- 4141 Pontchartrain Dr, Slidell, LA 70458
Here at FBC we realize all Christians struggle with sin, suffering, and the effects they have on our lives and our relationships (Romans 3:23; 7:7-25). We also know that in these times we need to seek the help of other brothers and sisters in Christ to help us. This is where our fellow Christians, that are trained in counseling, can help us to grow through difficult times in life. We believe that in the Bible, we have the truth we need to help people deal with their spiritual problems (II Timothy 3:16-17). We as a church want to provide our church and community the opportunity to get help when needed.
Instructions for Counseling Forms Submission
Please print and complete both the Personal Data Inventory and Consent to Counsel forms below. Once filled out, you can either email the forms to tanya@ibcd.org or drop them off at the church office desk.
After we receive your forms, they will be reviewed by Don Roy, our Counseling Center Director. He will assess your needs and determine if a counselor is available to meet with you. Please be aware that most of our counselors are volunteers, and their availability may be limited. We aim to meet as many needs as possible, with priority given to members of First Baptist Church Slidell.
Click on the paperclip to download the form.
Click on the paperclip to download the form.
Don Roy is a retired Navy Captain who flew the F-14 Tomcat for 15 years as a Radar Intercept Officer. He then served in various staff and command positions for another 15 years. Today he is an ACBC Fellow and holds a DMin in Biblical Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He serves as Training Center Director for the Institute in Biblical Counseling and Discipleship. Don is a missionary with Biblical Counseling Ministries Worldwide. He currently serves as country coordinator for Madagascar and travels abroad to train new counselors. He also serves as a Senior Advisor for Fallen Soldiers March, a ministry that provides biblical counseling for veterans and first responders. Don has been married to Elizabeth for 45 years; they have 10 children and 19 grandchildren.
Elizabeth Roy grew up in Pensacola and still loves the beaches and going boating there. She has been married to Don for 45 years, homeschooled their 10 children, now all graduated. Elizabeth has an evangelist’s heart, is a voracious reader (especially theology), loves playing board games with her husband, and being Mémère to their 19 grandchildren. Elizabeth has been ACBC certified since 2005.
Terrell Suggs was born in Texas, raised in North Alabama, and graduated from the University of Mobile in 1969. He earned an MDiv from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1973. He has been in ministry for 54 years, having pastored churches in Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Ten of those years he also served as Director of Missions for the County Baptist Association in Durant, OK. Over the years Terrell has taught classes for aspiring pastors at the Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Ok; traveled in the US and abroad sharing the gospel; served with International Church Planters for several years; and wrote a book, My Journey in Grace which was published in 2008.
After retiring from full-time ministry, Terrell served as interim pastor for several churches and today enjoys teaching an adult Sunday School class at FBC Slidell. He has been married to Jan for 50 years and they have two sons, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Terrell earned his counseling certification from ACBC in 2021.
Pam Polit was raised in rural Pennsylvania and graduated from Bloomsburg State University in 1970 with a BS in education. After teaching two years, she moved to New Orleans and worked 15 years as an administrative analyst for the City. During that time, she attended the University of New Orleans where she earned an MBA in 1981. In 1986 she taught at UNO as an Instructor in the College of Business while completing a Ph.D. in Educational Administration in 1990. In 1992 she moved to Loyola University and worked there until 2002 when she married Ronald Polit.
In 2009 Pam and Ron applied to Wycliffe Bible Translators where they served stateside for 6 years, first as Field Coordinators for translation projects in Latin America and then with the OneStory Partnership where they served with Bible storying for oral learners. They retired from Wycliffe in 2016, but continued to serve at FBC Slidell. Ron went to glory in 2023. Pam became an ACBC certified counselor in 2021.
