Welcome to
Prairie Baptist Church
PBC Leadership and Staff
Larry
Baughman
Elder
I was born in Florence, Oregon, in July 1951. Moved to Coos Bay, Oregon when I was old enough to start Junior High school. Graduated Marshfield High School in 1969, went on to SWOCC, and obtained an Associate Degree in Woods Industry Technology. I did not grow up in a Christian home and knew really nothing of the Lord. I went into the Navy after college for four years, with a year off the coast of Vietnam. My ship participated in heavy combat roles. I was married during my military service and for a while after, had a daughter, and was divorced after nine years of marriage. Started work with the United States Forest Service in 1976 in John Day, Oregon, and retired after 34 ½ years. I believe the Lord guided me to my wife Donna of 39 years of marriage and two great kids that know the Lord. Donna helped me a lot before marriage as well as others to realize that there is a God that loves me. All I had to do was say yes to Him. I started in leadership as a Trustee, moved to Deacon, then on to Elder. I have been an Elder for over 25 years.
Mat
Carter
Elder
My family moved to Grant County when I was 13 and I have lived here most of my life since then. I went away to school for a few years and then spent some time working in northern Nevada where I met my wife Jennifer. We married in 1996. We have 3 adult kids that are married, and our youngest daughter is still in school.
We have been going to PBC for about 26 years where I have been an elder for a number of those. Jennifer and I have also helped lead AWANA for many years. I love ranch life and visiting with people. I love my family, being a grandpa, and the Lord Jesus Christ
Joel
Coombs
Elder
I was born in John Day Oregon and grew up as a selfish unbeliever in a Christian home on a ranch east of Prairie City. Not being interested in the ranching lifestyle I picked up skateboarding at a young age and terrorized the community by riding everywhere possible. I lived the skateboarding lifestyle from one adrenaline rush to the next and not caring about anyone but myself.
At the age of 18, just before I was going to move to Portland Oregon to work and skate, my best friend sat me down, and the Holy Spirit used him and my growing depression/distaste with my sin to share the Gospel with me, and I became a Christian by the grace of God.
I moved to PDX and got deeply involved with an outreach ministry to the skateboard community there called SkateChurch where I was discipled in Christ and in ministry leadership for over 20 years.
Early on in my time at SkateChurch, I got laid off from my construction job and, at my dad’s recommendation, spent the summer helping out at Camp Elkanah where I met my wife. We were married in the year 2000, and God has blessed us with 4 children.
In 2018, the Lord provided for my family to move back to the John Day area where we began attending PBC regularly and were able to be closer to my aging parents.
I quickly got involved in leadership and preaching at PBC and became a lay elder in early 2023.
I enjoy being in the Word of God, preaching and teaching at PBC, spending as much time as possible with my family, and running the thriving contracting business the Lord has given me. (I rarely terrorize the community on my skateboard anymore…).
Brian Hardesty
Pastor/Elder
I was born in Bend, OR, and moved to the Portland metro area where I was raised into adulthood. I grew up being somewhat active in the church but did not come to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ until my early twenties. I now joyfully proclaim that I am a sinner who has been mercifully saved by the grace of Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Christ snatched me from the grip of the evil one and adopted me as His own child. In the Lord’s sovereign providence, the Lord called me into pastoral ministry in my mid-thirties. By the Lord’s grace, I have been blessed to be the husband of my precious bride Jamie, and the father of five wonderful children. As Paul says in Philippians 1:21 and Galatians 2:20, I gladly proclaim that my life is no longer my own, but that it is Christ’s.
Marek
Kmiec
Pastor to Poland
I was born in 1965 in Poland. When I was about 20 I managed to leave communist Poland and come over to America for a summer ministry. Then, at the end of 1986, I came to Prairie City for a couple of months before starting my studies at Multnomah Bible College. Upon graduating in 1992, I came to Prairie City and became an associate pastor at PBC. I was ordained a year later and in 1994 was sent by Prairie Baptist Church as a church planter to Poland. I taught at a seminary there for two years, and ever since I have been serving as pastor at a newly formed (1995) church in Wroclaw (southwestern Poland), as well as helping two other new churches (in Poznan and in Gdansk). I enjoy Christian apologetics, natural sciences, and hiking.
