EDWARDSVILLE — A visitation at Metro Community Church in Edwardsville on Sunday evening, July 20, 2025, showed the love and adoration of their previous pastor, with hundreds in attendance for hours.
Many shared a common story or theme about Paul Westbrook: that he truly related to the congregation, which was built from 35 members to the massive church it is today.
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Westbrook, founding pastor of Metro Community Church and associate executive director of the Illinois State Baptist Association, died Sunday, July 13, 2025, at his home. He was 64.
Westbrook served the Edwardsville and Vandalia communities for more than 30 years, shepherding Metro Community Church from its inception as a small group meeting in a basement to a multi-campus congregation reaching thousands. He and his wife, Melody, founded the church in Edwardsville and began with 35 members and grew to approximately 200 before moving into a school for weekend worship. The church later purchased farmland to build its current facility and launched a second campus in Vandalia about 14 to 15 years ago.
Metro Community Church now rests at 3551 Ridge View Road in Edwardsville in a beautiful complex.
“We had skeptics and doubters, but we loved the Lord and where we were," Westbrook said in a previous interview with Riverbender.com when he and his wife retired from Metro Community Church. "We wanted our heartbeat of the church to be user-friendly.”
He described the church’s mission as reaching people without a place of worship, emphasizing that they did not aim to draw members from other churches but to bring new people to Christ.
Born Feb. 12, 1961, in Fort Worth, Texas, Westbrook was the son of Charley and Darlene Westbrook Sr. He married Melody Moeller on June 28, 1986, in Fenton, Mo. They had three sons — Caleb, Luke, and Joshua — and two grandchildren.
Before founding Metro Community Church, Westbrook served as pastor at Shields Boulevard Baptist Church in Oklahoma City for four years. After retiring from Metro, he took on the role of associate executive director for the Illinois State Baptist Association, where he contributed to the Health, Growth, and Mission Teams and coached pastors individually and in small groups.
“Paul faithfully served the Metro family and the greater Edwardsville and Vandalia communities for over three decades with humility, vision, and a heart fully devoted to Jesus,” Metro Community Church said in a statement. “More than a pastor, Paul was a husband, father, mentor, and friend. His passion for the Gospel, his love for people, and his unwavering integrity marked every step of his journey.”
IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams said, “For me personally, Paul was a beloved friend, a prayer partner, and a constant encourager. He will be greatly missed.”
Westbrook was known for his love of mountain biking, volleyball, basketball, and pickleball, which became a competitive passion in recent years. However, his foremost priority was his faith and sharing the message of Jesus Christ.
Metro Community Church asked the community to continue praying for the Westbrook family and all who knew him.
“Well done, good and faithful servant,” the church said, quoting Matthew 25:21.
"Everybody could identify with him because he never made you feel he was bigger than you. He was very humble," said a pair of Metro Community Church worshipers after attending the packed visitation for Paul on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at Metro Community Church.
That message seemed to be a constant at the church visitation. Pastor Paul Westbrook will never be forgotten in the Edwardsville community, and his legacy will live on for generations to come.
