Dr. Robert Baker, Pastor
bob(at)calvarybaptistchurch.com
Dr. Robert G. Baker has been the pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, since September 1991. A native of Georgetown (Scott County), Kentucky, Robert has lived in Kentucky all of his life. He is a graduate of Scott County High School (1971), Georgetown College (1975), and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M. Div. in 1978 and Ph.D. in 1982). Besides his pastorate at Calvary Baptist in Lexington, Robert has pastored three other Kentucky Baptist churches: Greenup Fork Baptist in Owen County (1972-1975); Midway Baptist in Woodford County (1978-1982; Youth Minister from 1975-1977); and Lexington Avenue Baptist in Danville (1982-1991).
In addition to his pastorates, Dr. Baker has served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown College (1980-1982) and at Southern Seminary (Fall, 1982). He has been a trustee at Georgetown College (1984-1991, 1995-2002) and was chairman of the Georgetown College Board of Trustees (1988-1991). A two-term member of the Kentucky Baptist Convention State Executive Board (1986-88, 1997-2000), Dr. Baker has also been a member of the Administrative Committee of our state convention’s Executive Board (1987-1988, 1997-1999). He preached the annual Convention sermon in November of 1993. Currently, he serves on the Administrative Board of Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington and is also a trustee of Baptist Seminary of Kentucky which is located on the Calvary Baptist campus.
Dr. Baker is the author of Amos: Doing What Is Right (1995). He has also written four units of Sunday School lessons for Smyth & Helwys and has had several of his sermons published.
Robert and his wife Deborah, who teaches reading at Meadowthorpe Elementary School in Lexington, have three children. Katy is a kindergarten teacher and is married to Iain Goodridge. Nan is working on a Ph.D. in piano at Louisiana State University. John Robert is married to Danyelle.
Rev. Hank Ellington, Associate Pastor
hank(at)calvarybaptistchurch.com
Associate Pastor Hank Ellington was called to Calvary’s staff in May 1993 as Minister of Education. A Louisville native, Rev. Ellington did the bulk of his undergraduate work at Georgetown College before graduating from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in Communications. He earned a Master of Arts degree at Lexington Theological Seminary.
Rev. Ellington has written more than seventy curriculum pieces for both the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and for Smyth & Helwys Publishing. He has served as a conference leader for the Southern Baptist Convention, the Kentucky Baptist Convention, the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship, and the Elkhorn Baptist Association. He served on the Governor’s Taskforce for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency and has served on the Coordinating Council of the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship.
Hank and his wife Linda, also a Louisville native, met as Georgetown college students. They have been married for thirty-nine years. Linda serves as a Librarian for the Lexington Christian Academy. The Ellington’s have two daughters, Sarah Ellington Hicks, an attorney with Thompson Hine LLP in Cincinnati, and Emily, who has joined the registered nursing staff of the Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington while completing her requirements to become a Pediatric Nurse Practicioner at the University of Kentucky.
Among his responsibilities at Calvary are the teaching ministry of the church, staff supervision, administrative consultation, curriculum development, stewardship education, leading bible Studies for adults, and periodic preaching. Officially retired from thirty years of church softball, Hank enjoys golf, traveling, reading, and his lifelong secular passion – the Kentucky football Wildcats.
Robin Prichard, University Minsiter
robin(at)calvarybaptistchurch.com
Robin is a native of Williamsburg, KY. She attended Transylvania University, Cumberland College, and graduated in 1991 from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy. Robin served as a US-2 missionary for the Home Mission Board where she was a campus minister and directed a resort ministry program. Following her term of service, she continued working with college students as she served as the Student Missions Specialist for the Home Mission Board.
Her ministry experience also includes serving as a Volunteer BSU director for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, serving as children’s minister at First Baptist Church, London, KY, and working for the Alabama Baptist Convention as a campus minister at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Robin comes to Calvary after receiving her Master of Divinity degree from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University. She and Terrell have two daughters, Courtney and Whitley, and one son, Peyton.
Rev. Brian Varble, Minister of Missions and Recreation
brian(at)calvarybaptistchurch.com
Brian Varble has been serving the students at Calvary for the past nine years. Brian is a native of St. Peters Missouri, but he has been in Central Kentucky for the past fourteen years. Brian is a graduate of Cumberland College (1990) and he has his Masters of Religious Education from Southern Seminary (1993). Brian has been in Youth Ministry for 21 years. He has served at New Bethel Baptist Church in Hardinsburg, KY, South Venice Baptist Church, Venice, FL, and Immanuel Baptist Church, Frankfort.
