Leadership

I’m a Starkville native and I grew up at Emmanuel Baptist Church. I graduated from Mississippi State in 1985, and after finishing my medical training I moved back to Starkville in 1992 to practice medicine. I've always considered my career as a means of supporting my full-time Christian ministry. I have served on the elder board at Emmanuel since 2008 and began serving as senior pastor in 2020. I have been married to Rachelle for 36 yrs and we have three children and three grandchildren. I'm committed to teaching a clear gospel based on faith in Christ alone, and encouraging believers to make a discipleship commitment to serving God with their lives.

Daniel Thompson, a Starkville native, grew up in the Emmanuel family until the age of 13. He has been married to his bride, Holly (Hill), since December 2001. The Thompsons have three sons: Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb, all of whom homeschool. Daniel took the plunge into vocational ministry in 2007 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Blue Mountain College in 2011. He has enjoyed serving as Associate Pastor of Emmanuel since 2020. His teaching centers on living by grace with an emphasis on salvation being freely given by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone.

Laura Murphy is our music coordinator. She and her husband Mark have three children. Please contact her if you would like to be involved in the Praise and Worship team. 

Robert Banik has been in involved with Emmanuel since 2009. Robert grew up in Guntown, MS and attended Mississippi State where he received a degree in Mathematics. He and his wife Kelly enjoy serving in various capacities in the church. Robert has worked part-time as the youth director since 2014 at Emmanuel, and  also plays acoustic guitar with the worship band on Sunday mornings.
 

I attended Emmanuel while at MSU from 2008 to 2012 and saw how much a local church can become family to students away from home. After my wife Angela and I finished school and training we returned to Starkville in 2019, desiring to share with the current students the love of God that we had experienced through fellow believers. We want students to understand the security of their salvation they accepted by faith in Christ and to experience the abundant life available to disciples that walk in fellowship with the Spirit.

Jeannie Updike has served as church administrative assistant since 2005. Jeannie and her husband, Jim, moved to Starkville in 1979 with his job as a medical sales rep. Their association with Emmanuel is nearing forty years as members. Jim went very suddenly to be with the Lord in 2017. They have two adult children and six beautiful grandchildren. She loves baseball, history, her Emmanuel family, and her grandchildren, not necessarily in that order. She taught the Grade 4,5, & 6 Sunday school class for 20+ years and loved each group that came through, and passed that love and ministry to the current teachers in 2021.