Meet Us
Faith Baptist Church
St. Mary, PA
Our Church Founding
In 1977, Mike Hall, a young youth pastor from Curwensville, PA, heard about the need for an independent church in the city of St. Marys and believed that God would have he and his wife make some inquiries to see if there was any interest in such an endeavor.
Having made contact with a few people and began to meet on Thursday evenings until they were able to rent space in a local restaurant and begin Sunday services. Pastor Hall and his family moved to St. Marys in June of 1977 and on July17th they met for their first Sunday service at the Twin Springs Diner. On October 23, 1977 the church had it’s organizational meeting and formally organized the church, signed their charter and called Pastor Hall as the first pastor of Faith Baptist Church.
The desire of FBC has ever been to proclaim the Word of God and to provide a sense of community where people can be introduced to a God of grace and be led to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith Baptist Church, St. Marys
Meet Our Team
Rev. Don Hunter & Jewel Hunter
Pastoral Couple
Don Hunter served as a Senior Pastor with his wife Jewel with the Christian and Missionary Alliance from 1989 through 2019. They served congregations in Beaverdale, PA, Brandon, FL, and Ridgway, PA. During a short period in the late ‘90’s, they helped plant a Vineyard Church in northwestern Georgia.
Don was ordained in 1991 in Deltona, Florida. While pastoring in the C&MA, Don also ministered twice as a conference speaker at Mahaffey Family Camp, and as a speaker at 3 Pastors’ Conferences in the Dominican Republic. He served as District Chaplain for other pastors in the northeastern territory of the Western PA District from 2015 through 2020, and has served as a volunteer Pennsylvania State Police Chaplain since 2017.
Jewel has also participated in leading Pastors’ Wives Conferences both in and out of country (California, Pennsylvania, and Dominican Republic). She enjoys using Creative Arts, especially in Worship, and participating in and leading various prayer & intercession ministries. She especially enjoys sharing her love through cooking.
Over their years in ministry, Don & Jewel have learned the joy of doing ministry together as husband and wife. Their greatest joys in ministry have come in those areas in which they partner together, especially in pouring themselves into their leadership.
In mid-June 2019, Don & Jewel took a leave from pastoral ministry so that they could heal up from some difficult circumstances. While out of pastoral ministry, Don served as a part-time Hospice Chaplain in DuBois, PA, and then, beginning in July 2022, he began full-time ministry as a Hospital Chaplain at Penn Highlands DuBois Behavioral Health, which he still does today.
After Pastor Brad Brunner retired from Faith Baptist Church in November 2022, Don helped as part of the team who did pulpit supply for Faith Baptist Church. In February 2023, sensing God’s call, Don submitted his name for consideration as pastor of the church, and was called at the end of March 2023 to be the next pastor at Faith Baptist Church.
Don & Jewel have lived in St. Marys since June 2019, and love the community. They are surprised and excited for the opportunity to minister at Faith Baptist Church, and are looking forward to all that God has in store for us together.
They have 1 adult daughter, Bethany, and 2 fur babies, Mocha and Nutmeg.
Don Hunter
Pastor
Tim Valentine
Deacon
Jeff Damerst
Deacon
Ted Kline
Head Deacon
Todd Nester
Trustee, Sound
Paul Blatt
Trustee
Sharon Blatt
Secretary
Worship/Music
Communion
Monthly Communion Together
Fellowship
A Community of Diverse People
Worship
We Worship & Praise Jesus Christ