Our Ministry Team
Rev. Stacy Nowell – Senior Pastor
Stacy came to First Baptist Huntersville in May of 2015. She is a graduate of Baylor University with a B.A. in religion and a minor in family studies, and she received her Master of Divinity from McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University. Now in the midst of doctoral studies at Duke Divinity School, Stacy is writing her thesis on evangelism and the 21st century American church.
Stacy has previously served at churches including the First Baptist Church of Decatur, GA; the First Baptist Church of Dalton, GA; and Harrisonburg Baptist Church in Virginia. She has also served as a hospital chaplain and has received 5 units of Clinical Pastoral Education.
Her service in the larger Baptist community includes tenures on the national Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Coordinating Council, the CBF Nominating Committee, the Virginia CBF Coordinating Council, the Board of Trustees for the Religious Herald, the Board of Directors for Baptist News Global, and the Board of Visitors for McAfee School of Theology. She currently serves on the Coordinating Council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina as Moderator.
Stacy is married to Luke Nowell, who is also an ordained minister and a McAfee alum. Together, they have two children: Annaliese and Collin. Stacy enjoys crafting and DIY home-improvement projects in addition to spending quality time with her family.
(704) 875-6581 ext. 18
Rev. Tina Burleson – Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Pastoral Care
Tina grew up in Charlotte, NC. She committed her life to Christ at age seven and was nurtured in her faith by parents and many teachers/pastors at church. She answered the call to vocational ministry at 20 years of age and was ordained to the Gospel ministry in 2008. She has completed a BA in Religion from Gardner-Webb University, a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southeastern Seminary, and a Master of Divinity from Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity.
Tina believes that Spiritual Formation is a life-long process which is enhanced by studying the stories of faith in the Bible, by listening to others share about their stories, and by being involved in mission and ministry. She believes that faith is best formed in the context of intergenerational activities and enjoys partnering with other staff ministers to create discipleship opportunities that bring all age groups together.
Tina came to First Baptist in May 1987. Tina focuses on the spiritual formation of adults, pastoral care, and ministry with Senior Adults. Her passion is to help others discover where their story intersects with God’s story and to help them find ways to develop and utilize their spiritual gifts to impact their world for Christ.
In her leisure time Tina enjoys being out in God’s beautiful world by biking, walking, and hiking in National Parks. Her goal is to visit every National Park!
(704) 875-6581 ext. 12
Rev. Kyle Murphy – Associate Pastor for Worship and Youth
Kyle came to First Baptist Church in April 2017. He is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University with a Bachelor of Music and Master of Divinity in Christian Formation. He is currently enrolled at Wake Forest University as a Graduate Student.
Kyle believes worship services are not classified by musical style but are focused on loving God with all our hearts, souls, and minds as well as loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.
As Kyle has said, “the important thing for us to remember is that while I may not love the organ or I may not love the guitar, I love the person sitting next to me who does.’”
Kyle and his wife, Anna, live in the Huntersville community with their daughters Grace and Emma.
704-875-6581 ext. 14
Rev. Rafael Hernandez – Latino Minister
Rafael was born in Venezuela where he studied Pastoral Theology in a Bible Institute and Administration in Instituto Tecnologico UNIR. He served for 14 years as pastor of several churches and Executive Secretary in Venezuela.
For many, Rafael is both a familiar name and a familiar face. He served on FBC-H’s staff team as the Associate Pastor for the Latino Ministry from 2000-2008. He went back as the Latino Minister in November 2017.
He has an MA with emphasis in NT and MDiv, both from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, IL. He also is a candidate for Doctor of Ministry at Drew University (New Jersey).
His strengths include excellent preaching and pastoral care skills. He is a strong Bible teacher and he quickly develops relationships with those under his care. Rafael is also a recognized leader in the larger Latino community, and his knowledge of both Huntersville and First Baptist is a tremendous asset. He is well-connected in the medical as well as social-services community, and these connections will enhance his ability to minister to the needs of the Latino community surrounding FBC-H.
Courtney Ballard, Children’s Ministry Assistant
Courtney Ballard has been serving as the Children’s Ministry Assistant since September 2024, bringing over 10 years of volunteer experience in various roles within youth and children’s ministry, along with 10 years as a classroom teacher. She has also served as a Children and Youth Ministry Intern and Interim Children’s Minister. In addition to her youth and children’s ministry work, Courtney has been involved in women’s ministry, music ministry, and church committee leadership.
She holds a Master of Education from NC State University and a BS in Mathematics and Elementary Education from Campbell University, and she hopes to one day pursue a Master of Divinity/MBA. Courtney is married to Brack, and they have three children—Sophia, Addie Mae, and Xander—and reside in Cornelius, NC.
In her free time, Courtney enjoys spending time with her family on Lake Norman, visiting local parks, and working out.
Jamie Wittner – Church Office Manager
Jamie Wittner began as Office Manager in July 2023.
Jamie has been a resident of the Huntersville area for 20 years; she has 3 children, Anthony, Haley and Austin.
Jamie is continuing her education to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Her career has been in property management, giving her invaluable experience in office management, public / resident engagement and she is skilled with iTranslate for our Spanish speaking community. Jamie is engaging, a good listener, creative, detailed oriented, self-motivated and empathic. Her favorite hobbies are photography, arts and crafts, nutrition education and she enjoys family time.
Covenant Accounting
FBCH has contracted with Covenant Accounting Management, LLC to manage the church’s accounting.
704-875-6581 ext. 16
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