Dave
Lewallen
Deacon
I was born in DesMoines Iowa in 1950. In 1963 my family moved to Gresham Oregon where I attended high school and graduated in 1969. I attended Mt. Hood Community College and recieved an associate degree in civil engineering in 1971. After graduation from MHCC I went to work for the Oregon Department of Transportation and spent my 30 year career there working in engineering.
I met my wife Chris in early 1971 and we were married in September of that year. I was 20 and she was 19 years old when we were married. Chris was a believer but I was not raised in a Christian home and knew little about the Gospel. Shortly after we were married I was assigned to an ODOT engineering crew in Condon Oregon to work on a highway project there. We started to attend the Condon Baptist Church where I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
After the completion of the highway project in Condon I was transferred back to the Willamette Valley and we spent many years there working and raising a family. Our daughter, Sheila, was born in 1973. She and her family live in Canyon City. Our son Daniel was born in 1977 and currently lives in Brightwood Oregon.
Unfortunately, we drifted away from our Christian walk during those many years that we lived in the Willamette Valley, pursuing the selfish and foolish ways of this world. After the kids left home and I retired from ODOT we decided to leave the Portland area and moved to The Dalles and later back to Condon where the Lord called us back to Condon Baptist Church where I was finally baptized.
In 2009 we moved to Prairie City to be near to our kids and grandkids and we became members of Prairie Baptist Church. Since we came here we have continued to grow and flourish in our love of the Lord. He is truely a loving and faithful God who, though we spent many years in disobedience, called us back to a loving relationship.
Chris
Lewallen
Deaconess
From early childhood, I attended church and loved God as I understood Him to be. I first heard the Gospel in Good News Club and later accepted Christ in my teens through my friend’s Baptist youth group. Unfortunately, without good discipling my walk was inconsistent and I finally fell into rebellion for many years. Praise God that He pursues His own! In 2005 both my husband and I resubmitted our lives to Jesus Christ. Finally, in these latter years of my Christian walk I am coming to a fuller knowledge of His saving grace through faith. Brought up in a works-based church (and home), it has taken a long time to shake that culture of earning God’s favor. Knowing that I never can has brought me true freedom as I stand in the certain knowledge that God finds me righteous solely based on the finished work Jesus has done for me (and all who trust in Him) on the cross! While I am far from perfect, now I strive to be obedient to His Word out of love and not out of obligation. His love for me prompts my loving obedience and service to Him! Through various trials over the past 10 years or so, I’ve also learned that God is faithful and gives us strength, comfort and endurance to run the race before us. I know that I can trust Him for He is the unchanging, limitless, all-knowing, all-sufficient Sovereign God Almighty--the only One who has the power to create and sustain the universe and everything in it with His word alone. I am grateful that He chose me to belong to Him and I eagerly await the day I can bow at His feet in worship and adoration for who He is and all He has done. In the meantime, I love spending time with Dave, my husband of 52 years, serving God together and enjoying God’s beautiful creation as much as we can--traveling, biking, hiking and exploring the scenic route wherever we are! Dave and I have two grown children, Sheila (Russ) and Daniel (Mayumi) and two granddaughters, Andrea (22) and Leah (20). After the Lord, Dave, family and friends, I am passionate about wildflowers!!!
Jim
McKinley
Deacon
Connie
McKinley
Deaconess
I am a God-fearing child of God. I love Jesus and want to make a difference for Him in this world. I am a wife and mother of 4 adult children and a grandma of 12. 😊 It is my hope to constantly grow and learn and accept that life brings changes. I want to run the race and never give up!
Joe
Bellinger
Youth Group
Jennifer
Carter
Office Manager/Secretary
I grew up in a non-Christian home, but by God's grace, a good friend and her family invited me to church and Awana, when in the 3rd grade, I accepted Jesus as savior and was baptized. I remember the love and care that the ladies of that church showed me during that time. Never underestimate the value of bringing non-churched kids to church! I attended church off and on throughout my teenage years, but it wasn't until after I married my husband Mat in 1996 that we both began to take our faith seriously and rededicated our lives to Christ. We have attended Prairie Baptist Church since 1997. This church body has helped us raise our four children, 3 of whom are now grown and married, mentored me as a young wife and mother, and helped me to grow in the Word and love for Jesus, walked through many trials and triumphs with our family while discipling me to do the same for others. Oh what a privilege and blessing it is to be a part of the body of Christ! Over the years, we have participated and served in various ministries here at PBC. I have served as the secretary since December 2022.