Senior Pastor - Clark Johnson

While Pastor Clark Johnson is a man of many interests--family, golf and skiing, among others--the force and central truth driving and directing his life since he was a young man is Jesus.

Clark had always been a devoted Arizonan, so it was undeniably a case of moving beyond his comfort zone when he accepted the call back in 1989 to become Senior Pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. To this day, church members enjoy his sermons bursting with wisdom and wit. Clark views the church as a family, working together for the Kingdom of God.

Clark is blessed to have his family actively involved in FSBC life, including his wife Marcia, and two adult children Brett and Yvonne.

Worship Pastor - Eric Luptak

Eric Luptak joined our church as Minister of Music in 2006, having moved here from the Houston area. Eric joins our church family with wife April and their two daughters.

Youth Pastor - Kevin Jones

Kevin came to FSBC in March 2007 with his wife Sara and 2 1/2 year old daughter after serving for 7-1/2 years at Indian Creek Baptist Church in Mineral Wells, TX.

The most gratifying part of his ministry to youth is "seeing what God is doing with students today." There are some hard lines being drawn - extremely on board for the Father or extremely distanced from Him." His mission is "Equipping students to impact the world for Christ."

Director of Children's Ministries - Donna Doel

Other than a year in Boston and five years in Dallas, Donna has been a part of FSBC since she was born. She now directs all ministries for children from birth through sixth grade.

Donna was majoring in early childhood education at Washburn before transferring to Friends University, where she graduated with a BS in Human Resource Management. She is married to Kevin and has two children.

Assistant Director of Children's Ministries - Nannette Rankin

Celebrating 20 Years with Pastor Clark Johnson

At an afternoon reception on Sunday, August 30, FSBC members celebrated the 20^th anniversary of Pastor Clark Johnson accepting the call to serve as its Senior Pastor. When Pastor Johnson accepted the position in 1989, the church had just been through some turbulent times and prayed for a pastor who could bring unity and stability - and they found it in a fair-skinned Arizonan who had been praying for just such a church. And now, 20 years later, the church celebrates the blessings of stabile, unifying leadership that God provided.

"When I came to First Southern, there was a great deal of unrest," he says. "It took time, but with God's help the church has been able to overcome those challenges and now contribute a tremendous value to this community."

The church has changed quite a bit over this past 20 years, with an expanded campus, the addition of a contemporary worship service, and many ministries that have had a big impact on the community and beyond.  He says God has really put good people in this church to do His work in Topeka.

"There are a lot of really fine Christian people who have done a lot of fine work here," Clark says. "The neatest people I've ever met are in this church, and it's been great to watch them raise their kids here. And now there are lots of new people coming through our doors, and our church is poised to step into a new era in a really troubled world to be Jesus in this community. God is awesome!"