Congregational Meeting
Sunday, January 25 | 12:15PM | Sanctuary

The Session has called a Congregational Meeting for Sunday, January 25, 2026, following the 11AM worship service. The purpose of the meeting is for the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC) to present its nominee for congregational approval. If the way be clear, the congregation will consider the election of First Church’s current Pastoral Resident, Carson Brown, to serve as Associate Pastor, and the proposed terms of call.

The APNC is eager to share a verbal report on the search process and rationale for its nominee at the congregational meeting. In anticipation of this, we invite you to read Carson’s biographical statement below.

Carson Brown Biographical Statement

In 1 Kings 19, God invites Elijah to stand on a mountain and wait for God to come to him. After silence in a mighty windstorm, earthquake, and fire, the “sound of a gentle whisper” fell upon the terrain, and Elijah instantly knew God was present. This is my story. Like a constant rhythm of gentle whispers in my life, God has drawn near to me with love and grace.

I was born in Fort Myers, Florida, to Steve and Donna Brown, who moved to Florida to be closer to my mother’s extended family. I was baptized into the fellowship of Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church, where my faith first took root. After being somewhat skeptically dragged to confirmation class in seventh grade, I began to fall in love with Jesus Christ. One year after my confirmation, I was invited to serve as a Ruling Elder. It was there that God’s gentle whisper began to take shape as a call to ministry. In 2021, I accepted God’s invitation to serve as Director of Christian Education at Cypress Lake.

During this season, I attended Florida Gulf Coast University, graduating with a degree in communication, with a particular focus on nonverbal and interpersonal communication. In the fall of 2023, following my college graduation, I enrolled at Fuller Theological Seminary to pursue a Master of Divinity degree.

I have also been privileged to serve our presbytery in various capacities, including as Moderator in 2023. Through this work, I came to know and learn from faithful colleagues and mentors, including Pastor Doug Pratt and Pastor Brad Rogers. Additionally, my grandparents, Don and Marilyn Sporn, have been members of First Church since 2007, which allowed me to admire the ministry of this congregation from a distance for many years. The thought of one day serving here felt—and still feels—like a dream.

Shortly following my seminary enrollment, I accepted a call from God (spoken through an unexpected voicemail from Pastor Brad) to serve as Pastoral Resident at First Church. Over these past two years, I’ve experienced real and true mentorship, met a congregation of excited and committed Christians, and been invited to participate in God’s work in so many unique and unimaginably exhilarating ways. I’ve found myself thrilled by the possibilities of mission and ministry in our town, online, and beyond. I’ve witnessed the Holy Spirit foster boundless expressions of community with other young adults. I’ve fallen in love with Jesus more, and with ministry anew.

Despite my expectation that I would be called away from Bonita to complete seminary in person, God whispered yet again. My seminary experience has been rich and profound, introducing me to new understandings of ministry and leadership in today’s world. And yet, thanks to you, I was able to take these lessons and translate them into a practical ministry setting. I’ve grown so much as a result—as a leader, as a student, and as a Christian.

Discerning a call to serve as your Associate Pastor has been a humbling expression of God’s providence. It would be impossible for me to describe how blessed I am to be among you, and how thrilled I am to have accepted this invitation to serve. I thank God each day for the privilege and honor of serving with you, and among you.