Tina Byus was raised in the St. Louis area after her family migrated to the U.S. from England in the late 1960’s. God placed her family next door to a lady who shared Christ with her mother and one by one, over the course of many years, every member of her family trusted Christ as Savior. In 1980 Tina married Bret and enjoyed being a homemaker while raising their three children. In 2017 they moved to Slidell where she serves in an administrative role of Ministry Development with Righteous Rides, an evangelical non-profit organization providing transportation to evangelical overseas missionaries coming to the U.S. on home-assignment or furlough. Tina also enjoys intentional days working and traveling with her husband, time with family and friends, and being Nana to their seven grandchildren. Tina is a member of FBC Slidell and became an ACBC certified counselor in 2022.
One of Tina’s life verses is, 1 Cor. 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Bret Byus was raised in the mid-west just outside St. Louis, Missouri. In 1980 he received an Automotive/Diesel Degree from LeTourneau University. In 1986 he earned a BS in Business Management from East Texas Baptist University. He spent the majority of his career in the automotive industry with Chrysler Corporation as a District Manager and Field Technical Engineer. In 2006 Bret and a friend co-founded the nationwide ministry Righteous Rides, an evangelical non-profit organization providing transportation to evangelical overseas missionaries coming into the U.S. on home-assignment or furlough. Bret married Tina, the love of his life in 1980. Together they have three grown children and seven grandchildren. Bret is a member of FBC Slidell where he serves on the missions committee. He was certified as an ACBC counselor in 2021.
Tanya Wilson was raised in Slidell, Louisiana and recently returned to the area where she works as the administrative manager for the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship. She has been involved in Biblical Counseling for over 15 years, having earned a degree in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana in 2012. While completing her degree, she served as an intern at Vision of Hope Residential Treatment center in Lafayette, Indiana. The time spent there furthered her love for biblical counseling and desire to see hurting women find hope in Jesus Christ and His word alone. Over the past 12 years she has served her local church in lay counseling. In her free time Tanya enjoys family time with her husband, Bo, and her two children Emma and Colton. They love watching football, gardening, and spending time exploring the Northshore and surrounding areas. She is a member of First Baptist Church Slidell and was certified as an ACBC counselor in 2025.
Steve Spires was raised in a missionary family in Bangladesh and later in Slidell, LA, where his father became a church planter. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1982 with a degree in Pre-Law/Journalism and later earned a Masters in Education Administration from the University of New Orleans in 1993. Steve taught 3rd grade for 31 years in St. Tammany Parish, retiring in 2019. Along with his wife, Eve, he runs a private tutoring service for local families.
In 2017, Steve and Eve felt called to biblical counseling and earned certification in 2020 from the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. Both serve on the biblical counseling team at First Baptist Church, Slidell. Steve is also a missionary training coordinator with Biblical Counseling Ministries Worldwide and a speaker/trainer with Soul Shepherding Worldwide, serving in Latvia, Finland, and Belize. He also supports the Institute of Biblical Counseling and Discipleship in soul care and discipleship training.
Steve and Eve have been married for 35 years and have 5 adult children and 3 grandchildren.
Gary Martinez was born in 1958, raised in Metairie, LA and married Leslie in 1978. After two tragic miscarriages they adopted a son followed by the birth of a son and a daughter over the next four years. Gary grew up in an unbelieving family and living life without Christ. In 1987, everything changed as both Gary and his wife were saved and started attending a Bible believing/preaching church. In 1989 they moved to Dallas, TX where he attended Dallas Theological Seminary earning a Masters in Theology with an emphasis in biblical counseling. In 1992, they moved to LaPlace, LA and planted Grace Community Church, started Cornerstone Christian Academy, and Grace House, a residential program for at-risk teenage boys. In 2002 Gary and Leslie moved the residential ministry to a 130-acre working cattle ranch in Roseland, LA. Over the next eight years he earned a Masters in Education and a PhD in Biblical Counseling. The next chapter of his life Gary, using his education certification started teaching mathematics and science in a public high school. In 2019 they moved to Slidell and became members of FBC Slidell. Currently he teaches in a public high school while working to complete his ACBC certification in 2025
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