Our Team

Mike Keahbone - Pastor

I grew up in Elgin, Oklahoma.  My father was a full-blood Cherokee and my mother was Comanche and Kiowa.  Though I come from a proud Native heritage, my family was ravaged by alcohol and drug addiction.  As a “teenage mom”, my mother was in and out of my life and would eventually pass away at the age of 40 due to an alcohol related illness.  My father was completely absent from my life. 

Through all the turmoil, pain and abandonment, there was hope.  God put people in my life that would love me unconditionally and model the love of Jesus Christ.  It was that love and example that would lead me to give my life to the Lord on November 1, 1990 at Cameron University in Lawton, OK.  It became clear to me that God had been with me through the storms of my life and that each circumstance was instrumental in shaping God’s plan for me.  I have been called to preach the love, hope and comfort that can only come through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I seek to honor God and teach Scripture to all people by deep and practical teaching of Scripture with relevant humor, stories, and principles for life change.  God has given me a clear and passionate vision to fulfill the calling of Colossians 1:28, to present everyone perfect in Christ. 

I married my beautiful bride, Jennifer, in 2002 and the Lord has blessed us with two daughters (Hannah & Sarah) and a son (Mikah).  I completed my B.S. in Ethics at Mid-America Christian University OKC, OK. 

My ministry journey includes youth ministry from 1991–2010, Evangelist/Speaker from 2010–2012, Associate Pastor of Families from 2012–2014 and Senior Pastor at Cherokee Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, OK from 2014 – 2020.

I enjoy spending time with my family and participating in my children’s activities, traveling and making memories.  I LOVE to golf!!!  I also love reading leadership books and classic debate; a love that stemmed from being on the collegiate speech and debate team at Cameron University. I also love some quiet time in a hammock.

Aaron Myers - Associate pastor of families

I grew up in Mustang, Oklahoma. I grew up going to church and comes from a long legacy of being involved in church. At the age of seven, I professed Christ as Savior. A few years later, when I had a better understanding of its meaning, I was baptized.

I felt a strong call to ministry during my high school years. While in my freshman year of college, I realized my calling was to student ministry. I began pursuing opportunities to serving in student ministry until I was hired to his first full-time position. I have served in full-time ministry as Minister of students & Recreation, Evangelism. I moved to FBC Lawton in 2015.

I married Cory Lynne in January of 2004. Cory Lynne grew up in Cordell, Oklahoma and graduated from University of Central Oklahoma. She has served in girls ministry and traveled all over the state teaching and leading.

Cory Lynne and I have two beautiful daughters Elliana “Elli Kate” (12), and Anastasia “Ana Beth” (10). Elli Kate loves to paint as well they both love dancing.

Mike Neff - Administrator

My ministry here at First Baptist Church Lawton began in June of 2011. My love for the Lord is evident in serving the church with energy, passion and enthusiasm. In 2021, I transitioned to the church administrator and love this new position and opportunity as I help the pastor with administrative oversight of the church. 

I have served full-time in Oklahoma churches as worship pastor, minister of music and associate minister of music for over twenty-five years. Since 1995, I have been an active member and occasional soloist of the Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma and president of this organization during the 2019-2021 season and led worship in revivals, conferences and at the Oklahoma State Evangelism Conference.

I am a native of Wellington, Kansas and huge Jayhawks basketball fan. Heather and I have two wonderful boys: Lane (2007) and Cade (2009).  I received my Bachelor's Degree in Church Music from Oklahoma Baptist University and completed course work towards a Master's Degree through Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and continued education through many other specified areas of training and conferences. Through Liberty University, I also completed a Certificate of Worship Leadership and a Certificate of Music and Worship.

Life verse: II Timothy 4:5 "But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Tony Christie - Associate pastor

I was born in Tacoma, Washington while my father was serving in the USAF and stationed at Fort McCord.  However, I was raised in my parent’s hometown of Rome, Georgia where I attended elementary school, high school, and graduated from Shorter University in 1981.  

During my childhood and teenage years, I was greatly influenced by the ministers and ministries of my home church, West Rome Baptist Church, Rome, Georgia.  I was saved at the age of nine during a week of revival services.  Throughout my youth years the church had as many as one hundred youth involved in its growing ministries and I was asked to be the leader in the children’s church ministry for one hundred first and second grade children, a great start to ministry.  The Godly influence of great pastors and preachers like Melvin Smith, Dr. Jerry Vines, and Dr. Billy Smith made a tremendous impact upon my young life.  During my second year of college I surrendered to God’s call of pastoral ministry and changed my major from pre-med to Behavioral Science/Psychology.  

I was blessed by God’s gift of my lovely wife, Lesha Chandler, a pastor’s daughter, marrying in 1981.  Lesha and I have been blessed with three grown, God serving children, Joseph (35), Jared (33), and Joy (23).  Joseph and his wife, Lisa, reside in North Augusta, SC, and have two children, Cate (10) and Cole (7).  Jared and his wife, Cara, make their home in Columbia, SC and have two children, Wyatt (3) and Ann Elise (3 mo.).  I attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Luther Rice Seminary in Lithonia, Georgia.

In my early years of ministry I served as a youth minister in four churches, pastored a church before seminary and have been senior pastor of three other Georgia Baptist churches before coming to First Baptist Church Lawton/Ft. Sill as associate pastor on Sunday, October 4, 2015.  My passion is sharing the Gospel with others, studying and teaching God’s Word, performing Gospel illusions, leading groups on short term mission trips, and hanging out with the saints.  My motivational Bible verse is I Cor. 10:31, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  I enjoy having fun with my wife and family, making memories with our grandchildren, anything TAGS, and floating around in my “red neck” pool.  

Haley Hollenbeck - Children’s coordinator

I grew up in the small town of Madill, Oklahoma. I was raised in a Christian home and was blessed to have my father as my Children’s Pastor. Church was my second home. If the church doors were open, my family and I were there. Around the age of 8, I began to realize that my church attendance and head knowledge that I had accumulated over the years was not enough. I knew that there were not enough bible trivia questions in Sunday School that I could have answered correctly to buy a ticket into heaven. I knew that I needed Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I was then led to the Lord by my father. 

Life went on, and I began pursuing a degree in Biology and planned to apply that degree to teach and coach. While attending East Central University, things became very heavy in my life. I began to search to try and find answers as to why I was unhappy and had lost the drive and excitement for my science classes and school in general. I ended up moving home with my parents and pursued an internship with the Children’s Ministry at Crossway Baptist Church in Sulphur Oklahoma in the year of 2016. Little did I know that God would use this summer to radically change my  life. June 22, 2016, I surrendered to the ministry. I was uncertain where God was calling me specifically to serve in the ministry but I knew that I needed to be obedient and pursue the open door that God had given me. In the fall of 2016, I transferred to Oklahoma Baptist University and began to pursue a Bachelors degree in Christian Ministry. I stayed faithful in chasing the call that God had laid on my life. God began to open doors for me left and right. I took an internship at Crossway Baptist Church where I served with Children and Youth Students during the summer of 2016. Then began serving as the Associate Children’s Minister at Crossway where I served until the fall of 2019. In August of 2019, I was called to serve at Marietta First Baptist Church as their Children’s Director where I served until I accepted the Children’s Coordinator position at First Baptist Church Lawton on January 7th, 2021. 

I married my husband, Blake, on July 11th, 2020. We have a Siberian Husky, named Nala, who keeps us on their toes at all times. I enjoy spending time with my family and making memories. I love attending football games and supporting my husband, Blake, and the Lawton High Wolverines. I love the Oklahoma Sooners. BOOMER! I am also a Disney fanatic and enjoy all things Disney, especially vintage Disney. 

In every position in which I have served, there has always been a passion for seeing children’s lives transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe that Comanche County has children that have the potential to be the greatest generation in regard to living a life that honors Christ. I know that when churches begin to look outside the walls and reach kids where they are, the children can turn the world back to Christ!