Leadership

Dr. Trent Bullock began serving as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church on February 9, 2009. He is a graduate of Union University (B.A., 1988), New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv., 1991) and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin., 2006). Before coming to Paris, he served as Pastor of First Baptist Church in Halls, Tenn., (1998-2009) and as Associate Pastor/Minister of Education of First Baptist Church in Dresden, Tenn., (1991-98). He and his wife, Lori, have two adult daughters, Meredith (Logan) and Megan (Parker), and three grandchildren, Maverick, Lilah, and Anderson. His hobbies include spending time with his family, working in the yard, and watching sports (especially Kentucky Wildcat basketball). You can reach him by email at tbullock@fbcparis.org

Rev. Jeremy O'Neal began his ministry at First Baptist Church on February 26, 2018. Bro Jeremy previously served at First Missionary Baptist Church in Benton, KY (1999-2003), Springhill Baptist Church in Paris, TN (2003-2010), and First Baptist Church in Covington, TN (2011-2018). Before surrendering his life to full-time vocational ministry, Bro Jeremy taught choral music at Inman Middle School and Henry County High School in Paris, TN, at Wm J. Brennan High School in San Antonio, TX, and at Tipton Christian Academy in Covington, TN. Bro Jeremy holds Bachelor (2002) and Master (2006) of Music Education degrees from Murray State University. He and his wife, Lauren, have three children, Shannon, Katelyn and Aiden. In his free time, Bro Jeremy enjoys working in the yard, playing golf, basketball, pickleball, and fishing.

Dr. Kenneth J Schultz serves as the Associate Pastor of Biblical Counseling. Prior to following God’s call to FBC Paris, Pastor Ken served as the Lead Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Randolph, NY for ten years. He is a seasoned counselor who enjoys teaching and training others towards excellence in biblical counseling. Serving the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors as a Fellow, he grades exams and supervises people towards certification. Pastor Ken earned his MDiv from Baptist Bible Seminary of Clarks Summit, PA (’09) and a DMin from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary of Louisville, KY (’16).
He has been married to Rhonda since 1995, and they have three children: Jonathan, Matthew, and Mark. He loves the Lord Jesus and spending time with his family. Pastor Ken also enjoys exercising, movies, chicken wings, and beach vacations!

Mr. Stephen (Bunz) Burns began serving as the Minister of Students at First Baptist Church on March 15, 2025. A native of Clifton, Tennessee, Stephen is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin (B.S., 2009). Before joining the ministry team at FBC, he worked with Foundation Bank, where he built strong relationships with his colleagues and community.
Stephen is married to Carrie Burns, a Henry County native, and together they have three sons: Max, Tagg, and Will. In his free time, Stephen enjoys engaging in athletics, helping coach his son’s rec teams, and  spending time with family.

Mrs. Angela began serving as Director of Middle School & Children at First Baptist Church on August 1, 2006. Beginning August 2019, she is now serving as Director of Children's Ministries. She is a graduate of Union University (B.S. 1993) and The University of Memphis (M.S. 1996). Prior to coming on staff at FBC, Mrs. Angela worked for the public school systems in Henry County, Jackson and Humboldt, Tennessee. She is married to her husband, Rod James, a Henry County native. The couple have two grown children, Kaity Beth (Hunter) and Drew (Leah). Her hobbies include spending time with her family, watching and participating in all kinds of sports, hanging out with kids of all ages and looking forward to trips to the beach.

Mrs. Shirley Braden has served as the Director of Senior Adults at FBC Paris since 2007. She graduated as salutatorian from Henry High School, and she went on to earn a B.S. in Education from Union University and a M.S. in Education from The University of Tennessee at Martin. Her love for school and learning led to her working forty-six years as a high school teacher. Now, Shirley works with “keenagers” (senior adults) with the same love and enthusiasm as she did with teenagers.
While at Union University she met Doug Braden, and they married. The couple has been blessed to travel to and serve in many churches in Madison, Gibson, Carroll, and Henry counties. They have one adult daughter, Kim, who is married to Michael Denman, and they have two grandchildren, Nelson and Braden Clare.