The Bible tells us that while Christ established the Church through the Apostles, He authorized the leadership of local churches by specially appointed men, called elders. In the Bible, elders are sometimes called “pastors” or “bishops.” We normally only use the title “pastor” or “elder,” but all three words are used interchangeably throughout the New Testament. Elders are responsible to administer the Word and the sacrament, to lead the church spiritually so that it grows in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ and is more and more conformed to His image. In addition to pastors, other men, called deacons, which means "servants," were appointed to help the pastors by freeing them to devote themselves completely to the ministry of the Word and of prayer. Deacons serve the church by taking care of the material needs of the people and the ministry. You can read about First Baptist’s current elders and deacons below.
Tom Hicks
Tom serves as the Senior Pastor at First Baptist of Clinton, Louisiana. He is married to Joy, and they have four children: Sophie, Karlie, Rebekah and David. He received his MDiv and PhD degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky with a major in Church History, emphasis on Baptists, and with a minor in Systematic Theology. He is the author of The Doctrine of Justification in the Theologies of Richard Baxter and Benjamin Keach (PhD diss, SBTS). He also serves on the board of directors for Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary and is an adjunct professor for CBTS, IRBS, and NOBTS.
Mitch Axsom
Mitch was raised attending church each Sunday, but through the teaching of evolution and a heart not sanctified by the Lord, he strayed into atheism at the age of 17. Having cast aside the Lord's Word, he fell into all manner of sin and was far from the Lord. At the age of 20 in 1973, the Lord began to work clearly in his life, and through reading the book of Matthew, he was converted by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mitch and Sheri were married in 1976 and have three children and 12 grandchildren. Mitch was asked to serve as a deacon at First Baptist Church in 1993 and then as an elder/pastor in 2005. He received a masters in religion from Reformed Baptist Seminary in 2015.
Andrew Graham
Andrew is the Assistant to the Pastors at First Baptist Church in Clinton, LA. In 2019, after graduating from Auburn University with a BS in Agricultural Economics, Andrew came to First Baptist to be a member and pastoral intern. He is currently pursuing an MDiv degree at Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary with an eye to the full-time pastoral ministry, if the Lord is willing. Andrew and his wife Hannah have been married since February 2020, and have two children, Haddon and Charlotte.
Fred Malone
Fred is the Pastor Emeritus (honorably retired) at First Baptist of Clinton, Louisiana. He holds an MDiv degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, and a PhD degree in New Testament from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. He is the blessed husband of Deborah, and the happy father of three grown children and six grandchildren. He served as a Trustee for The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. He was the Professor of Pastoral Theology at IRBS and CBTS.
* "Pastor Emeritus" is an honorary title given to a pastor who has retired from pastoral office and is no longer installed on the eldership. Giving the title “Pastor Emeritus” to a retired pastor is a way our church continues to honor him for his years of faithful service.
