Meet the staff

  • DR. Tim Moore

    Interim SEnior pastor

    Dr. Tim Moore was raised and ordained at Fifth Avenue Baptist Church. He is the writer-in-residence at Sardis Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina, which he pastored for nearly 20 years. He has served churches in the greater Charlotte area for over 35 years, the last three congregations as interim pastor.


    Tim is the author of Practicing Midrash: Reading the Bible's Arguments as an Invitation to Conversation (Wipf & Stock, 2018) and the editor of Taking on the Cross: Reimagining the Meaning of Jesus' Life and Death (Nurturing Faith, 2022). He is a contributing writer for the Smyth & Helwys devotional guide, Reflections.


    With a love for the Church, Tim has been heavily involved in Baptist denominational work and institutions. Currently, he serves on the board for Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School and on the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina's Helping Pastor's Thrive advisory council in which he also mentored a cohort of young pastors. In the past, he has served on leadership boards for the Alliance of Baptists, Baptist House at Duke Divinity School, CBFNC, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, and Mars Hill University. Locally in Charlotte, he was a founding member of the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice and served as the co-chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Interfaith Advisory Council.


    He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary (D.Min.), from Andover Newton Theological School (M.Div.), and Mars Hill University (B.S. in Business Administration).


    Tim and his wife, Magay Shepard, live in Charlotte and are the proud parents of three young adult children. When he is not writing or serving congregations, he enjoys hiking, playing tennis and basketball, traveling with family (especially national parks), attending Carolina Panthers games, and occasionally, making it back to Huntington to watch the Thundering Herd.



  • RACHAEL GIBSON

    CHILDREN's MINISTER

    Rachael is a Beckley, WV, native and a 2000 graduate of Marshall University, earning an elementary education degree with early childhood specialization.  In 2003, she received a Master's degree in early childhood special education.  She taught school for six years before staying home to raise her children. Rachael is married to Josh Gibson and they have three children, Suzana, Leo, and Nora. She joined FAB in 2006 and attended various churches while living in Lexington, KY, and Durham, NC, before moving back to Huntington in 2013.


    Office Hours: 

    Monday: 10:00 am - 3:30 pm

    Thursday: 10:00 am - 3:30 pm   

  • DR. Alexander Wook Lee

    Interim Music Director

    Dr. Alexander Wook Lee will begin serving as Interim Music Director at Fifth Avenue Baptist Church on Wednesday, October 2nd, when he leads the Chancel Choir rehearsal for the first time. He will serve FAB through May 2025, when the choir takes its annual summer break. Dr. Lee is the Assistant Professor of Voice Music and Opera Director, as well as the Coordinator of Voice Studies in the music department at Marshall University. He received his Doctoral degree from Rutgers University. In addition to academia, Dr. Lee has served several congregations as music director, most recently at Pea Ridge United Methodist Church. Many of you have met Alex and his daughters, Elizabeth and Lydia, who regularly worship with us. His wife, Sara, is the organist for another church in Huntington.

  • jon brannon

    organist

    Jon is a West Virginia native, born in Bluefield. His interest in music began at age 11, and he was appointed to his first organist position at Bramwell Presbyterian Church, Bramwell, West Virginia, in 2004. In that time he studied with renowned keyboardist and composer, Dr. Evan Mack, at Concord University. He also served Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bluefield, for Saturday services. In 2010, Jon was called to Huntington, where he accepted the organist/choir director position at St. Peter's Episcopal Church. It was in this time that he discovered his interest in composition, writing weekly anthems for the choir as well as supplying incidental music to other Episcopal churches in the area for use in special services. He became the organist at FAB in 2015, beginning Palm Sunday.


    Beyond his weekly commitments, Jon has also been featured twice as guest organist at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., for its annual Summer Organ Series. Jon was also invited as the only American competitor in the Galanti Organ Competition in Mondaino, Italy. His other projects have included extensive recording projects that have included a full program on the landmark E.M. Skinner organ at the Washington National Cathedral. Click Here to hear selected tracks from these projects.


    Jon is also busy outside of music. He currently works as a production assistant at iHeartMedia, producing commercials and other on-air material. He is also known as "The Professor" on WBVB's "The Woody Show." In addition to work Jon is interested antique cars, a fascination he has held since a young age.