Brian and his wife Tammy, another Cumberland graduate, have two children, Brandon, 14, and Andrew, 10. Tammy works for Kentucky Housing Corp in Frankfort. Brian enjoys baseball, The University of Cincinnati Bearcat Basketball (Until March), and spending as much time with family.
Rev. Carrie Beth Tonks, Minister of Childhood Education
carriebeth(at)calvarybaptistchurch.com
Carrie Beth was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She attended Tennessee Tech University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Following college she attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where whe received a Master of Arts in Religious Education.
After seminary Carrie Beth served in two churches in Texas: First Baptist Church, The Colony and First Baptist Church, Abilene. Carrie Beth has served as Calvary's Minister of Childhood Education since September 1993.
In addition to serving as a minister at Calvary, Carrie Beth enjoys leading conferences and writing for our association, state, and country. In her free time she enjoys fitness walking, camping, reading children’s literature and scrapbooking. Carrie Beth and her husband Ken have two sons, Andrew and Benjamin.
Aaron Austin, Contemporary Worship Leader
aaron(at)calvarybaptistchurch.com
Aaron came to Calvary Baptist Church in August of 2005. He and his wife Melissa are both natives of Richmond, KY. He graduated from Cumberland College in 2000 with a degree in English and a minor in Church Music. Following college, he worked for two years as the Minister to Youth/College Students at First Baptist Church, Williamsburg, KY. In the fall of 2002 Aaron and Melissa moved to North Carolina to begin Seminary at Gardner-Webb Divinity School. While in North Carolina, Aaron served as Worship Pastor at Christ Covenant North, and Melissa served as Youth Pastor. Melissa and Aaron continue to work on their degrees at the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky and love on their new daughter Emma Claire.
Aaron currently leads worship for two services at Calvary. He plays guitar and harmonica, and dabbles with piano and bass. He is an avid songwriter, sharing his original music at church as well as local coffeehouses.
Rev. K. Seth Hix, Minister of Music
seth(at)calvarybaptistchurch.com
Rev. Hix came to Calvary as Minister of Music in November of 2007. He earned both his Bachelor (2000) and Master (2002) of church music degrees at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Seth was born and raised in Ozark, Alabama, where his parents served in music ministry for over 29 years until their retirement in 2007.
Before coming to Calvary, Rev. Hix served as Minister of Music at North Riverside Baptist Church in Newport News, Virginia (2003-07). He also served Hillview Baptist Church in Birmingham as Minister of Music & Minster of Youth and First Baptist Church of Abbeville, Alabama, as Minister of Music & Youth. His ministry experience also includes serving in various capacities at Mountain Brook Baptist Church, Dawson Memorial Baptist Church and Independent Presbyterian Church, all in Birmingham.
Seth's wife, Genelle, is employed by Central Baptist Hospital as a registered dietitian in the Diabetes Education program. The Hix family experienced a recent expansion as they welcomed their first child, Caleb, on March 2, 2009. In addition to his love of music and worship, Seth enjoys spending time with family, traveling and playing/watching just about any sport, but especially playing church softball and following Atlanta Braves baseball.
Dr. Richard Landon, Minister of Pastoral Counseling
rlandon(at)interfaithcounselingcenter.org
Dr. Richard Landon is the Director of Interfaith Counseling Center and Minister of Pastoral Counseling at Calvary Baptist Church. He is a Pastoral Counselor (AAPC), Spiritual Director (SDI), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (AAMFT), Marriage Enrichment leader (ACME), Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Formation at the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky and Chaplain of Lexington Theological Seminary.
He and his wife, Judy, are Member Care Counselors for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionary families in Western Europe. He works with many clergy and/or family members. He also does spiritual direction.
Dr. Kevin Raybuck, Organist / Information Services Director
kevin.raybuck(at)gmail.com
Dr. Kevin Raybuck holds degrees from Asbury College and the University of Kentucky in piano and composition / theory. His organ teachers include Schuyler Robinson and Gerre Hancock (of Westminster fame.) He is an active composer and arranger for Calvary and other ensembles. His compositions have been performed in Europe as well as the US. A native of the Punxsutawney Pennsylvania area and ordained to the Gospel Ministry in 2009, he has served our Lord through Calvary since 1991.