Staff
Julie Pennington-Russell
Senior Pastor | jpr@firstbaptistdc.org
Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell (known by many as “Pastor Julie”) has served as Senior Minister of the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC since January of 2016. Before coming to Washington, she led churches in Decatur, GA; Waco, TX and San Francisco, CA, and was the first woman to serve as senior pastor of a Baptist church in the state of Texas. Julie earned her B.A. from the University of Central Florida in Orlando and her M.Div. from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif. Her messages have been featured on the television broadcast 30 Good Minutes, Day-1 Radio and at the Festival of Homiletics.
Julie is a pilgrim on the contemplative path and is co-director of the Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership Program for the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington, D. C. As a spiritual director, Julie loves “companioning” people as they become more and more attuned to God’s Spirit in their spirit. Julie has participated in and led contemplative pilgrimages to Assisi, the U.S./Mexico border, and Abiquiu, New Mexico.
Julie is married to Tim Pennington-Russell, a techie and occasional poet and bass guitar player. They have two young adult children, Taylor and Lucy. Great Dane Charlie completes the family. Julie reports that because of their ridiculously long last name, many people simply refer to the family as “The P-Rs”.
Read Julie’s reflection on her childhood in her poem, I Am From Unhurried Talkers.
Eric Mathis
Associate Pastor | eric@firstbaptistdc.org
Pastor Eric began his tenure at the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC in October 2021. Before coming to First Baptist, he was a teacher and administrator in Christian higher education and served on the pastoral staff of multiple congregations across the United States.
An ordained Baptist minister, Eric holds degrees in music and theology. He has been active as a teacher, preacher, worship leader, musician, writer, and consultant. With Lester Ruth of Duke Divinity School, he is co-author of Leaning on the Word: Worship with Argentine Baptists in the Mid-Twentieth Century (Eerdmans, 2017). His most recent publication, Worship with Teenagers: Adolescent Spirituality and Congregational Practice, was published by Baker Academic in Spring 2022.
When not at church, Eric enjoys running, cooking, and a strong cup of coffee. He finds respite in the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, and at his family’s home on Kentucky’s Lake Barkley. He will be forever disappointed that his favorite on-screen family – Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis Rose – didn’t see a seventh season.
Dave Ryder
Executive Director of Operations | dave@firstbaptistdc.org
Dave Ryder is Executive Director of Operations. As Executive Director of Operations, Dave has responsibilities in administration, facilities, and finances.
Dave is no stranger to First Baptist, having been a member since 2007. While at First Baptist, he has served on the personnel team and as clerk, treasurer, stewardship chair, moderator, and co-leader of the Facilities Improvement Team (FIT) project.
Dave retired from the financial services industry in March after 43 years of service. For the past 28 years, he was at Wells Fargo, most recently as Senior Vice President and Director of Government and Institutional Non-profit Banking. Prior to that, Dave spent 15 years at what is now Truist Bank.
Dave has two adult sons: Charles Jacob, who is married to Viktoria Khaitina, and Graham Christian. Charles and Viktoria are parents to Dave’s grandson, Ilya Bradley Khaitin-Ryder. Dave is a self-described bibliophile who does his best to keep up with 6-year old Ilya, looks forward to getting back into the gym, and visiting the DC History Center.
Frank Van Atta
Director of Music | frank@firstbaptistdc.org
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Frank Van Atta began his tenure as Director of Music at First Baptist in September 2024. In addition to his work at FBCDC, Frank concurrently serves as Director of Choral Music and Organist at the National Cathedral and St Albans Schools in Washington, DC.
Before his appointment, Van Atta served as Director of Upper School Choirs at Germantown Friends School and Co-Artistic Director of Commonwealth Youthchoirs, both located in Philadelphia. Choirs under his direction have sung across five continents and collaborated with leading ensembles such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia, and many others. Van Atta received his master's degree in Choral Conducting from Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance and his bachelor's degree in Organ Performance and Choral Music Education from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Frank warmly invites anyone looking to share their musical gifts as part of this central ministry at First Baptist. Those wishing to learn more can contact him at frank@firstbaptistdc.org
Mia Owens
Interim Co-Coordinator of Children and Youth Ministries | mia@firstbaptistdc.org
Mia Owens is excited to serve at FBC and create opportunities for youth to learn and grow in fellowship. Mia has fond memories of attending Wednesday night youth activities and participating in the youth choir and orchestra at her hometown church in Birmingham, Alabama. Through opportunities both alongside church ministry and in service to community, she has experience leading K-12 students in worship, small groups, and outdoor recreational activities.
