Senior Pastor
Dr. Steven Parker
Dr. Parker has been our senior pastor since February 2008. Prior to serving our congregation, he served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Cotulla and Community Baptist Church in Dublin and the youth pastor of First Baptist Church of Hawley. Along the way our pastor earned a Bachelors of Behavioral Science in Applied Theology from Hardin-Simmons University, a Master’s of Divinity from Logsdon Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Associate Pastors
Raymond Sanchez
Raymond Sanchez joined the staff at First Baptist Church Weslaco in 2013 and currently serves as the Pastor of Worship and Administration at First Baptist Church Weslaco. Raymond holds a Bachelors of Music Education from Baylor University and a Masters of Divinity at Logsdon Seminary.
Pastor Ray also is an adjunct professor at Stark College and Seminary where he teaches a class on one of his favorite subjects - Worship!
Most recently, Pastor Ray wrote a children’s musical for the FBCW treehouse club. He also writes weekly devotionals for the church, hosts the We Are One Worship Podcast, occasionally writes a worship blog, and is working to make his music available for download. You can subscribe to his youtube channel here.
Pastor Luis Rodriguez
Pastor Luis Rodriguez has served as the Spanish Pastor and Missions Pastor at First Baptist Church Weslaco since 2021. He is passionate about helping people encounter Christ and live out their faith in everyday life.
Beyond the walls of the church, Pastor Luis is actively involved in the Weslaco community as a soccer coach and board member for Mid Valley Youth Football Club, where he also coaches at the select team level. He is also a practitioner and instructor at Yusan Taekwondo in Weslaco. Through these spaces, he builds meaningful relationships with families and individuals who may not otherwise engage with the church, creating natural opportunities for conversations about life, faith, and Jesus.
His ministry is shaped by a commitment to relational evangelism, believing that as we share life with others, trust grows and hearts open to the gospel. By walking alongside people and fostering genuine community, Pastor Luis seeks to invite others to “the table”, a place of belonging, conversation, and encounter with the grace of God.
Pastor Luis is married to his wife, Sophia Rodriguez, and together they are grateful to serve and invest in the life of the church and the wider community.
Christopher Cowan
Christoper Cowan joined the staff at First Baptist Church Weslaco in late 2023 and serves as our Youth Pastor. He has a Certificate in Ministry and a Diploma in Ministry from Stark College and Seminary.
Pastor Chris also creates media content for the church and manages the church’s website.
Ministerial Support Staff
Cindy Cortez, Office Manager
Cindy has served God’s Kingdom at FBC Weslaco since 2010. She keeps the office going in the right direction and adds levity to weekly staff meetings. If there is a financial need in the church, Cindy finds a way to meet it - probably taking from the music budget.
Elizabeth Ramirez, Administrative assistant
“Liz” has served at FBC Weslaco since 2014. In addition to coordinating the church calendar and keeping the church up to date with bulletins and social media posts, Liz helps make First Baptist the place where everybody knows your name. If you have visited FBCW at any time, you have probably encountered the smiling face of our Director of First Impressions!
