Our Team

Pastor

Steve Swann

Steve, a native Floridian, got cold chills when God called him to Illinois. He was afraid the cold would cramp his golf game. But in answer to God’s will, he and his wife, Janelle, packed up and moved to Champaign in January 2023.

Steve pastored in Fayetteville, NC for seven years before moving to Bible Baptist Church of Champaign. Prior to that, the Swanns served as BBFI missionaries to Sofia, Bulgaria, for 20 years.

In Sofia, they assisted the Baptist Union of Bulgaria in founding the Mladost Baptist Church. It was the second Baptist church founded in Sofia after the fall of Communism. It recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Steve and Janelle have four adult children and two grandsons.

Rachel was born and raised in Urbana, Illinois. While attending college, she met her husband, Brian, and they were married in 2012. They welcomed their daughter, Lola, in 2014. In 2013, Rachel accepted Jesus as her Savior and was baptized at Bible Baptist Church in 2021. In the spring of 2024, Rachel became the secretary of Bible Baptist Church.

Rachel loves her role as secretary and values the opportunity to form deeper relationships with her church family and serve the Lord.