LEADERSHIP
- Appalachia -
KEITH STILLWELL - VICE PRESIDENT FOR APPALACHIA
Keith Stillwell is the Together for Hope Regional Vice President for Appalachia, residing in Danville, Kentucky. While serving with Lexington Avenue Baptist Church, Danville, Keith was actively involved with Together for Hope from the beginning, leading CBF Kentucky’s Mountain Hope Task Force work in Owsley County, McCreary County, and the community of Nada in Powell County. Lexington Avenue Baptist Church developed a partnership/friendship with the Nada Community which they maintained for 15 years. Keith has a Doctor of Ministry degree from The Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Virginia and Master of Divinity Degree from The Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville. He is currently working on a Certificate of Appalachian Studies with the University of Kentucky.
Contact Info: keith@tfhope.org
KRISTY BAY - DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS, APPALACHIA
Rev. Dr. Kristy Bay grew up outside Chicago, IL, and moved to Nashville, TN, to attend Belmont University for her undergraduate studies. There, she earned two Bachelor's degrees: one in Music and one in French. While in college, she stumbled upon her love for student ministry and began exploring her calling as a minister, preacher, writer, and musician. In 2011, Dr. Bay completed her Master of Divinity degree in Academic Research from Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology. Her master’s thesis studied the moral formation of youth, with a specific emphasis on competing narrative worldviews. This is also where she met her husband, Zach, who is also a pastor. While working full-time in higher education, Dr. Bay also served a local church in Southeastern Kentucky as a volunteer youth minister and part-time music minister. In 2023, she successfully completed her Doctorate in Higher Education, focusing on rural college students and the anxiety produced by technology addiction. Dr. Bay has worked with or volunteered for nonprofit organizations throughout her career and has a heart for serving others. Her passions and skills all come together in her love of asset-based community development work. She has helped design and implement a STEAM day camp for rising Pre-K through 8th grade, a youth leadership summit for rural rising juniors and seniors, and co-directed an Appalachian Immersion Program (a faith-based service-learning experience designed to dismantle stereotypes about the Appalachian region). Dr. Bay loves empowering and equipping rural communities to grow holistically by helping them explore the intersections of life, culture, geography, spirituality, and other community-based assets. Her passion for music, leadership, and creativity has also played a key part in her career. Dr. Bay has worked with numerous churches in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia as a preacher, student minister, retreat leader, devotion writer, worship leader/musician, and pastoral caregiver. In addition, Dr. Bay has been a freelance writer for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global, has written curriculum for various congregations, devotions for Smyth and Helwys, and has been published in the book This is What a Preacher Looks Like. Recently, Dr. Bay’s husband Zach was called as the new Senior Pastor at Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, and the Bay family relocated to Huntington, WV! Dr. Bay is looking forward to putting down roots in the Huntington community and connecting coalition members to the important work of Together for Hope!
Contact Info: kristy@tfhope.org