Marty Carnes
Senior Pastor
Marty Carnes has served as our Pastor since November 1, 2023. Before then, he served as our Interim Pastor. Marty is a gifted communicator of God’s Word, and he guides our church in following the Lord in the present and into the future. He is an effective planner who is able to strategically lead our ministry team to make disciples of all people. Marty and his wife, Cindy, came to LaGrange from Cleaveland, Georgia where he formerly served Truett-McConnell University as Vice President for Advancement/Chief Strategy Officer.
RJ Harbuck
Executive Pastor
RJ’s favorite part of his job is seeing all the pieces come together — people, resources, and vision — so that the church can truly be there for one another and make a real difference in our community and beyond. He joined the staff at FBC in February 2026 and oversees staff, communications, finances, facilities, and the day-to-day operations of the church. RJ is married to Shauna, and they have five children — two boys and three girls. Outside of work, he enjoys playing guitar and singing, smoking meats on his Traeger, deer hunting, and spending time around the fire with Shauna. Most of all, he loves being a dad to his five kids — even when it’s exhausting.
His favorite verse:
Matthew 28:19-20 –“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Tom Farr
Discipleship/Education Minister
Tom wears many hats on our church staff, from leading in our Christian Bible education ministries and Discipleship to the day-to-day church operations. A graduate of the University of Georgia and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, he loves serving the Lord and encouraging others to be the person God has created them to be. Tom is married to Teresa, and they have three sons and six grandchildren. When he is away from the office, he enjoys bicycling, genealogy, photography, and music.
His favorite verse:
John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born,
not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh,
or of the will of man, but of God.”
Anthony Criswell
Worship & Music Minister
Anthony’s favorite part of his job is helping all generations worship God. He has been at FBC for 29 years and served in ministry for 39 years. He’s married to Rebecca, and they have two daughters, Libby and Milly, who are both students at Samford University. Outside of work, he enjoys travel, art and cooking!
His favorite verse is:
Philippians 1:6 -“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Paul Knight
Evangelism/Missions Minister
Paul has two favorite parts of his job. 1: seeing people surrender their life to Jesus Christ. 2: Getting to help people be there for one another as Jesus commanded and the Apostles echoed. (John 13:34; 15:12, 17; Romans 12:10; 1 John 4:11; 1 Peter 3:8) He has been at FBC since 2022 and has served in ministry for over 16 years. He is married to Gail, and they have two daughters, Blythe and Eloise. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, football,
and hanging out with his family.
His favorite verses:
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 – “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Student Pastor
Paul Blair
Pastoral Care Minister
Paul served our church for many years as Minister of Music. After he retired in 2017, he later returned to serve as part-time Pastoral Care Minister. Paul helps with hospital visits and pastoral ministry, and he especially enjoys visiting, counseling, and singing. Paul and his wife, Sandy, have two sons and five grandchildren.
His favorite verse:
Galatians 5: 22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness and Faithfulness. Against such things there is no law.”
Margaret Williams
Director of Kids Ministry and Weekday Preschool
Margaret’s favorite part of her job is watching children grow and learn about Jesus. She has been a member for 31 years and has been on staff for 10 years. She and her husband, Jim, have three children- Emma, Andrew, and Preston, and she enjoys spending time with her family and their animals.
Her favorite verse:
James 1:2-8 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.“
Angela Seymour
Assistant Director of Kids Ministry and Weekday Preschool
Angela loves that she can be a part of all sides of the preschool; she gets to help the preschool grow and succeed, as well as help in the classrooms. She has been on staff for 11 years. She is married to Michael and they have three children, Titus, Cadence, and Ryleigh.
Her favorite Bible passage is Psalms 23.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.
Carol Bradfield
Director of Assimilation and Membership
Carol loves to help others know God more through the study of His Word and to connect with individuals to take the next step in their spiritual journey. Carol and her husband, Jim, joined the First Baptist family in January 1998. Carol has served in various capacities of ministry since she was 16. She and Jim have two sons, Joshua and Jacob. Outside of work she enjoys camping and fishing with her family and reading a good book with a hot cup of tea!
Her favorite verse:
Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Rebecca Criswell
Pastor and Music Ministry Assistant
Organist
Serving a wide variety of people is Rebecca’s favorite part of her job. She loves meeting all ages of people from children to senior adults. Over the years she has served in various ministry capacities. She has been in her current role since 2022 and has been a member of FBC for 26 years. She has been married to Anthony for 25 years and they have 2 daughters – Libby and Milly. Outside of work she loves word searches, sudoku, travel, and spending time with family.
Her favorite verse:
2 Corinthians 4:17-18: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Diana Thomas
Ministry Support Staff
Wherever there is a need, Diana is always ready to jump in and lend a hand. She has been on church staff since 2011, has been married to her husband, Scott, for 35 years, and has 3 beautiful children and a new son-in-law. As a graduate of Troup High School, Diana has called LaGrange home most of her life. Outside of her church work, she loves crossword puzzles and does the NYC Wordle with her husband daily. She loves to travel, especially to state/national parks and landmarks.
Favorite verse:
Numbers 6:24-26: “May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Amy Linskey
Ministry Support Staff
Amy’s favorite part of her job is interacting with church members when they come in. She feels like this is a small way she is serving the church, by helping in the office. She has been a member at FBC since the Fall of 2016 and has been a teacher since 1999. She is married to her husband, John Linskey. She loves to read and travel.
Her favorite verse:
James 1: 5-6 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
Cord Carson
Facilities Manager
In his job as Facilities Manager, Cord enjoys meeting new people and solving problems. He has been on staff since January of 2024. Cord and his wife, Molly, have two daughters, Annie and Libby. In his free time, Cord loves to spend time with his family.
His favorite verse:
1 Corinthians 13:13 – “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Heather Brooks
Administrative Assistant and Receptionist
Heather joined our staff on May 19, 2025, and she enjoys serving the Lord and helping people find answers and information about our church and ministries. Heather has a passion for helping others and has served in various aspects of ministry over the years.
She is married to Kevin Brooks and together they have 8 children Kaleb, Lason, Jaden, Bella, Jayde, Lily, Heidi, and Mya. She is the Worship Leader at Christ Chapel of Lagrange and in her free time she enjoys spending time with her family.
Her favorite verses:
Kelly Domantay
Ministry Assistant
Kelly serves as the Family Ministry Assistant at First Baptist Church on the Square, where she has a heart for helping kids and families feel seen, known, and connected. She has been a member since 2018 and joined the staff in August 2025. In her role, she works closely with the preteen ministry and supports events, communication, and volunteers across family ministries. Kelly is passionate about creating environments where kids can grow in their faith, build meaningful friendships, and learn what it means to follow Jesus in their everyday lives. She and her husband, Zack, have a blended family of five children, keeping life full, busy, and fun. Kelly enjoys time with her family, being outdoors, and finding creative ways to make ministry engaging for students.
Her favorite verse:
Colossians 3:23
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord…”
JAMES DEMPSEY
Food Services Manager
Being able to serve others on a daily basis is James’ favorite part of his job. He has been at FBC since 1988, and he and his wife, Tina, have two sons, Logan and Carson. James enjoys being with family, exercising, and working outside.
His favorite verse:
Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”