Pastor Ben and his wife Heather have been married since June 30, 2007. They have been blessed with four amazing kids: Gabriel, Seth, Anna, and Elizabeth. The Cowell’s have been happily serving Brownsville Baptist Church since August 14, 2022. Pastor Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Arts in Exegesis and Theology from Bethlehem College and Seminary, and is currently working through a Doctor of Ministry degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In his spare time, Pastor Ben enjoys reading, playing guitar, grilling/smoking meat, and riding roller-coasters with his family. His life verse is Colossians 3:16 which says: "Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
Rev. Walter Brinks
Minister of Music and Children
Bro. Walter is married to Belinda and they have two children, Tyler and Kayleigh. Walter is an Auburn fan and enjoys fishing and spending time with his family. The beach is one of his favorite places to visit. The Brinks family joined BBC in 2009 and make their home in Brownsville. Walter enjoys serving as the Minister of Music and Children.
Rev. Aaron Russell
Pastor over Students and Communications
Pastor Aaron married his wife, Zoe, in December of 2022. He has served on our pastoral team as the Pastor over Students and Communications at Brownsville Baptist Church since July of 2023. Aaron is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Arts degree from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Aaron's prayer is that he would be immovable, steadfast, always excelling in the Lord's work, knowing that his labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Rev. Mel Cox
Rev. Bob Connerley
Pastor over Missions
Pastor Emeritus
Pastor Mel has been involved in missions for many years. He is the founder of El Ayudante Ministries in Central America. Mel holds a BS degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin (1982) and a BS in Pharmacy from Samford University (1984); additionally, Mel studied at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mel grew up at Brownsville Baptist where he has served as a deacon and numerous other roles. He was ordained to the ministry in 2023. He has been married to Roniann Gruenewald Cox for 39 years. They have 2 daughters, 1 son, and 5 grandsons.
Bro. Bob was born in Grenada, MS. He was called to ministry as a senior in High School. He graduated from Mississippi College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Bro. Bob has pastored five churches in his fifty-plus years of ministry. He served as pastor of Brownsville Baptist Church from August 1989 to December 2021. Bro. Bob is married to Patsy Harrelson Connerley. They have four children and six grandchildren.
Jan Hooper
Debbie Barnes
Children’s Worship Director
Administrative Ministry Assistant
Jan (aka: Jan Jan), has worked with the children of BBC for the past 33 years. She is passionate about Children’s Ministry. Her desire is to show the love of Christ to every child and to share the gospel with as many as possible. She is happily married to her husband, Rick and together they have 5 children and 6 grandchildren.
Debbie has served as Administrative Ministry Assistant since 2017. She was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where she graduated from White Station High School. Debbie met her husband, Steve, in church and they married in 1999. He went home to be with the Lord in 2011. Debbie is mom to two fur-babies, Pawpaws the cat and Lily Mae the dog.
Becki Siler
Administrative Ministry Assistant
Becki is a native of Jackson, TN and is a 1999 graduate of Jackson Central – Merry. She has lived in Dancyville since June 9, 2000, when she married her husband, Clayton. They have 3 sons together, Hunter, Fischer, and Gauge and a Boxer fur-baby named Ruger. Her hobbies include reading, cross stitching, and fishing with her husband. Becki has been an Administrative Ministry Assistant at BBC since July 18, 2022, and feels blessed to be a part of this amazing group.