LEADERS Greg Long is retiring after 30 years as pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Maryville at the end of December. He has been the longest tenured serving pastor in Pleasant Grove’s 191-year history.  Before coming to Pleasant Grove, he pastored two other churches in Tennessee. Greg and his wife, Susan, will continue to reside in Maryville. DEATHS John Thomas “Tom” Everett, former pastor of Lonsdale Baptist Church, Knoxville,

LEADERS Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, McKenzie, recently honored Gene Price on his 39th anniversary as pastor with a monetary gift. First Baptist Church, Nashville, voted Nov. 19 to call Thomas West as senior pastor, effective Jan. 1, 2024. A native of Montgomery, Ala., West comes to Nashville from Queen’s Redeemer Church in England, where he served for the past five years. He also worked as an Equip teacher for Southeastern

LEADERS Jamie Bodiford began serving Nov. 5 as pastor of First Baptist Church, Mountain City. Ray Gilder retired Oct. 22 as pastor of First Baptist Church, Gordonsville, after eight-and-a-half years. He formerly served as bivocational ministries specialist with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board and executive director of the Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network.

First Baptist Church, Linden, recognized Robert Warren for his 50 years of service as a deacon at First Baptist at the church’s 79th homecoming on Sept.17. Austin Hall, youth minister at First Baptist Church, Newport, was ordained to the gospel ministry on Oct. 22 at the church. Rome Baptist Church, Lebanon, recently ordained Levi Thommason to the gospel ministry.

LEADERS Joe Bill Sloan, a 1967 Carson-Newman University alumnus and a longtime professor and dean, is a 2023 inductee to the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) Hall of Fame. The organization announced that he is one of 24 inductees, each representing TICUA member institutions. Sloan also served as C-N’s interim president on one occasion. In 2022, Carson-Newman honored Sloan as a member of the inaugural class inducted into

LEADERS Dana Fachman, senior pastor of Meridian Baptist Church, Knoxville, for the past 34-and-a-half years plans to retire at the end of this year. Current and former church members and friends are invited to attend a reception for him on Nov. 11 in the Meridian Baptist Church Fellowship Hall from 1-4 p.m. Ronnie Smith is serving as interim pastor of Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Sale Creek. Rick Dixon has been

LEADERS Hopewell Baptist Church, Springfield, called Brad Hall as pastor in August. He preached his first sermon at Hopewell on Sept. 3. Phillip Senn recently resigned as pastor of Enon Baptist Church, Halls. He is available for pulpit supply or interim pastorates. He can be reached at [email protected] or 731-446-9538. DEATHS Paul Stewart Moody, retired pastor of Erin Baptist Church, Erin, died Aug. 1, 2023. He was given the title

LEADERS C. Scott Shepherd, worship and music specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board for the past six years, has resigned, effective Sept. 5, to become associate director of Renaissance at Bethel University in McKenzie. A graduate of Shorter University, Rome, Ga., and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky., Shepherd earned his doctorate in worship studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He is president of

LEADERS First Baptist Church, Manchester, will celebrate pastor Brenton Cox’s 29 years of ministry at FBC with a retirement reception in his honor on Sunday, Aug. 20, from 3-5 p.m. in the church gymnasium. Under his leadership, First Baptist has experienced significant growth in worship and Sunday School attendance. More than 1,150 believers have been baptized during his ministry at FBC. During the last 29 years, the church has led

LEADERS Steve Flippo, associational missions strategist for Lawrence County Association of Baptists, has resigned to accept the pastorate of Meadow View Baptist Church, Lawrenceburg. Flippo and his family have served as missionaries with the International Mission Board and he is a former missions and college and career pastor. He served as AMS for six years. Neely’s Bend Baptist Church, Nashville, recently called Austin Jones as pastor. He is a May