Staff

Links: Pastor Journal (Blog) Sermon Podcast		Frank M. Deerey Jr. Senior Pastor pastorfrank@fbclabelle.org Pastor Frank was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and lived in Louisiana until coming to LaBelle, Florida in 1995. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana in 1979 and his Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1982. He is a licensed and ordained Southern Baptist minister. After seminary Pastor Frank first served as Associate/Youth Pastor in two churches in Franklinton and Chalmette, Louisiana. He then served as Pastor for churches in Boyce and Bogalusa, Louisiana. He was active in the Louisiana Baptist Convention at the associational level by serving on the Executive Committee, as Moderator, and as President at several associational conferences. In 1995 Pastor Frank accepted the call to move to LaBelle, Florida to serve as Pastor for the First Baptist Church of LaBelle. In his fourteen years he has served as the President of the local Salvation Army and is currently a chaplin for the Hendry County Sheriff's Office. He is very active in the community and in the local network of churches. Pastor Frank is married to Cathy who was a teacher for a number of years and is now working as a guidance counselor for a local school. Pastor Frank and Cathy have two grown children: Aaron and Aarika.
		Ronald Preston Long Jr. Associate Pastor Youth rplong@fbclabelle.org Preston was born in Fort Myers, Florida and was raised in LaBelle. He graduated from LaBelle High School (somehow) in 1988. He was saved by the grace of God at 18. He entered the workforce after high school and worked for a local car dealership until he accepted the call to the ministry in June 2008. He has also served as a deacon since February 2008. Preston was married in 1992 to Dawn and they now have three children. Preston is currently enrolled at Luther Rice University pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Arts and Religion.
		Tara Sherrod Music Minister / Preschool Director tsherrod@fbclabelle.org Tara Sherrod was born and raised in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A daughter of a Music Minister, she grew up in the church. She came to her own salvation at the age of 15 during a Chrysalis Weekend. At age 17, she left Palm Beach Gardens to attend college in Lakeland, Florida at Florida Southern College. While at college she met Joby and they were married in 1993. They have four children; Tyler, Faith, Jaden, and Justin. Tara has taught music at Community Christian School since 2005. She also teaches piano lessons locally. She came to serve as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church in April of 2009
	Jacqueline Moody Ministry Assistant jmoody@fbclabelle.org Ms. Jackie has been on staff since May 2003 after moving to Florida to assist her mother. She has an MBA from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. She has worked in Health Care Administration for most of her professional life and left a position with Dartmouth Medical School to move to Florida. She considers herself semi-retired and enjoys working at the church helping with the various ministries. Ms. Jackie has 2 sons and 2 grandsons. Both of her sons are living in North Carolina and hope to start a business together.		Brenda Wickenden Church Clerk bwickenden@fbclabelle.org In 1979 my family and I moved to LaBelle from Jacksonville Beach after my husband retired from the Navy. I must admit that this was not a move that I wanted to make and myself, my daughter and the family cat cried all the way down. But what I found in LaBelle was the First Baptist Church that gave me a loving and caring family of friends. I started working in the church office in October 1994 as a Ministry Assistant/Financial Secretary and I love my work. I am also the Church Clerk and help on the social committee. I graduated from Walhalla High School, Walhalla, S.C. and the Carolina School of Business in Anderson, S.C. I have been married for 44 years and I have a son and a daughter and 5 grandchildren that are the love of my life.