Fellowship Week Speakers

Alan Fisher has been on staff at OHBC since 1999, where he has invested in the lives of hundreds of students. He is a graduate of Baptist Bible College with a degree in Biblical Counseling. Alan is also an avid outdoorsman and is particularly passionate about duck hunting. Alan and his wife Stephanie have three children.  OHBC called Alan to become the Lead Pastor in October of 2023.   

Joel Byers serves as the Lead Pastor at Central Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. He has served on staff there for 14 years and is passionate about evangelism and seeing those far from Christ grow in their knowledge of Him. Under his leadership, God has blessed the church with a 100% increase in size over the past 4 years. He has been married to his wife, Amanda, for 23 years and has 1 son named Jaxson, whom they adopted from Taiwan. 

David Martin’s story is one of God’s faithfulness and a lifelong calling to share the Gospel wherever the Lord opens a door. He is the founding pastor of Graceway Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he is committed to keeping Christ and the Gospel central in every aspect of ministry. A graduate of Mission University, David has pastored churches in Indiana and Pennsylvania and also serves as the founder and director of On Track Ministries. For more than 28 years, God has allowed him to minister as a motorsports chaplain at local tracks, regional touring series, and major NASCAR and IndyCar events, while helping equip ministry teams across the country. David and his wife, Theresa, have been married since 1981 and joyfully serve the Lord together; they are grateful for their family, including two children and two grandchildren. 

  David Martin is the founding pastor of Graceway Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the founder and director of On Track Ministries. A graduate of Mission University, he has served for more than 28 years as a motorsports chaplain at local tracks and major NASCAR and IndyCar events while helping equip ministry teams across the country. David and his wife, Theresa, have been married since 1981 and joyfully serve the Lord together with a heart for the Gospel and making disciples. 

Chris Highfill is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University with a degree in church ministries. Prior to church planting, Chris worked in youth ministry for 14 years; 13 of those at the same church. 

Chris and his wife Sarah planted Grace River Church in 2015 with coaching from Converge. They were able to launch and have seen the church grow from a small gathering in their living room to an average of 800 almost every weekend. Chris is also the Director of Church Planting for Converge MidAmerica.   

Chris served on the executive board of the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce for 4 years and is a graduate of the Saint Charles County Vision Leadership program. 

Chris met his wife Sarah while in college and they have been married since 2003. They have three children; Ella, Jack and Alle. 

Joey Candillo is a husband, father and pastor. Most importantly he is a child of God. He has been married to Megan since 2005. He has five children. God has allowed him to plant two churches. He planted the Milestone Church, in inner-city Kansas City, in 2002 and he served there for 12 years. In 2014, he planted Grace Church in his hometown of Independence, MO and he currently still serves as lead pastor. He graduated from William Chrisman High School in 1992. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Baptist Bible College in 2002. He is an avid outdoorsman. He loves to hunt and fish. He also serves as the chaplain for the William Chrisman Football Team. When he was growing up Independence was known as the “Meth Capital of the World.” He went to prison in 1997 for selling drugs but became a Christian while locked up. His church is just down the street from the apartment where he used to sell drugs. He went from pushing dope to pushing hope in his hometown. He lives by the motto “THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”  

 While working as Associate Pastor at the Shawnee Mission Baptist Temple in the Kansas City area, Tim and Barbara also ran a printing and publishing business to support their ministry. God used this time to teach them business skills and instill a strong work ethic. During this time, they felt a calling to serve as foreign missionaries. The Downs returned to Mission University to complete their degrees in missions. 

They were confirmed as BBFI Missionaries to Zaire in 1986 and moved to the Ivory Coast in 1993. Over the past 39 years, God has used the Downs to experience some extraordinary mission work. Today, there are more than 75 churches with about 30,000 people in attendance as a result of their ministry. Along with the churches planted, there are 3 Bible Colleges and a network of orphanages and a Manna Nutrition Center. 

Tim and Barbara have three children and six grandchildren. Their daughters are nurses, and their son, Tim, is a missionary in the Ivory Coast.  

Max Kennedy is a church-planting missionary serving in Nicaragua with Baptist Bible Fellowship International (BBFI). He is the founder of Team Epicentro, a growing ministry network focused on church planting, evangelism, discipleship, leadership development, and strengthening local churches. Max is passionate about preaching the gospel, training pastors, and helping churches thrive as they reach their communities for Christ. 

Nate and his wife Rochelle met on this campus in 1996, married in 1998, and are both graduates of MU (BBC). Nate and Rochelle started their early ministry years in worship ministry at Glenville Church in Wichita, Kansas, and then at First Baptist in Medina, Ohio. Nate then served with Dr. Mark Milioni at Mission University for nearly a decade, and now serves as the pastor of his home church, Louisville Baptist Temple, in Louisville, Ohio.  Nate and Rochelle have 2 boys, Riley and Brady. Both found their spouses at MU, graduated, and now are serving the Lord in ministry. 

Zach Stewart serves as the Director of Student Services at Mission University, where he is passionate about investing in the next generation of Christian leaders. Originally from Texas, Zach sensed God’s call to ministry at a young age and pursued that calling by attending Baptist Bible College, where he also met his wife, Mariah.

Zach and Mariah graduated from BBC in 2019 and have continued to faithfully serve the Lord together in ministry. Zach continued his education, earning a Master of Church Ministries in 2021 and a Master of Divinity in 2024, becoming part of Mission University’s first graduating class. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership at Dallas Baptist University.

Before coming to Mission University, Zach served for nine years as a Family Pastor, where he developed a deep passion for sharing the Gospel and walking alongside families as they experienced life change through Christ. That same passion now fuels his work at Mission University, where he helps guide and mentor students preparing for ministry and leadership.

Zach and Mariah are the proud parents of four fun and energetic children, and together their family has been actively involved in serving multiple churches.

At Mission University, Zach serves in several roles including Campus Pastor, Dean of Men, and Director of Student Services. His connection to the Baptist Bible Fellowship goes back to its roots, and he is deeply grateful for the mentors who shaped his life and ministry. Zach is committed to building a culture where students can grow in their faith, develop as leaders, and stand on the strong biblical foundation that others have faithfully built before them.