Deron and Sandy have been at First Baptist Church for 30 years. They met in Springfield, MO, while attending Bible college and have been married for 37 years. They have three children—DJ (married to Leah), Cody (married to Megan), and Elizabeth “Izzy” (married to Austin Francis)—and nine grandchildren, with one on the way. Deron holds a BS in Bible and Youth from Baptist Bible College, and Sandy has an Elementary Education degree from the same school. She works for the Silver Lake School District. After four years as a youth pastor in Ash Grove, MO, Deron felt called to pastor in 1992. He and Sandy started Silver Lake Community Church, which later merged with First Baptist Church. Under their leadership, the church grew from 50 members and has seen God’s blessings over the last 25 years. Deron and Sandy are grateful to be part of God’s work at First Baptist Church. They call this community home and look forward to serving here for years to come, trusting in Psalm 127:1: “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.”