Mary Beth Sarhatt became Pastor of First Baptist Church of Kalamazoo in March, 2003. She was ordained in the American Baptist denomination in 1992. She served First Baptist Church in McMinnville, Oregon as the Associate Pastor from 1991-1994. She was the Interim Christian Educator at Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Minneapolis from 1997-1998 and the Director

of Christian Education and Community Outreach at Grace-Trinity Community Church (an American Baptist and Presbyterian Church) from 1998-2003.  Mary Beth received her Master of Divinity degree from American Baptist Seminary of the west in Berkeley, California in 1990 and her Doctor of Ministry degree from Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts in 2003. She was a Chaplain Intern in the Clinical Pastoral Education Program at Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Oregon from 1990-1991.

Mary Beth has also worked at Caribou Coffee, a coffee shop chain mostly in Minnesota and at The Red Balloon, a children's bookstore in St. Paul, Minnesota. In her leisure time she enjoys reading, traveling, watching movies, and baking. She just relearned how to knit, and recently took a paper making class.

On October 14, 2006 Mary Beth married her best friend, Jon Start in the sanctuary at FBC attended by close family, friends and many of the congregation from FBC.

You can email Mary Beth at pastor@fbckazoo.org