Our Staff

Jim is a native of Johnson City. He is married to his high school sweetheart Jeannie Hoilman Royston. He has been in ministry for over thirty-five years. Jim loves people and especially helping local congregations to reach unchurched folks. He has served several pastorates in North Carolina and Tennessee. Jim retired in 2005 after eight years as Executive Director-Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. He has consulted, lead conferences and spoke on numerous college and seminary campuses around the country. Jim is a graduate of Carson Newman College, Southeastern Seminary and has done several continuing education programs including The School of Pastoral Care at North Carolina Baptist Hospital.

Jim and Jeannie now reside in Colonial Heights where they enjoy seeing two of their three grandchildren almost everyday. The Royston’s have two children. Jennifer and her husband Kevin, with their sons Henry and Luke live in Kingsport while their son Jeff and his wife Kelly and their daughter Brooke reside in China Grove, North Carolina. Jim enjoys golf and handy man projects.

Tim has been a pastor in the music and worship ministry for over twenty-five years and is the newest team member of FBC. His passion for God is evident by the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the worship services. His ability to seamlessly weave the great hymns of the faith with the latest in praise and worship music is considered a gift from God and a huge blessing to all who worship with him.

Tim is a graduate of Mercer University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and plays the piano, guitar, organ and drums. He loves to spend time with his family - his wife of seventeen years, Kristie, their daughter Katherine (Katt) who is twelve and their “other daughter” - a ten pound Papillion named S’more. He also enjoys playing golf, reading, tuning pianos and watching Star Trek TNG.

Chris is a newly ordained minister of the Gospel. He had a call to serve the Lord early in his life but ignored that calling and instead headed to Mississippi State University where he graduated with a Civil Engineering degree. Only in the last few years has Chris relinquished his life to serve Jesus as a minister. And his calling? Youth. Maybe it’s his wife Bonnie or their three children Ethan, Evan and Luke that helped him recognize his potential. But however it worked, Chris is very much “at home” teaching, leading and preparing young adults to serve Christ.

Joan has been faithfully serving FBC as the Financial Secretary for over ten years. There is no one with a bigger smile or a bigger heart than Joan. She was born and raised in Carter County and loves reading, sewing, baking and retail therapy (shopping!).

Linda has been the part-time program secretary for First Baptist Church for the past ten years and enjoys the friendly and unconditional love of the people at FBC. Linda handles all of the publications for the church including the weekly newsletter. She is a native of Ohio, grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida and now lives with her husband, Allan, on thirty-four acres in a lovely mountain holler in Hampton. She says, “Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin . . . God picks you from the patch, brings you inside and washes all the dirt off you may have gotten from the other pumpkins. Then He cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hat, greed, etc., then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see!”

Phil is the one on staff at First Baptist Church that makes sure all of our dreams and sometimes crazy schemes can actually fit within the confines of our facilities. He has been with FBC for five years and is a native of Elizabethton. He enjoys taking walks with his wife, Dottie and loves camping and hiking.