Dr. Mark A. Howell has served as Senior Pastor at First Baptist, Daytona Beach, Florida since September 2011. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, TN. While at Carson-Newman he was privileged to play linebacker on the 1986 National Championship football team. He also holds both the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Dr. Howell has been in the ministry for more than twenty years and has served churches in Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky and Arkansas. Additionally, he served on the faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky as Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministries. He also has served as an Adjunct Professor for Southwestern Baptist Seminary. He has a passion for taking the gospel to the nations and has been privileged to preach the gospel around the world. Dr. Howell has also led mission teams to Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Kenya, South Africa, India, Nepal, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore. He has served on the Executive Committees of both the Southern Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. He is married to Carmen, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in biblical counseling from the Criswell College in Dallas, Texas.