Staff

Phil Byars | Lead Pastor

Phil serves as the Lead Pastor at FBC, where he pours himself into leading, teaching, and caring for our church community. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more passionate about and excited by God’s work in and through His people. Phil’s days are filled with counseling, studying, and playing practical jokes on the office staff. 

Phil and his bride Robin love road trips, spending time with their family, and drinking their morning coffee together. For Phil, it doesn’t get better than hearing his grandkids call him “Poppy,” taking in the beauty of the Colorado Mountains, and, of course, enjoying a PBJ.

Jeff Zimont | executive pastor of Operations

Jeff Zimont serves as the Executive Pastor of Operations at FBC. Basically, Jeff leads our team to ensure we’re honoring the mission of our church with everything we have. He oversees all of the operations here at FBC which includes finance, facilities, and human resources. When Jeff’s around, you can rest assured that things are going to be all right. Jeff has a deep affinity for numbers, but at heart, he just loves working with people. Jeff is driven and intentional but leads with grace and wisdom.

Jeff is passionate about excellence and justice, and hearing stories of triumph gets him fired up. He’s a devoted husband, father, and Grandpa (although his official title is decidedly, “Upa” to his four grandchildren). Jeff enjoys traveling, reading Clive Cussler novels, and collecting Thomas trains. He is most at home wherever his wife Peggy is.

Matt Faulkner | Executive Pastor of Ministries

Matt Faulkner serves as the Executive Pastor of Ministries at FBC. Having served in ministry for over 16 years, his passion is to work with leaders and teams in accomplishing the mission and vision of the church - always seeking to maximize and fully leverage what the church can do together.

At his core, Matt is driven by a heart and love for people, that everyone would experience the love and hope of Jesus - no matter where they’ve been, what they’ve done, or what’s been done to them.

He and his wife Cathy have two kids. Matt enjoys weightlifting, traveling with his family, and spending time near the water!

Matt Cox | Worship Pastor

Matt Cox serves as the Worship Pastor at FBC. Matt is about as intentional as they come, which makes him an excellent worship leader and ministry leader. He is deeply passionate about elevating the greatness of God and worshipping in a manner that would please Him. 

When he’s not leading worship, you’d likely find Matt hanging out with his wife Shari and their three kids, watching a Duke basketball game, or grilling some top-notch meats. And if you still can’t find him, that probably means he’s in Africa telling people about the name of Jesus.

Tom Kearney | Family Pastor

Tom Kearney serves as the Family Pastor at FBC. His favorite aspect of his role is developing excellent curriculum and strategizing with staff about new ways to improve our Family Ministry. He is passionate about helping families grow closer to Jesus every day, and his deep and fun personality brings joy to those who meet him. He gladly holds the title of husband, father, birdwatcher, behavioral specialist, adventurer, and fudge sample connoisseur. He feels most at home when he’s with his wife and kids, immersed in scripture, in the woods, or cracking a joke!

Emerson Bandemer | Student Pastor

Emerson Bandemer is the Student Pastor at FBC. Emerson is most passionate about helping students become a vital part of the body of Christ. Though teenagers are young, God still wants to use them to expand His kingdom, today. Not when they’re older, not next year, not tomorrow, but today!

Emerson and his wife, Cara, met in college. They have three beautiful kids, Rilynn, Beckham, and Lainey.

In his free time, he likes to spend quality time with his family, play with his kids, watch sports, smoke meat, eat smoked meat, and stay active!

Josh Roberts | Production Director

Josh Roberts is FBC’s Production Director. His passion at FBC is to lead his team in developing dynamic, creative environments where God is magnified, where people meet with Him, and where The Gospel is communicated without distraction. He would tell you that although he loves the technical world, at the end of the day, Production ministry is all about loving people by helping them encounter our truly glorious God.  

Worship and production have played a pretty key role in Josh’s story, and if you get the chance, you should really ask him to tell you about it! When he’s not in the booth mixing audio, you can find him scouting out the best barbeque around, hiking, disc golfing, or drinking coffee with his wife. 

ALAN MILLER | FACILITIES DIRECTOR

Meet Alan, our dedicated Facilities Director! From turning on lights to greeting everyone with a warm "good morning" (about 15 times!), Alan ensures our church runs smoothly each day. Outside of work, he's a devoted husband and dad who cherishes time with his family. Alan's passions extend beyond his role here; he's a connoisseur of motorcycles (except for Harleys!) and old cars. With a strong work ethic and a perfectionist streak, Alan brings his best to everything he does, whether it's maintaining our facilities or enjoying a cup of coffee.

CODY COLLIER | ministry resident

The Lord brought Cody to our team with a desire to delve into multiple areas of ministry in the local church. He has stepped into the role of Ministry Resident, where he provides insight and direction for several ministry contexts at FBC including music directing for our Worship Center band, lending support and oversight to the worship experiences in Reach Student Ministry and Kids Alive, overseeing our counseling ministry, and producing our in-service announcement pieces. Whatever the application, Cody’s most inspired by watching others lead out in the gifts God has given them. Cody wears many other hats including - but not limited to - Dad, Husband, Runner, Rollercoaster Enthusiast, Ford Mustang Historian, and Humor Analyst. If you really want to make his day, take him to Disney World, give him a piece of cheesecake, or tell him a joke.  Little known fact: Cody’s a retired cowboy! Ask him about it!  

andreya miller | communications director

Andreya Miller has a passion for using her gifts and knowledge to serve God’s people and her church family, which makes her a GREAT fit for our Communications Director here at FBC. She has a heart for the local church, as well as for those in other countries facing poverty and/or persecution for their faith. For inspiration, Andreya loves being immersed in nature (preferably the ocean!), and she happily owns the titles of aunt, coffee lover, sister, and friend. A really good day for Andreya would probably include a Star Wars marathon with an almond milk latte in hand. 

