Staff
Senior Pastor
Dr. Benjamin Karner
Dr. Karner and his wife, Karen, have been married for 16 years and have 3 children. Dr. Karner holds a Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Previous to being called by FBC Laredo, Dr. Karner has been a Youth Pastor, Worship Pastor, Discipleship Pastor and Associate Pastor. His ministry theme is "moving people from where they are to where God wants them to be." He has authored the book Unity in the Body: Maintaining Biblical Unity in a Divisive Culture. He enjoys playing guitar, cultivating plants and watching Sci-fi. Visit his website www.benkarner.com for his personal blog, videos, and more!
Subscribe to his podcast Ben Karner's Ministry Podcast and his YouTube channel: Inspire the People
Associate Pastor of Discipleship
Felipe Arias
956-723-8374 ext. 5
Felipe Arias, and his wife Brigitte are originally from Chile. They have been married for 29 years and have four children. Pastor Felipe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Bryan College and a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary. Previous to being called by FCB Laredo, pastor Felipe served for 13 years as an assistant pastor at FBC in Pittsfield Maine. He enjoys jogging, playing the guitar and writing music. Also, he has produced a music album in Spanish titled, “Paso a Paso.”
Volunteer Coordinator
Karen Karner
956-723-8374 ext. 2
Karen has a love to see children grow in Christ. In addition to previously serving as a children's director, she has previously taught Pre-school through High School at three Christian Academic institutions. She works to manage, recruit, and organize all the volunteers in the church which include the following ministries: Children's ministry, First Impressions, Usher team, Translations team, Teller team, AV/Sound team, Presentation team, Hospitality team, Decorating team, Facility team, and Security team. She also serves as a vocalist on FBC Laredo's praise team, sings in the chior, & plays violin for the worship gatherings on Sunday. Karen is married with three children. She enjoys music, Starbucks, & dark chocolate.
Church Secretary
Estella Palacios
956-723-8374 ext. 1
Estella joined the FBC Laredo staff in 2015 and immediately made a significant impact. She is bi-lingual in English & Spanish. As the church secretary, she handles much of day to day operations of the church office. Estella plays guitar and enjoys graphic design. Her father is pastor of Santa Fe Baptist Church in Laredo.
Mother's Day Out Director
Sheryl Roth
(361)271-4103
956-723-8374 ext. 3
Church Pianist
Julie Reimund
Director of Benevolence Ministries
Elisa Valadez
956-723-8374 ext. 4
Elisa coordinates the community involvement ministries of FBC Laredo. She connects the church with community needs and outreach opportunities.
Click to see what's going on now with the Pantry of Hope.
Support Staff
Claudia Guerra
Claudia has faithfully served at FBC Laredo for over 20 years. She is a valuable team player and has a willing attitude to do whatever it takes to get the job done. She enjoy children and sports. Claudia is married and has four boys which keeps her very busy.