For five decades, Jim Arnett and Linda, his wife of 59 years, have been members of the Brentwood Hills Church of Christ where they have both served in a variety of ministries (24 years as an elder). Jim’s professional career was spent at Lipscomb University where he served 31 years as Professor of Biology and 16 in administrative roles. Following decades of responsibility in church leadership roles and multiple mission efforts, Jim remains heavily invested in teaching adult Bible classes, community outreach, mentoring and visitation.

Dr. Mark Adams serves as Preaching Minister at the Tusculum Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee. He previously preached in Arkansas and Texas and has taught graduate courses in ministry at Lipscomb University and Harding School of Theology. Mark writes and speaks on church leadership, faith formation, and the intersection of Christian theology with modern culture, and he shares resources at kingdomupgrowth.com. His passion is helping congregations grow in both depth and mission, equipping leaders and everyday disciples to live faithfully in a complex world. He and his wife, Carolina, have two children and make their home in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Jerrie grew up in Centerville, Tennessee. He went to Freed-Hardeman College and received his B.A. in Bible from David Lipscomb College. He has been preaching since 1961. Jerrie married Gail Champion on August 18, 1964. In May 2007, Jerrie and Gail started interim ministry. They have worked with eleven congregations since 2007. Jerrie and Gail have two children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Jerrie is a ventriloquist, enjoys running barefoot, riding his cruiser bicycle, and writing two blogs: www.newshepherdsorientation.com and www.betweenpreachers.com, and publishes a podcast each week, Gleaning Mustard Seeds with Jerrie Barber.

Gwen Barker serves as a Women’s Leader and Spiritual Mentor in Nashville, drawing from a successful career in sales and marketing. Her husband, Rex, has been an elder, worship leader, and children’s minister, and together they share a deep passion for ministry and for helping others grow in their faith and purpose. Gwen finds her greatest joy in helping people realize their true potential, discover meaningful job placement, and find creative ways to serve the Lord. With warmth and wisdom, she encourages and equips spouses of church leaders to thrive in their unique calling and walk faithfully alongside their husbands in ministry. Gwen and Rex have three children and six grandchildren and currently attend North Boulevard West.

Leslie Chapman is originally from Ripley, MS.  He graduated from Freed-Hardeman with a B.A. in Bible in 1981 and from Harding Graduate School of Religion with a M.Th. in New Testament in 1986. Leslie has served churches in Covington, TN (1982-1990), the Northside Church of Christ in Nashville, TN (1990-2018), and the Hendersonville Church of Christ just north of Nashville since 2018.  He is married to June and they have two sons—Robert (Amy) and Kyle (Andrea)—and three grandsons—Grant, Luke and Garrett.

Prior to retirement in 2024, Dan Dozier served five decades on church staffs in various roles (youth and family minister, associate minister, and preaching minister) in Georgia, Missouri, and Tennessee. Currently, he serves as a shepherd at Fourth Avenue Church of Christ in Franklin, TN. His passion in leadership is fostering encouraging and mutually edifying relationships within the local church. He also enjoys mentoring younger men to help them develop their leadership and service potential. He and JaneLee live in Brentwood, TN and will soon celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary. They are blessed to be the parents of three wonderful children and the grandparents of eight marvelous grandchildren.

Carlus Gupton is Professor of Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Lipscomb University and held similar roles at Harding School of Theology and Johnson University, having trained hundreds of church leaders. He is also a founding partner with Hope Network Ministries. He served churches in Tennessee and Alabama as a preaching minister for twenty years. For thirty years, he has conducted consulting, coaching, and interim ministry for churches across the nation. His passion is blending spirituality, scholarship, and practical strategies to help church leaders thrive. He and his wife, Ann, live in Nashville and attend the Harpeth Hills Church of Christ.

David Holmes began preaching at age 15 and has served congregations in Southern California as a youth, associate, and pulpit minister. He has spoken at major lectureships hosted by Pepperdine, Abilene Christian, and Rochester. A career educator, he taught at Pepperdine University from 1993–2019 and later served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lipscomb University. He now serves as Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts at Lipscomb and Interim Pulpit Minister for the Rural Hill Church of Christ. David boils his passion down to this sentence: "I am a boy preacher that grew up to be an old “school teacher." He and his wife, Veronica, live in Nashville.

