Kyle Nieber
Associate Pastor Nominee
dear rcbc,
It is with great humility and joy that I come to you accepting the nomination of Associate Pastor at River City Baptist Church. Although it astounds me that God would choose to use a great sinner like me, I rest assured that I have an even greater Savior to equip me for such an important task.
Over the past year, the Lord has given me (and my wife, Mary) a profound love for this church. You all deeply love God and others, as Christ commanded us. I am overjoyed at the thought of serving by equipping you in the work you already do so well.
It’s no coincidence that the focus of this pastorate is what I am passionate about: member care, counseling, discipleship, and outreach. These are all areas I was trained in at our previous church in Louisville, Kentucky, and I can’t wait to bring those experiences to bear here.
But what I’m most excited about is simply getting to know each of you better. If there’s anything you’ll come to learn about me, it’s that I love getting to know others and the work the Lord is doing in their lives. He is prospering so much ministry through you all; my hope is simply that I can be a further resource and engine of encouragement for what he’s already doing at RCBC.
At any point, feel free to reach out within the next two months if you’d like to get to know me more (kyle.nieber@gmail.com; 270-703-2893). I’d love to share what God has done in my life, and I’d love to hear what he’s doing in yours.
Your brother,
Kyle Nieber
my story
I was raised in the sunny city of Los Angeles, where my mother (who immigrated from Thailand) and my father (from upstate New York) met. Growing up in a non-Christian home, my parents had divorced when I was 4. This was profoundly impactful for me at such a young age. But in God’s sovereign mercy, he used this tragic circumstance to draw me to himself.
Fearing abandonment as a kid, I desperately wanted to please my friends as a way to find security in them. But in late high school, after moving to Western Kentucky with my dad, I started attending a church where I was exposed to the gospel. I realized the security I was searching for could only be found in Jesus Christ. In my rebellion, though, I had been searching for it in others—rather than in him. Convicted of my sin, and certain of the hope found in Christ, I repented and placed my faith in him.
After becoming a Christian, I stopped living for the things of this world and started living for the Lord (though never perfectly, of course). In college he gave me a desire to serve in ministry and also provided my greatest earthly asset: my wife, Mary. Afterward, we moved to Louisville to attend Third Avenue Baptist Church. We grew tremendously in our faith during our decade there. I had the privilege of serving in multiple diaconates and as a pastoral intern, biblical counselor, Home Group leader, and occasional preacher and Sunday School teacher.
Throughout our time there the Lord continued to deepen my desire for pastoral ministry, which our former elders affirmed. In February 2023, with the desire to see the gospel spread through healthy churches, we moved our family to Richmond to join in the work the Lord had begun at RCBC.
As I look back, I am astonished at God’s relentless and restoring grace. What was once a story of a child born to a broken family is now the story of adoption into the family of God. I hope my story encourages you and reminds you that God loves to save broken sinners—and that nobody is beyond the reach of his compassion and love.
my family
My sweetest earthly gift is my wife and the children the Lord has given us. Mary and I met in a high school English class (yes, we’re high school sweethearts) and have been married since 2012. She is my tireless helper and encourager in all of life’s pursuits, especially the pursuit of the Lord. I couldn’t accept this nomination if it weren’t for her immense wisdom and support. Mary currently stays home and homeschools our four children: Oliver (7), Ruby (5), Elliot (2), and Theo (6 months).
Oliver is our little bookworm who finishes his library-haul within an hour of arriving home. Ruby is our active one who just started gymnastics (she’s a natural!). Elliot, while young, easily has the biggest and brightest personality of the bunch. And Theo, our newest, never seems to stop smiling.
Although our family has only lived here for a year, our kids constantly say, “Richmond is the best!” The Niebers love this city and especially this church.
timeline
February 18: Sunday Evening Testimony
March 17: Churchwide Q&A
April 7: Morning Sermon
April 21: Church Vote