Dr. Knierim is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Alabaster. His areas of responsibility are vision casting, leading the church staff, and the preaching ministry. Dr. Knierim began his ministry at FBCA in December 2005.

He is a graduate of Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, Missouri with a Bachelor of Theology degree. He earned a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He did graduate studies in the area of psycho-social care at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois.  

Dr. Knierim is married to Victoria. She is the Assistant Director of Communication Resource Center and a Communication Arts Instructor at Samford University in Birmingham. She is a published author and popular speaker. They have two sons, Josh and Matt.

Josh is married to the former Jenn Hrabovsky. Josh is an Emergency Services Specialist with the Birmingham Area Chapter of the Red Cross and Jenn is a licensed social worker. Josh and Jenn are the parents of Isabel.

Matt is married to the former Lauren Sanders. Matt is working on his Maters of Social Work at the Universithy of Alabama. Lauren is an Emergency Room R.N. at St. Viencent's East in Trussville, Alabama.  

Dr. Knierim has pastored churches in Illinois and served on the staff of a church in Overland Park, Kansas. He served on the state convention staff in Illinois and came to FBCA after sixteen years at a Christian publishing/consulting agency in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a published author and has contributed articles to a number of periodicals. Dr. Knierim has served on several boards of ministries to ministers and the Board of Directors of the Illinois Baptist State Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity. 

He enjoys a variety of sports and spending time with his family.

To email him, click Dr. Neil Knierim.