Ashley Smith | Admin. Assistant to Lead Pastor / Director of guest services

If you’re looking for someone to take you skydiving, ask Ashley Smith! (She’s already got 216 dives in the book…yes, really. Just ask her to tell you about the time her parachute didn’t open!) Ashley serves as Administrative Assistant to Pastor Phil, as well as Director of Guest Services here at FBC. Ashley loves the welcoming, family-feel of FBC, and her sweet spot is connecting people and helping them to grow in their relationship with God. Her favorite titles include Wife, Mom, and most importantly, Child of God. For Ashley, it’s hard to top a good adventure with her family, an episode of The Office, or a trip to Olive Garden.  

Alaina Roberts | Admin. assistant
Worship ministry

Alaina Roberts is the Administrative Assistant for FBC’s Worship Ministry. She is passionate about the importance of speaking truth, and she loves expressing that through worship leading and writing. She’s happiest when taking adventures with her husband Josh, or when she has a cup of light roast coffee in hand. (Real mug, preferably.)

Crystalin Trossen |Admin. assistant to Executive pastor of ministries / Events coordinator

Crystalin Trossen has a passion for relationships, details, and organization, and seeks to live-out life filled with the Holy Spirit! She has had the privilege of working in ministry for 4 years in various positions.

Crystalin is married to her high school sweetheart, who is in the Marines. Together they have three amazing children and a dog whose tongue hangs out of her mouth 75% of the time. She loves to have game nights with friends and family, and watch movies together with stove-popped popcorn in hand, of course. She also loves to explore new places, which they get to do often being a military family.

Mackenzie thornton | admin. assistant discipleship ministries

Not only is Mackenzie our Discipleship Administrative Assistant, but she also acts as our Front Desk Receptionist. If you’ve ever had the privilege of meeting Mackenzie, you’ll know that she loves meeting new people and connecting them with other believers. Her favorite part of her role here at FBC is that she gets to work with those who have recently given their life to Christ and walk with them through their new journey as a believer.

In her spare time, Mackenzie loves hunting with her boyfriend Steve, hiking, tending to her plants, and thrift shopping. We are so thankful for her fun personality and the joy she brings to the team!

Micah stamm | youth ministry intern

Micah Stamm is FBC’s Youth Ministry Intern. He assists our Student Pastor in planning Student Ministry activities and establishing intentional connections with our 7th-12th graders. He is passionate about seeing families come to know Jesus, and he loves being able to learn and grow in Christ while partnering with students.

Micah takes the title of son and athlete, and in his free time you can find him watching an IU basketball game, golfing, or spending quality time with his family.

Heather Etner | Admin. Assistant financial

Our Bookkeeper Heather Etner is one lady we couldn’t live without! Heather faithfully works to make sure FBC’s finances are handled with great care. We’re thankful for her perfectionist tendencies when it comes to numbers! Heather is passionate about serving the Lord, and together with her husband, comes alongside individuals to offer Biblical counseling and encouragement.

Heather’s love for family runs deep, and she draws great joy from her roles as wife, mom, and grandma. She’s a prayer warrior, supporter, and avid lover of chocolate in its many, many forms.

Kathy Mosher | Human Resources

Kathy Mosher may be the kindest individual you’ll meet in this life. FBC is blessed by her service as our HR Manager and by her many years of faithfulness in other previous roles. Kathy knows FBC inside and out and we just love her. Kathy’s heart sings when she gets to help people – regardless of the task. In the office, she takes care of payroll, keeps everyone informed about FBC missions, and keeps us well stocked with the supplies that we need. She also keeps us smiling! 

Kathy is a devoted Mom and Nana with an adventurous spirit. She loves wilderness trips and international travel – especially when it includes the chance to visit her family and grandchildren! In her spare time, Kathy enjoys watching golf and tennis, reading, and eating any and all flavors of ice cream.

Annie Bechtel | early childhood Coordinator

Annie Bechtel joined the FBC team in August of 2021 as the Early Childhood Coordinator. Being a part of growing little hearts and instilling them with God’s truth is her passion. Her love for fun and magnetic personality make it easy for her to connect with the kids.

When she’s not having fun at church she’s having fun with her family. Annie’s almost always with her kids. She loves playing games, crafting, gardening, going on adventures in new places, and being outside when it’s warm.

Dave whitacre |facilities team

Dave Whitacre serves as part of our maintenance and facilities team and, while most of his work is done behind the scenes, we don't know what we would do without him! Dave is a selfless servant who diligently works to keep our facility clean and inviting, makes sure event spaces are set up just right, and is probably one of the hardest workers you'll ever meet. We're so glad he's part of the team! 

elizabeth white | facilities team

Elizabeth is a wonderful addition to our facilities team here at FBC, and she loves being able to serve God through her hard work cleaning and organizing the church. We are so grateful for her dedication to making sure everything is shining and in order!

In her free time, you can find Elizabeth cooking, reading, organizing, or in worship - where she feels most at home.