Pastor Chris and Julie Baker
Meet Pastor Chris:
After studying to become a special education teacher at Illinois State University, Pastor Chris began his career in Champaign Unit 4 schools working with students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders. From there he worked in a variety of public schools as well as Christian and secular residential centers before becoming a Vocational Coordinator for individuals with disabilities and mental illness at Hammitt Junior-Senior High School in Normal, IL.
At the beginning of his career, Pastor Chris came to know the Lord and became very active in different ministries of his local church which included teaching adult Sunday School, working as an AWANA Commander, helping in teen ministry, preaching in retirement communities and many other volunteer experiences. In 2012, feeling led to pastoral ministry, Chris began attending Maranatha Baptist University for graduate school and finished the degree in the Spring of 2016.
Pastor Chris began an internship at Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Urbana, and was called to pastor Heyworth First Baptist Church in September 2014. In June of 2016 he was called to pastor at First Baptist Church of Le Roy, IL. In 2018, FBC began working with the Heart of Hope House in Le Roy to provide space for an expanded food pantry to the community which blessed many families. In June of 2019, Pastor Chris was called to come to Wisconsin to pastor First Baptist Church of Hillsdale, to continue his ministry there and to serve the community in the name of Jesus.
Pastor Chris is the grateful husband of Julie Baker, the proud father of five (Evelyn, William, Hudson, Samantha, and Elliot), and is honored to serve the families of First Baptist Church of Hillsdale and to declare the goodness of Jesus to our community. Personally, he enjoys powerlifting, reading and writing, and spending time with his family outdoors. He is the Head Coach for the Bloomer Iron Hawks Powerlifting team, a volunteer fire fighter in Dallas, WI, and works with the Special Olympics of Barron County as a coach. He is also a board member for Camp Chetek in Chetek, WI.
A Personal Note From Pastor Chris:
When I was a field-based student in college, I was matched with a 4th grade teacher who was a believer and who witnessed to me. She gave me books, tracts, and would invite me to church though I had little interest. Eventually she asked a church in the town I was living to visit me. After keeping them on my doorstep three separate times I did eventually let them in and later set up a Bible study with one of the men. To my surprise (and everyone else) a little over a month later I became extremely convicted of my sin and asked God to forgive me and save me, which he did! It was on February 23, 2008 at around 9pm. I woke up the next morning as a different person, and from that point forward I knew the Bible was true and that Jesus was the only true way to salvation.
About a year after my conversion I heard a message from the Scripture where Paul made the statement ‘For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!’ And during that message I began to weep because I had the same internal struggle and pull, the same woe, that if I did not preach the Gospel then I would burst! In the same way it was necessity, not just desire, that motivated me. I could do nothing else but give myself to that call.
From that time I took counsel into what I should do and became even more involved in the local church ministry than I already was, with emphasizing opportunities to teach…young, old, small groups, the homeless mission, our church’s addictions meeting, etc. Then after ministering for a time at Victory Academy for Boys, I began pursuing a seminary degree at Maranatha, and two years into my graduate degree I became licensed, then ordained once I completed my studies.
I am sure many might ask, why Hillsdale? In all honesty, it was the Lord knowing me better than myself. Our family just feels this church and community is the right place for us, like a hand in a fitted glove. There is no reason outside of His direct call for us to be here.
But I do love the closeness of small communities and more rural situations, being from a village of 300 in Illinois. I feel that I have the kind of personality that is easy to approach and friendly. I deeply care about those who the world would consider ‘fly-over’, recognizing that in 1 Corinthians, God exalts what the world considers low and brings low what the world considers important and wise. It is in the simplicity, the values, the family-focus, and the connection to nature that attracts us to this place, but also the people who Jesus has called to be a church here. We are excited to serve and grow together here in the Lord.
Pastor Chris Baker