by Bret Floyd
Both Jessica and I grew up in Oak Hill and graduated from Oak Hill High School. We were both raised in Christian homes and gave our lives to Christ as teenagers. We were high school sweethearts and entered into ministry together first as Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ student leaders in high school and then as youth leaders at Oak Hill Baptist Church. In 2001 we got married. We often joke that we were the first “FCA” couple because our huddle coach married us.
After high school we attended Concord University where I earned my B.S in Education (Social Studies) and Jessica earned her B.S. in Education (English). Jessica took her first teaching job in 2002 as a Gifted Education teacher. She later obtained her Masters in Special Education from Marshall University with certifications in Gifted, Learning Disabilities, Behavior Disorders, and Mental Impairments. She is currently in her 21st year as a Gifted Education teacher. In 2004 I took my first teaching job as a Social Studies teacher at Collins Middle School where I taught for 10 years. I then moved to Oak Hill High School where I taught Senior Civics for the last 9 years.
Throughout our lives we have sought to serve the Lord in any way that we could, wherever we were, and to go wherever He leads us. We were the FCA huddle coaches within our schools ministering weekly to coaches and athletes. I served as the Youth Leader at First Baptist Church Beckley from 2005-2009. God then led us back to our hometown of Oak Hill as the Youth Leaders of Calvary Baptist Church from 2009-2013, and finally to Oak Hill Baptist Church where I have been the Youth Pastor for the past 10 years and Jessica has served as the Children’s Director for the past 6 years.
This summer I was called into full-time ministry with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and left my teaching job of 19 years to pursue God’s plan. Since then, I have stood in awe and amazement at what incredible things that God is doing through this ministry. I am so thankful to be a part of His great work in the hearts of kids and coaches within our schools and communities! I am currently the South-Central FCA director for Raleigh, Fayette, and Nicolas counties.
My greatest work for the Lord, however, begins with the family that God has blessed me with. Our oldest daughter, Jordyn, is 16, enjoys performing in plays, runs cross country and track, and serves the Lord as an FCA leader for Oak Hill High School and is a Sunday school teacher at church. Our oldest son, Noah, is 14, enjoys playing football, soccer, basketball, running track, and is an FCA leader for Oak Hill Middle School. Our youngest daughter, Ryleigh, is 11, enjoys performing in plays, plays basketball and soccer, loves math, reading, and being creative, and serves the Lord by helping in Sunday school and the nursery. Our youngest son, Landon, is 8, and likes to play basketball and soccer, play board games, watch TV, and serves by helping in the nursery at church.
Our family is so excited to begin ministering again at First Baptist Church Beckley! I can’t to see what God has in store!