Our Staff

James "Budg" Riekeman (Senior Pastor)

On June 28, 2009, James Riekeman, a 1984 graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, accepted the call to be senior pastor at First Southern Baptist Church. He is a gifted and dynamic speaker whose passion is to see God's people experience God's best in their lives. He has been married to Karen for 23 years and they have 3 children Dylan, Morgan and Brady.

Scott Connelly (Student Pastor)

Scott was born in Jacksonville, FL. He grew up in Neptune Beach, and lived there for the first 23 years of his life. Scott grew up in a Christian home, and accepted Christ, and was baptized at the age of 9. Even though he was in church every time the doors were open; Scott struggled with his Christian walk, and showed minimal progress in his maturation as a Christian. Between Scott's junior and senior year of high school, he went to a camp called Centrifuge, and had a life-changing experience. God used his best friend Tim, and the camp pastor to expose Scott as a fraud in his Christian walk. Scott rededicated his life, and began an authentic walk with God.

Scott started out at Fort Gaines Baptist Church, as the youth minister in 2001. Scott began his ministry at First Southern in January 2005. He and his wife Denise moved from Blakely, Georgia where Scott served at Ft. Gaines Baptist Church as their Minister of Youth. In 2005 Scott began serving here at First Southern as there minister of Students/Associate Pastor. Scott and Denise had there first child in 2006, and her name is Destiny, and are expected their second child Savannah in October.

Stephen Heslip (Associate Pastor / Minister of Education)

Stephen began his ministry at First Southern Baptist Church February, 2003. He was licensed into the ministry March, 2003. He graduated with a Bachelors of Music from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1999,and then earned a Masters of Art in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2002. Stephen was ordained September 24, 2006. He and his wife Heather were married in July 1997. Heather graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in elementary education. God has blessed our family with triplet girls, Kathayrn, Faith, and Sarah. They keep us very busy.