Staff

Tom Goebel, Senior Minister

We welcomed our new minister and his wife during the chaos and devastation of the April 27 tornado. They jumped right into recovery efforts and have been instrumental in facilitating our relationship with Week of Compassion and its recovery efforts in Tuscaloosa.

Tom has been married to his wife, Sue, for 26 years. Both were born and raised in Massachusetts. They have two grown daughters, Paula, who lives with her husband and two children in upstate New York, and Renae, who lives with her husband and two children in Rhode Island.

Tom's formal education consists of a Certificate in Mechanical Design from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After graduation he worked for 15 years as a mechanical designer in the military and medical fields.

Upon his calling to Christian ministry he attended Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy. He then was accepted to Brite Divinity School (Texas Christian University) in Fort Worth, Texas where he earned my Master of Divinity degree in December 2002. Since his ordination he has served churches in Massachusetts and North Carolina.

Since 2007 Tom has served as a search and rescue pilot in the United States Air Force Auxiliary, as well as a chaplain for the Air Force. He currently holds the rank of Captain. He received two unit commander's citations and one unit citation for successful rescue work during national disasters. Tom also served as a volunteer police department chaplain in North Carolina.

From 2008 through 2010 Tom hosted and preached on a weekly radio show he started on a regional radio network in North Carolina.

His outlook on the Church and ministry is: With a mustard seed of faith we can say that the best years of any church lie ahead. Therefore, we in the church need to plan and prepare for the Christian tasks that are being assigned to us by God. To accomplish these tasks, the mission of any church ought to be tied directly to the central tenets of our faith: "Love your God with all your mind, heart, and soul, and love your neighbor (local and global) as yourself." The mission of the church, therefore, must always be connected directly to this commandment. Like spokes are connected to the hub of a wheel, our mission (spokes) must be connected to the hub (commandment to love). Keeping this as the church's principle will assure that we remain on course, faithful, and within God's Will.

Both Tom and his wife Sue enjoy woodworking, crafts, and cruising on the boat Tom recently built, or in our 1965 Ford Falcon. They also take great pleasure in traveling in their motor home. Tom enjoys flying when I get the opportunity as well as enjoying various kinds of music and plays a variety of instruments, while also making a joyful “noise” when he sing. Sue and Tom take a great pleasure in traveling, whether it is day trips or across national borders, and are partial to exploring “off the beaten path” sites.

Ron Montgomery has been the choir director/organist at First Christian Church for almost 30 years. He is a retired teacher/principal who is still teaching 6th grade. He is married to Brenda and is active in the Barbershop Harmony Society International.