The TBDR team pauses for a quick photo after completing work on the bridge.
WASHINGTON COUNTY — On Jan. 2, with God’s blessing, the impossible became a reality.
A team of Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers completed a 100-foot bridge replacement over Roan Creek, reconnecting a homeowner to her property more than a year after Hurricane Helene destroyed the original structure.
The bridge, located between Butler and Mountain City, was swept away in September 2024 when more than 36 inches of rain fell in the Upper East Tennessee mountains during the hurricane.
Tennessee Baptist disaster relief volunteers work to complete a bridge in Washington County.
“This one is above our pay grade,” Don Owen, Nolachucky Baptist Association Disaster Relief director, said Tennessee Baptist leadership initially concluded.
After repeated requests from the homeowner, heavy equipment team leader Dale Moles said, “Let’s do this.”
The project’s cost dropped dramatically from an initial estimate of nearly $200,000 to between $47,000 and $50,000, according to Owen.
Moles led 11 volunteers from Jefferson County, God’s Warehouse Elizabethton and God’s Warehouse Morristown through a nearly 14-hour workday Thursday, beginning before 6 a.m. and finishing at 7:41 p.m.
The bridge needs rock placed on both ends before the homeowner can access her property.
“The homeowner is a bit overjoyed,” Owen said.
The project marks the 97th completed by the Nolachucky Baptist Heavy Equipment Team since Helene, funded through Tennessee Baptist Churches’ donations and volunteer service. B&R — Individuals interested in serving with TBDR should contact Wes Jones (wjones@tnbaptist.org), Garry Maddox (gmaddox@tnbaptist.org) or Elizabeth Holmes (eholmes@tnbaptist.org). Donations to Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief can be made online at tndisasterrelief.org/contributions.
Mark Walton and his wife, Lynda, served at Fairfield Baptist for three-plus decades.
Walton retires after 36 years of service
CENTERVILLE — After nearly four decades of pastoral ministry, J. Mark Walton retired in 2025, concluding 36 years as pastor of Fairfield Baptist Church.
Walton arrived at Fairfield Baptist Church in October 1989 with his wife, Lynda, and their two daughters: 2-year-old Christina and newborn Amanda, who was just three days old.
Under Walton’s leadership, Fairfield Baptist Church grew from a small chapel into a thriving ministry center.
In 1996, with assistance from Carpenters for Christ, the congregation built a new sanctuary to accommodate its expanding membership. An educational building and fellowship hall were added in 2010, creating additional space for teaching, fellowship and outreach.
“We are eternally grateful for Brother Mark’s leadership, sacrifice, perseverance and unwavering commitment to the Lord and his church,” the congregation said in announcing his retirement. “As he enters a well-earned retirement, we pray God’s continued blessings upon Brother Mark and Lynda and thank them for a lifetime of faithful service.”
The church expressed hope that Walton’s retirement would be “filled with rest, joy and the assurance that Brother Mark’s labor in the Lord has not been in vain.”
Walton’s tenure at Fairfield Baptist Church spanned more than three decades of ministry in the Centerville community, where he shepherded the congregation through significant growth and facility expansion while maintaining focus on evangelism and discipleship. B&R
Darden celebrates 95th birthday
Darden
NASHVILLE – Darden Maurice Darden, a lifelong Nashville resident and Korean Conflict veteran, marks his 95th birthday Jan. 29 with a legacy of faith, family, service, and quiet dedication to his community.
Born on January 29, 1931, in Nashville during the Great Depression, Darden has witnessed nearly a century of change in Music City. The son of Gilbert Marshall Darden Sr. and Martha Frances Cartwright, he grew up on Arthur Avenue in North Nashville alongside siblings Gilbert Marshall Darden Jr. and Betty Jean Darden Walker. Darden, now the oldest living member of his family in Nashville, has outlived both siblings.
Darden fondly recalls childhood Christmas visits to his uncle William A. Darden Sr. in East Nashville, where he helped string popcorn and cranberries on a freshly-cut cedar tree while the men enjoyed “special” eggnog. He notes that the most dramatic changes he has seen in Nashville over his lifetime are the growth in traffic and crime.
Darden’s family has deep roots in Tennessee, tracing back to colonial Virginia as documented in Darden Family History (revised 1957) and The Ransoms of Ransom Place and the Dardens of Tick Hill. His ancestors include Revolutionary War participants, plantation owners, and westward migrants.
Military service is a longstanding tradition in the Darden family. Darden served in the U.S. Army from August 1953 to May 1955 during the Korean Conflict, with his final tour in a hospital unit in Verdun, France, attaining the rank of private first class. His father served in World War I, his brother Gilbert Jr. in World War II, and his cousin William Allen Darden Jr. in World War II and post-war Korea in 1946. Two of his father’s brothers, Brents and Roy, served in World War II; Brents did not return home.
Darden regularly visits Nashville National Cemetery to honor his brother and father, tending their graves with a small broom. A 2019 WKRN News 2 Veteran’s Day report captured him kneeling at his brother’s grave, saying, “I always tell him, I miss him, I do.” He has also been honored at a Vanderbilt Medical Center basketball game alongside fellow veteran alumni.
A lifelong Nashville resident, Darden resides in the Donelson area today. He once also maintained a cabin on Old Hickory Lake in Lebanon. The home where he grew up on Fatherland Street still stands and now houses Centurian Stone Company, symbolizing the city’s evolution from a modest Southern town to a thriving cultural center.
Throughout his career, Darden worked at Nashville Electric Service (NES), the Baptist Sunday School Board, and the Southern Baptist Convention. A passionate dog lover and committed volunteer, he served as a reading instructor for 19 years at Pennington Elementary School and volunteered at ARC in Lebanon. He continues to support animal welfare and veteran causes, including Tunnels to Towers.
Faith has been a cornerstone of Darden’s life. A devoted longtime member of First Baptist Church, he has served as a Sunday School teacher and found spiritual strength and community through the congregation.
“Paul Darden’s life reflects the quiet strength and resilience that define so many Tennesseans,” said Kathryn Darden, family historian. “His dedication to family, faith, country, and community serves as an inspiration as he celebrates this milestone birthday.”
Darden remains an enduring symbol of Nashville’s spirit and the sacrifices of its veterans. B&R
