Dr. Ray Miller comes to First Baptist after serving as Senior Pastor at Crievewood Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to serving at Crievewood, he pastored in Shawnee, Oklahoma and Mertens, Texas. Dr. Miller earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Languages from Oklahoma Baptist University, Master of Divinity at Baylor University Truett Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Northern Seminary in Lyle, Illinois, where his doctoral thesis was entitled, “Christ Weeps With Us.”

Ray and his wife, Sarah, have four daughters, Abigail, Katherine, Emma Jo, and MacKenzie. He loves golf, basketball, and anything related to Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Marvel.

John came to First Baptist at the beginning of 2008 to begin his work as Pastor for Missions. John was raised in the Houston area before attending Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He served as a youth pastor in Lorena, Texas, and for 13 years at Williams Trace Baptist Church in Sugar Land, Texas.

Joe joined the staff in February 2019 as Director of Pastoral Care. Joe retired in January 2018 after working 45 years in Healthcare and Senior Living. His background includes being a Hospital Administrator, a Licensed Long-Term Care Administrator, and a Certified Assisted/Independent Living Executive. Joe and his wife, Sherry, have been an active part of First Baptist since 1985. They have three grown sons.

Hunter Brown grew up in the metropolis of Clyde, Texas and is the son of Carl and Carla Brown. He is married to Kelsey (Higbee) Brown, and they celebrated 3 years of marriage in June 2023. Fun fact: Hunter and Kelsey celebrated their wedding at FBC Abilene. Hunter attended Hardin-Simmons for his undergrad in ministry and went on to graduate studies at Logsdon Seminary where he and Kelsey met one another. Hunter is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry through Truett Seminary. He has served in church ministry for just over ten years, working at churches in Clyde and Abilene before spending the last 3 years in Muleshoe, Tx. In his spare time, Hunter loves to watch movies, play video games, and read. He and Kelsey also love spending time with their two dogs: Burr (Border Collie) and Sam (Corgi). Hunter and Kelsey have one child, Luke Avery Brown, born the end of December 2023.

Keathley joined the staff as Director for Preschool in August 2025. She grew up here in Abilene and, along with her family, joined First Baptist in 2002 after coming from another denomination. The church became a place of spiritual growth and community for me ever since. She and her husband, Aaron, were married at FBC in 2010 and have two wonderful kids, Hayes and Collins, who are both products of our fantastic preschool ministry.

Keathley's background includes teaching and spent several years in the classroom before stepping away to focus on raising their children. During that time, Hayes and Collins were part of the preschool ministry and experienced firsthand the love, care, and faith that was poured into each child who came through the preschool doors. 

Patti joined the staff in August 2026 as the new Executive Director for Mission Action, where she will give leadership to our three ministries which comprise Mission Action, Inc. – Family Life Center, God’s Little Ones (GLO Daycare), and Ministry of Counseling and Enrichment. Each of these ministries are on solid footing and are being led by three incredible directors, Mike Brady (FLC), Allie Tobin (GLO), and Elya Whitten (MOCE), as well as guidance given by each of their boards. 

Patti brings over 33 years of experience in education to FBC and most recently served as associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction with Abilene Independent School District. In that role, she led the development, implementation, and assessment of classroom instruction and educational programs in AISD. Prior to coming back to AISD, Patti served as the Superintendent of schools for Gustine ISD. Under her leadership, Gustine ISD experienced strong success in achieving positive outcomes for students.

Patti began her professional career in Amarillo ISD before joining AISD as a teacher at Abilene High School in 1991. She also spent 10 years as a curriculum consultant for the Region 14 Education Service Center, which provides resources and support for school districts across the Big Country. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, a master’s degree from Tarleton State University, and a superintendent’s certification from The University of Texas Permian Basin. 

Patti and her husband, Doug, have been a part of FBC since 2015 and they have one grown son, Brayden, who is an accountant with a non-profit in Dallas.