Culbreth
CHATTANOOGA — Dennis Culbreth, director of missions (DOM) for Hamilton County Baptist Association, retired Jan. 31 after a decade of service coordinating ministries among 100-plus Tennessee Baptist churches in the region.
Culbreth, 67, was considered a “pastor to pastors” during his DOM tenure. While with Hamilton County, Culbreth facilitated pastor networking, charity initiatives, and ministry training, in addition to coordinating food programs, English classes, women’s job training, and university outreach. Culbreth also played a role during challenging moments, such as organizing a 1,500-person prayer event to address racial injustice during the summer of 2020.
A seasoned church planter with experience in Georgia and Virginia, Culbreth was pastor of River Oak Church in Chesapeake before its expansion to thousands of members. He later served at the North American Mission Board and as senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Jasper, Ala.
Though he retired from the association, Culbreth will remain in ministry. At the beginning of February, he transitioned to leading Montevallo First Baptist Church, near Birmingham, Ala., a small congregation connected to a liberal arts college. B&R
