Leadership

Obbie was born and raised in Owensboro, Kentucky. After God showed him the depths of his sin and his need for a Redeemer, Jesus saved Obbie when he was 11 years old. After receiving a Bachelors from the University of Kentucky, Obbie was called to serve as a missionary volunteer in Uganda for 5 months, in Nepal for 6 months, and in Peru for 2 months. During this time, Jesus called Obbie into His ministry. After meeting Kelly on a blind date in 2010, they got married and moved to Louisville, Kentucky where Obbie earned a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Obbie holds a Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and also serves as online adjunct faculty at Luther Rice College & Seminary. He has served churches in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Georgia before coming to Southern Illinois. Obbie's wife Kelly, who is a native of Marion, is an adoption consultant and a super mama to their twins, Roman and Ruby.

Caleb was born and raised in Chester, Illinois. Though raised in the church for most of his childhood, the Lord led him through a wilderness of sin and addiction before graciously awakening him around the age of 20. Then living in Carbondale, Caleb soon became involved in worship ministry and student leadership with a Chi Alpha Campus Ministry, where he met his wife Jennifer in 2012. They were married in 2015 and now have two sons: Everett and Gideon. Caleb earned Bachelor degrees in English Literature and Philosophy from SIUC, and went on to earn a Master’s in Philosophy from the same institution. Since then, he has been working at Shawnee Community College, teaching as an adjunct philosophy professor for Rend Lake College, and has recently responded to a long-standing call to enter into formal ministry. While playing music was a golden cow during his years of wandering, Caleb is so grateful that God has chosen to redeem it as a means of glorifying His name and ministering to His people.

Tim was born and raised in New Athens, Illinois. Most of his career has been spent in some form of media. Tim still works in radio and writes sports for area newspapers. He is also the founder and President of the Board of Directors for Equipping Haiti, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ministering to the impoverished people in Haiti.  Tim and his wife, Amy, have called Marion home since 1998 and joined the Third Baptist family in 2011. Together they have 8 children and 15 grandchildren.