It’s been a year since Phil Christopher preached his last sermon as senior pastor of First Baptist Church.

His final sermon came on Sept. 26, 2021. Christopher had been pastor of the church since 1995. He and his wife, Mary, live in Abilene and remain active in the community.

Matt Cook, with the Center for Healthy Churches, is serving as interim pastor until the congregation selects a new senior pastor. 

The church’s website, www. fbcabilene.org, has a page devoted to updates on the search. The latest update says the Pastor Search Committee, chaired by Bob Ellis, is now interviewing candidates. The committee began advertising in June for candidates. Also, Cook, with a nation-wide network of contacts, has been working with the committee as a consultant.

“As a result of all these efforts, the committee now has a list of final candidates whose backgrounds and gifts seem most likely to align with the needs of our congregation, as outlined in our Pastor Profile.” the report says. “Our next steps will focus on these candidates; however, we will also be open in the near term to the possibility of adding others to the list.”

Click here to read the entire September update from the Pastor Search Committee.