Who We Are
First Baptist Dallas is built on the Bible and continues its mission to transform the world with God’s Word…one life at a time.
About First Baptist Dallas
Located in the heart of downtown, First Baptist Dallas is built on the Bible and continues its mission to transform the world with God’s Word…one life at a time.
As a multi-generational church community, we meet needs through a variety of worship experiences, Sunday School and discipleship options, mission opportunities, fellowship, and outreach events.
There is always something happening here, and we would love to help you get connected!
Opportunities
As a multi-generational church community, we meet needs through a variety of:
History
The cornerstone of First Baptist Dallas was laid in 1890 by a small group of believers determined to begin a Baptist church in downtown Dallas. Under the leadership of legendary pastors and teachers like George W. Truett and W.A. Criswell, First Baptist Dallas became an anchor in the Christian community, a church known for a firm foundation built on the Bible.
Led by Dr. Robert Jeffress since 2007, we continue that legacy today. Dr. Jeffress ushered in a new season of ministry at the church that reinforces our calling to reach our city, nation, and world for Christ through four primary courses of action:
Worship
We currently offer two Choir and Orchestra led services, a Day One band-led service, and an online experience through our First Dallas iCampus.
Equip
Members and visitors will find active, thriving Sunday School classes for every age and life stage. Our Discipleship University ministry offers two semesters of classes on Sunday evenings.
Serve
It is our goal to equip, empower, and deploy every member of our body to serve in the role and gifting to which the Lord has called them.
Influence
We pierce the darkness with the light of God’s Word to the uttermost parts of the world.
As a church that is built on
the Bible, we believe in:
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God
We recognize that there is one and only one living and true God, who exists in three persons — Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit — but without division of nature, essence, or being. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. (Deuteronomy 6:4; John 1:1; John 1:14)
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FELLOWSHIP/COMMUNITY
We will actively pursue personal, family, and staff relationships characterized by integrity, mutual accountability, mutual serving, mutual encouragement, and mutual honoring. (Romans 12:10; 1 John 4:7-11)
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Authority of Scripture
We value Bible-centered preaching and teaching as the foundation for all that we do. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
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LIFE TRANSFORMATION
We will provide opportunities for every believer to develop a Christian worldview and thus engage the culture wherein he lives, works, and interacts. (Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 1:28)
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Worship
We will seek to praise and worship Him passionately—as individuals, as families, and as a local church. (John 4:23-24)
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Every Member Ministry
We will develop lay leaders who will function effectively in their respective roles of service and, in turn, train and mentor other believers for ministry. (Ephesians 4:11-12)
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Prayer
We will intentionally seek to set aside specific times for private, family, and corporate prayer. (Matthew 6:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
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Personal Evangelism/Missions
We will endeavor to share the message of salvation with all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic status in our local community and throughout the world. (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
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FAMILY
We encourage lifelong commitments to marriage between one man and one woman; we support the ongoing spiritual nurture of the family; and we are committed to honoring the priority of family time through our ministries and activities. (Matthew 19:5-6; Ephesians 5:22-6:4)
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Stewardship
We encourage every member to adopt a lifestyle of stewardship that recognizes God’s ownership of everything and to practice the biblical principle of tithing (giving at least one-tenth of one’s income) to support the work of the church. (1 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Peter 4:10)
Our Pastor
Dr. Robert Jeffress is Senior Pastor of the 16,000-member First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas and a Fox News Contributor. He is also an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Jeffress has made more than 4,000 guest appearances on various radio and television programs and regularly appears on major mainstream media outlets such as Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends,” “Hannity,” “Fox News @ Night,” “Varney & Co.,” and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
Dr. Jeffress is Bible teacher and host of a daily radio program, Pathway to Victory, heard nationwide on over 1,000 stations in major markets such as Dallas-Fort Worth, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Seattle.
Dr. Jeffress hosts a daily television program, Pathway to Victory, that can be seen Monday through Friday on the Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) and every Saturday and Sunday on TBN as well as daily on the Hillsong Channel and Sundays on Daystar. Pathway to Victory is the highest-rated ministry program on TBN. Dr. Jeffress’ television broadcast reaches 195 countries and is on 11,295 cable and satellite systems throughout the world.
Dr. Jeffress is the author of 30 books including A PLACE CALLED HEAVEN: 10 Surprising Truths About Your Eternal Home; COURAGEOUS: 10 Strategies for Thriving in a Hostile World; 18 MINUTES WITH JESUS: Straight Talk from the Savior About the Things That Matter Most; andWHAT EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW: 10 Core Beliefs for Standing Strong in a Shifting World, released January 2023.
Dr. Jeffress led the congregation in the completion of a $135 million re-creation of its downtown campus. The project is the largest in modern church history and serves as a “spiritual oasis” covering six blocks of downtown Dallas.