In 2021, Mia moved to Washington, DC to pursue her interests in community history and culture. She earned a M.A. in History with a concentration in Public History at American University in 2022. During her graduate studies, Mia began interning at the 1882 Foundation to conduct research on the history of DC's Chinese American community. In 2022, she began working as a program associate with the 1882 Foundation to organize and facilitate events such as lectures, panels, film screenings, and children’s programs related to Asian American history and culture. In addition to assisting the 1882 Foundation with research and programs, Mia currently works as a curatorial assistant at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
Julia Bradley
Interim Co-Coordinator of Children and Youth Ministries | julia@firstbaptistdc.org
Julia is excited to work with children, youth, and their families at FBC. She has experience working with Christ-followers of all ages through summer programs and internships, as well as participating in vibrant children and youth ministries herself.
Julia is a 2020 graduate of Samford University where she majored in both sociology and religion with a concentration on congregational leadership. During her undergraduate studies, Julia worked closely with the Center of Congregational Resources at Samford University to receive and implement grants from the Lilly Endowment Inc. She also served as the co-director of Q Commons in 2019, organizing a public event in Birmingham, Alabama, on church and culture. Julia has also completed internships at the Association of Religion Data Archives at Penn State University, the Center of Congregational Resources at Samford University, and churches in Montana, North Carolina, and Alabama.
Carolyn B-Roebuck
Interim Children’s Ministry Advisor and Nursery Coordinator | croebuck@firstbaptistdc.org
Carolyn served children and families as the former Director of the First Baptist Child Development Center for 27 years, until its closure in 2020 because of planned construction on FBC’s facilities. Anyone who spends five minutes with Carolyn will see how much she loves every child in her care. She also is a faithful follower of Christ and an active member of St. Augustine Catholic Church here in D.C.
Tim Pennington-Russell
Communications & IT Support | tpr@firstbaptistdc.org
Tim Pennington-Russell joined his wife, Julie, on staff at FBC in the summer of 2016. He brings more than 30 years of experience in communications, augmented by graduate theological degrees and a lifelong commitment to and service in the local church. He earned his B.A. in Music Performance from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ; his M.R.E. and M.Div from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, CA, and studied 3D design at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Tim has worked with various web start-ups and as a Digital Design teacher at Texas State Technical College. He was an interactive designer for the Baylor Mayborn Museum in Waco, TX and served as Communications Designer/Coordinator at Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA.
Tim's guiding mission is to help FBC faithfully communicate how God is transforming individuals, institutions and systems. Along with his weekly work in the office you can find him taking photographs and videos of church events and running FBC’s streaming service each Sunday.
Sean Burns
Organist | sean@firstbaptistdc.org
Sean Burns began his tenure as organist on Sunday, June 4, 2023. Sean is a Philadelphia-area native who relocated to Washington, DC in 2021.
Sean completed formal organ study at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ in 2016, where he studied with Alan Morrison and earned a Master of Music in Organ Performance. Before moving to DC, he served as the principal organist first at Corpus Christi Church and later at Abington Presbyterian Church, both in suburban Philadelphia. He is a recent graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center where he received his Juris Doctor.
When asked what drew him to apply for the organist position, Sean said, "After spending my time as a law student working as a substitute organist, I attended an organ recital at First Baptist and was both immediately struck by the sheer scope of the instrument and reminded of how much I love having a regular place to play on Sundays. I resolved to start looking for positions after the new year, and as fate would have it, the very first posting I saw was the position at First Baptist."
Beyond the walls of the church, Sean has used his extensive love and knowledge of opera to serve as an accompanist for young singers who are either pursuing upper-level studies or who are at the forefront of a professional career. At the academic level, Sean has worked with voice students at Westminster as well as Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. Professionally, he worked at Sarasota Opera House in Florida along with the summer programs CoOPERAtive in Princeton, NJ and Canto in Louisville, Kentucky.
Sean loves getting to know the people of First Baptist, and adding to First Baptist’s creative, thoughtful, and extensive use of music in worship.
Dr. Lawrence P. “Lon” Schreiber
Music Minister Emeritus | lschreiber@firstbaptistdc.org
Lawrence P. “Lon” Schreiber has served as a pastoral musician in Washington, D.C., for more than sixty-two years. In an age where the average church musician tenure is three years, his long service among two congregations in sacred music is celebrated by many including The First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., National City Christian Church, the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, the greater Washington, D.C. music community, and the hundreds of musicians Schreiber has supported and encouraged throughout the years.