First Baptist Church of Blowing Rock's Staff Members
Welcome to First Baptist Church of Blowing Rock! I am glad you have chosen to look deeper into who we are and what we feel called to be. I believe you will find the people who make up this church to be a beautifully God-centered people who are passionate in our faith, authentic in our struggles, and desperate to become who the bible says we are.
Rev. Rusty Guenther, Lead Pastor
Rusty Guenther, our Lead Pastor came to First Baptist Church of Blowing Rock in July of 2007. He was raised in Baytown, Texas and graduated from Ross S. Sterling High School in 1984. He graduated from the East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas as a Communication/Religion major in 1989. He received his MDIV from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in 1998. Prior to coming to First Baptist he had served as a Student Pastor and Youth Ministry for the last 20 years in churches including; Central Baptist Church/Abba's House of Hixson /Chattanooga, Tennessee, First Baptist Church of College Station, Texas , Arapaho Road Baptist Church in Garland, Texas and Springs of Grace Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana as Student and Recreation Minister.
He is married to the former Kim Carter whom he met at East Texas Baptist where she received a degree in Business Administration. Married since 1989 they have two adult children; Caleb who is a a high school history teacher at Klein Cane High School in Houston Texas and Cassidy who works as the church's office administrator, and is married to Jordan Foster. Rusty and Kim have one grandchild, Kennedy Foster born in June 2024.
When not working, Rusty is an avid fly fisherman and loves hiking, camping and anything in the outdoors.
Woody Oliver, Associate Pastor
Woody Oliver serves as Associate Pastor, joining our staff in June 2025 from Bluffton, South Carolina. With over 20 years of pastoral and leadership experience, Woody Oliver has faithfully served at Woodfield’s Baptist Church, Harmony Baptist Church, and Okatee Baptist Church, as well as acting as Director of Missions for the Savannah River Baptist Association in Ridgeland, SC. Earlier in his career, he was on staff at Northlake Baptist Church in Garland, Texas. Originally from New Jersey, Woody Oliver discovered his love for the mountains of North Carolina while earning a BA in Education at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC. After managing a group of surf shops on the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, he began his teaching and coaching career in Greenwood, SC, in 1987. Thirteen years later, he felt called to full-time ministry and moved to Garland, Texas, to pursue theological studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and Southwestern Theological Seminary.
Following the passing of his late wife Linda in 1991, Woody Oliver met and married Dena Saylors of Abbeville, SC. Together, they have four daughters and eight grandchildren. Outside of his ministry work, Woody enjoys hiking and exploring the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, and is passionate about building pathways for people to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through relational discipleship
Houston Sloan, Minister to Students
Houston was born in Lenoir, NC, and in 2006 came to Boone to attend Appalachian State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Leadership Studies. He later pursued a master’s degree from Liberty University in Human Services, with a focus in Marriage and Family Counseling.
In addition to serving with our youth, Houston works with Operation Christmas Child as the Senior Brand & Production Manager and serves as a chaplain with Kingdom Overflow Ministries. He also has a deep love for worship and serves as a worship leader in various settings throughout the High Country. Houston’s greatest joy in student ministry is building relationships with students and encouraging them to live out their faith daily as he invests in the next generation and witnesses God at work in their lives.
Houston has been part of First Baptist Church since September 2024.
Chad Martin, Minister to Students
Sid Greene, Minister of Worship
A native of Boone, NC. Music was part of Sid's life from a young age. Both singing and piano were daily creative outlets that he loved and still loves today. After graduation from Watauga high, he enrolled in Appalachian State University where he graduated with a Bachelors degree in Music Industry. While attending Appalachian he met the love of his life from Blowing Rock, Lauren. It would not take long for him to discover she was out of his league but he pursued her until she finally relented. Sid and Lauren are helping to grow the church the old fashion way as the parents of five beautiful children; Kati Mac, Madi, Jake, Camryn and Emsley. When he is not leading worship he owns and operates Hardin Creek Timber Frame & Millwork and is a licensed contractor in North Carolina.
Sid leads worship in our worship service as well as directing our worship teams, the worship choir and leading the worship band. He has been at First Baptist since July of 2010.
Cassidy Foster, Office Administrator
Children's Director
We are currently searching to hire a new Children's director
Kayla Potter; Director of our Children's Development Center, Lead Teacher
Kayla, an Appalachian State graduate has been teaching in our Child Development Teacher as an afternoon teacher for the last 10 years and joined the staff as a full time teacher in September 2012. She became our director in 2018. Kayla teachers our four and five year old classes.
Charlotte Black; Child Development Center, Lead Teacher
Charlotte, an Appalachian State graduate has been teaching in our Child Development Teacher as a Lead Teacher for our 2-3 year olds since 2018.