Jan Rogers has served in the nursery department for ten years. She is a comfort to new moms who are bringing their newborns in for the first time to stay in the nursery. She is careful to follow all the requests that parents have for the care of their child. Jan is quick to tell you that her favorite thing is to rock the babies! She is dedicated to be in the nursery during the Sunday School hour and during the worship hour. It is where she wants to be because she loves the babies and they love her! Jan’s love of the children and their parents is evident in the way she serves our church families!
Patti Crowe has served in the nursery department for ten years. She enjoys working with the newborns as well as the toddlers. The toddlers are active and constantly moving around playing, and Patti is right there beside them! Patti loves rocking the babies and taking care of the needs of all the children! She serves in the nursery during the Sunday School hour and during the worship hour. Patti’s sweet spirit and dedication to the children are great comforts to the parents, grandparents, and to our church family! Patti is married to Greg Crowe, the TBC Minister of Music. They have three grown children. Patti is a physical therapist.
Sue Williams has been a member of TBC since 1963. She is endearingly known as “Mrs Sue” and is the TBC Nursery Queen! She has worked with all ages, and her main goal is to teach the children about Jesus and about His love for the children! Mrs Sue prepares a lesson and a craft for the children to do. She is experienced in balancing teaching and play time while the children are in her care! Mrs Sue has been in the nursery department long enough to have seen three generations in families come through! Mrs Sue is truly a blessing to our church, to our children, to our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents! She retired from the University of Alabama where she was an administrative specialist. She enjoys playing with children and cooking!
Jim Griffin has served in the nursery department for twenty years. His main service has been working with children ages 2-4, but he has also spent a few years working with children ages 4-6. His ability to identify with children of all ages is an asset and it is the reason he is successful working in the area where he is most needed. Jim’s pleasing personality and willingness to help and teach the children are personal attributes that make him a favorite in the nursery department. Jim has been a brick mason for forty-five years and has done beautiful masonry work in his profession. He has one daughter. He gardens, has some farm animals, and enjoys cooking! Jim has portrayed the role of Jesus in our annual live nativity for many years!
Kerie leads children’s ministry at TBC. She serves as Children’s Director and teaches Children’s Church on Sunday morning during the worship hour. She works with ages five to ten. Prior to becoming director, Kerie was an intern for approximately a year, and she has assisted previous directors for five years. She enjoys teaching the children, getting to know them, and getting to know their families! Kerie coordinates and helps with all of the events in the church that involve children. Her patience and expertise is evident in all that she does! Kerie will tell you that her greatest joy comes from being the “hands and feet” of Jesus! Kerie is married to John Evans. They have four sons. Their entire family is involved in all aspects of worship, events, and activities at TBC!
Susan Besant has been teaching Sunday School for forty plus years, and she has been a member of Taylorville Baptist for forty years. Susan has taught and ministered to youth and children for most of her teaching years. She has been involved in chaperoning retreat activities, hosting and feeding youth, teaching and supervising Vacation Bible School, and she has worked tirelessly with children & youth special musical programs! She is gifted in being able to communicate well with youth and serves them patiently as they grow in their spiritual walk. Susan is married to Rick Besant, deacon at Taylorville Baptist, is mom to Wade Besant, and grandmother to Nola Besant. Susan and Rick enjoy spending time together with family!
Rick Rogers has a rich history of teaching, ministry and life experiences! He is the son of a Baptist minister. He was saved and baptized at the age of nine. He has taught Sunday School for more than thirty-five years and also served as a deacon! Rick’s class curriculum is provided by the church, but the lessons are greatly enhanced by his own personal experiences and personal guidance. Rick identifies well with all age groups, but he has really connected with his class and has built life-long relationships with the couples! They serve each other and the church as a whole very well! Rick is married to Jan Rogers, has four children, and four grandchildren. Rick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Alabama, a Master of Science degree from The University of South Alabama, a Doctorate of Education also from The University of Alabama, and has Certification in Educational Leadership Harvard University Graduate School. Rick served thirty-two years as a college administrator and is presently retired. His hobbies include reading, yard work, golf, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Frank Costanzo has been teaching Sunday school for twenty plus years. The curriculum he uses in his class is Bible Studies for Life. Frank is a retired educator and served in many professional roles in the Tuscaloosa County School System, as a Teacher, Coach, Assistant Superintendent, and Superintendent. His ability to identify with people from all walks of life is truly an asset in sharing experiences with his class members as he leads them through their spiritual and personal walk. Frank currently serves our church as Chairman of Deacons. He also serves on the Finance Team and Building & Grounds Team. Frank is married to Teresa. They have two sons, Bradley and Ryan, and four grandchildren.
