Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
Preston Garner, worship pastor at Everettt Hills Baptist Church, Maryville, resigned recently to join the staff of First Baptist Church, Concord, effective Jan. 9.
Southside Baptist Church, Winchester, recently ordained David Jolley as a deacon.
Williams Chapel Baptist Church, Springfield, called Chris Mays as pastor on Jan. 8. He began serving Jan. 23. He also serves as men’s director for Harvest Baptist Association. [Read more…]
Charlie Harkleroad
Charlie Harkleroad, pastor of Leadvale Baptist Church, White Pine, retired Dec. 31 after 22 years of ministry with the congregation. He will be available for pulpit supply. Harkleroad can be reached at 865-388-0765.
Union University trustees in their December meeting approved a strategic plan that will guide the university’s operational goals and planning over the next five years. The strategic plan is entitled “Protinus,” which is a Latin word that means “to move immediately, forward, continuously, uninterruptedly, as from the very first,” according to Union University President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver. “Protinus” includes four major themes — advancing Christ-centered higher education, pursuing faithful innovation throughout and across campuses, continuing to solidify and develop Union’s financial position and enhancing Union’s culture of shared life and commitment to one another’s flourishing. Each theme includes several goals for the university to accomplish by 2027. [Read more…]
Curtis Hill
Members of Brainerd Baptist Church, Chattanooga, voted Dec. 4 to call Curtis Hill as senior pastor. Hill visited Brainerd Baptist more than 23 years ago while a first-year seminary student at Tennessee Temple in Chattanooga. Tom Meade, chairman of the pastor search committee, noted: “Today, we welcome that same man to this sanctuary to become the next senior pastor.” For the past 15 years, Hill served as senior pastor of Ogletown Baptist Church, Newark, Del. He earned a doctor of ministry degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and is a trustee of SBTS. He plans to transition to Chattanooga in January and preach his first sermon on the first Sunday in February. [Read more…]
Albert Wardin
Albert Wardin, a prolific historian who helped make the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives (SBHLA) a global hotspot for Baptist researchers, died Nov. 14. He was 94. A research room in the SBHLA is named after Wardin. A history professor at Belmont University in Nashville for more than a quarter century, Wardin authored more than 10 books along with dozens of scholarly articles and pamphlets. Baptists Around the World, which Wardin edited, was among his best-known books. The nearly 500-page reference work includes articles on Baptists in every region of the world, with statistics about churches and the membership of Baptist groups in each region. He also authored Tennessee Baptists: A Comprehensive History. “I don’t know of anybody comparable to Dr. Wardin’s understanding of Baptists,” said Bill Sumners, retired SBHLA director. “There are a lot of other good Baptist historians who have a broad scope of Baptists, but no one like him that I know.” Wardin was preceded in death by his wife, Lucile. They were longtime members of First Baptist Church, Nashville.
Murray Mathis
Former Tennessee Baptist Convention president F. Murray Mathis died Nov. 17 at the age of 83. Mathis was pastor of several churches throughout Tennessee, including Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, where he served for more than 20 years. A graduate of Belmont University in Nashville and Luther Rice Seminary, Mathis also served churches in Texas. Mathis was preceded in death by his wife, Loretta, and daughter, Esther. He is survived by his son, Archie Lee Mathis and six grandchildren.
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Greenfield, has called Tony Terrell as pastor.
Justin Terrell
Justin Terrell, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Dandridge, since 2015, will write the Explore the Bible series for the Baptist and Reflector for the Dec.-Feb. quarter. A native of Smithville, Terrell previously served as a pastor in Georgia. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned his doctor of ministry in expository preaching. Terrell and his wife, Emily, have two children. He was elected this year as a trustee of Carson-Newman University.
Debbie Johnson is the new administrative assistant for Duck River Baptist Association. She is the wife of L.Z. Johnson, pastor of First Baptist Church, Cowan. [Read more…]
CHURCHES
Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, will host its third annual Brentwood Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 4 from 5-7:30 p.m. The family-friendly experience will be comprised of three walkable elements: Christmas Towne, Journey Through Bethlehem and The Christmas Food Project. The event is open for all to attend. For information, visit www.brentwood.church/christmas.
Brush Creek Baptist Church, Brush Creek, will hold its annual “Life of Christ Drive-Thru” Dec. 3-4 from 6-8 p.m.
LEADERS
First Baptist Church, Madisonville, recently ordained Matt White and Chris Bowers as deacons. [Read more…]
Cody Pendergrass
Cody Pendergrass has been called as family pastor to Shiloh Baptist Church, effective Sept. 25. He has been married to Sarah Beth for 13 years and they have two daughters. Pendergrass has been in youth ministry for 17 years. He is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Clayton Dunsmore has been called as interim pastor at Union McMinn Baptist Church ,Niota, effective Oct. 2. Dunsmore served as pastor of UMBC from 1973-77. He most recently served as interim pastor at North Etowah Baptist Church, Etowah.
Michael Icenhour has been called as interim pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Mountain City. It was incorrectly reported in the Oct. 12 issue that he was called as pastor. [Read more…]
Lloyd Stilley
Lloyd Stilley recently began serving as associational missions strategist for Bledsoe Baptist Association, based in Gallatin. Stilley has served as pastor of four churches in 35 years in Alabama and Louisiana. He holds a master’s of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theolgical Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and a doctor of ministry degree from New Orleans (La.) Baptist Theological Seminary. Stilley and his wife, Leeanne, have two sons and two grandchildren.
First Baptist Church, Roan Mountain, has called Will Kerley as student pastor.
Oak Street Baptist Church, Elizabethton, has called Joe Ledford as interim pastor. [Read more…]
Bethel Baptist Church, Greenfield, recently called Mark Warren as senior pastor.
Carol Ghattis
Tennessee native and former International Mission Board missionary Carol Ghattis has recently released a new book entitled, Not in Kansas Anymore: Finding Home in Cross-Cultural Service. Ghattis and her late husband, Raouf, founded the Arabic Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, after returning from the mission field in 2009. Though now a member of Third Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, Ghattis still serves behind the scenes as administrator of Arabic Baptist Church. Ghattis is experienced in cross-cultural ministry, having worked among Laotians, West Africans and Arabs. The book is written for people thinking about missions, already on the journey or helping others to move toward the call to serve. The book is available from xulonpress.com or other online book distributors. [Read more…]
Mike Kemper
Oak Street Baptist Church, Elizabethton, has called Joe Ledford as interim pastor.
Jeff Harless recently was called as pastor of Doe River Baptist Church, Elizabethton.
Mike Kemper is serving as interim director of missions for Gibson Baptist Association. He previously served the association from 1999-2006 when he and his wife returned to the International Mission board to serve as missionaries in Costa Rica and Argentina. He has also served as director of missions for Lawrence County Baptist Association and has served as a director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. He has been in ministry for 55 years. [Read more…]
