Meet Our Staff
Senior Pastor
Dr. Brian Scott
Rev. Dr. Brian Scott is the 36th Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church. He and his wife, Jill, began their ministry at First Church in January of 2025. He holds an M.Div. degree from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a D.Min degree. from the McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia.
Accompanying Artist
Sherry Hendrix
Sherry has accompanied and directed choirs, vocalists, and musicians for decades. Her talents are many. She is an accomplished pianist and also sometimes accompanies our congregation on the organ during the Worship Hour. Sherry has three children and four grandchildren and has been our accompanying artist since 2020.
Minister of Music
Preston Holley
Preston is the primary planner for music in our worship services at First Baptist Erwin. Preston is married to Christy, is a father to five girls, has taught music for nearly 20 years, and has conducted the Sanctuary Choir and other music ensembles for nearly 20 years.
Minister to Students
Dr. Guillermo Mendoza
Guillermo is a resident of Erwin. He is an alumnus of Unicoi County High School, class of 2010.He also graduated with his PhD in early childhood education from ETSU in 2023.Dr. Mendoza is the father of three children, and is married to Estrella. He is also a worship singer. También habla español.
Church Business Administrator
Leslie Peterschmidt
​Leslie is from Columbia, South Carolina. Her father was a Baptist Minister. She spent an 18+ year career in Human Resources, including 15 years in the University of South Carolina School of Medicine's Office of the Dean. She and her family moved to Erwin in 2018 and she has served First Baptist since September of 2019.
Technical Services
Sam Christensen
Sam is a member of East Tennessee State University's class of 2028 majoring in psychology and counseling. He is a resident of Carter County, Tennessee. Sam is passionate about working at First Baptist to bring God's Word to the community.
Technical Services
Reid Kegley
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Reid has served as the soundboard and slideshow operator for Sunday morning services over the past three years. He is set to graduate from Unicoi County High School in 2025 and intends to continue his education at East Tennessee State University.
Technical Services
Jeffrey Lind
Jeffrey is a member of the class of ’27 B.S. in Mathematics at the University of Tennessee, and is a researcher in hydropower and numerical methods at Ψ Lab. He hopes to do engineering or scientific research after graduation
Technical Services
Natalia Mendoza
Natalia helps in broadcasting Sunday morning services, and graduated from ETSU with a degree in Digital Media. She works as a sports videographer for East Tennessee State University Athletics.
