MEET Our TEAM

Shane Hicks has been the pastor of our church since 2019. He led the restart of the historic First Baptist Church of Downey, founding it as Legacy Church of Downey in 2020. Shane has served in pastoral ministry since 2003. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies from California Baptist University, a Master of Divinity from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Gateway Seminary. He is also certified in Christian Behavioral Science. He plans to continue his education with a Doctor of Education and a Doctor of Philosophy.

Shane loves nothing more than spending time with his wife, Whitney, whom he married in 2013, their son, Jesse, who was born in 2017, and their daughter, Emery, who was born in June 2024. Together, they enjoy amusement parks, camping, and all that California has to offer—the beach, mountains, desert, and cities.

Shane could live on chips and salsa, hot chicken, and sparkling ice drinks. He was once a singer and guitarist in various bands, and you might occasionally see him playing with our praise team. He’s convinced that the best music came from the '90s and early '00s, and he can't believe his favorite songs are now on the oldies stations.

Whitney Hicks has served alongside Pastor Shane since 2010 in four prominent churches and various ministry roles. She earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and English, as well as a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from California Baptist University.

Whitney has a passion for helping women, youth, and children deepen their understanding of God’s Word. She possesses a strong gift of discernment, enabling her to assist believers in distinguishing truth from heresy. Additionally, she has served as a moderator for one of the largest Christian social media groups for women, overseeing tens of thousands of participants.

Whitney homeschools her son Jesse and plans to homeschool Emery as well. She is dedicated to ensuring her children grow up with a solid Christian educational foundation.

Mark has served in ministry for over 40 years, many of which were dedicated to building one of the largest churches in California. He is the President, Chairman, and Executive Director of Prison Ministry of America and Second Chance Recovery. Mark is a Certified Counselor and holds a B.A., two Master’s degrees—one in Counseling and the other in Theology—and a Doctorate in Theology from Bethany Theology Seminary.

He has worked with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 20 years, serving as a Contracted Administrator for Religious and Volunteer Services for 18 of those years. In this role, he oversaw 23,000 custody inmates, managed a chaplaincy staff of 65, and coordinated 3,000 volunteers, along with four secretaries and two sworn deputies.

Mark has been married to Patricia since 1982, and together they have traveled and served in ministry around the world.

Doug has served in ministry for over 20 years in the Inland Empire and has been with our church since its early days. He and Shane have known each other for over a decade, having begun their service together at one of California's megachurches in 2012. Doug holds a Bachelor of Applied Theology from California Baptist University and a Master of Educational Leadership from Gateway Seminary.

In addition to being part of our pastoral team, Doug serves as a revitalization pastor with the Southern Baptist Convention. He specializes in guiding churches to achieve present and future health through intentional interim ministries, and his leadership has been instrumental in saving several churches.

Doug married Sherri in 1992, and she actively partners with him in all his ministry endeavors.

Autumn has been a part of our church long before it became what it is today. She joined when it was Downey First Baptist at the age of 5 and has been here ever since, playing an integral role in the church's relaunch as Legacy Church of Downey.

She earned an Associate Degree in Liberal Studies from Cerritos College, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with emphases in Public Administration and Finance from Liberty University, and is currently completing a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University.

Since 2008, Autumn has served Los Angeles County as a Courts Operations Manager. She married Ray in 2012, and together they actively serve in the church with their many children.