First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau has begun a new season with a new pastor. Tyler Tankersley heard God's call to leave the church where he served as associate pastor for five years, and now is honored to fill the role of pastor here. He and his wife, Jessica, and their two children, 3-year-old Henry and 1-year-old Owen, are expecting great things as they serve the First Baptist Church family.

This new role is a homecoming of sorts for Tankersley, who grew up in the area and graduated from Jackson High School and Southeast Missouri State University and worked at First Baptist as an intern during college. During those collegiate years, Tankersley also worked at the Baptist Student Center on campus.

In 2009, he attended Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, Kansas. From 2009 to 2014, he was an associate pastor at Liberty Second Baptist Church in Liberty, Missouri. In the fall of 2014, the seminary offered him a position as developer of contextual education, which he accepted.

"But," he said, "I really wanted to get back into church ministry, so I left that job."

When he heard about the position at First Baptist, he felt it was right for him, and it allowed him to return to the area and be closer to family.

Though Tankersley is a young man of 29 and has been in ministry less than a decade, ministry is in his blood.

"My dad ... was a pastor and then a counselor in the area, who always did ministry in some capacity," he said. Thus, he himself was always around it, which, he said jokingly, "was a guarantee I would never do it."

But, in college, a friend asked him to help with youth ministry and he loved it.

"I realized I had been running from this all my life," he said.

One thing that makes First Baptist so special is its "great diversity of opinion," Tankersley said. He said no two cars at the church would likely have the same bumper sticker, and added that his members realize they don't have to agree on everything to walk together in fellowship.

The pastor is attempting to foster an atmosphere of lifelong learning, not a know-it-all mentality.

"We're a church that doesn't expect people to have it all together when they show up, and we're comfortable with questions and doubts. We work out our faith ... together," he said, "rather than expecting people to have the answers when they walk through the door."

In describing First Baptist, Tankersley mentioned its cultural diversity, as well. For example, the church has an active Chinese population, including Chinese Christians, as well as Americans who were missionaries to China. He also discussed the church's active youth, children's and music ministries.

What should attendees expect to experience during any given service? They have "blended worship" -- a praise team with guitars, vocals and a keyboard, he said. But their services are "rooted in deeply traditional hymns, as well," he said.

"We try to be intergenerational [and] to include both men and women in leadership positions in our worship," Tankersley said.

"I try to have thoughtful and approachable services," he said, reiterating that a pastor is "not there to dispense answers, but [as] a shepherd that helps us all to ask better questions." Tankersley said he wants to model his ministry after Jesus' example, whom he believes "encouraged people to use their mind, intellect, heart and experiences."

To do so, First Baptist remains active with community organizations, conducts Bible studies and has small groups that meet in people's homes.

"The church is kind of in a season of newness and new birth and ... resurrections," he explained. He said in the next few years, various plans will be up and running as the church tends to "a deep need for community" in this area.

For those seeking a church home, Tankersley emphasized that community, familial approach: "God has put in each and every one of us a need for deep community ... not easily found in our culture. To find a church, you have to recognize that need and to be open and to be vulnerable."

He acknowledged that this is not easy, stating, "I think that requires a lot of courage." Nonetheless, he said, "We are richest when we are plugged in with sisters and brothers of like-minded faith."

In no way does he believe First Baptist affords that opportunity exclusively. Other congregations do also, he said: "You have to figure out what kind of community you're called to plug into it. ... That's every person's journey that they're on -- to figure that out."

On behalf of his congregation, Tankersley extends a welcome to those who would like to discover if First Baptist Church should be part of their own journey of faith.