Meet First Baptist Church at The Villages
First Baptist Church At The Villages exists to glorify God. The church began as a church plant in December, 2001 with 70 people attending the first worship service in a funeral home. Today, the people at FBC The Villages meet in their 900-seat worship hall during one service weekly to praise and learn about God.
FBC at The Villages strives for each person to feel a sense of home when they walk through the front doors, whether it’s their first time or they’ve been around since the beginning. The worship is led by a band, praise team, and 70-voice choir. God continues to bless the church, and membership now totals approximately 650 people who serve and worship God together.
Vision casting for a senior pastor
FBC at the Villages trusted Vanderbloemen to assist with a succession plan in 2023, as their Senior Pastor Bob Perry was retiring after almost 17 years. The search team wished for overlap between Pastor Bob and his successor, making the change easier to manage for their congregation.
In early 2024, a lead pastor search team was formed to vision-cast about their next senior pastor.
They hoped to place someone in the role who would live up to the famous Biblical standard outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-4. This scripture would be the foundation of their vision. This person, once found, would lead FBC at the Villages toward God’s purpose, mission and vision for the church.
Finding the missing piece
As part of their succession plan, FBC at the Villages continued working with Executive Search Consultant Brian Dunks to find their next leader.
Brian helped the search team and executive committee members flush out their ideal senior pastor profile and outline exactly the type of person that would work well on their team. They were searching for someone with high emotional intelligence who could lead the church into it’s next season. He must have a love for the Lord and His people, leading with humility and grace.
Many applications came in, and Brian and Executive Search Recruiter Will Hancock conducted rounds of pre-interviews and presented the strongest candidates to the church’s lead pastor search team. They soon found their senior pastor—a Bronze Star recipient in Kansas City.
A well-prepared leader emerges
Dr. Alan Branch’s life experiences alone could have equipped him for a role like this. For the last 23 years Alan has taught at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, serving in churches and taking on interim pastoral roles throughout that time. He also served as a chaplain during his time in the US Army Reserve. With prior experience as a senior pastor, Alan was well-prepared for his next step.
In addition, Alan holds a doctor of philosophy, a master of divinity and a bachelor of business administration. With his combined experience, education, and evident faith, he met and exceeded all the listed characteristics and expectations outlined in the search.
Alan accepted the offer to join in ministry at FBC at the Villages, and the congregation prayerfully welcomed him in turn. The leadership team closed the search and began preparations for a smooth transition with Pastor Bob planning to retire at the end of March 2025.
“Lisa and I look forward to joining with First Baptist Church,” Dr. Alan said, “to lift up the name of Jesus Christ in The Villages and central Florida.”
