About us

About us

The Gospel

‍We are by nature enemies of God and the only way to be made right with him is through faith in the person and work of Jesus.  This is the Gospel: the good news that God saves sinners through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not only is the gospel the entry point into salvation, it is also what we grow up in to spiritual maturity.  Spiritual growth to maturity is believing the truth of the gospel to a greater and greater degree throughout our lives.  Therefore, we exist as a church because of and for the cause of the gospel – all that we do as a church is centered around the gospel.

Mission

Our mission is to engage in the disciple-making process As followers of Jesus, our primary objective is to make more disciples – to reproduce ourselves as followers of Jesus. As we do this, we join in the disciple-making movement that Jesus began – we are disciples making disciples who make disciples in the context of relationships with others (Matthew 28:19-20).   The disciple-making process modeled by Jesus is: Win the lost, build the believer, equip the worker, multiply the disciple-maker. Making disciples is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus and helping others do the same, wherever they are at spiritually.

‍Disciple-Making Environments

All that we do as a church is aimed at fostering intentional, disciple-making relationships. The environments for disciple-making at our church are the Corporate Gathering, Home Communities and DNA Groups. These three gatherings, working together, are the environment for you to intentionally engage in the disciple-making process – growing to spiritual maturity and helping others do the same.

Corporate Gathering

On Sunday mornings something transcendent takes place as the local expression of Christ’s Church gathers to rehearse and proclaim the gospel through the reading and proclamation of God’s Word, song, prayer, giving, communion and baptism
LFB is in association with Church Venture Northwest.

Meet the staff!

Lead Pastor

Gerald Hutchman (Hutch)

Hutch became our Pastor on September 1, 2023. He and his wife Donna have been attending and serving Lebanon First Baptist since October of 2021. Hutch served as a bi-vocational Sr. Pastor of Salmo Baptist Church in British Columbia, Canada for 17 years. Hutch was also instrumental in establishing a Community Radio Station in Salmo, BC where he hosted a 2 hour Christian radio program (A Positive Note) every Sunday evening, featuring contemporary Christian Artists and time in the Word. Prior to that, Hutch served on the leadership team, music team and taught adult Bible study classes at Crossover Church in Mead, WA for over 10 years. It was there that Hutch was ordained to the Gospel ministry. “I am passionate about teaching the Word of God and seeing others become students of scripture with an eye ALWAYS fixed on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Hutch enjoys building websites (his bi-vocation) and spending time in his woodworking shop doing house renos and building furniture.

Office Manager

Dana Darling

Dana grew up in Lebanon. She attended Multnomah School of the Bible after graduation. As a young adult starting her family she lived in Tacoma, Parkdale, Portland, Welches and finally returned to Lebanon in 2001 when she began attending First Baptist as a single mom with four kids. Dana has worked with special needs children and their families in the public schools and as a caregiver. She has been a cook at Camp Tadmor for many summers. Dana is excited to be joining the staff to serve our church family in the role of office manager.

Youth Ministry

Chris Bartmess

Chris grew up in Milwaukie Oregon. Attended Corban university in Salem Oregon in 2011 where he met his wife Bridget. They have 3 kids. Chris and Bridget both worked at Camp Tadmor and love working with youth. Chris has a degree in elementary education and youth ministry.

Children's Ministry

Angie Hearn

Angie grew up in Brush Prairie, Washington. She spent 4 years with Operation Mobilization where she met her husband, Adam. She started attending LFB in 2010 and came on staff in 2018. Angie has four young daughters who she loves spending time with. All are currently in kids ministry which makes her job very near to her heart. She is passionate about helping kids understand the gospel of Jesus.

Facilities Manager

Lucas Fitchett

Lucas grew up in Lebanon and attended LFB ever since he could remember. He joined staff in the Summer of 2021. He enjoys playing indoor soccer, lifting weights, working on and driving is 2001 Mazda Miata, go karting, and runs Fitchett Web Design on the side.

Elder

Adam Hearn

At 37, I proudly serve as an Elder in our church, with a genuine eagerness to welcome every new member into our fold. My passion for ministry extends beyond my Elder role—I team up with the kids ministry, mentor as a youth leader, and contribute to the worship team. Anchored by my wife, Angie Hearn, the director of our kids ministry, we are parents to four wonderful daughters. My journey started in Canada, led me to four years of maritime missions with Operation Mobilization, 5 year serving as the director at Camp Tadmor, and is now rooted in a sincere wish for all to discover a personal relationship with Jesus. You will find me in the community running trails, playing hockey, golf, and soccer, helping coach MS cross country and youth soccer. I look forward to meeting you.