LEADERS

Matthew Ledbetter

Matthew “Matt” Ledbetter has been called as director of missions for Duck River Baptist Association, based in Tullahoma. He previously served as pastor of Creeksville Baptist Church in Conway, N.C. He has also been serving as the interim director of missions for the West Chowan Baptist Association in North Carolina. In addition to 25 years pastoral experience, he has served two terms as the second vice president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina as well as on their Executive Board. He is currently vice president of the North Carolina Baptist Pastors’ Conference. He also has extensive experience leading mission trips to Mexico and Central America and promoting Hispanic ministry in the United States

Jeff Cruse

Jeff Cruse is the new director of missions for Grainger Baptist Association, based in Rutledge. He was reared in a Southern Baptist church in Detroit. He served as a journeyman missionary in the Philippines with the International Mission Board. He married his wife, Kim, who also was a journeyman after their term ended. They moved to Texas where he earned his master of divinity in church planting from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served with the IMB as collegiate ministry director and church planter from 2001-2019 in the Philippines, where he led the campus evangelism team ó making disciples, training leaders, supervising summer teams and planting churches in Batangas, a province of less than 2 percent Christian. The couple returned to Tennessee in 2019 where he served as an IMB mobilizer for a year and worked with Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes. Kim Cruse currently serves as a missions discipleship specialist for Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union. [Read more…]

LEADERS

Bob Brown

Former Tennessee Baptist Mission Board staff member Bob Brown has been elected vice chairman of the trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. Brown is executive director of Lakeway Christian Schools and interim pastor of Chilhowee Hills Baptist Church, Knoxville. He and his wife, Linnie, are members of First Baptist Church, Dandridge.

Danny Dixon began serving April 1 as interim pastor of Battle Creek Baptist Church, Springfield. [Read more…]

DEATHS

John Henry Franklin, retired pastor of churches in Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee and longtime pastor of Everett Hills Baptist Church, Maryville, died March 21. He was 85. John is survived by his wife Betty, three children, four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Parker “Spencer” Johnson, retired Pastor of Shepherd Baptist Church, Chattanooga and other churches in Georgia and North Carolina, died March 7. He was 78.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary. He is survived by two daughters and a granddaughter. [Read more…]

LEADERS

Meadow View Baptist Church, Lawrenceburg, called David Miller as interim pastor, effective March 1.

Pastor Rodney Duckett, along with his wife, Michelle, celebrated their 10th anniversary on April 8 at Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Mount Juliet. This year also marks Duckett’s 20th anniversary in the ministry. During his tenure, the church has undergone many renovations and programs which have led to continual growth and outreach in the Wilson County community.

Ray Van Neste, dean and professor of biblical studies at Union University, Jackson, is serving as interim pastor of Tulip Grove Baptist Church, Old Hickory. [Read more…]

LEADERS

Justin Johnson

Justin Johnson began serving in November as associational mission strategist for Sevier County Baptist Association. He joined the association’s staff in 2020 as financial administrator. After AMS Robert Nichols retired at the end of 2021, Johnson served as acting AMB until he was unanimously approved as the new AMS at the association’s annual meeting in October. Johnson also is part-time student pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church in Seymour.

Daryl Crouch, executive director of Everyone’s Wilson, has been named interim pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, Mount Juliet. He formerly served nine years as pastor of Green Hill Church, Mount Juliet. Shiloh also has called Bryan Howard as interim worship pastor. He has served as worship leader of churches in Tennessee and Kentucky and has performed as a piano and vocal solo artist. [Read more…]

EVENTS

The Missions Get-Together, sponsored by Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union, will be held March 16-18 at Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood. The event features general sessions, breakout sessions and a missions/ministry fair with more than 35 exhibitors. For more information, visit www.tnbaptist.org/mgt2023.

CHURCHES

Oakland Baptist Church, Springfield, will host The Mylan Hayes Family from Hudson, N.C., in concert April 1 at 6 p.m. There is no admission but a freewill offering will be taken. For more information, call 629-210-5877. [Read more…]

EDUCATION

Carson-Newman University’s nursing and education online programs both rank No. 2 in Tennessee in their respective categories, according to U.S. News & World Report rankings released Jan. 24. For its 2023 Best Online Programs, U.S. News assessed schools based on a variety of objective factors, such as student engagement, faculty credentials and services and technologies. Carson-Newman’s online nursing program ranked No. 98 nationally, while its online education program ranked No. 157 in the country. Both C-N programs rank No. 2 in the state, only behind University of Memphis. The recognition also makes Carson-Newman a top private university in Tennessee in the two categories. [Read more…]

LEADERS

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

LEADERS

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.

EDUCATION

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…]