Our senior pastor, Phil Markel, came to saving faith in Christ Jesus in the fall of 1961. He was baptized by immersion that same year. He felt the leading of the Holy Spirit to attend Pillsbury Baptist College in 1968. Pastor Phil graduated with a B.A. degree in 1972. Pastor completed post graduate work at Central Baptist Seminary in 1976, earning a Master of Divinty degree.

He met the wife of his youth, Kathleen Marie Deem, and they married June 24th, 1972. With the Lord first and foremost, his lovely wife is his very best friend of more than a half century. The couple has been in the service of the Savior since. God has blessed them with two children, Heather and Phillip. Pastor and Mrs. Markel have fully invested their lives in this local body of believers. We will be forever grateful to the Lord for their service.