to partner with the residents of this vital and historic New Orleans neighborhood to address the many human needs disclosed by the devastation of hurricane Katrina in 2005.
By extending willing hands in our Savior’s name, we strive to demonstrate Christ’s love in tangible ways to a community struggling to return. By constructing affordable housing for low-income families, by addressing educational needs, and through a variety of other strategies aimed at rebuilding a sustainable community, we strive to represent the Gospel in action to a people in need.
My wife Petie and I both were born and raised in New Orleans and were married at First Baptist in 1975, moving three years later first to Baton Rouge, then to South Florida and Memphis, TN, before returning to our native city in 2007. We are both educators, Petie currently directing an alternative program at Chalmette High School in St. Bernard Parish and I having served both in law practice and in Christian higher education for twenty-five years.
We have been blessed to come home after so many years away and devote both our vision and our energies to the rejuvenation of the city that we love. We have been blessed also that two of our three adult sons have joined us in South Louisiana. Our eldest, Graham, attends LSU Law School in Baton Rouge, while middle son Will and daughter-in-law Caitlin live in New Orleans, where Will pursues graduate study at Tulane. Our youngest, Alex, is completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he is pursuing studies in English.
Andrew Crosby
University Minister
I grew up in Cleburne, Texas. I received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University, and I am currently working on a Master of Pastoral Studies with a focus in Small Christian Community Formation from Loyola University.
I hope to help New Orleans area university students catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God and find their place in the work that God is doing in this city.
Christi Gibson
Connections Minister
I love being a part of a church that is seeking to love the people of this city the way Jesus does. Nothing excites me more than to see God's children figure out what the Creator designed them to do, and start doing it in love and in Jesus' name. This has been my passion since I was a college student, but I never dreamed that I could do it vocationally. For that reason, I'm thrilled to be serving FBNO as Connections Minister -- helping folks make the connection between God's grace and His works.
Some basic facts about me: I'm from Texas, but consider NOLA home. I am married to a wonderful man named John, and we have two children in college: Callie and Trey. I am currently pursuing a Master's degree in Biblical Studies at NOBTS and do some teaching in the women's programs there. I'm a little too competitive when it comes to games like Mexican Train, and I love a good story. My personal ministry outlet is Inward -- a group of women seeking to love workers on Bourbon Street.
If you are wondering how to plug in at FBNO, please give me a call. I'd love to get you connected!
Paul Hussey
Pastoral Care Minister
New Orleans..."the city that care forgot!" Motto? Prophecy? Epitaph? So much has changed since Katrina stormed through the entire Gulf Coast and flooded much of the New Orleans metropolitan area. Time in New Orleans will forever be determined by two phrases: "before Katrina" and "after Katrina."
As a native of New Orleans who now owns a cement slab where my house once stood, I identify with everyone who has been displaced and stripped of nearly all worldly possessions. But I have learned that losing my belongings and the life associated with them fades to the point of insignificance as I engage in a fuller understanding of God's will for my life and receive His mercy and grace in my time of need (Heb. 4:14).
Serving as Minister of Pastoral Care and Senior Adults at FBNO is part of my fresh encounter with God's goodness. As a staff member, I was able to write my Ph.D dissertation in preaching for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and teach as an adjunct professor. I enjoy my wide-range ministry with both young adults and senior adults. I also enjoy responding to inquiries from those who encounter our ministry so more people can "taste and see that the Lord is good." I welcome your questions.
Jon Palmer
Youth Minister
When I was in church one Sunday at about seven years old, the pastor said God might call some of us children and youth to be in the ministry one day. At the time I thought, "God, please no; anything but that." Well at 18, my heart totally changed and I felt like God was calling me to work in the ministry. Now, I am 27 years old and feel like I have the best job in the world. The youth are a ton of fun, the church is vibrant and dynamic, and New Orleans is amazing (once one gets past the initial shock of car insurance rates doubling)!
My hobbies include everything sports related. It was not until I got married that the television was on anything other than ESPN (still a point of conflict in the Palmer house)! I really love the New Orleans Hornets and am growing to love the Saints. My true sports passion lies in all things related to the University of Georgia. I consider them to be God's team since the Bible is written in the school's colors, red and black. I am married to the luckiest girl in the world, Anna Samples Palmer. My bachelors is from UGA, and I have my masters from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Chris Smith
Families & Children Minister
I grew up in the Montgomery, Alabama area. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry degree from Leavell College, New Orleans, LA, and I am pursuing a Master of Divinity in Christian Education degree from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I am married to the former Alyson Graves of Graceville, FL. We have three children; a son, Alex, and two daughters, Joy and Ivy Grace. I have been in ministry for over 20 years having served churches in Holtville, Billingsley, and Montgomery, Alabama.
I believe the primary purpose of preschool and children's ministry is to provide an atmosphere where children can see, hear, and experience the love of God. My desire and prayer is for children and their families to have the opportunity to experience God's goodness through Bible studies, games, and activities. Above all I want the simple fact that Jesus Christ has provided eternal life by dying on the cross and rising from the grave to be reflected in my attitude and actions.
Anna Palmer
Missions Minister
I grew up in a small town in South Georgia that blessed me with a certain sense of hospitality and a very noticeable accent. It is from that cozy environment God called me to study in New Orleans. What I once thought was a very temporary stop in New Orleans, God has revealed as calling and a passion. I love this city! New Orleans is unique in many ways; it is full of both tradition and diversity. And, post-Katrina New Orleans is a city full of challenges and opportunities.
As believers we are to use these challenges and opportunities to be vessels of his grace and love. I am excited about serving in this city and empowering others to be his vessels here in New Orleans and around the world.