Leadership
Meet the Pastors
Pastor Rolo Bernales
Pastor Rolo Bernales grew up in a Christian, Filipino family. However, he realized he was a false convert when he heard the ‘Biblical’ Gospel and was born again by God’s grace in the Fall of 2000. He has been married to Cara since June 2004 and they have five children together. He received a BS from Grand Canyon University & his Masters of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He enjoys traveling with his family, local church fellowship, sharing & preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
Pastor Corey Williams
Pastor Ed Romero
Pastor Ed Romero grew up in a Christian home but says the gospel didn’t penetrate his heart until he was in high school or college. Since then, he has been passionate about teaching the word of God to others. He was blessed with marriage to Megan in 2017 and received his master's degree in Christian Ministry from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary a few months later.
Pastor Vladimir Rios
Pastor Vladimir Rios was born and raised in Cuba, where he met the Lord at the age of 16. He was studying plastic arts when the Lord saved him. His early years as a believer were spent in the Pentecostal church under a legalistic system that did not allow him to enjoy the freedom of the Gospel. During this time in 2005, he married his wife Ariadna and they currently have two sons. In 2013 he emigrated as a political refugee to the United States at the age of 25. Three years earlier, the Lord gave him an understanding of Reformed doctrines and ever since he has dedicated himself to discipling those the Lord has enabled him into the truth of the Scriptures. Since his conversion, he felt the responsibility to be involved in the spiritual growth of others. He formally studied theology at the Argentine William Carey Online Seminary. He has a Reformed Baptist theological background.
Pastor Corey Williams was born in Arkansas and has had the opportunity to live in several places such as Little Rock, Arkansas, Saint Martin, French West Indies, and Kelowna, British Columbia. By God’s grace, he was converted to Christ in 2006. He has been married to Lory for the last 25 years and has five children ranging from 3 to 25 years old. He received a DTS from Reformed Baptist Seminary and has been serving at First Baptist Church of the Lakes since the summer of 2010.
Meet the Deacons
Marty Gillespie
Marty grew up in Bullhead City, AZ. He married Sheila in 1982. They have three sons and 11 grandchildren. Though raised with very little Christian influences, in the early 90s, God redeemed them both. Later he was called as a deacon in AZ and served for 9 years. From conversion, Marty had a desire to share the gospel. In 2005 he heard the message Hell’s Best Kept Secret, which renewed a fire in him to share the gospel. He has shared the gospel on the streets in Hollywood, Venice Beach, Huntington Beach, Las Vegas, Dallas, NYC, and New Orleans. In 2007 God led them to Las Vegas and to First Baptist Church of the Lakes. He has served as a deacon at FBC for several years, along with serving in various areas as called on.
Doug Koch
Doug grew up in Illinois and started attending church with his mother at the age of five. When Doug was seven, he said a “sinner’s prayer” and thought he was a believer for the next twenty-two years. When he was 29 years old, the Lord saved him, and Doug repented of sins and placed his trust in Jesus Christ alone. Doug is a licensed social worker and focuses on helping people through the medical field. Doug is married and has five children, two boys, and three girls. Doug enjoys traveling with his wife and children, the outdoors, and cooking, especially cheesecake.