Our Staff

Rev. Dr. Mark C. Jackson

Reverend Jackson was born and grew up in Oxford, Mississippi.  He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a minor in Psychology from the University of Mobile in Mobile, Alabama; a Master of Arts Degree in Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas and a Doctorate in Worship Studies from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard (Chicago), Illinois.  He is married to Laura Harrison Jackson of Oxford, MS and they have one daughter, Alyssa Julian Jackson born October of 2005.

Since July of 2002, Rev. Dr. Jackson served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Nashua, New Hampshire.  While at FBC Nashua he led the church in growth with a greater emphasis on spiritual formation and increased emphasis on Christian Education, worked to enhance worship experiences involving all age groups, and guided the church to focus on their opportunities and possibilities rather than limitations. Through his leadership, the church also increased giving and overcame a $50,000 deficit budget while raising mission giving to United Mission. Rev. Jackson helped to facilitate a reorganization of the church structure to better reflect current needs and function with focus on pastoral care, outreach, visibility, involvement in the community and ministry to families with young children.

Prior to his ministry in Nashua, Rev. Jackson served as the Chaplain and Assistant Director of Community Life at the Baddour Center in Senatobia, Mississippi.  The Baddour Center is a private residential facility for adults diagnosed with mild and moderate mental retardation. While in that position he served as pastor to the residents and staff of the Center.  He also provided counseling services to residents and staff integrating psychotherapy and spiritual nurture.  Mark was also involved in constructing and implementing a spiritual growth program that provided opportunities for the residents and worked with other professionals at the Center to develop an instrument to measure that growth as part of their overall habilitation program.

Dr. Jackson has served churches in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Sedalia, Missouri; and Irving Texas which included experience in Christian Education and Youth Ministry. He has served as a Bible study teacher at the ABC Greenlake Conference Center in Greenlake, Wisconsin and conference leader at Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina and Glorietta Conference Center in New Mexico.  Mark taught teaching methodology and curriculum design for the Union of Evangelical-Christian Baptists in Minsk, Belarus.  He also was a contributing writer for Smyth and Helyws Publishing, wrote teaching material for youth ministry and camping programs for Lifeway Christian Resources and served as conference and retreat leader for numerous conferences and churches.

Rev. Jackson has been involved in community programs wherever he has served and believes strongly in ecumenical collaboration.  Mark and his family love living in New England and enjoy snow skiing, travel, antiquing, entertaining, hiking, and many outdoor activities.

Dr. Robert P. Eaton
Minister of Music

Dr. Robert P. Eaton is founder and director of the Assabet Valley Mastersingers, a 70-voice regional chorus dedicated to the performance of major choral masterworks, and also the sixteen voice Assabet Valley Chambersingers.  Dr. Eaton has a long career in church music and is currently Minister of Music at First Baptist Church of Lexington, MA.  He is a Past President of Massachusetts American Choral Directors Association and is currently the Vice President and Treasurer of the chapter. He also serves as Honors Choir Coordinator for the Eastern Division ACDA conferences in 2006 and 2008. 

Dr. Eaton was Choral Director at Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, MA for many years.  Dr. Eaton’s choruses won numerous awards at festivals and competitions, including gold medals for Jazz Choir,  Camerata Choir, Chamber Choir, and Concert Choir.   Dr. Eaton’s students have been selected for National and Regional Honors Choirs and were always well represented in District and All State Choruses.  In 1994 he was awarded the Teacher of the Year Award at Algonquin for his work in developing Humanities courses and a Senior Interdisciplinary Pilot Project.

In addition Dr. Eaton has been an organist/choir director for most of his career, active in the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, Music Educators National Conference, and Central District Massachusetts Music Educators Association. He has served as adjudicator and manager of All-State and District choruses and clinician/adjudicator for Festivals of Music. He received a Master of Music Education degree from Hartt School of Music with Dr. Gerald Mack and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting with Dr. James Jordan, also from Hartt. His DMA Dissertation was on Duruflé’s Requiem.   Dr. Eaton has also studied conducting with Allen Lannom, Joseph Flummerfelt, and Sir David Willcocks.

Mrs. Renée Vigoroso
Church Administrator

Our Church Administrator and Health Ministry Liaison, Renee Vigoroso is a graduate of Wheaton College, Norton, MA (BA, Biology)  and Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA (Masters in Education). Before coming to FBCL, she taught High School Biology and Elementary School Science at Perkins School for the Blind. For the last 28 years, she has been a leader in a small group ministry, 3D, Diet, Discipline and Discipleship, Inc. In 2003 she began a Health Ministry program here at First Baptist while she studied for a Certificate in Congregational Health Ministry from Andover Newton Theological School, Newton, MA. She and the Health Ministry Team continue to grow and enrich various ministries of health here at the church. Renee keeps things running from the Church Office weekdays from 8:30 - 2 p.m.