Charlie Herndon graduated from Freed-Hardeman University in 1976 and served in full-time youth ministry for the next 18 years.  He transitioned to the financial services industry for most of the next 30 years, which broadened his perspective on the challenge of living by faith in the world. He served 13 years as a shepherd with the Donelson Church of Christ before transferring to Northside in Madison in 2018, where he is one of the six shepherds.  His focus in shepherding is Jesus’ charge to Peter: “Take care of my sheep.” Charlie and Marsha enjoy their two children and six grandchildren.

Chris McCurley is Preaching Minister for the Walnut Street Church of Christ in Dickson, TN. Chris also preached for the Mill Street Church of Christ in Cassville, MO and the Oldham Lane congregation in Abilene, TX, and served as Youth Minister at North Heights Church of Christ in Batesville, AR. Prior to ministry, Chris was a teacher and head basketball and baseball coach in the Cord-Charlotte Schools. Chris hosts a weekly podcast, Dear Church, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Red River Family Encampment. He is a chaplain at Tristar Horizon Medical Center and the Dickson Fire Department. He and his wife, Libby, have 3 children: Keely, Zoe and Zane, and a granddaughter, Ash Cameron.

Dr. Evertt W. Huffard, Professor Emeritus of leadership and missions at Harding School of Theology, was a professor and administrator for 32 years before retiring in 2019. He was an elder for a decade and has served elders and leadership teams in churches for thirty years as a partner in Hope Network Ministries. He contributed chapters titled “From Quick Fix to Healthy Assessment” in the book Doing God’s Work (2013) and “Leading by Consensus” in Navigating the Storm: Resources of Hope for Church Leaders (2017), both published by Hope Network. Evertt and Ileene have three children and ten grandchildren.

Blake Parker serves as Executive Minister and Worship Minister at Hendersonville Church of Christ. With more than three decades of worship ministry leadership across congregations in Middle Tennessee, he is known for cultivating worship that is both reverent and engaging. Having a passion for a cappella worship, Blake honors the church’s rich history of hymns while integrating a balance of contemporary selections. He holds both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Lipscomb University. Blake and his wife, Angela, make their home in Brentwood, Tennessee

Mark Powell became lead minister of the Donelson Church of Christ in fall 2024. Before coming to Donelson, he was dean and professor of theology at Harding School of Theology in Memphis, where he taught for 22 years. Mark has served as a shepherd, and in preaching ministry, urban ministry, church planting, and adult education for churches in Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee. He and his wife Debbie have been married for 29 years and have three adult children.

Dr. Phil Smith earned both his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degrees from the University of Tennessee. He has been practicing dentist in Gallatin, Tennessee, for 48 years. A devoted member of the Hartsville Pike Church of Christ for 51 years, Phil has served as a Bible school teacher, deacon, and elder for the past 16 years. His passion for service extends beyond his local community—he has participated in 17 medical and evangelistic mission teams in Panama, Nicaragua, Peru, and the Philippines. In his free time, Phil enjoys kayaking, teaching and creating stained glass art, and restoring classic cars.Description goes here

Jason Thompson has served as Executive Minister at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ in Brentwood, Tennessee, for more than 20 years. He also partners with Hope Network Ministries and The Carpenter’s Plan, guiding churches and nonprofits in strategic planning, leadership transitions, governance, and fundraising. His ministry has reached across the U.S. and internationally, helping faith-based organizations strengthen leadership and advance their mission. Jason earned degrees from Faulkner University, Harding School of Theology, and a Doctor of Education from Lipscomb University. He and his wife, Megan, are blessed with three children—Kelsey, Ella Grace, and Will Hudson.

Aaron Tremblay has served as preaching minister at the Smyrna church of Christ in Tennessee. for more than nine years. For ten years, he served as the preaching minister for the Leominster church of Christ in Massachusetts. He has gained experience working alongside elderships in congregations of various sizes and cultural contexts. He is also one of the organizers of the "Greater Together" collaboration effort between congregations in Middle Tennessee for the last four years.  He is passionate about unity and collaboration in leadership at the congregational level as well as between congregations.