Pastor Richard Gaines was born in Tyler, Texas, and he is the youngest of seven children. After graduating from high school, he attended Stephen F. Austin State University and received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing.

                After nearly ten years in Corporate America, Pastor Gaines acknowledged his call into the gospel ministry. First Baptist Church of Chesterfield, Missouri licensed him to preach the gospel, and he was ordained by First Baptist Church of Jeffersontown, Kentucky. In May 1995, he received a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

                On May 6, 1996, God called Pastor Gaines to Consolidated Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, where he has faithfully served this congregation and the community. In recent years, he has served as a Jesus 2000 and Franklin Graham Festival board member-at-large, faculty member for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, board member for AA Pregnancy Help Center, executive board member of the Bluegrass Marriage Task Force, trustee of Simmons College of Kentucky, and a mentor at Deep Springs Elementary School. Presently, Pastor Gaines is working with several organizations around the Commonwealth. He is a trustee of Georgetown College, an executive board member for the Lexington Leadership Foundation, co-chair of B.U.I.L.D., and an advisory board member for the Building Healthy Marriages Partnership. 

                 Because of God's favor and Pastor Gaines' heart for evangelism, Consolidated has grown from 200 members to over 2,000 members. Likewise, Consolidated Baptist Church has experienced phenomenal spiritual growth due to her renewed commitment to discipleship training. Additionally, several ministries and staff members have been added to allow the church to holistically minister to those in and outside of this local congregation.

                 Pastor Gaines has received several honors and awards including the Kentuckiana Metroversity Outstanding Scholarship and Service Award, YMCA Black Achiever, Who’s Who Among Students in America’s Colleges and Universities, Kentucky Colonel, Outstanding Young Men of America, and the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Real Fathers Real Men Award. In 2005, Georgetown College awarded a four year scholarship, in Pastor Gaines’ honor, to a young man from Consolidated Baptist Church who demonstrated a commitment to excellence.