• BIBLE - We teach God’s Word and follow it as the sole authority for what we believe and practice.
• PRAYER - We encourage prayer as a vital part of our individual and corporate relationship with the Lord and other believers.
• PEOPLE - We reach out to our community and world in culturally relevant ways to develop fully-devoted disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• STEWARDSHIP - We recognize that God owns all that we have and that we are to be wise stewards of the time, talents, and resources He lends us to manage.
• EXCELLENCE - We maintain quality and strive to attain excellence in all aspects of our mission and ministry.

PREAMBLE:
These By-Laws are adopted, ordained, and established for our government and plan of worship and service.  They are meant to implement the provisions of the Constitution and Articles of Incorporation.  Thus, no by-law shall be effective that is contrary to those two instruments.

Due to the confusion surrounding certain issues in Christianity and society, this church takes the following positions in some of these areas. While these positions will not be tests for fellowship or service, they will be the position publicly taught by the church and encouraged by its leadership.

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

Baptized at the age of twelve, Gary Taylor started pastoral training at birth.  The son of Rev. & Mrs. Horace Taylor, Gary observed first hand the duties, joys and sorrows of a pastor.  When he entered Philadelphia College of Bible, now PBU, he had already recognized his calling and seminary training was a part of the plan.

 While in college, he met Lois Brown, another Pastor’s Kid.  After graduation, with a BS in both Music and Bible, Gary and Lois were wed in July 1978.  Immediately after the wedding, the couple headed west to Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, OR, where Gary received his Master of Divinity in 1982. 

After leaving seminary, Gary became Pastor Taylor when he accepted the appointment at Central Baptist Church in Millerstown, PA.  He served at Central Baptist until accepting the pastoral yoke at First Baptist of Morrisville in 1989.  He also added to his spiritual challenges in 1989 when he became a chaplain in the PA Army National Guard.  He has served in Kosovo and is scheduled to deploy to Iraq sometime in the fall of 2008.   

Gary is the proud father of five and shepherd to many more.  I proudly call him pastor.

My salvation story is not that of most church leaders. In contrast, the Lord used my years of complete rebellion against God to form me into the man that I am today. 

In January of 1987, alone at home, I told God that I knew that I was a sinner and that Jesus died for my sins. I asked Jesus to forgive me. I knew something happened to me. The emptiness and loneliness I had tried to fill with all kinds of worldly pleasures had left. I cried because I never knew this type of joy. The Lord changed my heart. I am now a new creature because I am in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Ken and Dee were led to First Baptist Church of Morrisville in 1989. Ken began to serve in Awana and then went on to lead youth group. Ken could see in God's church the people that were hurting inside and deeply wanted to help them. God led him to use his own life’s experience to start a Christ-centered support group for addiction and compulsive behaviors called “New Beginnings”. Ken also led discipleship groups, membership classes and also went on to begin and direct the church ministry of small groups.

Ken went on to become an Elder and licensed to preach following a conformation interview by First Baptist Church of Newtown’s pastor and elders.

In 2007 while continuing his responsibilities as Elder, he was also hired as Pastor of Assimilation and Small Group Ministries. 

Life Verse: John 3:3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Through God’s grace, I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in August 1993 and started attending First Baptist Church of Morrisville about two months later. I originally planned to come here for just two weeks and then check out other churches in the area; however, the church was just starting a new believer’s classes which I felt would be beneficial for me. I stayed for those classes, fell in love with the people here at the church and never left.

I have participated in and led numerous ministries at the church and I was confirmed as an elder in January 2003. My passion is to point people to Jesus as their only hope, and to then disciple them in their spiritual journey as they follow Him. I believe Christians are called to tell the world about Jesus not only by what they say, but by how they live their lives.

I am currently on sabbatical in order to raise support for our family to be missionaries for Jesus in Sweden.

Favorite verse: “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8 NASB)