Rev. Dr. Mark Benson
Mark Benson has been Senior Pastor since August, 2016. A native of Philadelphia, Mississippi, Mark returned home after pastorates in Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School (1988) and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Lexington Theological Seminary (2012). In addition, he has had clinical training in ministry, having completed a CPE residency in Abington, Pennsylvania (1992). Mark enjoys preaching, talking theology, cooking, and spending time with his family. Mark and his wife, LeAnne, have two adult children, Andrew and Emily, and a son-in-law, Dan.
Donna Downey
Donna Downey serves as Treasurer of FCC, a position she has held for a number of years during her long membership here. Donna received her accounting degree from MSU in 1976 and returned to Meridian to build a business as a CPA in public practice. Upon returning, she again immersed herself in FCC church life, joining the choir, becoming Assistant Treasurer, and later becoming one of the first women elders of the church. Donna enjoys riding horses and motorcycles, photography, and traveling. She and her husband, Charles, also enjoy farm life in Causeyville, along with their two fur babies, Rusty and Spencer (Austrian Shepherds).
Beth Vick
Beth Vick is Administrative Assistant to the Pastor, Secretary of FCC and Office Manager. Beth came to FCC in 2016 after retirement from BellSouth Telephone Company and after working in several other positions in the community. She is a native of Meridian, a mother of two grown children and a grandmother of three. She is a member of Collinsville First Baptist Church. Beth is a West Lauderdale Knights fan, an avid Alabama football fan and Alabama softball games but will watch anyone play softball.
Beth also enjoys going to the beach and spending time with her immediate and extended family. All her family deer hunt and she was proud to kill her first buck last year in over 30 years.
Michael Gibson
Michael joined the staff of FCC as Music Director and Organist in August, 2023. Michael began his music ministry at the age of 10 when he began playing the organ and piano in church. He continued to play for church until accepting his first bi-vocational Minister of Music position in 1996. Over the past 23 years, Michael has had the opportunity to find true joy in the art of church music.
A native of Sandersville, Mississippi, Michael is a graduate of Jones Junior College, Mississippi State University and the Graduate School of Banking at LSU. While at Jones, he was involved in several organizations including the Jones Concert Choir and madrigals and served as accompanist for the Gospels Ensemble. In addition to his music ministry, Michael serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer at Great Southern Bank. Michael is the proud father of two daughters, Anna Jane and Mary Michael.
Holley Davis
Holley Davis serves as Children’s Director at FCC. A longtime member here, she came to this position in 2023. She has an undergraduate degree from Ole Miss, a Masters in School Counseling from the University of West Alabama, and an Educational Specialist in Leadership from Mississippi State. She enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. Holley and her husband, Michael, have two daughters, Edna (Edie) and Mallie.