ABOUT Our PASTOR

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Reverend Dr. Kurt Richards has been called to serve as the Pastor of the First Baptist Church of New Market, beginning Easter Sunday 2026. FBCNM welcomes Rev. Richards with great anticipation as he leads the congregation in growing closer to Christ and spreading the good news of salvation through Jesus.

Rev. Richards is a servant leader whose life and ministry are defined by devotion to Christ, a commitment to fostering meaningful, faith-centered relationships, and a passion for helping others grow spiritually and personally. With a heart for service, a mind for strategy, and a spirit rooted in Christ, he faithfully serves as a pastor, teacher, mentor, and servant leader—dedicated to building God’s Kingdom and empowering His people.

Rev. Richards has devoted decades to pastoral leadership and ministry. He previously served as Associate Pastor and Elder at Community Baptist Church of Somerset, NJ, contributing to the church’s operations and ministries alongside the Pastor, Elders, and ministry leaders. His responsibilities included preaching and teaching, leading worship, baptisms, communion, funerals, and other sacred services. He also co-led Bible study, guided the Men’s Ministry, and participated in outreach initiatives such as food pantry distribution, nursing home visits, evangelism, and prayer ministries.

Prior to his service at CBC, Rev. Richards spent over 30 years at First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, NY, where he served as Elder, Treasurer, and board member of the First Jamaica Community and Urban Development Corporation. There, he was a dedicated leader across ministries including marriage, prison, and mentoring, and he ministered to incarcerated women as a Supplied Minister at the Nassau Women’s Correctional Facility. He also played a pivotal role in community health initiatives, including FPCJ’s Annual Prostate Cancer Screening Event.

Rev. Richards has also served as Interim Pastor and Supplied Minister at First Presbyterian Church of Far Rockaway and Cambria Heights Community Church. In these roles, he cast vision, preached and taught faithfully, coached, and discipled leadership teams, and cultivated cultures of evangelism, discipleship, and community outreach. His work in transitional church settings exemplifies his ability to guide congregations through change while keeping Christ at the center of every ministry effort.

Outside the church, Rev. Richards brings more than two decades of professional experience as an IT leader at Morgan Stanley. There, he demonstrated diligence, problem-solving, and organizational expertise, earning recognition as a trusted and practical leader. This combination of corporate discipline and pastoral care has uniquely equipped him to serve the church with both spiritual wisdom and operational acumen.

Rev. Richards earned both his Doctor of Ministry graduating with a 3.93 GPA and his Master of Divinity, graduating Magna Cum Laude, both from New Brunswick Theological Seminary.