About Us

We are a multi-generational church with a blended worship service on Sunday mornings and a contemporary service on Saturday evenings. We believe that our worship is best expressed through our love for each other and our community.  We seek out real ways to love and serve our community. We are doing this in many ways including the establishment of an Overnight Warming Location in our facility throughout the Winter. We strive to love and serve our community in as many ways as we can!

meet the staff

Rev. Drew Patton
Pastor

Drew began his ministry at First Baptist Edwardsville in early 2021 in the middle of the pandemic. 

He is married to Melissa (17 years) and they have five children (Briley - 15, Logan - 14, Evelyn -13, Isaac - 10, Piper - 6, and Celia - infant). Drew was born and raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He holds an undergraduate in Christian Studies and a Master's degree in Church History and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Baptist Identity. 

More about Drew:
The book that had the greatest impact on his life (besides the Bible) is Inspired by Rachel Held Evans. "When I was going through a really rough patch in my faith, this book was a lifeline to hope and healing."

Current Reading List includes:
Jesus and John Wayne - K.K. Du Mez
The Spirit of Justice - Jamar Tisby
Love Matters More - Jared Byas
An Appeal to the Public for Religious Liberty - Isaac Backus

He describes his role at First Baptist thus: "I am the lead pastor and shepherd of the people at First Baptist Edwardsville. My role is to feed the sheep and equip the saints for the work of the ministry."

Drew's email [email protected]

Melissa Patton
youth director

Melissa was born in North Carolina, but moved around a lot as a kid and as an adult because of being in a minister's family. Melissa's life philosophy is "bloom where you're planted." 

Melissa is married to Drew (17 years) and has six children (same as above)! She has been serving at First Baptist for 3.5 years and has been on staff for almost a year now. Melissa serves as the Youth Director working with preteens and teens in grades 6th - 12th. "I love their energy and passion for serving. I truly love them and enjoy all of the time I get to spend teaching, serving, and hanging out with them."

More about Melissa:
​Her answer to the question "What book was most impactful on your life (besides the Bible)?" is "probably Inspired by Rachel Held Evans." 

Melissa is currently reading:
Stamped From the Beginning - Ibram X Kendi
Changing Our Minds - David Gushee

Melissa has on her reading list:
The Making of Biblical Womanhood - Beth Allison Barr
The Marriage You Want - Sheila Wray Gregoire

Melissa has a B.A. in Intercultural Studies - "a theology degree focused on cross-cultural ministry." She also has 20 hrs towards an M.A. in Christian Counseling and hopes to complete a Master's degree soon. "I am a lifelong learner and am always researching and learning about something."

Melissa is happiest "when my husband and kids are happy, when I'm surrounded by good friends, and when I have space in my life for serving others."

Allison bell
children's director

Allison and her family moved to Illinois from West Virginia two years ago because her husband Steven (16 years) got a job as a welder at the Wood River Refinery. Allison and Steven have three children, Angeleah - 15, Jaylen - 14, and Preston - 11. 

Allison graduated with a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and taught in public schools for four years. She now homeschools her children which she greatly enjoys! She takes "great joy and pride in preparing them for the future."

More about Allison:
Allison's favorite trip was their family trip to Hawaii in January 2024. She fondly remembers SNUBA diving (yes it's a thing), seeing whales and their calves, and many other once-in-a-lifetime experiences. 

The book that was most impactful on her life (apart from the Bible) is the first Harry Potter book. She remembers when her teacher read Harry Potter to the class in 5th grade and that was the beginning of her love of books and reading. 

Books she is now reading are:
A Wolf Called Wanderer - Rosanne Parry
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus - Dusti Bowling
Invincible Microbe - Jim Murphy and Alison Blank

Allison is happiest when life is simple. She enjoys homeschooling, tending her garden, and preparing food from scratch. 

As Children's Director, Allison oversees all of the classes and events for children from birth through 5th grade. She and her team "work hard to share God's story and love with all of the children that come to our church, whether that be regularly or just for one service."

Dale File
secretary/treasurer

Dale has been a member of First Baptist since 2001. She and her husband David have been married for 18 years and between them they have three adult children.

Dale was born in Memphis, Tennessee but moved to STL when she was two. She lived in the city for a while but moved to the county and graduated from Hazelwood in 1961. She obtained a B.S. in Elementary Education and did coursework in Computer Science which she continues to use to this day.

More about Dale:
Dale is happiest when she is on a beach, river, when she is boating, or with nature. Her favorite trip was to Europe in 1984 where she traveled to Athens, Germany, Paris, and Amsterdam.

The most impactful books on Dale's life (besides the Bible) are books "which were insightful about other cultures and their worldviews that were different than mine."

Dale is currently reading Paul by N.T. Wright.

Dale describes her role at First Baptist as "busy and helpful," a place where she can "use my inherent skills for the good of my church."

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First Baptist Church of Edwardsville, 534 St. Louis Street, Edwardsville, IL  62025
Phone:  (618) 656-1008