Leadership
Get to know the leadership at HGBC
Art Gipson
Senior Pastor
Bio coming soon.
Darren Roberts
Worship & Family Pastor
Darren came to Hickory Grove Baptist Church in August of 2022. He grew up in Clay County and graduated from Middleburg High School in the first graduating class. He attended Stetson University and earned his Church Music degree from The Baptist College of Florida. He was the first Music Director at Lake Asbury Baptist Church in Green Cove Springs when it was a mission of Hickory Grove Baptist Church. He has served in churches in Music Ministry as well as other ministries for almost 40 years. God has used Darren to help build music ministries in churches in Florida and Alabama. Darren is married to Michele and they have two children, Lauren and Heather.
Travis Ivey
YOUTH DIRECTOR
Julie Barry
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Julie came to Hickory Grove Baptist Church in January 2022. She is a graduate of Orange Park High School and graduated from Liberty University with a Psychology degree and minors in Business and Church Ministry. Julie has brought many years of experience to her Office Administration Roll. She has a charismatic personality and is devoted to her Lord Jesus Christ. She serves at Oak Leaf Baptist Church in their Choir and Youth Department. Julie is married to Kevin and together they have 5 children and 10 grandchildren.
Carmen Hackworth
Financial Secretary
Carmen was raised in Colorado where her father was a Baptist Pastor. She was saved at the age of nine and was baptized at the First Baptist Church of Delta, Colorado. She attended Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas and continued her education in Florida, becoming a Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) in 1975. She worked for J-M Manufacturing Company for 32 years as the Plant Manager’s Secretary and Personnel Coordinator.
In 2006, after being retired for eight years, she came to work at Hickory Grove Baptist Church as the Financial Secretary. She enjoys serving the Lord in this job and feels everything we do in life should be a ministry that honors our Lord and Savior. She has served as pianist in several churches over the years and played the keyboard for the Journeymen Quartet for 10 years during the 1980’s. She is married to Roy and they are active in church ministry.
