Meet the Pastoral Team

Rev. Tim Phillips, lead pastor

Rev. Tim Phillips

The Reverend Tim Phillips was ordained in 1981 and served churches in Michigan and Illinois before being called to Chicago Theological Seminary as Director of Admissions in 1994. During his service there, Tim became convinced that empowering people's gifts is central to the work of a spiritual community. In 1996, Tim was called by University Baptist Church to Seattle where he served until Seattle First Baptist Church called him as lead pastor in February 2009. Tim has studied at Grand Rapids Baptist College (B.A.), the University of Chicago Divinity School, Chicago Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and the Pastoral Leadership Program at Seattle University's School of Theology and Ministry. Tim was admitted to a Doctor of Ministry program at Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School in the fall of 2008.

Ned Allyn Parker, pastor

Ned Allyn Parker

Ned Allyn Parker joined the pastoral team in September 2010 as our Children, Youth, Young Adult, Singles and Families pastor. Ned recently graduated with honors from Andover Newton Theological School and was the recipient of the R. Dean Goodwin Award for Excellence in Communication. For the past two years Ned has served Andover Newton as the Assistant Director of Recruiting in the Offi ce of Admissions, where he has worked to diversify the student body in order to build a community that more accurately reflects our pluralistic world. Ned has diverse experience in ministry which includes having been a member of the Network of Biblical Storytelling since he was six years old, working as the assistant director of three Baptist summer camps, serving as the first chapel steward for Andover Newton's new Wilson Chapel (built in 2007), serving as an interim minister, and beginning a multi-faith spiritual life office on a residential college campus -for this last, he was recognized with Hampshire College's Blair Brown Award for Staff Excellence.

He has also been a fire fighter, dabbled in triathlons and travelled throughout our global community - including a stint as a short-term missionary to the Dominican Republic. He and his wife, Samara, an educator and naturalist, share their home with two rather large dogs, Bear and Gus.

Rev. Catherine Fransson, pastor

Rev. Catherine Fransson

The Reverend Catherine Fransson, M.A.T., M.Ed., M.Div.-1999, an experienced counselor, brings to her preaching and spiritual direction life-long faith and a commitment to empower others. Her ministry centers on spiritual direction, preaching, retreats, labyrinth, and collegial leadership of this congregation. Ordained in 2000, she completed the Pastoral Leadership Program at Seattle University's School of Theology and Ministry in 2008, and has recently been named a fellow in the College of Pastoral Leaders (2009-2011) at Austin Theological Seminary. Fransson teaches Pastoral Care Skills at the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University.

Rev. Craig R. J. Darling, pastor

Rev. Craig R. J. Darling

The Reverend Craig R. J. Darling, originally from Michigan, was the founding Executive Director of the Esther Davis Center in Chicago and was called by Seattle First Baptist Church in 1993 to organize a similar nonprofit outreach agency called Companis.

As Companis Executive Director, Darling's primary pastoral responsibilities are in the area of community networking, vocational discernment/call counseling and outreach.

In addition to serving American Baptist Churches in Michigan and Illinois, Darling served the national staff of the American Baptist Churches, USA as its Director of Mission Promotion and Fund Development in the American Baptist Region of Metro Chicago. Darling was educated at Lincoln Christian College & Seminary, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, Integrated Family Therapy Institute of Chicago and The Institute for Organizational Management, Notre Dame University.

Rev. David Kile, (former pastor - retired)

Rev. David Kile

The Reverend David Kile officially retired in January of 2007 but has accepted additional responsibilities for a time. His main ministry is with seniors, offering retreats, outings, and regular pastoral calls to the homebound. His caring and compassion have been a great source of strength for everyone in the congregation. He consistently offers thoughtful guidance and support for all the programs of the church. His knowledge of this community is an invaluable resource, and his welcoming smile has drawn many newcomers over the years, who are no longer strangers.