Pastor

Mike Matzen was born and raised in Central New York. In 1972, his family moved south to Jacksonville. Bro. Mike received his B.B.A in Finance from the University of North Florida in 1978. He was employed by various traffic signal and road striping companies and currently serves as Vice President of Construction with Control Specialists Company, Inc. based in Winter Park.

In the fall of 1983, Bro. Mike was introduced to Regina by mutual friends. At the invitation of Regina, Bro. Mike attended the First Baptist Church of Edgewater Florida. There Bro. Mike came to Christ and came forward professing his faith in Christ and submitting to believer’s baptism on Easter Sunday 1984. Regina and Bro. Mike were married in September of 1984.

Over the years, Bro. Mike served FBC Edgewater, Terry Parker Baptist Church, and FBC Apopka in many capacities as a layman. That service included, bus driver, choir member, handbell group, church orchestra, Sunday school teacher, Department Director, Sunday School Director, Discipleship Training Director, Royal Ambassador Counselor, Deacon, and Children’s Church Director.

In 1994, after more than a year and a half of resisting the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Bro. Mike surrendered to the gospel ministry and enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1995, he attended classes each Monday afternoon and evening, at FBC Orlando which was a local extension center for the Seminary.

Bro. Mike graduated in 2001. During his final years of study, he was teaching Sunday school for the English speaking members of the First Korean Baptist Church in Jacksonville.

 In 2000, after returning to regular attendance at his home church (FBC Apopka), he began a regular weekly Children’s Church on Sunday mornings until called to supply at FBC Pine Lakes in 2002, where he served five months before returning to FBC Apopka. It was from there that he was called to his first pastorate here at FBC Maitland on 12/21/03.

 Bro. Mike and Regina have two sons, Mike and Matthew. The Matzens reside in Apopka, FL.