Rev. Dr. Matthew Sturtevant
Senior Pastor
Pastor Matt has recently celebrated a decade of ministry at First Baptist. He grew up in both the cornfields of Central Illinois and the foothills of Central Kentucky, and has done ministry in Kentucky, South Carolina, and nearly twenty years in Kansas. He has degrees from Georgetown College, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and Chicago Theological Seminary (he likes school). Pastor Matt’s wife Kimberly teaches second grade in Lawrence, and they have two teenagers, Addison and Ethan. He loves to spend time climbing mountains, running on the dirt, and has cheered for his beloved Cubs since before they were good.
Rev. Cristina Adams
Associate Pastor for Children, Youth, & Families
Cristina grew up in American Baptist Churches, a preacher’s kid like many in our congregation, worked in children’s ministry since she was a young person, and youth ministry as she got older. She has worked at a variety of types of churches, including different denominations; she graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PCUSA) in December 2020, and her April 2021 ordination and installation at First Baptist in Lawrence was sponsored (and attended virtually) by North Hills Community Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, PA.
Cristina has been specifically trained in Godly Play, an approach to children’s ministry that begins with the belief that children have an innate sense of the presence of God, and helps them to explore their faith through story, to gain religious language, and to enhance their spiritual experience through wonder and play. She has a heart for young people and families, a love for the American Baptist Churches, and is happy to be able to return to the Midwest.