Our Pastor and Elders

Our Pastor and Elders

Pastor Phil is an ordained minister and the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of South Portland, Maine. He is a graduate of New England Baptist Bible College ~ South Portland, Maine ~ (class of 1989) and has resumed his graduate studies.

For seven years, Pastor Phil served as a full-time pastor and for nine years as an interim pastor throughout the Mid-Coast of Maine; helping churches that were in need of healing or just guidance from a gentle shepherd. During his time as an interim pastor, he worked in secular jobs, experiencing the day to day world in which his flocks worked and lived.

Along with his pastoral responsibilities, Pastor Phil serves on two boards: Broken Wing Ministries www.brokenwingministries.com and New England Bible College www.nebc.edu. His experiences and education have uniquely equipped him to serve God’s people as he is able to relate to both the pastoral and congregational needs.

Pastor Phil enjoys fishing, target shooting, motorcycling, but his passion is making disciples. As a former Marine, his motto is “Honor, courage and commitment are ‘corps’ values that build character.” He has been married to Sally (McElroy) for over thirty-five years. They reside in South Portland, Maine. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Pastor Phil’s Doctrinal Statement and Philosophy of Ministry

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Gary Lemont, Chairman of the Elder Board, brings seasoned spiritual experiences to the church family at First Baptist Church of South Portland, Maine.

Having been “born-again” in 1980, Gary furthered his education at the Open Door Bible Institute in Lisbon, Maine during 1987 through 1989, majoring in Old and New Testament studies along with theology courses. As he matured in his walk with the Lord, it became evident that his spiritual gifts are teaching and administration.

Since 1980, Gary has served the Lord and His people through a broad range of ministries with God’s spiritual gifts. Gary has served on the Deacon Board, Constitutional Revision Committee, Pastoral Search Committee, and Visitation Committee. Presently, he is serving as the Chairman of the Elder Board, Adult Sunday school teacher conducting discipleship classes, and Chairman of the Membership Committee preparing people to officially join our fellowship. With his many experiences and God’s grace, Gary truly lives up to his favorite verse – 1^st Corinthians 15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Gary enjoys flying, when the opportunity arises, and remodeling his home in South Portland where he and his wife, Karen, have lived since 1980. Their daughter and son-in-law are proud parents of 3 children.

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Larry Bell has been a member of First Baptist Church of South Portland, Maine since 1980 and continues to serve the Lord and His people with his spiritual gifts of “helps” and “mercy.” Throughout the years, Larry has served as a deacon and a participant on several committees such as the Facility Committee, Finance Committee, and Pastoral Search Committee. Presently, Larry is serving as an Elder, bringing balance to the Elder Board with Scripture and common sense wisdom.

In addition to his ministries, Larry continues to serve on the Board of Trustees of New England Bible College where he has been a member since 1980.

Retired from the Campbell Soup Company, Larry worked in Sales and Marketing for 42 years. His favorite pastime is golf.

Presently, Larry and Audrey, his wife, are living in Scarborough and are enjoying their three children and four grandchildren.

Scott Webber, our fourth elder at First Baptist Church, South Portland. He and his wife, Rae Jean, live in Portland with their 4 children.

He was saved in 1984 in the military through a group called the Navigators. With the close help of a friend and the group, he continued to grow in the Lord.

He met his wife here in Portland in 1987, and they were married in 1989. After graduating from U Mass with a B.A. in Chinese, they both moved to Taiwan where he taught English at a University. They became tent-maker missionaries with the Southern Baptists, and helped in the efforts of a church planting team there.

In 1993, they moved back to Portland, and started a mission church outreach in Kennedy Park called Bayside Community Baptist Church. They disbanded in 1998 as the mother church went though many changes. He decided to leave the mission and stay with them. Soon after, he decided to leave that position with the mother church and took a secular job at Nichols Portland where he still works.

More recently he has become the Youth Pastor at the Chinese Church in Cumberland.  While he teaches in English, Scott is well-versed in the Chinese language.  He has a marvelous gift of teaching and has blessed many. Although not with us every Sunday, he is still an elder here at SPFBC. We support him in his role with the Chinese church and we still get to see him (His missionary work is not overseas).

His wife works at New England Bible College and developed a good relationship with the church upstairs (SPFBC). In 2005, his family started to attend SPFBC. They said that they really felt at home here. About a year later, they joined our family. He has graciously preached here at our church, and he says he is honored to be serving as an elder.