Meet our Staff!
Rev. John Reilly
Senior Pastor
"Thank you for stopping by to find out more about us. I have lived in Michigan my entire life, except for my college years when I studied and graduated from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO. It was there I met and married my wife Rhonda in 1982. I came on staff in 1981 to work with teenagers and the church music program. In 2018, I became the third pastor of this wonderful church. Rhonda and I are also graduates of Liberty University in the class of 2016. Rhonda holds a BA in Elementary Education and I a MA in Pastoral Counseling. I can truly say that we both love to serve our Lord and this church. As I lead the church overall, Rhonda, along with being the wife of the pastor, is a vital part of the ministry whether as part of our worship service, leading the ladies ministry, or even helping in LifeKids. We both have been able to serve in our community and in the Baptist Bible Fellowship International in various ways. God has blessed us with four adult children who are all married – Adam (Jessica), Jordan (Hunter), Jennie (Jared), and Matthew (Carly). We are also the proud grandparents of 3 boys (Jack, Leo and Teddy) and 4 girls (Alex, Nora, Devan and Gwyn). Away from Beacon, we love to be with our family, travel, and binge watch our favorite TV shows."
"Hey Everybody, My wife and I have the most fun job here at Beacon as we work with teenagers and younger to help kids and students grow in their faith. We've been on staff since 2013, but Juliann grew up at Beacon so she pre-dates me. Both of us graduated with Bachelor's degrees from Boston Baptist College, Juliann in 2012 and myself in 2011 and we are both currently on the slow train to completing the next level of education. We have two sweet little girls Eleanor and Marielle and we currently live in Wyandotte. You'll find us outdoors when we get free time hiking, canoeing, or biking because we love enjoying God's creation. It's our goal to see teenagers and kids know, love, and serve Jesus and we look forward to meeting you and your family." Hope to see you around!"
Brad Salee
Student Pastor
Jared & Jennie Barringer
Worship Pastor &
LifeKids Director
"Hey, everyone! My name is Jared Barringer, and I have served as the Worship, Missions, and Outreach Pastor at Beacon since May 2014. Some of my job responsibilities include leading worship for our weekly services, planning community outreach events, and coordinating our local, national, and global missions efforts. My wife, Jennie, and I were married in 2015 and have 2 children, Leo and Gwyneth. I graduated from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO, in 2013 with a BA in Intercultural Studies and again from BBC in 2017 with an MA in Church Ministry. Jennie graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, in 2014 with a BS in Elementary Education. Jennie and I enjoy serving and worshiping with our Beacon family every week. Jennie is also the LifeKids Director at Beacon! Whether you're new to Beacon or have been here for a while, I'd love to get in touch with you! Please email me, call me, or contact me through social media. I look forward to worshiping with you at our next service!"
"Hello and Welcome! My name is Bob Hunter and I serve as the Church Administrator here at Beacon. I always had a strong desire to be called into full time church service and 4 years ago, after retiring from a 33 year career in banking, I was given my opportunity. I am responsible for the oversight of the staffing, scheduling, care, and usage of all the facilities that make up Beacon Baptist Church. GOD is so very good! I have been married to my wife Lora, who is part of the administrative team here at Beacon, for 33 years and we have been blessed with 2 adult children, Sara and Katie. Lora and I lead the Connection Class – an adult Sunday School class serving all ages and we have a great time doing so each week! Thank you for your interest in knowing more about the staff of Beacon. Should you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me as I would be happy to assist in any way that I can. I pray you have a great day."
Bob & Lora Hunter
Church Administrator &
Office Assistant
Dr. Herbert Gilbert
Pastor Emeritus
"Hello, My name is Herbert Gilbert and I grew up in the Detroit area. I felt the call to enter the ministry in 1959 and later graduated from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. In 1966 I became Pastor of Beacon. On December 31st, 2017 I retired as Senior Pastor and continue to serve with Beacon as Pastor Emeritus. I received my Honorary Doctorate degree in May of 2001 and in 2016 celebrated my 50th year as Pastor. My wife Glenda went to her Heavenly home in 2022. We have three adult children; Sherry, Deborah and Steve. I enjoy playing golf in my spare time."