  • Jim Isaac

    Staff Coordinator

    Jim Isaac has been a long-time member of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church and is an experienced administrator from his career as a Principal in the Cabell County School system and at St. Joseph Catholic School. We are blessed to have Jim join us during this Interim season. 


    Office Hours: 

    Monday: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

    Thursday: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

  • KYLE HUGHES

    Office Administrator

    Kyle has been a member of FAB since he was a young child, and has served our congregation as an office assistant during summers and breaks, taught in our Children's Ministry, and has served on the Youth Commission and youth ministry leadership teams. Prior to working as our Office Administrator, Kyle exercised his love for golf as a Golf Pro at a local country club. Kyle is married to his wife Jess, and they have two daughters, Carly and Hallie. 


    Office Hours: 

    Monday: 9:00 am-3:30pm

    Wednesday - Friday: 9:00am - 3:30pm


  • SCOTT BALLARD

    Pastoral Care Coordinator

    Scott has been an attending member of FAB since he was about 3 years old. Over the years, Scott has been involved with the Food Basket Christmas Mission,  Feeding the Homeless, Stephen Ministry, a member of the Koinonia Class, Missions and Ministry Commission, and Home Communion.


     Scott is a retired Chiropractor of 27 years, after which he worked as an educator of the Standardized Patient program at the Marshall University School of Medicine for over nine years, until November 2022.

     

    While attending Palmer University of Chiropractics in Davenport, IA, he met his wife, Leigh. She relocated to Huntington, WV, and has been a practicing Physical Therapist at St. Mary's Hospital since 1980. They were married by former FAB pastor, Dr. R.F. Smith, in 1982, and they have two adult sons, Quinn and Corey, and two grandchildren, Margot and Tate. 


    Fifth Avenue Baptist Church has always been a large part of our family life, and we could never find a church family that expresses so much caring love and concern daily.  Our church family is always there for anyone who needs support or just being the best of friends who follow Christ. 


    Office Hours: 

    Monday: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

    Thursday: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

     

  • lISA DUDLEY

    FINANCIAL SECRETARY

    Lisa has been a member of Fifth Avenue Baptist church since 1982 and joined Fifth Avenue Baptist's staff in July 2017.  As Financial Secretary she brings our congregation almost 40 years of experience and expertise in accounting and bookkeeping.  She has worked in the private business sector in Huntington and Barboursville and additionally has worked in the financial office of another local church.  Lisa and her husband Todd of 37 years have three grown children, (Kristin, Ryan & Joshua) who have blessed them  with with five grandchildren.  (Ethan, Hannah, Bruce, Dwight, Lincoln).  Their children have spread their wings and have moved from West Virginia, so traveling to visit their children and their families is what brings them the greatest joy and is how they like to spend their spare time. 


    Office Hours: 

    Monday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Tuesday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Thursday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm  

  • Kyla Nelson

    Communications director

    Kyla is a Huntington native and Marshall University graduate, holding both a bachelor's and master's degree in journalism. She has more than 15 years of experience as a news reporter. She joined Fifth Avenue Baptist because she is passionate about helping others and wanted to use her skills in a more meaningful way. Kyla is married and has two children. In her free time, she enjoys sewing and reading.


    Office Hours:

    Monday: 9:00 am - 1:30 pm

    Wednesday 9:00 am - 1:30 pm

    Friday 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

  • Mycah Pemberton

    Interim youth director

    Mycah is a proud native of Ohio (Go Bucks!) and now lives in Ashland, KY, with her steadfast husband, Chris Sizemore, and their three beautiful children: Colin, Jennings, and Ellen. She has been a member of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church since 2019, serving on both the Children’s and Youth Commissions and teaching Youth Sunday School.


    For the past eight years, Mycah worked as a paralegal in a real estate law firm. She is now following a God-led calling into ministry, beginning in her home church. She is grateful for the unwavering support of her husband and the encouragement of her FAB church family.


    As she continues to discern her path in ministry, Mycah hopes to faithfully serve the next generation of Fifth Avenue Baptist, helping bridge the rich traditions of the faith with the timeless wisdom our children bring to our church and worship.


    Office Hours:

    Monday: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Wednesday: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm