First Baptist Church of Camp Springs

James Tiefel, Pastor

James Walter Tiefel was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1950.  He made his confession of faith in Jesus in 1968 at Exchange Avenue Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; he accepted a call to ministry in 1970.  Being the younger son of a United States Air Force career Non Commissioned Officer, James has resided in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, California, Hawaii, and Louisiana. 

James’ educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1972, and Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1978.

Following his formal education, from 1978 until 1984, Pastor Tiefel served as Associate Pastor at East Side Baptist Church and Southside Baptist Church, consecutively, both in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  While serving in this capacity, he served alongside his wife, Mary, who served as the Minister of Education in both churches as well.

In 1984, James and his wife were appointed by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention as the first career missionaries to Finland, where they served just over 11 years as General Evangelists and Church Planters.  James was appointed Mission Administrator in 1996 and served in that position in Denmark until 1997, when he assumed the position of Pastor of the International Baptist Church of Prague, Czech Republic, where he served for five years.  After a brief term of service in Finland, the Tiefels returned to the United States in October of 2002. 

James became the Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Camp Springs, Maryland, in October of 2004.

During his ministry here in Maryland, James has been actively involved with the District of Columbia Baptist Convention, serving as member of the Board of Trustees, Chair of the Human Resources Committee, and as the Chair of the Search Committee for the current Executive Director of the DCBC, Dr. Robert Cochran.  

Following the passing of his wife in 2010, James became a volunteer with the Charles County Hospice House, co-facilitating bereavement support groups.  This work has also become a part of his ministry here at FBC.  He has been a member of every church choir with which he has associated and for the last nine years has been a bass singer with the Maryland Choral Society, of which he currently serves as President of the Board of Directors. 

Jay Willis, Minister of Music

Jay Gordon Willis was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1940. He grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, with his three sisters, Judy, Joy, and Jean. He made his confession of faith in Jesus on April Fool’s Day in 1956 in a Youth for Christ bus in front of his high school. He soon joined a close-to-home newly organized church, Fairfax Hills Baptist, and soon began playing the piano for the children’s department. It wasn’t long before he began playing for worship services along with another pianist. He accepted a call to ministry in the summer of 1958.

Jay’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from William Jewel College, Liberty, Missouri, in 1962; a Master of Divinity degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1968; a Master of Church Music degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1976.

Following his formal education, Jay served as Minister of Music and Education at Mount Washington Baptist Church, Independence, Missouri; Old Forest Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Virginia; West Broadway Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky; and Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, Washington, DC. In 1982, Jay became bi-vocational, keeping his church music interests while working as a copy-editor and desktop publishing specialist in Washington, DC. He served part-time as minister of music at Whitehall Baptist Church in Accokeek, Maryland, until 1986.

In 1986, Jay and his family joined First Baptist Church of Camp Springs, and became the pianist/accompanist. In 2016, he became the Minister of Music of FBCCS upon the retirement of Will Cox. While in the DC area, Jay was accompanist for the Capital Baptist Chorale for 10 years, under the direction of J. Kenneth Martin and Sandra Skeenes. He has been a tenor singer in the Maryland Choral Society since 2009.

Erica kelley, Church Secretary

I started coming to First Baptist Church of Camp Springs (FBCCS) in early 1997, along with my parents and brother. After a long and exhausting church search, we walked in the front door and were greeted by Doris Waldecker as if we were long lost family. FBCCS was so much like our church back home in Rhode Island; we just knew this is where we wanted to be. I joined by baptism in August of 1998. 

Over the years, I have continued on this journey by joining the choir, becoming a deacon, serving as Bible School superintendent, and, most recently taking on the role of church secretary. I enjoy the fellowship of this church and its willingness to help the community. This is a value that I am hopeful will be instilled in my two young sons.

I try to stay involved (even if it's just in prayer) in all of the community outreach programs that FBCCS participates in, including "Warm Nights", Community Shred days, Trunk or Treat, Blessing In a Backpack, Ministry on the Mall, Summer Songfests, Cleanup days, and Community Tree Planting Days.