Krista Snyder teaches a Co-Ed class of middle-aged adults. Krista’s depth of knowledge of the Word and her ability to teach comes from growing up in a home where sermons were lived…Her parents not only talked the talk; they walked it day after day. Krista’s greatest passion is to use the gift of communication to enhance the lives of other believers. She loves the Word of God and knows that It is the inspired Truth, without any mixture of error. She has devoted much of her time to studying It, teaching It, and thus making Truth applicable to anyone and everyone. Krista is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama where she was born into a wonderful Christian family. Her father, Dr. Curtis Kelley, is a retired pastor of a sixty-six year ministry. Her mother, Barbara Kelley, is the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman…a job from which she will never retire! Krista is the middle child of two brothers, Mark, who is already in Heaven and Matthew who lives in Livingston. She was married to the love of her life, Randy Snyder, for nearly thirty-eight years. Randy went home to be with the Lord in 2018, after a long battle with leukemia. Although he is not here, she still considers him to be the greatest blessing God afforded her! Krista is the mother of two adult children, Keely and Andrew, and Gimme to six grandchildren. She has been a member of Taylorville Baptist Church for many years. She taught young adults at Ridgecrest Baptist Church before she and Randy joined Taylorville. Krista is the owner of Communication Advantage, Inc., a private practice offering services to individuals who have speech or language concerns.
Eloise Allgood has been teaching for more than twenty years. Eloise was challenged to teach so that she could personally dig in to the Word to learn and grow intellectually and spiritually. Her dedication to study is evident in her teaching style and ability to identify with seasoned adults in all walks and levels of spiritual growth and maturity. Eloise teaches from LifeWay curriculum – Explore the Bible. She also leads the Women’s Ministry committee in our church. Her enthusiasm to teach and lead is evident in all she undertakes! Eloise has been married to Mike for forty-six years, has three children and nine grandchildren. Eloise’s profession as a Registered Nurse spanned for many years, and she lovingly served local heart doctors in the Tuscaloosa area. She has recently retired and is loving her retirement!
Teresa Costanzo has been teaching Sunday School for twenty-five plus years. She has been a faithful teacher to Faith & Fellowship class as well as serving other classes as a substitute teacher when there was a need. She has been a member of Taylorville Baptist for many years. She sings in the choir, is always available to help prepare food for the youth, is supportive of all programs that are going on within the church, and always has encouraging words for everyone! Teresa is former Executive Director of Tuscaloosa’s One Place Family Resource Center, and she currently serves as a part-time consultant for Alabama Department of Child Abuse Neglect Prevention. She is married to Frank Costanzo, Chairman of Deacons at Taylorville, has two sons, and four wonderful grandchildren.
Curriculum – Explore the Bible by LifeWay
Scott Medders has been teaching Sunday School for twenty-five years, and he has been a member of Taylorville Baptist since 1996. The curriculum used in his teaching is The Bible and Exploring the Bible by LifeWay. Scott leads a class of senior adults who are much older than he is; but he is able to relate, find humor, is patient, kind and caring to people who could be his parents! He has helped to create a very good, strong, faithful class of senior adults who enjoy being together to learn God’s Word and to build relationships! The class shares insights to living life in these last days, and they speak often of the Lord coming back soon and wanting to be found faithful at His return! Scott is married to Donna, and they have three children, Deacon, Mabry, and Russell. He grew up in Vance, Alabama, played junior college baseball, and enjoys baseball, softball, and football to this day. He also enjoys shooting guns, and hunting when he can. He works at DCH in the operating room as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
Barbara Kelley has been teaching Sunday school for sixty-nine years! She leads the Sunday school teacher group as teaching the greatest number of years! Barbara has mostly taught young women and adult women. She has taught VBS every year since 1956, has taught seminars at Shocco, has led women’s ministry in every church she has attended, has directed children’s choirs and sang in every adult choir. Barbara was born in Rome, GA. She graduated from Rome High School in 1953 and attended Tennessee Temple College in Chattanooga, TN majoring in English and Music. She met Curtis Kelley while attending TTC in 1953, married him in 1955, and they have three children, Mark (deceased), Krista, and Matthew. Like Curtis and Barbara, their children all have served the Lord in Christian ministries and leadership. Barbara’s curriculum is from Explore the Bible by LifeWay. Barbara and Curtis have traveled extensively in their ministry through the years, and she shares her experiences as well as memorabilia from her travels which creates an additional learning experience for the people she teaches. It would be impossible to know how many women her teachings have influenced in spiritual growth over the years!
Eleanor Bush has been teaching Sunday school for sixty-two years and is one of the most experienced teachers at Taylorville Baptist. She taught children for six years, high school girls for six years, and has taught adult women for fifty plus years! She currently uses curriculum by LifeWay – Explore the Bible. Eleanor has been in church as a member and serving her entire life! She experienced her personal salvation at Forest Lake Baptist Church. Eleanor matured spiritually by having many wonderful mentors who taught her and helped her, especially over the years at South Highlands Baptist and Forest Lake Baptist. Her personal walk with Christ is endearing to all who know her and have the privilege of being with her. She constantly strives to study, serve, teach and grow in her teaching and ministry every single day. Eleanor has a card ministry that is far reaching and has literally served hundreds of people over the years. Birthdays, anniversaries, deaths, illnesses and just thinking of you cards are recognized through Eleanor’s card ministry. Eleanor serves on Women’s Ministry Committee as Missions Coordinator. She plans programs for our church and keeps our congregation informed on all the local, state and international missions projects. Additionally, Eleanor does a “Butterfly” ministry for our children. She teaches them the miracle process of the caterpillar developing to a beautiful butterfly right before their eyes! It is amazing to the children and to the adults to watch the process all the way through! Eleanor is the epitome of a dedicated Christian who loves serving others and especially the Lord!
James Perkins