Meet the Staff
Cultivate Church
1702 South Jefferson Street
Athens, AL 35611
Sundays at 10:30 AM
Joel Franks,
Lead Pastor
The Franks moved to Athens in 2018 to start Cultivate Church. Before coming to Alabama, they ministered in Kentucky for 18 years. Joel and Melanie have a college age son and daughter. Joel's primary role is to preach and teach the Word so that the text comes alive. He also oversees the ministry on a day-to-day basis. Joel and Melanie have a heart for discipleship, and enjoy coming alongside individuals, couples, and families to help them with their relationships with Christ.
BJ Eaton,
Youth Pastor
The Eatons have been a part of the Cultivate team since its beginning. BJ and Joann faithfully serve the youth of Cultivate Church. BJ is also our worship ministry director. Joann serves as the director of Cultivate Daycare. They have one adult son, daughter in law, and three grandchildren.
Amilcar Castro, Hispanic Pastor
The Castros came to Cultivate Church from Honduras. Amilcar's primary role is to preach and teach the Word to our Hispanic congregation. Amilcar and Mayra have an adult son, daughter in law, and grandson, and a 7 year old daughter.
We'd love to meet you! 👋
As the Lead Pastor of Cultivate Church it's an honor to meet you. We're passionate about welcoming visitors to our church. I want to be the first to invite you to join us for an upcoming service. We want to be a welcoming place for you and your family. Let us know you're coming by clicking the Plan Your Visit button. Can't wait to see you soon!
- Joel Franks, Lead Pastor
© 2026 Cultivate Church
Cultivate Free Will Baptist Church is a nonprofit registered in the USA, registration number 000-505-143