Our Team
Andrew Garnett
Pastor
Andrew is our pastor, and he keeps all the balls of our church life in the air. He is married to Jessie, and they have two daughters. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in ancient history from Samford University, a Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University School of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry from Campbell University Divinity School.
Andrew is interested in helping people experience genuine life transformation through Jesus, exploring diverse forms of worship and spirituality, supporting people in all stages of their faith development, and studying the Greco-Roman cultural context of early Christianity.
He is the author of Christians & the Roman Army: Lessons for Today, and his writings have also appeared in places like Baptist News Global, The Upper Room, Nurturing Faith Journal, and d365.
Andrew loves spending time with his family, traveling, visiting historical sites, and playing board games—and the more complicated the board game, the better!
Dennis Adams
Minister of Music
Dennis has served churches in Alabama and Virginia, and for a time was also an adjunct music instructor at Christopher Newport University. Dennis received both a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music Education from Samford University.
In his free time, Dennis enjoys showing off pictures of his grandson, playing tennis, and working out. He is powered by chocolate of all types.
Aaron Whittington
Director of Youth
Aaron grew up at Hampton Baptist, and after an wide-ranging career and study at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond he is happy to be back! Aaron brings life, vitality, and creativity to our youth program, and to our general church life.
Matt Stearn
Worship Accompanist
Matt is a native of Hampton and holds Master of Divinity in Cross-cultural and Community Mission from Eastern Mennonite University, a Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit Entrepreneurial Management from Eastern Mennonite University, and a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Administration from Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Matt stays busy. In addition to leading us in worship, he serves fulltime as the Executive Director for HELP, a nonprofit that provides shelter and healthcare services to residents of Hampton and Newport News.
Darlene Scheepers
Administrative Assistant
Darlene is known for the smile on her face and the love of Jesus in her heart. She lives in Poquoson with her husband, Scott. They have two adult daughters, Molly and Mallory, a son-in-law, Matt, and a granddaughter, Olivia Scott. Darlene is well known by many in our community for the creation of PBA Workcamp while serving as a Youth Director at Emmaus Baptist Church. She continued for over 25 years as the Director of Workcamp as it provided home improvement help for those in need.
Darlene and her husband are members of Emmaus Baptist and serve in several areas, including the praise band. She enjoys all music, spending time with her family, binge watching TV with Scott, playing games, puzzles, and refurbishing anything.
Larry Jones
Facilities Technician
From cleaning to repair work, Larry keeps our building looking sharp. He does it with a smile, and a great sense of humor!
Maggie Davids
Nursery Caregiver
Maggie loves caring for our youngest members in the nursery…and our kids love her! Even our oldest children, who have long aged out of the nursery, love coming by to see “Mrs. Maggie.”
Chester Brown
Pastor Emeritus
Dr. Chester L. Brown served as our pastor from January 1962 through June 2001. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Union Theological Seminary, with additional postgraduate work at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Dr. Brown and his wife, Mary Etta, live in Gloucester.
Lay Leadership
As a lay-led congregation, final decisions are made not by staff but by lay members. Our deacons are the lay members who have been elected to shepherd our church.
Term Deacons with Terms Ending Dec 31, 2024
Kim Coleman, Jack Dennard, Rachel Faarrow, Nancy Forbes, Will Galloway, Dawn Gerbing, Tracy Hudson, Annie Michalec, Cliff Moore (deacon vice chairperson), Ellen Velissarios
Term Deacons with Terms Ending Dec 31, 2025
Greg Bane, Alystra Barefoot, Jackie Coleman, Steve Elder, Jon Ewing, Sandy Matthews, Jack Miller, Sukie Pierce, Sarah Puckett (deacon chairperson), Carol Seymour
Term Deacons with Terms Ending Dec 31, 2026
Bill Abeyounis, Linda Byrd, Susie Castle (deacon secretary), Chris Farrow, Becky Glass, Robert Hudson, Susannah McKendree, Debbie Puckett, Billy Trimble, Jess Wilkins