If you think “church administrator” sounds like spreadsheets and scheduling, you haven’t met Greg Magruder. Greg is a pastor at heart who happens to express that calling through stewardship, service, and making sure the ministry of FBC runs on solid ground. He began serving as our Administrator in January 2024, bringing with him decades of pastoral experience and a deep love for the local church. Before joining our staff, Greg retired in August 2020 after twenty years as pastor of Parkview Baptist Church right here in Gainesville — so he already knew and loved this community long before he walked through our doors.
Greg’s ministry journey has taken him to churches in Oklahoma, Ohio, and Florida, and his education reflects a lifelong learner’s heart: a BA from Georgetown College in Kentucky, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a doctorate from the Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida. Through every chapter, one verse has anchored his life and work: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6). That trust shines through in everything he does here.
Greg and his wife Karen are the proud parents of three grown children and the even prouder grandparents of four grandchildren. When he’s not keeping the gears of church life turning smoothly, you’ll find Greg with his nose in a book, a pen in hand working on his own writing, or out on a hiking trail or beside a fishing hole. And if the grandkids are around, all bets are off — they win every time.