08/30/2026
Last night, our church family had the opportunity to "meet-and-greet" our prospective pastor and family during a hamburger supper hosted by the Deacons, Pastor Search Committee, and Hospitality Committee.
Then today, Rev. Brian Cloys was voted in unanimously to serve the Lord as Pastor of our church beginning in October!
We wholeheartedly WELCOME Brian, Katelee, Leah, and Maggie into our fellowship and look forward to him "leading our flock" as he states below in the informational letter received by our members:
Brian Andrew Cloys, 29 years old, grew up in Philadelphia where his father has been the Associate Pastor at East Philadelphia Baptist Church for more than 25 years. He has a special affection for east central Mississippi where he was nurtured in the scriptures by two faithful parents and was baptized by his own father at the age of nine. Brian has followed the Lord Jesus Christ for most of his life.
He graduated in 2015 from Neshoba Central where he served as captain of the "Big Blue" Marching Band and was valedictorian. He majored in Biblical studies and minored in biblical languages at William Carey University where he met his wife, Katelee.
While at WCU, Brian took five classes under Dr. Daniel Caldwell, then worked closely with him as he defended his undergraduate thesis. Dr. Dan officiated at Brian and Katelee's wedding one week after their graduation in 2019. They now have two daughters, Leah, age 4 and Maggie, age 2, and hope the Lord will bless them with more children.
Brian completed a Master of Arts in History in 2021; Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 2024; and did additional Master's work at the Southern Baptist Seminary Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY in 2024-25. He was ordained into the Gospel Ministry in 2026 at his home church in Philadelphia.
Brian says, "Although I have not served on a church staff, I have been preaching and teaching at various SBC churches for almost a decade, ever since Dr. Caldwell encouraged me to take up a pulpit supply position. In addition to my informal church ministry, I have gained significant denominational experience during my tenure as trustee on the Executive Committee (EC) of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2021-2026. We members of the EC are charged with making all the important legal, financial and executive decisions on behalf of the national SBC. My time on the EC has deepened my appreciation for the mission work we do as Southern Baptists. Indeed, the Lord has given me a caring heart and a zeal for his mission to make disciples for the kingdom.
Most important of all, I have had firsthand experience observing my father's ministry for my entire life. I would be honored to become the overseer of your flock as we await the return of our Chief Shepherd to establish his kingdom on earth."
WELCOME to the Cloy Family!
NEXT GEN - Youth and Children of First Baptist Church, Quitman, Mississippi
NEXT GEN - Youth and Children of First Baptist Church, Quitman, Mississippi
Katelee Thomas Cloys
