Staff

Pastor Jim was raised in a foster home in Mahomet, Illinois, by a a dear Christian lady throughout his early childhood. He is married to his Vacation Bible School and Junior High School sweetheart, Christina Brownfield. In February this year they celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. They have been blessed with 3 children: Lisa from Mattoon, Jim (Carla) from rural Chrisman, and Brook (Christopher) from Catlin. The Blues have 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

In the fall of 1965, he received his first church assignment which was in Royalton, Illinois. He was first district license to serve as a minister was presented to him in 1966. In July 1971, he was Ordained as an Elder in the Church of the Nazarene. Paster Jim has officially served as full time Senior Pastor for 8 churches, including the Paris Church of the Nazarene from 1980 to 1989. He began the Paris Compassionate Ministry in 1985. He recently retired from full time Senior Pastor of the Olivet Church of the Nazarene where he served for 30 1/2 years. Pastor Jim served as an elected district ministerial delegate to 8 General Assemblies. He served for 25 years as the District Chairman of the Sunday School Ministries for the Illinois District Church of the Nazarene.

Pastor Jim and Chris are enjoying their “retirement home” they are renting in Georgetown. He follows a multitude of sports, with the Fighting Illini and St. Louis Cardinals being some of his favorites. When Jim is not watching old western movies or reading/studying his Bible, he enjoys his early morning McDonalds coffee.

Faith Milam began as the FCC Youth Director in 2022. Faith was born and raised in Paris, Illinois. She received her Bachelors in youth ministries and her Masters in pastoral care & counseling, both from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, IN. Faith is also the district prevention counselor at District 95 schools in Paris.

Fatih is married to her husband, Kenny and they have 4 kids. Faith enjoys traveling, being outdoors, a good cup of coffee or slice of pizza, and listening to the life stores of others.

Cheryl Clark has been the Office Manager for the First Christian Church since 2003.

Cheryl has five children and six grandchildren.

She enjoys reading, old movies, decorating, country music and horseback riding.

Cheryl is passionate about supporting the ministry of the Lord and working with His people. She appreciates the relationships and interaction with those who come into the office. She especially likes the parts of her position that allow her to be creative.

Cheryl attends the Pleasant Hill Christian Church where her father ministered for nearly twelve years. As soon as she learned how to type, she became his secretary. Because of that, she has been a church secretary for a long time. She smiles as she says, “let’s just say I was a secretary before home computers!”

Jessica Hendrickson
Chancel Choir Director

Jessica Hendrickson joined the FCC staff as Chancel Choir director in 2019. She is married to husband, Eric and currently serves as the choir director and assistant director of bands at Paris High School and Mayo Middle School. Her duties include the PHS Choir, Elite Harmony, Mayo Middle School choir, Music Director of the Spring musical, as well as assisting Dr. Pruiett and Ms. Farley-Wilkie with the Paris High School and Mayo Middle School bands.

Mrs. Hendrickson studied at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in music education with an emphasis in horn. Jessica completed her masters in music education at The University of Illinois in the summer of 2021.

Besides music, she enjoys longs walks on the beach and spending time with her two rescue pitbulls and Moe.

Amy Horton is a native of central Indiana. She just joined the staff of FCC on June 1, 2023. She has lived in Paris for 10 years and has maintained a private piano studio in her home.

She has 3 boys, Ross, Joshua, and Eli. She works full time for Versiti Blood Center of Indiana recruiting special units for patients, as well as helping to maintain a healthy blood supply for area hospitals.

Amy has played. the piano since she was 7 years old and began teaching private lessons in 1999. Since then, she has been involved in many musical adventures in the community, including productions at Indiana State and Saint Mary of the Woods. She recently became a part of the Paris Community Theater as a rehearsal pianist and part of of the pit orchestra and has also enjoyed getting to accompany local students at Memorial, Mayo, and Paris High School.

In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, crocheting, sewing, and scrapbooking. She also enjoys planting flowers and attempting to keep them alive. When she isn’t at the piano you can can find her at the baseball field and supporting her children’s other various activities. Thank you to all at First Christian Church that have welcomed her so kindly.

Eric Hendrickson joined the FCC staff as director of the Joyful Ringers Handbell Choir in 2022.

Raised in the St. Louis metro area, Eric currently lives in Paris with his wife Jessica and their dogs, Flammie, Wheezie, and Moe. He has earned degrees in Music Business (BA) and Percussion Performance (MM) from Southern Illinois University.

Eric has appraised real estate since 2016 and has recently joined the Illinois Department of Transportation as the Realty Specialist/Staff Appraiser. His current musical endeavors include participating in the Paris City Band and Paris Community Theater, assisting with tech at the Paris Center of Fine Arts, performing in various local rock/pop/etc. groups, and freelancing.

Patty Waters took on the duties of financial secretary in 2019.

She lives and owns farmland in Elbridge township. Her family includes son, Chris, and his wife, Brittany and grandchildren Ethan and Abby.

Patty retired in 2014 after forty years in human resources management. Thirty-seven of those years were at the Bemis Company in Terre Haute. In her spare time, Patty enjoys gardening, deer hunting with her son, reading, running with friends and working on farm projects.

Patty especially enjoys the friendly, supportive congregation at FCC. She has been a member since 2005.

Vickie Blair
Assistant Financial Secretary

Vickie Blair began her Assistant Financial Secretary duties at the First Christian Church in 2023.

She is married to Gary Blair. In her free time Vickie enjoys traveling and especially walking the beaches at her travel destinations.

Most important to her is spending time with family and her grandchildren.

Cathy Clawson began her job as Nursery Attendant at First Christian Church in 2019. Cathy enjoys having that time with the “little ones,” a job she truly loves because the the kids are so amazing. She also enjoys sewing, reading, baking and spending time with family. Cathy has two daughters, Brandy and Jennifer, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Cathy states, “I like how FCC is not just Church, but Family. They are there for you whenever the need arises.”

Her Sunday morning duties still allow her time to continue working at our local Dairy Queen, a job she has held since 1991.

Betty Ann Kelly has been a Custodian at First Christian Church since 2014. She and Forest have four children, 7 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

She really enjoys doing things for her church, spending time with the family, going on vacations, music, reading, walking, shopping with her daughters and granddaughters and taking pictures of the grandchildren.

Betty likes her position at FCC because the people are friendly, polite and very helpful. Her job hours are flexible and the working conditions are very clean.

She is a member of Nevins Christian Church, worked at TRW for eighteen and one half years and was employed at Colson’s for ten years. Previously she and her family lived in California for ten years.

Linda Warner began her house cleaning duties at FCC in 2020. She has four children (three girls and a boy), ten grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. Needless to say, she enjoys being with family and especially attending the school activities of the kids.

Linda is an avid gardener. She has been known to spend hours in her yard at home working and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. When the weather requires her to be inside, she can usually be found solving word puzzles.

Linda says that everyone at FCC is so nice and friendly. She enjoys the time at work, especially working with her friend, Betty Kelly who she has known since 1974.