Dr. Jeffress graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a D.Min., a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a B.S. degree from Baylor University. In May 2010, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree from Dallas Baptist University. In June 2011, Dr. Jeffress received the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Dr. Jeffress and his wife Amy have two daughters and three grandchildren.
Executive Team
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Dr. Robert Jeffress
Senior Pastor
Dr. Robert Jeffress is Senior Pastor of the 16,000-member First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas and a Fox News Contributor. He is also an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Jeffress has made more than 4,000 guest appearances on various radio and television programs and regularly appears on major mainstream media outlets such as Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends,” “Hannity,” “Fox News @ Night,” “Varney & Co.,” and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
Dr. Jeffress is Bible teacher and host of a daily radio program, PATHWAY TO VICTORY, heard nationwide on over 1,000 stations in major markets such as Dallas-Fort Worth, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Seattle.
Dr. Jeffress hosts a daily television program, PATHWAY TO VICTORY, that can be seen Monday through Friday on the Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) and every Saturday and Sunday on TBN as well as daily on the Hillsong Channel and Sundays on Daystar. PATHWAY TO VICTORY is the highest-rated ministry program on TBN. Dr. Jeffress’ television broadcast reaches 195 countries and is on 11,295 cable and satellite systems throughout the world.
Dr. Jeffress is the author of 30 books including NOT ALL ROADS LEAD TO HEAVEN; A PLACE CALLED HEAVEN: 10 Surprising Truths About Your Eternal Home; COURAGEOUS: 10 Strategies for Thriving in a Hostile World; INVINCIBLE: Conquering the Mountains That Separate You From the Blessed Life; and his newest book released October 2022, 18 MINUTES WITH JESUS: Straight Talk From the Savior About the Things That Matter Most.
Dr. Jeffress led the congregation in the completion of a $135 million re-creation of its downtown campus. The project is the largest in modern church history and serves as a “spiritual oasis” covering six blocks of downtown Dallas.
Dr. Jeffress graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a D.Min., a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a B.S. degree from Baylor University. In May 2010, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree from Dallas Baptist University. In June 2011, Dr. Jeffress received the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Dr. Jeffress and his wife Amy have two daughters and three grandchildren.
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Ben Lovvorn
Executive Pastor
Ben serves by leading and overseeing the ministries and operations of First Baptist Dallas as the Executive Pastor. He has served in full-time ministry for more than a decade and is passionate about building the church of Jesus Christ and equipping the saints for the work of ministry. Ben earned a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University and a B.B.A. from Hardin-Simmons University. He and his wife, Parris, have four boys and one girl.
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Ryland Whitehorn
Executive Pastor of Ministries
Ryland believes the church should be the center of our community, operating as a New Testament church to serve as “home” for thousands of people. Ryland and his wife, Renea, have two married daughters, Shea and Kelsi, and four grandchildren.
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Dr. Tyler Brinson
Minister of Music & Worship
Dr. Brinson is a Dove Award-winning worship leader who is passionate about leading and inspiring people to worship God in spirit and truth. Tyler believes corporate worship should be a rehearsal for heaven—all voices and generations praising and worshiping Jesus together. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Business from Lee University, his Master of Music from Baylor University, and his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Church Music from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Tyler and his wife, Diana, have been married since 2015. They are proud parents of their daughter, Savannah, and son, Parker.
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Guy Shafer
Associate Executive Pastor
Guy Shafer is an integrator for our ministries and operations, helping the church accomplish its mission strategically and effectively. He is also the champion and leader of the Stewardship Ministry at First Dallas. Guy has served in full-time ministry for more than 40 years. Married in 1985, he and Mary have two children and seven grandchildren, all living in the DFW area.
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Nate Curtis
Executive Director of Communications and Broadcast
Nate is a natural fit to lead our broadcast and communications ministries because he believes media is a powerful, efficient way to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the entire world. When he’s not spending time with his wife, Lindsey, he’s likely on the golf course or pursuing his other hobby, photography.
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Jill Sullivan
Executive Director of Administration and Operations
Jill considers it a gift to use her experience in accounting and business administration to serve the Lord and support the ministry of First Dallas. Each day it is an honor to lead the operations team to steward well what the Lord has entrusted to First Dallas. She is blessed with an amazing husband, John.
She looks to 1 Peter 4:10-11 as a daily reminder of her calling to serve. “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God… whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
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Alan Lynch
Minister of Pastoral Care & Counseling
Alan has served full-time on the staff of First Baptist Church of Dallas since May of 1987. He has a passion for ministering to and assisting the body of Christ in experiencing God’s fullest blessings. He is passionate about the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, and he is passionate about his family. Alan and his wife, Janna, have three adult married children and six grandchildren.
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Sherryn Cates
Director of Finance and Accounting
Sherryn serves with infectious enthusiasm, implementing and maintaining best business practices as part of First Dallas’s commitment to excellent stewardship. Sherryn and her husband, Ross, have a son, daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren.
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