First Baptist Church

The Reverend Dr. David Henry has been in pastoral ministry for 30 years serving parishes in rural, suburban and urban settings in California, Missouri, Idaho and Utah. He specializes in working with congregations seeking a new future: Transformational Conflict Mediation and Visioning & Renewal of congregations. He has consulted with numerous churches of various denominations in the Intermountain West. He is cofounder of the Intermountain Leadership Institute and the annual Salt Lake Preaching Conference for the Western U.S.

He has a particular interest in congregational leadership in the post-modern/post-Christian church. His doctoral studies focused on revitalizing congregations. He has published a dozen articles on leadership, administration, and congregational renewal. He has also written about theological themes in contemporary fiction and film.

He and wife Donna love the seashore and the mountains. They are natives of California but have made Salt Lake their home for the past 15 years. They have three adult children and six grandchildren.

Dennis McCracken, a native of Twin Falls, Idaho, moved to Salt Lake City in 1999. In Twin Falls, he was the Church Administrator, Organist, and Director of Music at an Episcopal Church for nine years.

He became our Organist in December 2002, and the Church Administrator in September 2004. He has an extensive history of church and choral music, musical theater, and barbershop singing.

Dennis is also a locally acclaimed floral designer, in the business of which he has been for over 35 years. He arranges the floral decorations in the sanctuary on special occasions. He also gives piano lessons in his spare time.

Beth Bruce has been attending First Baptist Church since 1998. She has been a member of The Sweet Adelines International Singers since 1971, and received the 1998 MENC/Sweet Adelines International Music Educator Award.

Her great amount of experience with music education and barbershop singing includes a career as a K-6 Elementary School Music Teacher in Idaho. She also directed the award-winning Idaho Falls Chorus for over a decade.

She now teaches at her private vocal studio, teaches 6th grade at Parkside Elementary School, directs the Cathedral Choir here at First Baptist Church, and sings Tenor with the quartet Rainbow Collection.

With over 30 years of experience, she brings quite a variety of talent to the Mountain Jubilee Chorus, which she also currently sings in.

Bob Brown started coming to First Baptist Church in 1990. Shortly thereafter, Pastor Stan Smith asked him if he would like to clean the church and maintain the floors. Eventually, he got to the point of leading the Property and Facilities Ministry Team.

Bob has been married to his wife Lil for over 30 years. They have two children: Ben and Emily, and two dogs. He loves to work on his lawn and maintain the pond in their backyard, which holds many fish and frogs.