David received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior as a nine-year-old during Vacation Bible School at Westwood Baptist Church in Live Oak, Florida. He was nurtured in a loving and caring family, church, and youth group. As a result, he surrendered to full-time Christian service at the age of seventeen.
For the past two and a half years, David has worked as a Discipleship/Revitalization Consultant with the Suwannee, North Florida, and this year, Middle Florida Associations leading pastors through a 7 month-long study of personal and church revitalization principles. He has provided one-on-one coaching for cohort pastors and leaders and developed those leaders into teams in Suwannee, North Florida, and North Central Florida Associations. He has also assisted Associations through supply preaching, leading conferences and private counseling. He has made himself available to our Middle Florida pastors and Association leadership for guidance during this past year and has really impacted the lives of cohort participants through his leadership.
David was voted in as our Associational Mission Strategist at our Fall Annual Meeting in October of 2022 and we are excited to have him on board. David and his wife Donnie live in Live Oak and have 3 grown children. His hobbies include reading, watching movies, solving puzzles, playing games, and spending time with family, especially his four grandchildren.
Lauren is a 6th generation Floridian and a native of Madison County. She began her tenure with the Middle Florida Baptist Association in March of 2019. She is a graduate of North Florida College and the University of Florida, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Marketing.
She and her husband Josh are raising three boys: Jacob, Jackson and Jonathan. They are members at Fellowship Baptist Church. In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors, traveling, antique shopping and participating with her "Circle of Sisters" women's retreat team.
Gary is a seventh generation Floridian, born in Plant City, Florida. He attended the University of Florida, graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University and Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Gary and his wife Susan live in Ocala where Susan is a teacher. They have two grown children and four grandsons.
After pastoring in Jensen Beach, Florida for over thirteen years, Gary moved to Ocala to become the Director of Missions of the Marion Baptist Association. In 2004, Gary joined the staff of the Florida Baptist Convention.
Gary’s role as regional catalyst is to connect with and engage churches, pastors and staff in areas of church planting, church revitalization, community ministries and other ways the convention can be “right beside” the churches. The partnership with local associations is an important relationship in serving churches throughout Middle Florida Baptist Association and all of north Florida.
